This is actually the most common question I get asked, not during a session mind you, but on-line. Do I tip my masseur, and if so, how much? One man wrote in an on-line discussion “If a therapist works for a studio, s/he certainly deserves a tip (if the massage was good), but if the therapist has an independent practice, s/he sets his/her own rates and shouldn't expect anything on top of that. If a client wishes to give more, fine, but since the price is set by the therapist (unlike in studios, where the MT receives substantially less than the price of the massage), then there is no reason to pay the therapist more than that. After all, we aren't morally obligated or expected to pay our doctor or plumbing contractor more than the price that that professional sets for their services.”
Yeah, well we don’t charge as much as a doctor or a plumber either and I always offer my plumber water, cookies, or whatever I can find, I want him to do as good a job as possible.
Tipping: When going to a salon, 15% to 20% is a good tip since most therapists there have to pay a fee to the owner of the salon for using their space. When going to a private in home studio a tip should not be expected since the therapist should be charging enough to cover their expenses and make a profit. That being said, there is nothing wrong with tipping in-home therapists either.
I tip based on the following:
· How satisfied am I with the massage?
· How close to the time paid was length of the massage (if I paid for 60 min did I get 60)? In case you were wondering, it takes the average client less than one minute to undress and get on the table, same for getting dressed.
· Did I spend a lot of time talking before or after the massage? Time is money, my average client spends at least 15 extra minutes, some much more, including one chatty fellow who has spent an extra hour asking me all kinds of questions until I pushed him out the door.
· What was the original price for the massage? I will tip better to therapists that are charging below average for the market; less for those who are charging the top rates.
· Was I a difficult client? Was I late, was I too early, did I have to re-schedule (big tip), did I have to make numerous calls or emails to the therapist before making the appointment? If I am any more than 10 minutes late and the therapist still offers and provides me with the length of time I originally requested, that is a big tip. Any time you cancel an appointment, especially same day, offer to pay at least half of the agreed fee. This is time that was set aside for you that the therapist could not give to someone else.
· Did I use his shower?
· Did I make any special requests of the therapist?
These bring us to the Erotic or Sensual massage, remember that this practice is illegal in almost every state in the union and can cost a masseur his license, his job, he can be arrested and fined large amounts of money and not allowed to work as a licensed masseur in that state ever again. For this reason alone, any masseur willing to provide this service deserves a huge tip.
I think that prostitution should be legalized, and I think that it is even more unfortunate that an erotic massage would be considered prostitution.
For me, Erotic or Sensual massage falls into two categories based on whether the giver can actually give a massage or not. There area lot of rub and tug people out there who can not give a one hour massage but give a light little rub down and then jack off the client. I don't believe these people should be paid at all (and yet, they usually have the highest rates). If the person can give a real massage and adds sensual or erotic elements and does not charge more for them, I would give them a very nice tip since this is going above and beyond the standard massage. If the therapist charges more for erotic elements, I do not tip (these people bother me and I don't know why). If the massage is in any way interactive (meaning I am allowed to touch the giver), another big tip since this is definitely going above and beyond and takes far more energy and concentration. Never assume that you are giving the therapist what he wants when you are touching him. He is actually giving you what he thinks you want.
I always tip my masseurs (CMT or otherwise, Spa or otherwise) 20% unless it was simply a really bad massage and of course what I can afford at the time. Contrary to popular belief, massage is not a get rich quick profession. According to data from the American Massage Therapy Association:
1. The average masseur works for himself (responsible for their own insurance, benefits, supplies, etc.)
2. Gives less than 10 massages a week.
3. Stays in the industry for less than 8 years.
4. Earns less than $30,000 a year (including tips).
5. Works another job to pay the bills
I do not begrudge someone who cannot afford to tip, I understand that and usually someone who can afford to will tip too much and it will balance in the end. To raise the fee of my work would prevent someone from getting a massage who may really need it. I trust in the balance of the universe.
That being said, I am very honest with the IRS and keep track of every tip that I receive and who gave it to me. I wish I was the kind of person who could say this never has any affect on my service. I am not. Tipping does affect priority of select appointment times, will I change my plans to give a massage, will I forgive them for being late or very early, or canceling, and yes it probably affects the service they get on my table though that is not a conscience decision. Though I hate to admit it, I have even seen bad clients again if they tipped really well, although I still draw lines and there are some I would never see again, regardless or what they paid. I will be more likely to accommodate special requests to a good tipper. A fellow body worker had this to say “Non tippers get what they pay for- if they are late it comes out of their time, and they will be in and out in as close to time as possible. So, tipping- even a little to show appreciation for a good service is not only classy- but expedient. The irony is that most clients who DO tip also tend to ask the least of you- whereas most who don’t also tend to be higher maintenance all the way around.” I too have found that a few of my non-tipping clients tend to be high maintenance.
Another very reasonable practice in some parts of the world is the giving of gifts to the masseur, either something that the client has made or something that the client feels the masseur might enjoy. Personally, I would rather have the cash, but I do usually appreciate the thought (though I have gotten a bit weirded out and worried about the massage relationship, see previous blogs).
I do not do barters for massages. I do not give discounts for students, senior citizens, jocks or pretty boys. I will occasionally do a massage exchange, though if you have read the rest of my blogs, you will know that I have many bad experiences from that.
So, the long and the short of it is you can make your own rules about tipping but the provider will notice and probably remember in the future. - Jack
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