Holy Mackeral! I Have Been WAY Overtipping! What to do.

[Yarnspinner]

For the last few years, I have been maintaining acrylic nails with every other week visits to my manicurist for fills.  I cannot maintain a decent manicure with my own nails (I literally pick them apart whenever there is no acrylic on them) so this is a splurge I keep because I like my hands to look nice when I am doing story telling or going on interviews.

My manicurist is WONDERFUL.  Her work is excellent, she has figured a way around some problems I had with skin sensitivity and her work is so good, they look very real.  However...

Somehow yours truly managed to not notice what Fills cost.  When I got the first full set done she charged me $30 and I added on $5 as a tip.  Somehow I came to believe that this was also what fills cost and I have been paying that amount, plus tip ever since. 

Today, for the first time, I noticed the price for services quotes near her station.  They have been there since before forever, I have read the price quotes before because I wanted a pink and white (and she told me it was impossible because it required something that would make me break out in a rash)  and I don't know how I failed to miss that a full set of fills is HALF THE COST of the first set.   So every two weeks I am paying twice what I should AND slapping on a tip.

If I wasn't in the dire financial straits I'm in right now, I wouldn't mind: her work is really that good and I know that she and her husband need the money.  But now, so do I.  And I don't know how to ago about downsizing what I am paying without her wondering if I am not happy with the work.

So the question is:  next time do I give her the $15 plus a $5 tip and not mention that I am decreasing because I am a stupid person who can't read?  Do I mention that I am a stupid person who can't read?  Do I apologize for decreasing the amount?  Am I locked in to continuing to pay what I have been paying? Should I be a teensy bit annoyed that she has never questioned my openhandedness?   And, just to make me feel better about my own inability to read and understand signs written in my own language, please share stories when you overpaid because YOU missed the important information on a sign you had been staring at for months.

[NyaChan]

Could you clarify - was she charging you double what she should have, or did she just ask you what total she should put on your card (basically how much tip to add) and you said to put the high amount?  I mean, clearly the first time she told you how much it cost or else how would you have known the first set is $30, so I really have to wonder how she wouldn't have known to speak up that a fill was $15 or at least check that you meant it before just going ahead with the charge.

[Yarnspinner]

I've been writing a check for the whole amount made out to Cash. (She has a very long name that features more consonants than vowels.)  Or handing her the amount in cash.  The salon she works in doesn't take credit cards.   They are a casual,  tiny hole-in-the-wall store whose clients are generally ladies of a certain age who get weekly curl and sets or teens going to the prom. I get my hair done there as well and practically have to strong arm my stylist into taking a tip on top of the cost of the cut and color.  I'm wondering if Manicurist even LOOKS at the check before she signs off on the back because she got after me for overpaying on something else and gave back the cash. 

[JenJay]

Were you paying in cash and you'd hand her $35? On what turns out to be a $15 service? I'd be annoyed that she never said "Oops, you overpaid me. It's only $15." The cynic in me thinks she took advantage. The optimist hopes she was going home each time and telling her DH about the wonderful, generous customer who tips so incredibly well.

I suppose next time I'd give her $18 and not say anything. If she asked I'd explain why I'd been paying so much before.

[starry diadem]

But this has being going on for weeks (months?). Surely the first time she looked at the cheque to bank/cash it, she couldn't help but see she was getting a 130% tip? Or as those of us less generous might have it, that you were overpaying by 100%? And she has said nothing.

If you intend to continue using her services, your next cheque should be for the correct amount. If she says anything, then a simple "I have noticed the correct charges for the service." should suffice.

[m2kbug]

This is a pickle.  I'd be pretty upset that she didn't mention that it's an awful lot of money for a $15 fill.  I mean, great tips are wonderful, but a $20 "tip," which is greater than the actual service, should have caused question.  On a high end, I might just pay an even $20, which is still a pretty substantial tip and greater than 20% and leave it at that.  $18 is perfectly fine.  I would be loathe to drop her at this point, given the nail troubles you have and her ability to find perfection, so she gets a pass.  I don't know that I would really say anything unless she mentions something or has a look, in which case you can explain you didn't realize all this time you were paying for a full set, not for a fill.  If she does notice the drop, you will also be aware she noticed you were paying double and never said anything, and you can make your choices from there. 

If she truly never really noticed you were paying double+tip, she also won't notice you are now paying the regular fee+tip.

[Raintree]

I'd want to clarify before paying next time, "Is it $15 for a fill?" Just in case there was something on the sign I wasn't understanding, and it really was $30. So to answer that question, she either says, "Yes, it's $15" and you can give her $20, or, she says, "No, it's $30. It's $15 only for (some specific situation)."  Cause I'd hate to be mistaken.

I think it's pretty incredible that she'd accept a tip for over 100% without saying something. So I'd want to confirm with her what the amount being charged was, before paying next time.

