If you are a regular reader here, you might remember a few weeks ago when I wrote about my visit to the barber shop in my neighborhood. A homeless man came into the shop and did some things that came off as somewhat threatening. My barber there (this was my first time to use this particular barber) handled the situation very well, and I was also happy with the haircut he gave me.
Haircuts at this particular barber shop are P50 (I think I said in a comment that they were P40, but I was mistaken, sorry), and I always give the barber a tip of P20 if I feel he did a good job on the haircut. Well, on this particular day, I had P50 to pay for the cut, and I had a P20 bill to give the tip to the barber. I didn’t have any other change, only P1,000 bills other than the money needed to pay for my haircut and tip. I wanted to give the barber a little more of a tip because of how he handled the situation with the homeless guy, but since I didn’t have any change, I could not do it, so I gave him the my normal tip of P20.
I have been to the barber shop a couple more times since then, though. On my next visit, I used the same barber again, and this time I had extra change, so I decided to give him that “extra tip” for his good service on my previous visit. I gave him a tip of P30 instead of P20 this time. Not much, but he was very appreciative of the extra amount. I didn’t think much of it, because like I said, it is not much money.
Well, last week I went back for another haircut, and of course I used the same barber (there are like a half dozen different barbers in the same shop). He was very nice to me, and as usual he did a great job on my haircut. Here in the Philippines, when you go to a barber shop, after cutting your hair, they give you a massage, usually just on your shoulders, neck and the upper part of your back. Normally, this massage lasts for a minute or so. So, when the hair was cut, the barber started in on the massage. It became obvious to me that he was giving me a lot more than the standard massage, though! I mean, he did my head, neck, shoulders, upper and lower back and both of my arms. He did most of these areas multiple times too! The massage went on and on, and then on a little longer! Actually, he gave me a massage for 15 minutes! I was quite impressed and also feeling quite relaxed!
When I went in for this haircut, I had planned to give him my normal P20 tip again. I had given him P30 previously because of his good job the previous visit, so my plan was to go back to normal. But, as I sat there and he kept massaging more and more, I was thinking to myself that I could not just give him a P20 tip, it would really be like an insult after he gave me this kind of service! So, when it came time to pay, I kept his tip at P30 again on this visit. I think that after giving him a P30 tip two weeks in a row, that is sort of our established tip now, and I will need to keep giving him P30, though, otherwise it might be interpreted as an insult to him. But, I also feel pretty sure that he will keep giving me the same quality of service too, so I am OK with tipping him extra.
On my next visit, though, I will actually tip him even more than our newly established P30 tip. Why? It’s Christmas time! During December you really should give a little extra to these service people. I rarely ride taxis since I have my own vehicle, but when I do ride a taxi during December, I always give a nice tip, and tell the driver “Merry Christmas” when I give the tip. By saying Merry Christmas, that let’s him know that the reason I am giving him such a tip is because it is a Christmas present to him. If I did not add that extra “Merry Christmas” when tipping him, he might think that is how much I regularly tip, and expect it from me if I ride with him again in the future. So, next time I go for a haircut, I am going to give the barber P100 as a tip, and I will be sure to let him know that is my Christmas present to him!
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You sure are making it hard on the rest of us that don’t tip Bob. I tipped the last time I got a haircut but only be cause he showed me his tip jar. I must be some rich white guy. I didn’t know that I was, rich that is. I did get a haircut and the barber talked a leg off of me. Aircon too.
73,
Gary
Hi Gary – Not meaning to make it hard on you, my friend. I think that for a service business like a barber, tipping is the right thing to do. In fact, at the barbers I go to I see tipping by nearly every customer, including Filipinos. P20 seems to be pretty normal. Of course, it is not required.
Just got this off of Twitter. I think I will stay here in Mindanao. Safer haircuts and maybe a tip is a good idea.
Two men entered a south Sacramento barbershop this afternoon and opened fire on two men getting haircuts, who apparently returned fire, leaving a 30-year-old woman dead, a man with life-threatening injuries and four others wounded, investigators said.
Read more: http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/archives/2010/12/1-killed-1-grav.html#ixzz188eh7gGc
73,
Gary
Wow, Gary! I think I’ll just keep visiting my neighborhood barber shop! It’s safe there!
