Tip-Top or Tip-Flop? Unpacking Gratuity

Bree and Cassy discuss the practice of tipping in various professions, and touch on some shaving tips along the way.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Welcome back to Philosophy of the Barber. Hello, hello. Don't forget, a friendly reminder, uh, like, share, subscribe, do whatever you want to follow us on things and get our audience growing if you like our conversation. Yes. This week's topic of conversation is tipping. Now we touched on it uh in a previous episode uh a bit, but we'll go in a little bit deeper because I've had some things that uh have reignited my irritation on the subject. Mmm, yes. Tell me more. So I recently uh booked a service with somebody. Not a hair service, but a service. Uh and I typically am serviced by the owner of the establishment. And when I got my confirmation email, I had a note from the owner at the bottom that I assume goes to all the confirmation emails of anybody that books services with this establishment, whether it's with the owner or not. The owner's note was basically like reminding people that gratuity is not included in the service price and that uh they recommend, you know, planning that to be separate. Yeah. Um, and specifically stating that when especially when you're booking packages of services, that they're discounted 20-25% already, and it's it left a bad taste in my mouth. Seems very uh forceful. It's it yeah, it's very hmm, like expectant. Yeah. Mm-hmm. I like why are you talking to me about gratuity as though it's required? Mm-hmm. Because if it were required, you would work that into your price. Correct. And so yeah, that that makes me not want to do business with them. Yeah. Because those are the kind of things that I I really don't like. I consider that to be borderline, like that's an ethics issue. It's like, do you understand the root word of gratuity? Gratitude. If they are grateful that you went above and beyond their expectation of the service, that's how they show their gratitude. But that is an option, not a requirement. Correct. And so taking that for granted as a business owner is like, I'm sorry, are you factoring in tips into your budget? Because that's a poor business decision. Correct.

SPEAKER_03 2:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:40

And oh, you're the one who determines how much of a discount people get when they buy packages from you. So if that's a problem that you're like trying to make reminding people that you're trying to make up for with gratuity, okay, you're already making a bad business decision there.

SPEAKER_03 2:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:56

Like if you're discounting your stuff too much that you're dependent on gratuity, don't do that.

SPEAKER_02 3:02

No, tips are very much like not expected. Very grateful always, but they're not a requirement anywhere.

unknown 3:11

No.

SPEAKER_02 3:11

Like you don't you don't have to leave one. It's nice that you do, but like, I I very I I agree with the bad taste that it leaves.

SPEAKER_00 3:20

Well, and it's a totally different situation, especially here in the States where we have employee levels, uh, pay scales of servers that get paid a super low hourly wage because they factor tips into their I don't agree with that in the first place at all. I think people should be paid a living wage, period.

SPEAKER_02 3:40

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 3:41

And that therefore, there should not be a guilt associated if you receive poor service, to still pay your server a tip because it's their hourly wage. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:53

Yeah. Because I I I'll do that. Yeah. You're still getting in the service industry, especially, you're still getting a tip regardless.

SPEAKER_00 4:01

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 4:02

I mean, actually, don't think I've ever not tipped. Mmm. I didn't realize that in the world of tattooing, you tip your tattoo artist. When I first started getting tattoos, I didn't, I just didn't think I didn't put two and two together like that. And because they're so expensive, I'm like, oh, they're good. Like this is fine. They're already getting hundreds of dollars from me. Why would I tip? And then I realized I was like, wait, this is still service industry, customer service. This is still them doing something for me, and I should I should show my appreciation and realize that I should do that better.

SPEAKER_00 4:35

Um see, I I've never been part of that world. Yes. I I view that very much the same way I view our profession, which is if you are charging like a solid rate and you're in control of your rate, that should never be expected.

SPEAKER_02 4:51

Oh, and again, still it wasn't, but I just didn't never that was the only circumstance that I I didn't, is because I just didn't think about it. But like even when I've gotten bad service at a restaurant, like it does it you feel that obligation in certain areas like that.

