Tipping massage therapist who is the owner

For those who are unsure, check out my simple guide on when and how much to tip your massage therapist. This total is based off the true cost of the massage. Same goes for gift cards, certificates, chair massage, and so on. This might increase the price of your discounted massage, but your overall price will probably still be lower. Of course, no one will ever force you to tip a certain amount. You may tip how much you feel the service is worth. Most people feel that if they leave a bad tip, the massage therapist will feel bad or their feelings will be hurt.

Massage therapists are professionals above all. In a medical setting, such as a physical therapy practice, tips are not expected. It sounds like your friend needs to have a heart-to-heart conversation with her provider so they can continue to work together comfortably. Massage therapists, please weigh in. They had swings that were shaped like animals, and a slide and picnic tables. I used to take my younger brother there on a Saturday night and would meet friends there.

I even took my two kids there. They only had hamburgers and chips, but they have expanded their menu over the years. The ownership has changed there, but the food is still great.

What sweet memories! Thank you all for writing in. I always feel privileged to read them and share them with everyone in Sun Spots Land. This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments.

There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name. Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted.

Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P. Wanting to find a way to differentiate myself as a practitioner, I chose to adopt a no-tipping policy.

Additionally, I wanted to be taken seriously as the health care professional that I was. Eventually it struck me that as a profession, we were out of step with the rest of the health care field. Eventually, my client base grew to a point where I needed to expand, and I took a lot of the lessons I learned and policies I adopted as a solo practitioner into my new role as a small-business owner. Including that rare-but-popular no-tipping policy.

Of course, that meant I had to pay my therapists well enough that their careers could be financially sustainable too. Not unlike other professions, massage therapists are often undervalued and underpaid. As a result, we rely on a uniquely American model of tipping to make up that gap and compensate people for their hard work. To address this, I pay my therapists a fair, living wage. Our more senior therapists earn much more.

This is more than double what most spas and massage studios in our area pay their therapists, and relieves them of the financial stress of needing to ask for tips, giving them more brain cells and energy to just focus on their clients. When payday comes around, our independent contractor therapists know exactly how much their paychecks are going to be.