Tipping Etiquette

Tipping Etiquette

Imagine you’ve just had an excellent massage from our in-house registered massage therapist, or received a new set of nails from an esthetician, or spent an hour rejuvenating your skin with a facial in the spa. Either way, you’re feeling relaxed and ready to face the rest of your day. You make your way to the front desk, and suddenly you realize that you’re not sure what the rules are for tipping. As you pull out your wallet, you might even start to panic: do you tip, or do you just pay for the service you received?

While we can’t speak for any other businesses, for our own we can emphatically say that tipping is not an obligation and is totally up to you. Our estheticians do not expect a tip, but should you feel that your service meets the excellent standard that we’ve set for ourselves, go ahead and let them know about it! All tips are deeply appreciated and a staff member that receives one is sure to feel honoured and grateful. Everyone here at Spa Escape is trained to be receptive and responsive to your needs as we work – whether it’s slightly changing massage pressure, keeping you informed during new procedures, or recommending what would work best with your skin or nails– and that includes getting feedback on their work as well. So even if you have a concern about something they’re doing, feel free to let them know!

Since there’s always some confusion about how tips work and how they are distributed, we’ll just set the record straight in writing for everyone to see: whoever you give the tip to will keep 100% of it for themselves. That’s right, no splitting among the other staff, or putting it in a pool to divide up later – this way, you can decide where you want your tip to go and feel assured that it will remain there.

If you do decide that your esthetician, massage therapist, or other staff member really made your visit special, and you’d like to show your appreciation, a good base line to work from is that of other service industries – generally about 15-20% of the total bill. Whether you want to leave a cash tip as you go, or add it on to your payment at the front desk – both are good options and again, it’s totally up to you. You are also welcome to take just a few minutes to go to Google and leave them a good review for other people to see! Many people check online reviews when looking around for a new place to try, and having plenty of pleased customers is an excellent way to show your gratitude.

It’s not always easy to tell when you should tip, as some countries, like Australia or Japan, generally frown upon tipping service workers and some will even outright refuse to take additional money. But here in Canada, it’s up to you to decide – just remember that the entirety of the tip you leave at Spa Escape will go to the person who served you, and that it’s a great way to express thanks for a job well done!