Tips

[Jason Fergusson 1408]

When I go for a massage, I like to tip the ladies well for their awesomeness. I have always hoped that the ladies get to keep all of their tips. Do the ladies get to keep all of their tips or do they have to give a cut to the house? After all, the entrance fee goes to the house.

Also, do the ladies get paid a wage as well or do they work only for tips? Is there a standard practice for all massage parlours: Asian and Canadian?

[zorobaby 4121]

You may be better served asking those private questions to the ladies themselves... But I always encourage generous tipping :-)

[IsaMassage 54318]

I can say that at place I work tips are all for me to keep.. the door fee goes to the house... then tips discussed in the room and any other extra tip you give is kept completely by the lady...

But I dont know if this is the same in all the places

. There may be places where different ways apply... whether is Ottawa and even more so if you talk Canada wide..

[sockobuw 130]

thanks for the info. its helpful for a newbie.

[Paradise Spa 24019]

I can only speak for our business but the Door Fees go to the business for overhead and the good old cut to the tax man off the top.....and ALL tips go to the ladies :)

[Source 1015]

It's true that all tips go to the ladies... for a while. Some places charge the ladies so much per shift for things like oils, laundry, etc... I was told it happened in some places, but I don't know if it's a norm across the industry.

 

I know for a fact that in certain Asian places, where the girls live at the owner/manager's place and are clueless about anything else around the city, they are charged room, board and transportation by their bosses. In other words, the boss puts his hands in her 'tip cookie jar'...

[Jason Fergusson 1408]

It's true that all tips go to the ladies... for a while. Some places charge the ladies so much per shift for things like oils, laundry, etc... I was told it happened in some places, but I don't know if it's a norm across the industry.

 

I know for a fact that in certain Asian places, where the girls live at the owner/manager's place and are clueless about anything else around the city, they are charged room, board and transportation by their bosses. In other words, the boss puts his hands in her 'tip cookie jar'...

 

Yes, I have been worried about that with Asian spas; I have had suspicions. I think that those women are unaware that there exist better working conditions for them. However, that raises a whole new debate about the wisdom of going to Asian spas. (I do not mean that to sound racist or bigoted). What I mean to say is that the Canadian spas are staffed by women who know their rights and will not tolerate abuse.

[fortunateone 156618]

An asian spa/massage parlour, a legit store front biz, would be quite different from what I am thinking that is meant by the 'asian place' where the sps live and work out of the same location.

 

MPs are staffed by citizens or resident visa sps, even tho they are all asian, they are like any other worker, live somewhere else, commute to work etc.

 

An asian micro for example, the sps live/work at the same place, otherwise all their income is going out the door on accomodations and food. Their low rate is cut up to half, going back to the management to cover expenses, and probably to pay off whatever debt cost to come to Canada (on tourist/student visa). They work illegally, it is unlikely they are trying to draw more attention to themselves by looking for an offsite place to live as well.

[ElanRacer 2613]

In rmt circles, the 'house' and RMT split the price of the appointment and the RMT pays the house for use and cleaning of the linens (towels, sheets, etc.) This is pretty standard practice with the split varying (50/50, 60/40, 70/30) and is why some RMT's go independent.

I can imagine something similar in the MA industry, with the exception that the House fee is paid up front and the MA accepts donations and tips from appreciated clients. The house fee is to cover costs of taxes, electricity, water, etc. Some also charge a fee for cleaning the linens. That's is expected and proven to be fair for all.

 

Now, I am not so naive to believe that there are not those who will take advantage of another. Make illegal or unfair demands. Enforce controls on acceptable donations/tips. Personally for this reason, I am very selective of where and with whom I am a regular visitor.

<I may have gotten a little side tracked from the OP. Oops.>

[Source 1015]

An asian spa/massage parlour, a legit store front biz, would be quite different from what I am thinking that is meant by the 'asian place' where the sps live and work out of the same location.

 

There is also a third variant, where the owner/manager of the spa is also the owner of a house or condo her girls live in. I happen to know an Asian lady in SW Florida who owns a spa. Besides her own home, where she keeps 2 or 3 girls, she also owns half of a duplex elsewhere in town where four other girls live. That sure gives her (the owner) a chance to tap into all those tips the girls earn.

 

It's hard to tell what kind of a place we're in, mainly because usually those MA's have limited English. If we can be understood and get answers to questions like 'Do you own your own car?' or 'Do you have children?' and if yes, 'Do they live with you?', we can get clues on what's going on.