SPEAKER_00 5:06

I I only feel the obligation if I know that the profession itself, the pay scale is dependent on that. Yeah. That's the only time if I receive crap service that I'm still going to tip you because like you still need your hourly range. Yeah, legal. I will tip you minimal. Yeah. Like you will get 15%. Usually I'm an average, like Joe 20% girl, but yeah, you you'll get something, but you're not gonna get a lot. Yeah, yeah. But it it really bothers me that especially post-COVID, tipping stuff has gotten absolutely outrageous. Everyone wants a tip. Everyone expects a tip. Yeah. For everything. I'm sorry. If you are working behind a counter, now I I've recently learned that there's some industries that you can hire people as servers, even though they check people out behind a counter. Interesting. There's been some drama online with some like businesses that I follow that like have been called out for that. Oh. And I guess that's an industry standard that's like a normal practice. Okay. Yeah. But the average customer doesn't know that. So like I'm not a fan of a tip jar being everywhere. I mean, if I'm paying cash, it's convenient to put change in.

SPEAKER_02 6:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:23

But for everybody to have like a tip screen, I mean, don't get me wrong, like, we have a historic uh background of people wanting to tip barbers and hairstylists. So I more often than not have encountered people being irritated when I don't give them a tip screen. So to avoid that irritation, it's available, but it's by no means ever expected.

SPEAKER_02 6:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:52

Whereas I feel like now you find yourself in situations that are the opposite, where everybody's shoving a tip screen in your face and expecting it. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:02

I mean, even at like the when I went to a concert last summer, like at the merch table for the card reader and stuff, that there's an automatic tip thing that comes up.

SPEAKER_00 7:13

Yeah, I know.

SPEAKER_02 7:13

To tip the t-shirt sellers. I don't like that. That's messed up. I know. And in reality, like most people are doing, it's just it becomes an automatic thing. You know what I mean? Like most people are just like going through the motions at a concert in line, trying to buy a t-shirt, they're trying to get out of the line, they're trying to do all these things, so they see these come up and they're like, oh, I guess tip question mark.

SPEAKER_00 7:33

Like, sure. I am so close to like part of me really wants to treat it the way that I treat the screen at a at a large store when you check out that asks you if you want to donate something.

unknown 7:48

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:49

I already know that company has already donated that money, so it's a hard pass for me. Yeah. I part of me really wants to do that when it comes to tip screens that are in situations that are not warranted.

SPEAKER_02 8:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:01

Like, I'm sorry, what did you do for me? How did you like earn my gratitude?

SPEAKER_02 8:08

I didn't learn about the donation thing until recently. I didn't know that that was a thing. Oh I thought my money was going to the dogs at the shelter. Nope. No. Just going back in their pockets.

SPEAKER_00 8:21

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 8:21

I always wondered how that worked.

SPEAKER_00 8:24

Yeah, because it's not like you get a receipt for that donation. Yeah. I mean, it would take a lot of them throughout the year to, you know. Make it worth something. Yeah, make it worth your time to put that on your taxes. But even then, it's the company that gets that entire write-off. Mm-hmm. They're like, well, we already wrote that check, so any any money that you're like, oh yeah, it just makes up for that. And it's like, cool, we made a profit.

SPEAKER_02 8:47

Yeah, I was a pretty avid donor to those screens. Because I was like, you know what? I'm not donating anywhere else. Like, what's a dollar today with my groceries at Walmart? You know what I mean? It's easy. And then I learned that. I'm like, oh, you tricked me. My goodness was betrayed.

SPEAKER_00 9:04

Mm-hmm. Never trust a large company to do anything but make themselves money. Mmm. That you can trust them to do.

SPEAKER_02 9:14

Yes. Very, fair. What are some other weird places that tip screens have been coming up? Do you tip at ice cream places?

SPEAKER_00 9:22

If they have a funny enough jar. Mmm.

SPEAKER_03 9:24

Fair.

SPEAKER_00 9:25

But otherwise, no, because I know what ice cream people make. What do you mean? Well, like seasonally here. Oh. Easy. Easy$16 to$20 an hour. Easy. And these are high school kids. Yeah. They don't need to make a living wage. But that's good money. Yeah. Oh yeah. Local place here, happy cow ice cream. They have a cow that's a tip jar. Yeah. This is the tipping is for cows.

