Why I am Moving to a No-Gratuity Model

If you receive my monthly newsletter, and/or if you follow me on social media and check my stories, you might have seen that my prices are changing effective September 1st. It’s been a great first year, and I have added quite a bit of value to my services in the last 12 months. This upcoming price change is meant to reflect that. It’s also meant to transition me to more of a healthcare-focused practice, which starts with inclusive pricing and no expectation of tips.

In the last few weeks, I’ve mentioned this transition to several trusted people, and they have all had the same initial reaction: “No tips? Aren’t you just shooting yourself in the foot and leaving potential income on the table?” But I don’t see it that way. I explain by asking a few questions.

Do you tip your doctors and nurses? Your chiropractor? Your acupuncturist? Do you tip your personal trainer, or your yoga or pilates instructor?

One of the beliefs I hold and advertise in my marketing and on my social media is that massage is healthcare, not a luxury. But if I'm going to call massage healthcare, I need to run my business like it is, which means I charge for the care I provide, full stop. No tip expected, none needed.

The other question I ask is this: why do we tip in America? It is primarily an American practice, after all. As a kid, my dad taught me that a tip is a reflection of the level of service that was received, like a compliment delivered with money. I remember sitting in a Don Pablo’s in Florida with my dad, talking about how great our server was that evening. He showed me the bill, explained that an average tip was about 15%, and great service deserved 20%. We agreed our server deserved the 20% tip, and my dad even asked for the manager so he could rave about how great our server was at her job.

However, as I have developed my own adult life experiences, as my understanding of economics and the work force has changed, and even as our American culture has changed, I realize now that I tip service workers primarily because they aren’t paid a living wage, not just as a job performance review. This is true of massage therapists working for chains as well—they get paid pennies compared to other labor-intensive jobs, and the entire massage chain industry relies on clients tipping their therapist so the chains can keep wages low.

If this is the case, that tipping has become a way for society to make up for corporate greed since the record profits aren’t trickling down to the lowly employee, then doesn’t accepting tips in my business reflect poorly on me as the business owner? Doesn’t it make it look like I haven’t planned my expenses and salary requirements properly if I need to rely on my clients to tip me even after I’ve set my own prices?

So I've done the math. I know what a living wage looks like and how that translates to my practice, my services, my business expenses, and my pricing. And I can pay myself a living wage without relying on my clients’ good will to subsidize my income. Plus, this means my clients know what they should expect to pay before they ever step foot in my studio, and they don’t have to do mental math gymnastics at checkout when they’ve got massage-brain.

Here's what this actually means for you: starting September 1st, my prices go up to reflect everything I've added this year, and the new rate is inclusive. What you see is what you pay. No tip line, no guessing, no awkward moment at checkout wondering if you did the math right.

This isn't me leaving money on the table. It's me building a practice I don't need your generosity to sustain, so that when you're here, we can just focus on the work. My pricing reflects the full value of the care you're receiving.

Questions before September 1st? Just ask. I'd rather talk it through now than have it be a surprise at your next visit.