Five things the sophisticated consumer needs to consider when deciding to tip for an in-home or spa massage in Westchester, NY.
The answer to this question depends on a few things. Is it an in home, outcall, or house call massage? Or a Massage you are receiving at a Spa? If it is a in home massage. Is the person giving the massage the owner of the business? Or are they simply working for a large corporation who is paying them a salary?
To me as a massage therapist with 23 years of experience these are the main questions involved in determining if a tip is appropriate. Aside from the most obvious … was it a good massage?
Anyway, this is a real question … asked by a real person. So, I am going to treat it seriously and respectfully. The answer is simple but not necessarily obvious if you are not in the field.
So, if it is an in-home, house call, outcall (whatever you want to call it) massage. And the person doing the massage is the owner of the business then typically a tip is not necessary. Because the therapist is not expecting it and it has likely been built into the fee.
Having said that if your therapist did a great job… accommodated your schedule… or is just super likeable by all means give them a tip. They are working hard for you and will definitely appreciated it, but they won’t expect it.
Case 2 – If the massage therapist is working for another business, they are receiving an hourly rate for the service. Or what you would call a fee split. For example, if the fee for the massage is $150.00 the therapist may receive $90.00 for the hour. Now this may seem like a nice hourly rate but don’t discount the following.
The therapist needs to get ready for the appointment. Load up their supplies table, etc. and drive to and from the appointment. Do you see where I am going here? An hour just turned into two or two and ½ hours depending on the drive. In this case I would suggest you definitely tip the massage therapist. These guys will definitely appreciate it. In fact, it might make their day.
Quick note – Not a lot of people know this but the term massage therapist is gender neutral. If you want to go old school… a female is a masseuse and a male is a masseur. I can’t even tell you how much a male massage therapist will appreciate it if you tip him and refer to him as a masseur. Instead of the 99% of the population who refer to him as a masseuse and don’t tip him – This was a total BONUS… AND MAKES YOU A 1%er.
Finally, if you receive your massage at a spa you should definitely tip the masseur, masseuse, massage therapist. These folks are working for tips. Let me give you a little insider information here. The average charge for a 1-hour massage at one of the top spas in Westchester is approximately $120.00.
How much of that fee do you think goes to the therapist? The answer is usually less than 30%. This is not a judgement … just a fact. So, a good tip goes a long way toward the therapist earning a decent day’s pay.
You have to understand massage is very different from many professions. How so? Well… the therapist typically only gets paid when they work – even though they are employees … hmmm – where is Norma Rae when you need her?
And, how many massages can you do… safely, in one day? Day in – day out. I am not complaining here, just trying to answer the question, thoroughly.
So, let’s say the average therapist on a busy day does 5, and that’s high, massages. Let’s say he is being paid $35.00 per hour. At the end of the day he has earned a whopping $175.00. Not bad, a little better than the average shift at McDonald’s. Now let’s say every client leaves between a 15-20% tip. Let’s call it $20.00. That is $100.00 in tips + $175.00 in salary – total days pay of $275.00. It’s not the path to early retirement but it is an honest day’s pay.
So, if you get a massage at a spa, and it is a good massage… you should definitely leave a tip. Your therapist is counting on it and will truly appreciate it. I recommend leaving between 15-20% of the cost of the service… or more if you are thrilled with the session.
Oh, I almost forgot. One final TIP… sorry I could not resist. If at all possible, leave the tip in cash. As someone who has been there – done that, I can’t tell you how much it is appreciated. In many cases is you leave a tip on your credit card… you are not going to believe this. Are you ready? I have seen spas take 15% of the tip off the top before they add it to the massage therapist’s income.
Well, I hope this has answered the question. Do you tip for a massage?
Now, it’s time for my shameless plug. If you want extremely high-quality in-home massage therapy from a massage therapist, or masseur, with 23 years of experience. Who specializes in deep tissue, Swedish, sports, and trigger point therapy. Don’t hesitate to give me a call to schedule your appointment. You can reach me at 914-266-2277. Oh, and you don’t have to tip me unless you want to;). Or, send me an e-mail to doug@weekendwarriormassage.com.
I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Best,
Doug O’Connell, LMT