SPEAKER_02 9:56

I appreciate when places have the tip jars that's like a would you rather like it? Oh that's a marketing tactic. Oh, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 10:04

But yeah, coffee shops.

SPEAKER_02 10:05

Yep. Yep. It's like vote. Yeah. Vote with your money. Yep. We we want your opinion on something. Here, give it with dollar bills. It's smart.

SPEAKER_00 10:17

Oh, for sure. It's a good strategy.

SPEAKER_02 10:19

Have you ever been tipped something besides money that was interesting? Yes. Like what's what what are some interesting things that you've been tipped aside for money?

SPEAKER_00 10:30

Somebody made some homemade butter of a certain type.

SPEAKER_03 10:37

Yes. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 10:41

So that was interesting. It was a very long time ago. Um, I've had people bring me like meats. Meats? Yeah. Like raw meats. Yeah, the frozen, you know, from the freezer. Like bear meat that they've, you know, killed. Oh, okay. Yeah, okay. Deer sausage, you know, various things. Uh some of my trophy met them. Yep. Or like, hey, I need to make room for this year's kill. Here you go.

SPEAKER_02 11:09

Please. I think my favorite is when little kids bring me tips, so to speak, or like little gifts, like the the bag of dum-dums. Yeah. That I got brought from one of my little kiddos. Just a whole bag of lollipops that I'm gonna in turn give to the little kiddos. Exactly. That that was deploy. I know.

SPEAKER_00 11:28

I knew exactly what they were doing. Yeah, he's like, look, she'll have to give me these now. Yeah. Have you ever been gifted alcohol? If I have, it was a really long time ago. And I mean, most of my clients have learned pretty quickly that I don't drink. So it's pretty well lost on me.

SPEAKER_02 11:46

Mm-mm. I feel like that's a depending on obviously the barber, I feel like that's a really easy and good go-to for clients to gift their barbers. Oh yeah, I mean, like I've seen, like I've worked with barbers who have gotten so that's why I was curious if you ever had, is because obviously I also don't drink, so most of my clients know that as well. And but at my old my very first shop, that was like the gift around like the holidays, around all to be fair, we also had like served whiskey there, had liquor locker, so it was a very alcohol-driven atmosphere, anyways.

SPEAKER_00 12:23

My husband's worked the same way, corporate is very much like that, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 12:26

Yeah, and so they they would always just get these bottles of liquor for the holidays for just whatever. And I've always been grateful. I'm like, please don't ever anybody show up with that for me. I don't wouldn't know what to do with it. I'd have to give it to somebody else.

SPEAKER_00 12:41

Well, that's the thing, is like, I mean, I would put it in a a decanter and offer it to customers if they wanted it, but that's not really a thing. Like, of all the preferred beverages people have asked for, nobody's ever asked for any alcohol. Well, except for the blue moon. The blue moon. That's it. Uh, as far as like stuff people have brought me the the Christmas Mickey decoration, that was a gift from a customer. That was a gift? Yeah. That's the only reason I had any Christmas decorations is because of that.

SPEAKER_01 13:19

I love that.

SPEAKER_00 13:20

Your speaker. Yes, my speaker.

SPEAKER_02 13:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:24

That's a great gift, dude. I'm just I get really awkward when people give me things. I know.

SPEAKER_02 13:34

Oh, just so everyone knows, the speaker we're talking about is one of those granddaddy Marshall speakers. So it's a very nice. Very nice speaker. It's a good one.

SPEAKER_00 13:42

Yes, it came with his own carrying case.

SPEAKER_02 13:45

Oh, yeah, that's right. Like that hardback case. Yep. I think my probably my favorite little gift that I've gotten was one of my clients, the one that made me, one of my clients made me a 3D printed image of my logo with the Sasquatch that I have as my little um mascot combined together in just this cool little plastic decor thing. And I just thought that was really, really cool. It's very creative. Yeah, because like he had to be able to make that whole template and everything. Like, he did that. That's not anywhere.