Bob
Your right. You really should tip all service related people. My barber charges$8.00 and I give a $2.00 tip. I even give the garbageman a christmas gift. I used to give him a good bottle of liquor, but than thought about a liability it could be, so I just give gift cards. I hope you and your family have a wonderful christmas. Thanks so much for another great article.
Hi Randy – Thanks for sharing that. I personally have never given the garbage man a tip… but he probably deserves one, though. Thank you for your Christmas greeting, Merry Christmas to you too!
Bob;
A lot of people think that Tipping is a large city in China.
Or What’s the difference between a ________(fill in the blank) person and a Canoe? Canoe’s will tip!
Some countries add the tip onto the bill, so it’s not their habit to leave extra, as they already did. Every time I ever left a tip in Japan, it was returned to me, as they won’t accept them.
Hi Paul – Very true, indeed. As an example, many restaurants add a “service charge” on the bill here in the Philippines. If they add a service charge, I do not tip, as the service is what the tip is all about! 😉
Bob
You see alot of people in restaurants that don’t even leave a tip. People don’t realize servers get paid very little by the hour and have to rely on tips for most of there income.
That’s true, Randy, especially here. Tipping in restaurants here is really sort of optional here. I always do tip, though, unless the service is very poor.
Merry Christmas Bob, I don’t mind tipping good when there’s good sevice . When my wife and I go out when we are in the Philippines, She does remind me at times about I’am giving to much, of a tip.I do forget that I’am not in the states. But lets face it, if I can give someone a tip that can put a smile on their face, I will do it..I remember one day we got into a taxi, and the driver said Hi to me, and asked me if I was an Amercian in very good english, We started to talk about amercain cars and how fast they can go.After being in philis for three weeks, It was nice to carry on a conversation with someone.When we arrived at our distination, I gave him an extra three dollor tip, he told me it was to much, but I told him he made my day, just to talk to him.So as far as it goes,it works both ways……………..J.C.
Hi Jan – Nice experience! I do not believe it is possible to “tip too much” if you are tipping willingly. You give what you think the service was worth to you, and that amount is the right amount for you. It also helps establish a bond between you and that service person. If you ever ride with that taxi driver again, you can be sure he will go out of his way to give you excellent service!
Merry Christmas, Jan!
Bob
So true!
Hi Bob,
It feels good – reading your, Jan´s and Randy´s comments . It´s nice to know how people like you (foreigners) think about “giving”. I do not belong to the “rich ones”, but I think that sharing or giving (of course, voluntarily to those who deserve!) is one of the most wonderful thing that ought to be relayed from generation to generation.
Thank you guys and Merry Christmas to all of you and your family.
Hi Wilma – Thank you for joining the discussion here on LiP, it’s always nice to have somebody new join in! I am glad that you enjoyed our discussion here. Merry Christmas!
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I always find it alittle funny here at xmas time ,most all the people who are in the service work here or govt.expect that you will give them some presant .They are sraight forward about it to.The garbage man gives me an envolope and also does the mail man wanting a gift.Try that in the states haha.Im sure next week i will get many more expecting people .i always give anyway but its their way here.
Hi Maynard – Indeed, a lot of people will walk right up to you and say “sir, where is my Christmas”. I never give to people who ask for it. Especially since many of the people who do that are people that you don’t even know, or have no connection, just passers by on the street! Merry Christmas, Maynard!
Q: “Sir, where’s my Christmas?”
A: “There it goes, right around the corner – if you hurry, you can catch it!”
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Hi Maynard–it’s happening here in the states! Just receive envelope for tips with my paper deliverer this morning. Doorman always expect present during Christmas time here in the states–also common to give present to mailman and other regular service people you dealt business with. Good day.
Mars
ho ho ho bob
yes the hair cuts u get in the phill are the best and wow still just 50 p Bob here in australia we pay up to $23 or$25 in some good places in the city and bob u dont give a tip and it would not be 100 p u did give them here if there was one but $100 mate so god bless u on this xmas and may u have a happy new year to u and ur lovely wife and kids and plz take good care mate ok for god loves u………peter martin tassie…
Hi Peter! Thank you very much for sharing your comment about haircuts in Tasmania! Ha ha… $20+ for a haircut? I’ll stay here in the Philippines, my friend! Merry Christmas to you!
