America has turned into a tip happy culture. Seems like everywhere you look people want you to tip. I recently went to a comedy show and went up to what looked like a concession stand that any teenager could do at a movie theater and got water and popcorn and was asked to tip. The transaction literally took 1 minute and I was expected to tip 20%. I already spent money on the comedy tickets, a babysitter for my son, the gas to get down there, and all I wanted was some water and a snack. Tipping culture is exhausting!
That said, I tell my clients if it’s a hardship to come in then please don’t tip. We would rather see more of you than have a tip stand in the way of your ability to get good therapeutic massage care. However if you are in a position to tip, please do and try for 20%. Here is why.
A massage therapist worth their weight in salt knows a lot about human anatomy, energy and the complexities of getting the entire body to let go of stubborn holding patterns and not just in the musculoskeletal system but also the nervous system. We can push on adhesions and sore muscles all day long with little long term benefits, but if we actually understand how the nervous system lets go, then we can help your body truly get out of pain. If you get off the table feeling the most relief you’ve had in the least many months, consider tipping.
It is an incredibly difficult profession for a few reasons. One, because it requires so much of our focus, undivided attention, skill that we’ve acquired over years, and presence. Two, because it is physically demanding, so much so that most massage therapists can only work between 4 and 6 hours a day 3 or 4 days a week. If they work for somebody else you can anticipate that they are only making about half of your hourly cost and in most places only about 30 to 35% of your hourly cost. Do the math on 35% of your hourly bill, times 4-hours a day, 3 to 4 days a week. Before tips that’s about $640 a week. Could you live on that? Most of us do bodywork because it is a calling, not because it is a money maker. Yet, we’d still like to live comfortably if we can. Is that wrong to aspire to?
As tired as I am with tip culture, I am equally tired of clients who have hundreds of thousands of dollars in their retirement funds, a home that’s paid off or nearly paid off, with a six-figure salary who still want a discount and a deal! I realize not all of my clients are in this demographic, but many are. I’m under no Illusion that my wealthy clients need to give me a handout or help me become as wealthy as they are, but I do hope that they would also want me to succeed and be able to have something in my own retirement fund someday. I help them get out of pain and back on track, likely better than most, therefore, they could pay the full rate and give me a tip with a smile. This would be energetically balanced and also allow me to give the little old lady on a fixed income, the teacher or the Whole Foods employee that threw their back out a blue-collar discount. Energetically it balances everything out and pays their awesome success forward. Is that too much to ask?
So if you are on the fence about tipping your massage therapist or you are feeling a little disgruntled that your massage therapist increased their hourly rate by 10%, consider how hard they work. The average cost of a monthly massage with a tip is about one meal out per month with appetizers or drinks. That is only one meal out per month less in order to feel better every day!
How important is your overall health and well-being to you? How important is it that a massage therapist earns a livable wage? Remember, the average massage therapist is only taking home between 30K and 45K per year. The one who owns the business, after expenses, are only about $60K to $75K per year. It doesn’t go very far after mortgage, child care and inflation.
In the last 50 years, massage therapists that have come before me have worked incredibly hard to legitimize our industry. Now I think it’s time that we all valued ourselves and ask for what we’re worth! If we all rise up and stop giving fear-discounts and lack discounts, we can change the perception of what massage therapists deserve. So, if you are a massage therapist reading this blog post, consider the impacts on the industry when you give a $45-$65 60 minute massage. I invite you instead to create the skill set and the confidence you need to charge over $100 an hour. If we all came together and did this, society would value our work and employers would be forced to pay more. We need this and it is long overdue.
Chārutā AhMaiua, Licensed Massage Therapist
Owner of Self-Transformations Massage
Specializing in Therapeutic Barefoot, Myofascial Release, Deep Tissue & Trigger Point Therapy