SPEAKER_00 14:19

Oh, one of my customers' dads, uh, because I mean at one point or another, all of his sons like came to the shop. Yeah, and even heated for a short time, but he made like a wooden plank sign with the original Polish and Proper logo on it.

SPEAKER_02 14:36

Oh, cool.

SPEAKER_00 14:36

And it said, Welcome to Polish and Proper. So, like we never had like a formal sign, yeah. Just never needed to. Yeah. Um but that was super cool. Clients are so creative and nice. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:49

And to think we don't even expect anything.

SPEAKER_00 14:54

I think that's why we find them so nice, is because we don't expect anything. So I definitely think um a conversation, an ethical conversation should be had with clients, uh most especially in areas where you're going to be raising your price. And if if that causes them pause or concern, which is not the majority of the time, because usually if you're raising your price at the correct time, everybody's not gonna be all like, oh man, like that sucks. Like I gotta, you know, pay so much more. Most people are gonna be like, okay, cool, because that means I can get in a little easier, hopefully. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And if if somebody does have like a financial constraint, it's it's one of those things of like reminding them, like, hey, if it's a problem, you don't have to tip me.

SPEAKER_02 15:38

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 15:39

That's cool, it's fine, like, not an issue. Because like that's kind of how I gauge how much to raise my price is like the average tip that I get. Yeah, because it's like you're already paying me this.

SPEAKER_02 15:52

Yes. So just don't tip me.

SPEAKER_00 15:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:57

Keep your budget the same. You don't have to adjust anything.

SPEAKER_00 16:00

And I don't take offense. But that's that's a choice on my part. Like, people who have the mindset to expect tips, I just I don't understand. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:10

Well, and I will say, it I think it's very important that you give, which you did, um your clients a fair warning before you raise your prices. Because I will say I saw on Instagram the other day this page that I followed. The effective immediately? It's yes, they said that they're raising their prices, which again we 100% respect that. That's not the issue. But they said the words effective immediately in the post, and I feel like that is just so inconsiderate. Yes. You didn't warn anybody, you didn't, and nobody got a heads up. The people that are booked with you the next week, they have no idea that that's now what's happening. I don't I don't like that. I feel like all gears back to the communication of things, but put a bad taste in my mouth.

SPEAKER_00 16:54

Mm-hmm. Well, and it's very like the I like to give at least 30 days because then it's my average turnover for haircuts. And even then, make sure to honor the previous price for the ones that have already pre-booked. Yes. So it's like, hey, if it's already on the books by this date, you still get the old price. But the one after that, it starts a new one. Yep. And that way no one's caught off guard, especially if it's my like every six-week person.

SPEAKER_02 17:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:21

Like, I I don't want anybody to feel like, whoa, what happened? Yeah, exactly. Like shocked by the information. Yeah, like unprepared. Yeah. Nobody likes to, you know, find themselves caught unaware. And I think that's a matter of respect, like to make sure nobody feels like they're in that situation. Yeah. Because that makes things awkward. Your goal as a service provider is to make people comfortable. And I think it's it's bad business if you are playing people's emotions.

SPEAKER_02 17:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:51

Like that that becomes a little manipulative at that point. I'm not okay with that. Like, I'm not okay with that personally, let alone from a business. Yeah, let alone professionally. And I mean, from a case-by-case basis, like, it's obviously not something I'm advertising, but we cultivate these relationships with our clients, and you know, life happens sometimes. So there's been a time or two when somebody needed to not pay me until payday. Yep. Because I know them, I'm willing to extend them that courtesy. And they make sure to not overextend my generosity. Yeah. And there are some people that have overstepped and I've had to like put them back in the you need to make your own appointment and make sure you put a credit card in to book your appointment, like everybody else, sort of a thing.

SPEAKER_02 18:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:40

Whereas, like, usually I'll book people manually in my book at the end of their appointment so that they get their next haircut in, good to go. But that doesn't have a no-show protection when it comes to a card. So sometimes it's like alright, you get to book your next haircut because you no-showed me a couple times, or you know, it's been I'm I'm starting to feel like you're taking advantage of me, so I need to put you back at arm's length. Sorry, you can't you can't start this race over that line.

