Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/72098
BUSINESS SIDE One medical massage therapist stated, "I view it as insulting to the client to refuse a tip. I just smile graciously and accept it. In this economy, who isn't grateful for a little extra money?" Another said, "Clients are grateful for the work I do, and a tip is just an expression of that." Advice on tipping protocol from the Spring 2002 issue of Body Sense magazine is still applicable. "It's very much an individual decision," says Cherie Sohnen-Moe, an author, educator, and consultant for the massage profession. "[Clients] should always be getting a good massage for the fee. A tip is a thank-you. But it shouldn't be a required part of service." Sohnen-Moe says if the therapist does something exceptional or gives a client extra time, then tipping can be a nice gesture, but she doesn't want clients feeling pressured or obligated to tip every time. "Personally," Sohnen-Moe says, "I want my clients relaxing and getting services, not thinking anything about money." If there is any sort of protocol around tipping therapists, Sohnen- Moe says it's found in spas and salons. These therapists usually have no control over what clients are being charged and also don't reap full payment. "Typically therapists are underpaid in a lot of the salons and spas, and those tips make their day," she says. Health spas, however, usually employ a no-tipping policy. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS Is it ever unethical to accept a tip? The Code of Ethics (borrowed from the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork) says to "Refuse any gifts or benefits that are intended to influence a referral, decision, or treatment, and that are purely for personal gain and not for the good of the client." Let's examine that a little closer. Let's say you have a client who is quite well off and always gives you a $40 tip. The massage is $60 an hour, and every week she just gives you a $100 bill and tells you to keep the change. Do you treat that client any differently from the factory worker who is genuinely scraping up the money, perhaps at the expense of something else, to pay for massage? Do you give the big tipper extra time, or ignore the fact that she's chronically late and make another client wait while you accommodate her? What if you work for a chiropractor "[Clients] should always be getting a good massage for the fee. A tip is a thank-you." Cherie Sohnen-Moe, author, educator, and consultant who has a no-tipping policy, and a client insists on tipping you. Let's say she offers you a tip, and you respond with, "Thank you so much, but Dr. Wells doesn't allow gratuities," to which she responds, "Don't be ridiculous, here's $20. You just put that in your pocket and he never has to know." Are you going to argue, or accept the money? Is it unethical to accept a tip only because the employer says you can't? There's a gray area surrounding what is acceptable and what is not. If a client tipped $100, would that make you uncomfortable? That may depend on the situation. A fellow therapist has cultivated an outcall business at some of the big performance venues in North Carolina and South Carolina. He works on the rich and famous musicians who come to those, and for him, a $50 or $100 tip is a common occurrence. If that same tip came from a used car salesman, you may be a little suspicious. But then again, why should you? Is the expectation of a big tip tied to someone's celebrity? It's judgmental to take a $100 tip from a famous wealthy person, but still be wary about taking one from the unknown person down the street. tune in to your practice at ABMPtv 23