[sweetonsno]

I like Raintree's suggestion. "Fifteen for the fill, right?" and hand her twenty bucks. I don't think you need to explain anything unless she asks or seems worried that you are unhappy. You could also consider adding on another little luxury once a month. I recommend pedicures.


Also (a bit OT), have you ever tried getting a shellac manicure? The stuff is pretty much indestructible.

[Bijou]

Why didn't she give you the change from the check or cash, instead of jut keeping it, and let you give back whatever would be her tip?    I think it is odd that anyone would accept a tip that is more than the service costs without at least questioning it.  You were tipping her $20 for a $15 procedure.  She may be good, but I wonder about her not saying something to you.  Is it possible that even she has not read the sign and thinks a fill is also $30? 
I would just quietly start giving her $15 with whatever tip  you would normally include for a $15  service.  Or might mention that  you had not noticed that the fill was $15 and not the $30 you thought it was, so she'll know why you are changing what you are doing. 
I agree with Raintree that you could ask for clarification.  That's a good idea.

[Raintree]

And, just to make me feel better about my own inability to read and understand signs written in my own language, please share stories when you overpaid because YOU missed the important information on a sign you had been staring at for months.

Here's mine:

We have two sales taxes in my province. GST used to be 7%, and although we also had a provincial sales tax (PST), only GST was charged in restaurants. So a simple way to figure out the tip in restaurants was to double the GST and then tack on a little bit more (ie double 7% and you have 14%, add a little bit more and you have 15%, which is standard for where I live).

So then I moved to another province for a while, and I'd see the amount for "tax" on the check, and double that for my tip. Except then I began to realize my tips seemed very large. Fine if you can afford it, but money was tight for me.  Upon further scrutiny, I realized that in this other province, you had to pay both taxes on restaurant meals, not just the 7% GST and the tax on restaurant meals was more like 15%. So my tips were 30%. Oops.

[Outdoor Girl]

I would definitely clarify the next time you go that a fill is only $15.  And if that's the case, I'd be PISSED that she never said anything about me double paying her and then some.  So much so that I'd find somebody new.

[violetminnow]

If it only costs 15 for a fill, your next question should be how much credit you've saved up at this point? Maybe you'll get a few free treatments which can help in tough times. If she admits that she's been overcharging but doesn't offer you credit, you should find someone else.

[TootsNYC]

I'd want to clarify before paying next time, "Is it $15 for a fill?" Just in case there was something on the sign I wasn't understanding, and it really was $30. So to answer that question, she either says, "Yes, it's $15" and you can give her $20, or, she says, "No, it's $30. It's $15 only for (some specific situation)."  Cause I'd hate to be mistaken.

I think it's pretty incredible that she'd accept a tip for over 100% without saying something. So I'd want to confirm with her what the amount being charged was, before paying next time.

I think I agree with Raintree.

But I might elaborate a little:
"I think I've been getting the price wrong for a while--this time is the fill, right? And is that sign--which I just read!--says that this is only $30?"

And then I'd tip 25%, because she is really good. And because at $15, that's only 75¢ difference.

And I might say, "OK, I'm glad I finally got that right. And that's a 25% tip--I really appreciate your work."

So now you're not Ms. Moneybags, but you're still a pretty generous customer.

[YummyMummy66]

So, let me get this straight.

You have been paying $ 15 for the refill and also paying another $ 15, because you thought it cost $ 30 and also a $ 5 tip?  So, in essence, this great nail person has been getting a twenty dollar tip every other week?

Um, no, not that great of a tech in my opinion if she did not point this out to you before now. 

I think I would calculate exactly how much you have "overpaid"  for services, which, if I am correct, is $ 15 each week?  Correct?

Then, if you still want to go to this girl, I would be letting her know that from now on, you will only be paying the fee and you will keep track of her $ 5 tip until it is paid up from your over paid amount(s).

I would start out by asking her exactly how much the services are?  And then I would ask her, why haven't you ever said anything to me that I have been overpaying you and providing you with a tip yet?  I would really want the answer to that one and an apology.

[GreenBird]

You could try anonymously calling the salon to ask about their pricing (or ask a friend to call if your voice is too recognizable), and clarify exactly what the pricing is for the services you're getting.  There's at least a chance that the sign is poorly worded and you haven't been overpaying after all. 

If it turns out that you have been drastically overpaying, I think that just paying a normal amount and tip from now on is the way I'd go if you want to keep going there.  If the manicurist didn't say anything about getting a 100%+ tip, she's probably not going to say anything about getting a more normal tip either. 

If by chance she does say something, you can just say you've actually finally read the sign and didn't realize you were overpaying by quite so much, and as much as you like her, you really can't afford to keep overpaying by that much!  And then I'd drop the issue - I wouldn't ask for money back or bring it up again.  Just act like nothing is wrong and pay the actual charge with a normally nice tip, and the awkwardness will fade.  Presumably she doesn't want to lose you as a customer, so she'll let it fade too.