SPEAKER_02 19:13

Have there been like has that been like a semi-common thing?

SPEAKER_00 19:18

Not common.

SPEAKER_02 19:19

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 19:19

Um, it's only happened with a few people, but I I appreciate the people who graciously accept that adjustment and are like, got it, I'll book online for my next cut. Yep. Cool, thank you. And eventually, like, if they continue on that, I'm sure they'll earn their way back to, you know, me being cool booking them manually again. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:46

It's like, all right, you have to rebuild that trust.

SPEAKER_00 19:48

Yeah. Like, it's not impossible. You're not like in permanent timeout. But some people don't take it that way.

SPEAKER_02 19:56

Yeah. I had I had one that I was worried about, especially because he'd come in one time, pre-booked the next time, no showed that time, and then when he booked again, I was so hesitant because I'm like, I don't you seem shady now because of how the first encounter went, it was just a little odd. But then when he came back in the second time, he wanted to pre-book again. And I was like, I was like, are you sure you want to do that? I was like, because you know showed last time, and I was like, things, I was like, I want to make sure things are cleared that way. And he was like, there had been some unexpected things that occurred in his life, and luckily he was very apologetic and accepting of my little bit of feedback, and he has not missed a single haircut now, and he's in here every other week. Good.

SPEAKER_00 20:44

It's funny because before you even started like saying anything about the person, I knew exactly who you're talking about. But that's the thing, like that communication needs to happen. Whether it's you know, price increase, whether it's hey, these are the expectations I have of you as a customer. Yep, like all of those things are important to lay out in the open. And that way the discussion can occur if there's you know stuff that they didn't bring up that they didn't think was appropriate or like some some things are a little bit on the personal end. Um but to allow that human element of understanding. Yeah. And what are some other professions that tipping like because I mean society-wise, it's the whole like customary not to tip the owner. But the irony when it comes to barbers is that technically they're all owners.

SPEAKER_03 21:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:31

Like whether it's just their little rental chair or if it's like a shop situation. It it kind of doesn't work anymore unless it's in a restaurant and for whatever reason the owner happens to be serving you.

SPEAKER_03 21:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:45

I don't understand the I've never I'm not a part of the whole that thing. The whole tip the owner I didn't even know that was a thing. People who keep talking about that lately.

unknown 21:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:55

I didn't I didn't know that that was a thing to not tip the owner. I've never been in a situation where I've Had to consider tipping an owner of anything besides a barber.

SPEAKER_00 22:03

So well, I can understand in a classic restaurant setting, it is not customary to tip the owner if they are serving you. Because they own the establishment, they're paying all of their employees an hourly wage, therefore they're making money. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So that's why it's not customary to tip the owner is because like they're making money. Whereas in a like sole proprietorship situation where it's like, or self-employed situation, I should say. Where it's like all the money you're making is what you earn. It's different. But again, that's the only employment situation that has the hourly rate that is set lower for tipping to occur. So I can't think of any other time when that would be applied. Yeah. I think it would just be like the restroom was I think the older housekeeping, tipping housekeeping, but like that's so dependent on the business's policies. Yeah. And at least when it comes to saying it like a Disney resort, you have to like explicitly leave a note designating that that was for your housekeeper. Otherwise, they're just gonna think that you left stuff in your room. Oh. And they're not they're not allowed to take stuff that you leave in the room. Oh wow, yeah, okay, that makes sense. How about uncomfortable levels of tipping?

SPEAKER_02 23:34

Because that's subjective, so give me your opinion. Considering it's not like I'm charging hundreds of dollars for services here. Once you like tip a hundred percent of the service, even for like for just even for just a haircut, like I'm I'm a little like taken aback sometimes. Because it just That's a lot. You just pay for two haircuts. That's a big deal. I wouldn't want to pay for two haircuts because I I so much look at how I look at my fan finances, so like when people are get like giving me that much extra, I'm like, are you sure you don't need this? I would need this. Like, do you sure? Like the um last weekend was my birthday, and first time customer, probably a one-off because he technically lives in another country, he lives in Asia, um, tipped me a hundred dollars for a$15 beard groom service because it was my birthday. Super uncomfortable. I just met you, sir. A lot of money. I don't know how many percentages of that service that is, but a lot. Way over. So, yeah, usually that.