My word, a $100 tip on a haircut. I’m too young to be using an old man’s barber yet…still have a bit of hair worth “styling”, so I still go to a proper hairdresser and pay $35, but I just round it up to $40 with the tip.
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No offence meant to all you baldy old gits. Merry Christmas!
Best haircut I’ve had in years, incidentally, was in a hairdressing salon on one of the higher floors at G-Mall in Davao. The guy was more effeminate than my wife mind you, and refused to do any cutting at all until my hair had been washed and all the gel removed, but it was an absolutely cracking haircut; so good I made it last about eight weeks instead of the usual five or six. Think it was about PHP125 or thereabouts, I seem to remember paying for about another couple of relatives haircuts at the same time, so I’m not certain about the price. Made sure there was a decent tip on top of the actual charge though.
Hi Jim – Just a quick clarification… I am not giving a $100 tip! That’s 100 Pesos! Only about $2.50. You can bet, though, that the fellow will appreciate it greatly!
No Bob, I replied to Peter’s post, which reads like he’d be giving a $100 tip.
You’re right though, your guy will appreciate his Christmas tip for sure.
Hi Jim – Sorry about that… I thought you were responding to me!
Hi Bob – Anybody who can hold a straight razor to my neck and allow me to get up unharmed can have a nice tip from me! Especially at Christmas!
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I can’t argue with that, Paul! If you don’t tip, he might think you are not coming back, and you just became less valuable to him! He might not keep you around! 😯
I just got my first haircut in the Philippines a couple weeks ago. He used straight razor and a large pair of scissors that looked more like a machete.Cost only 25 pesos and it was every bit as good as the haircut I got in the states for $25 and they wanted a tip on top of that. I didn’t get a massage but I was so impressed with the results and the fact that I still had my ears that I gave him a 25 peso tip.
Ha ha… glad to hear that you had a good “first experience” Ron! I usually get a haircut every week, and I enjoy getting a haircut here in the Philippines. I always have fun talking with the barbers!
Bob, So grateful for your article. I will make sure my wife reads it as she is always nagging me about tipping to much. I guess she feels its a problem for me when i am in the Phil. She says “Anthony you cant save all us poor people”. I respond “Why not”!! hahaha. Always better to give than receive!!!! Have a great holiday season and hoping Nicole is still with you there as well!! Godbless you and yours…
Hi Anthony – I think your wife is being just like Feyma was when we first got married – trying to protect you from over paying for things here. Having lived a significant time abroad, though, she now understands that giving a good tip to a person who does something for you is something that gives a good feeling to both the tipper and the person who receives the tip. I don’t consider myself to be too free with giving away money, but I also enjoy giving a good tip to somebody who has done a good service for me. It makes me feel good to do so! Keep it up, my friend! Nothing wrong with it!
I cut my own hair and I never get a massage. Unless the rub of my head to brush off any left over cut hair qualifies. The good news is I don’t have to tip anyone. I do however think I would gladly part with a couple of hundred pesos for a great haircut and a nice massage. I would look for a very nice female barber though-I am sure I would enjoy that just a bit more. Merry Christmas everyone.
Hi Ron – Oh, come on my friend, you don’t give yourself a good massage? 😉 I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a female barber here…. in some of the mall “beauty shops” you can get your hair cut by a female, though.
Hi Bob – I’ll need to control my tipping while visiting there. Utilizing a daily budget helps control my spending habits, but sometimes I over indulge. Guess I had better place a limit on tipping to avoid running low on cash. 🙂
Hi Henry – How’s it going? Have not heard from you in a while now! I hope you are doing good! Tipping is something that can make you and the receiver feel good, and nothing wrong with that. Thankfully, here in the Philippines, even a small tip is well received and can help you maintain your budget!
Yeah the hair cuts are great here and cheap, but have you noticed the scissors they use are very sharp and the size of landscape clippers some blades a foot long ha ha but I think its the best haircuts I,ve ever had anywhere.
