A TikTok user known as “Justice” started a debate on the topic of tipping fatigue after revealing she did not leave a tip for her hairstylist who spent more than seven hours braiding her hair—despite being extremely satisfied with the result.
In a video posted in February 2024, Justice shared that she paid $350 for seven and a half hours of braiding services but chose not to add a tip on top of the cost, Business Insider reported. She said having to pay in cash was “inconvenient” and that she’d arrived to the salon with her hair prewashed and blow-dried.
Justice said in the video: “This is the first time I haven’t tipped to get my hair done, and I was fueled with anxiety, especially when I hand her over the cash and she starts counting it.”
She clarified that her decision was not meant as a slight. “This is no tea, no shade, no nothing. This is the most comfortable braiding experience I’ve ever gotten. She was the best braider I’ve ever had,” Business Insider
reported.The TikToker had previously called out “tipping culture” for being “out of control,” listing drive-thrus and self-serve kiosks as services she would no longer be tipping for. Justice expla
ined her choice not to tip her stylist, saying that $350 for nearly eight hours came out to about $46 per hour. She said, according to the outlet, “How many people are making $40 per hour?”The video on TikTok sparked a divisive debate in the comments. Some users fully supported Justice’s stance as a non-tipper, validating that “tipping fatigue is real.” Those same users also said tipping needs to be scaled back.
On the other side of the argument, some said that stylists have high overhead costs and taxes. Those TikTok users said that tips help supplement income. Some even said it was “crazy” not to tip for seven and a half hours of work and opined that Justice’s stylist may refuse to see Justice again because she is a non-tipper.
Business Insider reported that with the cost of living skyrocketing, many consumers are speaking out about “tipping fatigue” and are pushing back on the expectation to tack on additional money for services.
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