SPEAKER_00 24:43

Yeah, I have I have a customer that frequently tips 100% of the services that he gets. Yeah, and those are not the cheap services. Well, and I already give him a discount because I already know he's gonna do that.

SPEAKER_02 24:58

You just sneakily never raise his prices.

SPEAKER_00 25:00

Well, I more sneakily added stuff to his service at no charge. That way it's not like he sees that I'm doing it.

SPEAKER_02 25:09

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He has no idea. Yes. This is just what comes with his stuff. Correct. Yeah, cool.

SPEAKER_00 25:14

Cool. So it's the alright. I feel a little bit better out about this because I'm giving you more than like the service that you signed up for, but you're obviously making up for it. And again, not that I expect it, but you after doing it for this long, he's got a track record.

SPEAKER_02 25:34

Yeah. We're just basing the expectation off of the history of his behavior.

SPEAKER_00 25:39

I feel like the m one of the most uncomfortable things is when somebody asks you what they should tip. Mm-mm. I've had that happen. I'm like, that that is entirely up to you. Like, I am not the person to ask. That's like asking me what I think about your hair color. Like, I don't have an opinion about your hair color. I I honestly don't. Like, I take you as you are when you walk in to see me. Whether or not you should cover up your gray, I like I just accept you for who you are and what you are. And I'm not trying to sleep with you, so I have no opinion on the matter. None has been formed. No, you're not gonna pry it out of me.

SPEAKER_02 26:24

It does not exist. I remember when I was like first starting out and received like my first big tip. I cried. One of my clients down at the Merrimack shop tipped me, I want to say it was for Christmas. He like gave me a hundred dollar bill and an envelope and like told me Merry Christmas. And I teared up. I was like, this is so effing sweet. I would I didn't know that those kinds of things existed. And then one of my coworkers joked and was like, girl, you better get used to it. And I'm like, I better not. This will always be a grateful shock to me. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 27:02

I can't say it's like uh tearworthy, but a few things are tearworthy in my eyes. Fair. But yes, it's it's it's humbling. Yeah. Well, and I think specifically we live in an area where holiday tips like that are pretty common. Like New Englanders for as rough around the edges as they are, um, they are very generous, most especially during the holidays, to like everybody. If you are their trash person, you are gonna get a Christmas card and a gift card. You're gonna get a Dunkin' Donuts gift card, at least. Yep, at least. And yeah, any service provider, they're like, Oh, you changed my oil? Here you go, Bill. So it's it's nice that especially because it's like right before everybody gets to be a crotchety, like frozen you know, ball of human. Yeah. Uh so it's like, let's get let's get all the joy and positivity and Christmas cheer out.

SPEAKER_02 28:02

Just imagine if they did start putting up trip tip screens at the oil change places.

SPEAKER_00 28:07

Oh my goodness. Yeah, if there were tip screens, suddenly you would start being very critical and discerning. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Because it's like, if if I'm gonna tip you better have done this right, because let's face it, especially when it comes to car services, so many things go wrong.

SPEAKER_02 28:24

Which is wild considering how expensive it all is.

SPEAKER_00 28:27

Well, it how many tools I found just chilling under the hood of my car. What? Because they forgot to take them. They just left them there? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:36

I've never even checked under the hood of my car for tools. You're telling me I have to now check underneath the hood of my car to make sure they didn't leap. That is wild. I did walking through the cemetery the other day found a pair of scissors on top of one of the tombstones. Big ones, little ones? Uh, like craft almost, like big craft ones. They were cutting rope. They were like tying off, blocking off some of the roadways. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 29:07

Whoopsie. Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 29:08

You have to start checking the hood of my car.

