This is the first in a series of tips that will educate you on the dos and don’ts of nail salon etiquette.

Today’s topic: tipping.

First things first, always tip! Although we don’t love to admit it, nail salon workers are often underpaid, so they rely on your tips to make ends meet.

Next, let’s talk about how much to tip. As a general rule of thumb, you should leave between 10% and 20% at the end of each service. If you had a particularly good experience or if your nail artist did an exceptional job, feel free to tip more!

Now that you know how much to tip, let’s talk about proper tipping etiquette. It is generally considered impolite to hand your nail artist cash directly. Instead, you should leave the money on the table when leaving or pay at the front desk and tell them how much to give your nail artist as a tip.

Finally, let’s talk about what NOT to do when it comes to tipping. First off, please don’t try to negotiate your bill with your nail artist; it will not go over well and will likely offend them. Second, don’t leave

I always tip my nail techs. It’s a pretty standard 20% even if I get a gel manicure and pedicure. Sometimes I leave extra tips that are given to the whole salon. These are usually high quality polishes or small gifts that don’t take up too much space in the salon, but still have great impact. I follow some pretty simple rules when it comes to tipping.

1.) I always tip! If you like the service you receive, always tip. If you decide to not tip your nail tech, they will always know why and you will never be able to get a good service again. The only time it’s okay to not tip is if your nail tech does a horrible job and/or you had a bad experience. In this case, talk to the owner of the salon to see if they can fix your nails for free or for a small fee before you leave the salon.

2.) You don’t have to tip on top of the tax at full price salons. When you pay for your manicure or pedicure at full price salons, the technicians should be receiving their tips from the money that was taxed. If you want to leave extra, do so

A common misconception is that a gratuity is included in the price of your service. This is not true. You should tip for outstanding service and you should also tip for mediocre or just above average service as well.

If you have doubts about whether to tip or not, most people say that it is better to leave a small tip than none at all. It’s better to leave a small tip than no tip at all. If you are the kind of person who doesn’t like leaving tips (and some people are) then maybe its time to start looking for another salon where tipping isn’t such an issue.

Is tipping really that important? I’ve heard many opinions on this matter. The most recent one being, “Tipping is an earned privilege not a right.” This statement implies that the service provider is doing me a favor and that they are honoring me by providing their services. I do not agree with the latter. I feel as though tipping is a right and not a privilege because I pay for the service rendered.

For myself and many other customers, we tip based on the quality of service provided. If the service was less than exceptional then we tend to tip less or even not at all. For example, I went to a nail salon and got my nails done by an employee who was pleasant; however, she didn’t cut my cuticles nor did she buff my nails. She also let me leave with polish on my skin which resulted in me having to remove it once I got home. Needless to say this resulted in me paying for a service that wasn’t fulfilled and so therefore I tipped her less than what she would normally get if her job was done correctly.

I don’t know about you but I hate having to deal with people who think they deserve a certain amount for just showing up and providing mediocre services. For instance

The Nail Salon has become a staple of American culture. According to trendwatching.com, the US is home to 75,000 salons that serve 25 million customers per week. While the nail salon experience is generally relaxing and enjoyable for most women, there are many specific rules for etiquette that all nail salon customers should know. Here are some tips for having the best experience at any salon you visit:

1) Do not bring children with you unless they are having a service done too: You should never bring your child to get a manicure or pedicure with you. It just isn’t safe. Most of us have seen the horror stories on TV where kids have their hands crushed in salon chairs. If your child is well behaved enough to sit quietly while you get a manicure and/or pedicure, then it’s okay to bring them along (make sure they do not talk during services because it can be distracting and rude). However, if your child is prone to running around like a maniac and throwing things everywhere, please leave them at home!

2) Do not use your cell phone: The cell phone has become one of the biggest annoyances in modern day society. Everyone seems to be attached to their phone 24/7

It’s no secret that I love to get my nails done, and I do it pretty frequently. Like bi-weekly frequently. So, I think it’s safe to say that I’ve been in quite a few nail salons, and have had my fair share of manicures and pedicures. And while I love getting my nails done, there are a few things that really annoy me about the nail salon experience.

When the nail tech starts to talk to you in their foreign language- This is something that drives me absolutely bonkers! When you come in and they start talking to each other in their native language, it’s almost impossible not to feel completely excluded from their conversation. And when you can tell that they are talking about you, it just makes it even worse! I get that they want to communicate with one another in the language they feel most comfortable speaking, but don’t you think your clients would feel more comfortable if you spoke English? They want to be able to communicate with you too!

The dirty tools are thrown back into the clean water- This is something else that has always bothered me about going to the nail salon. As soon as the tech is done using an instrument on your nails,

Nail salons are fascinating places. You can go in as a regular person and come out feeling like a million bucks–or dollars less, if you have a bad experience. Let me tell you about my first time.

I was going to be visiting family in another state for the holidays and decided to have a manicure before the trip. I hadn’t had one in years, so I asked around and got recommendations for a nearby salon. Everyone raved about it: “They do beautiful work!”

When I went into the salon, it looked clean and smelled nice. The manicurist came over and greeted me by name (I had made an appointment). She was very friendly and asked how my day was going, what I did for a living, etc. She started working on my nails then launched into this amazing story about how she had just gotten out of an abusive relationship and had left her two kids with her parents in Vietnam while she worked to support them here. It was sad, but it was also good to know that she was trying to make a better life for herself and her children.

The manicure took longer than usual because she had done such a great job detailing each nail. At the end, she asked me if I would like her