Hi Randal – Yep, I agree, they give a great haircut here in the Philippines! Going to the barber shop is always a weekly highlight for me!
After paying $25.00 for a 5 minute clip (bald short hair) in th USA, I payed $1.50 here (p80) I gave a P50 peso tip and was all smiles … and got that massage…
Hi Lenny – P130 all in all? Wow, you are a big spender, my friend! 😆 I sure enjoy the pampering you get here! 😉
Whew! For a minute there I thought the rising costs of Philippine living has affected you Bob! Haha, clever title and nice article too. It’s a good thing Christmas is not officially celebrated here otherwise I’ll be out of change tipping my barber. Lol 🙂
Ha ha… I’m still doing OK, jonathan! I think I can make it a bit longer! 😉
Sir Bob. Have you changed your barbers shop i thought you went to big toms or big johns.
When ever i am in phil i get a hair cut such good value. Made a mistake years ago when i first visited china i saw the barbers pole outside a shop and desided to get a cut . In i walked to fine yes it was a barbers shop but it was also something else. The front being a barbers and a front
for a house of ilrepute at the back. Family site so i must watch my ps and qs.
Hi Frank – There are plenty of those “dual purpose” barber shops right here in the Philippines too! Ha ha… BTW, happy birthday!
hi bob i think it is great that you give this guy a tip for the service he provides ,i am sure that he appreciates it and i think the service will continue to get better and a frienship will grow,when i was there (feels like forever will i ever get back) i had my hair cut at sm and i was taken back when the guy started to massage my head and neck,my wife assured me this is normal but at the time coming from the west where it is get em in and out as soon as you can it was very strange but like you after the initial shock i relaxed and enjoyed it ,see you are spreding the xms cheer and you havent even started to give things away i am sure that the barber will put that to good use for his family , well bob i thrw 20 dollars away on a lotto ticket in a work sindicate yester day so i will donate another small mount to your cause as i know which one will give me the greatest satisfaction and it aint a lotto ticket , i am onlyew to this site but i ave enjoyed reading all the posts from the different writers ,my favorites are pat duffy,your better half and gensan chris and yourself of course ,i wish all readers and writers the very best for xmas and on a personal note if you can help with bobs xmas giveaway please do a lot of little doations build up to be a big one
merry xmas
chris
Thank you very, very much chris! I appreciate your comment, and your help on the Christmas Drive too! I am really happy to know that you are enjoying our site here! Merry Christmas to you, chris!
Yes it sorta reminds me of the barber shops of my childhood, with the straight razors and powders and the massages are a nice bonus…the best one i,ve found is on samal island where all the foriengers hang out its called Noni,s barbershop in babac, nice guy…cool place.
I have always been a generous tipper for good service provided back home in the States. Sometimes it takes getting used to the ridiculously low prices things cost here service wise so I tend to take tipping for granted and give high tip amounts here as well. I don’t think I am changing the dynamic of tipping in the Philippines but I can tellyou that I am taken care of very well and people go overboard to provide me good serivice as they know they will be rewarded from me more than from others. People here don’t make very much so if I give 50p instead of a normal 20p I feel better about perhaps rasing that persons standard of living. I say to anyone if you can afford it then go for it and make every day Christmas for people here. So little goes so far. It’s a good thing you are doing with the barber.
You are right, Dwayne, even a little goes a long ways, and it’s not much for us to afford, so it just makes me feel good. Sounds like it does that for you too!
Hi Randal – I like the massage too! The one in Samal sounds kind of cool, maybe I’ll have to look for it next time over!
Been back in Australia now nearly 3 months and one thing I do miss is the low cost haircuts in the Pines. At 23 bucks a cut it’s a long time between visits. I also do miss my byot/ bakla barber he/she cuts every hair with the precision of a laser and gives a great neck massage for only 50 piso tip. Every Christmas he/she gets a standard 200 piso pressie unfortunately this year he will miss out.
Hi Boss – Glad to hear that you are enjoying your time down under! For me, I enjoy getting a fresh haircut weekly! I hate to miss a week!
Bob;
Trade you the price of your haircut for mine here in Florida. 🙂
It cost me $15 + tip. But your right I also tend to be alittle more generous during Christmes to the people I deal with on a regular basis.