SPEAKER_00 29:10

Under. Under the hood.

SPEAKER_02 29:12

Yeah, that too.

SPEAKER_00 29:13

You're gonna have to open. Do you know how to open your hood? Yes.

SPEAKER_02 29:19

I can do a couple low-level things to my car if unnecessary.

SPEAKER_00 29:23

Change your windshield wipers, which you should probably do.

SPEAKER_02 29:26

My tires, at least the driver's side. My tires.

SPEAKER_00 29:29

Treat treat your windshield wipers like tires.

SPEAKER_02 29:32

Two or none at all? No, I know. And I'm gonna get good ones. Ish ones, not cheap ones. When I bought windshield wipers for my uh focus, I was working at Family Dollar at the time.

SPEAKER_01 29:45

I was working at Family Dollar at the time, and they had a great deal one week where I could buy two for six dollars. I was like, oh my god, they're perfect. They took me an hour and a half to put on. They were janky, needless to say.

SPEAKER_00 30:03

I feel like the only thing that would be good for would be a skateboard exam for like a mock stray razor. That was our secret weapon for our our practical really? Yeah, you take one of the changeable blade razors and you put uh uh use windshield wiper blade because then it becomes a squeegee. It is a squeegee. And it just takes the lather right off of a mannequin base. Oh god, yeah. It was great. Way better than a credit card.

unknown 30:28

What?

SPEAKER_00 30:28

That's also another thing that you could do. You could like cut up an old credit card and you could slide it into there and have it be a mock razor blade.

unknown 30:35

What?

SPEAKER_00 30:36

Not as good as a squeegee, but still effective.

SPEAKER_02 30:38

What did you use to We didn't have to have a mock razor blade. We just didn't have a blade in our razor and used it without anything in it.

SPEAKER_00 30:48

That's not nearly as effective.

SPEAKER_02 30:50

Well, I don't think a credit card is either. It's better than not having anything. I mean, fair. But yeah, no, nothing. That's why I'm like looking at you crazy, like, why did you do these things? Like, were you bored? Is it because you forgot something?

SPEAKER_00 31:05

Well, this is also back when you had to perform all 14 shave strokes. Yeah, yeah. Like you had to give that manigan a full facial shave. Not half.

SPEAKER_02 31:14

Yeah, we only had to do half.

SPEAKER_00 31:15

You only had to do the easy half, too.

SPEAKER_02 31:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:17

Yeah. Well, free hand backhand, free hand, free hand back, or reverse free hand.

SPEAKER_02 31:22

I literally don't even know them all still.

SPEAKER_00 31:24

Still?

SPEAKER_02 31:26

What? What? Still. Still. Still.

SPEAKER_01 31:33

I don't still know them all.

SPEAKER_00 31:35

I mean you never did.

SPEAKER_01 31:37

I did. Briefly.

SPEAKER_00 31:41

I forget. That was what, long enough to pass your written test? Yeah, dude. What? Like in your textbook?

SPEAKER_02 31:49

And then it very much became like, look at the growth patterns on their face and just customize. So that's what I do. I have no idea what these steps are.

SPEAKER_00 32:01

My goodness.

SPEAKER_02 32:02

It yeah, you don't want to watch me shave. You you you of all people do not. I get the job done. Wait, what?

SPEAKER_00 32:11

Why me of all people? Oh, you mean the expert shaver? Yeah, you of all people.

SPEAKER_02 32:17

That's like your creme de la creme.

SPEAKER_00 32:20

Yeah, it's my favorite thing to do. Yeah. But I I'd never have claimed to be an expert.

SPEAKER_02 32:25

Uh I feel like with how often your shavemen get shaved. You must be doing a good job, dude.

SPEAKER_00 32:32

Shavemen get shaved.

SPEAKER_02 32:33

Yeah, dude. But how often they're coming in here for you to shave their faces.

SPEAKER_00 32:37

But how often I use so many big towels. Yeah. The problem with laundry.

SPEAKER_02 32:42

See, and this is why I don't necessarily care if I get a lot of shaves or not. Because like I technically don't do them in the proper order, anyways. I rarely use a backhand. Ah, confessions of the barber.

SPEAKER_00 33:03

There are instances where, like, I I I understand. Like, it's a thing. I'm not judging. Like, I got a friend of mine who loves shaves, and he'll freehand the whole friggin' thing if you let him. Yeah, dude.

SPEAKER_01 33:15

That's exactly what happens.

SPEAKER_00 33:18

No, I do a it I'm freehand backhand cool and reverse freehand fine. In fact, I prefer swapping the shave strokes for my mustache area. Interesting. It's more because, like, alright, so number two, right? One, two, backhand, right? Well, so I do my number two stroke so far that I take off the vast majority of the mustache with the backhand stroke. Yeah. So that by the time I get to the number three to get the mustache, it's just like right under the nostril. And that's it. So that ends up being backhand, where it should be freehand. And then the other one ends up being freehand because I do the same thing with number seven.

SPEAKER_02 34:02

So then you just end up with Hitler.

unknown 34:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:05

And I just do that freehand real easy. Perfect. Bada bing bada bing.

SPEAKER_02 34:08

I think I just made my face shaves easier. Thanks, Jiminy.

SPEAKER_00 34:14

Welcome. But yeah, for the most part, my regulars, I tailor it to their skincare needs and growth pattern.

SPEAKER_02 34:24

Yeah, I started it was well, like, because fresh out of school and taking the tests and stuff, one, you're not getting facial shaves super often. Like that's just not at least I wasn't. It wasn't a common thing just running around dudes wanting their face shaved. In school or out of school? Freshly out of school. Like it just wasn't not a lot of facial. There was lots of bearded dudes down at that shop. Right, because I mean that's a beard.

SPEAKER_00 34:49

Beards were in by the time you were there. Yeah. Beards were not in when I was in school.

SPEAKER_02 34:52

Yeah. So didn't get a lot of like maintained experience. And then I remember how important it was to go like with and against the grain and those things. So I remember like my first few, there were such awkward grow patterns on like the underchin and neck area that my steps just went out the window, and I was like, I can't do that here. Like that doesn't work. And it just continued to be that, and so the steps just gone with the wind. The only one I do for sure properly is this one. Whatever no 14. Yep, that's the one. The last one. One and fourteen are in there. Proper.

SPEAKER_00 35:37

How do you do eleven?

SPEAKER_02 35:39

Which one's eleven?

SPEAKER_00 35:40

Chin.

SPEAKER_02 35:41

Oh yeah, eleven's cool. We go sideways across eleven. Eleven's still fine. Ooh, but these ones the hardest.

SPEAKER_00 35:48

You feel like you're sticking your straight razor up their nostrils?

SPEAKER_02 35:51

I feel like I'm gonna cut their lip off.

SPEAKER_00 35:53

Uh I don't I don't have customers that have like voluptuous lips at all.

SPEAKER_02 36:03

I just had a mental image of like someone trying to get a face shape given like a duck lip.

SPEAKER_00 36:10

If anything, I have the opposite problem where like a lot of New England guys don't have like lips.

SPEAKER_02 36:17

Any lips. Yeah, just yeah. A lot of their mustaches part in the middle, too.

SPEAKER_00 36:24

I appreciate that though. When they have a mustache, it makes it easier to trip. Yeah. No, this seems to be a twofer as far as topic because I don't mind talking about tips and shaving. Especially me getting tips on shaving. It's so funny. I'm gonna be so sad about the prospect of losing one of my weekly shapes.

SPEAKER_02 36:48

Ah, I know. I should get him something camel related before he disappears.

SPEAKER_00 36:56

You've never made that reference to him. Correct. He's completely oblivious to it. Exactly. He doesn't need to know. Any last words on uh tipping or shaving? You want any more tips on shaving?

SPEAKER_02 37:13

Hmm. No, I'm just gonna need to come really, really watch you shave one of these days. No, no more uh complaints, uh grapes. No. My my grapes are grapes. Great, greats, great. Alright, we will see y'all next week. Have a good night.