Are we looking good on the Christmas GiveAway?
Already sent my family their Christmas bonus check. 🙂
Hi Bruce – I’ll let you keep the FL haircut! 😆
So far, the Christmas drive is running ahead of last year… hopefully we can beat last year’s total, thanks to generous people like you!
Great story! If service is good then give a tip guys and gals!! Geez, a little to us expats can make a nice difference to the average filipino. If the service is bad then don’t tip.
I do not presently live in the Philippines but have been there nine times and lived there for months at a time. Without a doubt one of the best experiences of my life was in Dipolog, Mindanao two years ago.
My ex-fiance and I were at a street vendor getting some mangos. My fiance wanted them a certain way so she asked the family that was tending to the cart if we could have the mangos cut the way we liked them. They were very obliging.
The cart was being run by a mother, father, and two cute little girls. The girls were probably eight to nine years old. They were soooooooooooo polite!! The parents took their time and cut the mangos and prepared them the way my fiance wanted them prepared, and the entire time the little girls followed their parents instructions to a TEE.
When all was said and done we paid them what the price was and then I said “Thank you very very much. Your service was great and your little girls were very very polite. Thank you so much.”
I then proceeded to give them like a 100 peso tip, which was probably too much for what we got but I wanted to to do it. Gosh, just a couple of bucks to me. And I understand about over tipping.
Well you would have thought we gave that family a $100 bill. The smiles of the mom and dad and the little girls were priceless. As we were walking away my fiance said she heard the mother and father tell the little girls what I said. I turned around and the smiles and looks on those two girls face I will never forget. EVER. It made my entire trip. In fact it brings tears to my eyes remembering it.
Obviously tipping some money can mean a lot to them, but sincerely thanking them for good service goes a long ways in the Philippines, especially from a foreigner.
So even if you do not tip much, give them the best verbal tip you can if they gave you good service. Trust me, it will make their day and yours.
God, I love the filipino people.
Todd´s story is very touching specially his statement – “So even if you do not tip much, give them the best verbal tip you can if they gave you good service. Trust me, it will make their day and yours”.
To Todd and Bob – You made my day!
Hi Todd – I’m glad you enjoyed the article, and thank you for sharing your experiences. I have encountered things like your mango experience many times. Sometimes it is nice to just give a big tip like that out of nowhere and see the reaction that it gets!
WOW .. I do like the massage my barber gives , a real good upper body work out if i may say so myself Bob .. So nice too he cuts my hair for 30 pesos and i give 20 for the tip .. a shave an hair cut is 60 pesos so i give him 100 ..good barber and he goes out of his way to see that i have a good hair cut … and a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your family Bob ,, from Phil an family …
Hi Phil – Nice to hear from you! Keep enjoying those P50 cuts, as I will! Merry Christmas, Phil to you and all the clan!
I read this article here and also clicked on the provided link to your previous article related to this one. Yes your encounter with that homeless man in the barber shop was a bit scary. In a situation like that, maybe it’s better to just let things up between them whether they fight or not. All is well as long as they don’t bother you there while getting a hair cut. It’s natural for that barber to somehow protect and make you feel safe while you were there in his shop. Seemingly the barber felt insulted that the homeless guy used the lotion and gel in the barber shop, presumably without his permission. It can’t happen here in Manila coz that street guy would sure be in trouble if he do that here, obviously he wasn’t a paying costumer. By the way, a barber sleeping in the shop doesn’t normally mean they’re closed during lunch break. Barbers here in P.I. usually take a nap any hour of the day as they wait for the next costumer (sleeping on the job). You may tap him or knock on the door to let him know there’s a costumer. It’s sure your favorite barber appreciate very much the tips you’ve been giving him along with friendly gesture you showed. Tipping is customary in the U.S., Canada and in some other western countries. Here in Philippines, westerners are perceived to be more generous in giving tips than foreigners coming from neighboring Asian countries specially those from China. Most pinoys are not stingy. It’s nice to know you’ve been giving Christmas gifts to the needies there in the mountains. You’re a wonderful person Bob.
Thanks louie! I appreciate your kind words.