Salon Customer’s Husband Confronts A Nail Tech To Ask For Her $25 Tip Back — ‘We’re Running Low On Money’
A prime example of entitled behavior.
RDNE Stock Project / Pexels Part of living under a capitalist system means that certain jobs are prioritized over others: Tell someone you’re a doctor and watch their reaction, versus telling them you’re a cleaning person in the very same hospital.
Many people assume that some jobs are easy because they’re not valued at the same rate as other professions. Yet all work is valuable and necessary to keeping our world afloat.
Providing a service should always be fairly compensated, even if that service is considered by some to be unnecessary.
A nail salon customer’s husband confronted a nail tech to ask for her $25 tip back, claiming they were ‘running low on money.’
In the viral video, the nail tech can be seen at his station, painting a client’s nails.
The husband stands off-camera, yet his voice can be heard asking the nail technician if he was the one who did his wife’s nails the day before and then asking if she gave him a tip.
The nail tech looked confused, replying, “The one who gave me a $25 tip?”
“Yeah, she said she gave you a big tip,” the husband answered. “Yeah, she did,” the nail tech said, to which the husband exclaimed, “I need that back.”
“Why? She gave it to me,” the nail tech said, looking even more confused.
“We’re running low on money and she shouldn’t have even gotten her nails done, much less give you a tip,” the husband said.
The nail tech’s shoulders dropped with disappointment. He seemed to consider his options, deciding how to handle an increasingly agitated stranger in a stressful situation.
Ivan Samkov / Pexels
“That’s weird, but I’m not gonna do that,” the nail tech said, standing up for himself by setting a very clear boundary.
“I’m gonna need the tip back, bro,” the husband said, weaponizing the word “bro” in a way that reinforced his toxic masculinity.
“I can’t,” the nail tech said. “She gave it to me. You didn’t give it to me.”
The nail tech made a valuable point: The initial financial interaction was between him and the woman who got her nails done, meaning that her husband had no basis for demanding he return the tip, as he wasn’t the one who received services.
Yet the husband kept pushing for the nail tech to return the money he rightfully made, even going so far as to imply violence. “So, how do you wanna do this? I’m gonna get it back one way or the other,” the husband declared, making a not-so-subtle threat.
The husband’s aggressive attitude became more apparent as the conversation continued, even as the nail tech offered alternate solutions.
“Why don’t you bring your wife in here and she can talk to me,” the nail tech said, in an attempt to de-escalate the increasingly tense situation.
“She’s not coming back in here because you’re gonna try to get more money from her,” the husband said, his statement tinged with outlandish assumptions and overt racism. “I need the money back.”
cottonbro studio / Pexels
The nail tech paused, thinking over his next move, then said, “You should have come in yesterday with her.”
“I was busy. I worked, making my own money,” the husband retorted.
At this point, the nail tech could have pointed out that he, too, was working and that his job was just as valid, and he deserved compensation for providing a service, even if the husband didn't think getting a manicure was worth paying for.
Instead, the nail tech posed a pointed question to the husband, asking, “Why do you need the $25 back if you’re making your own money?”
“Because we don’t make enough,” the husband answered. “And she’s in here giving it away.”
“That’s not my problem,” the nail tech said.
The video cut out, leaving viewers to wonder what happened next.
Being a nail tech is a skilled-based business and prices should match the level of training and work that goes into giving a manicure.
Nail tech salaries vary based on location, and salaries depend on whether a nail tech works for a salon or is self-employed.
According to the subreddit r/NailTechs, everyone’s experience is a little different. One person in Montana reported that they make $600 to $1,200 a week, but they don’t keep it all: They put the money they earn toward “supplies, booth rent, continuing education, [and] taxes.”
A nail tech in Massachusetts shared that they earn $800 to $1000 a week working for themselves out of their home. They noted, “Usually, I only have about $100 in expenses a month. My whole setup, including school, cost me about $6,000, though.”
The owner of a nail salon shared her perspective, noting, “Price transparency is everything. Don’t catch your clients by surprise without setting expectations before you start.”
She advised nail techs to “provide a quotation sheet and a consultation prior to the service.”
She also believes nail techs should be "charging your worth and making your money."
One hopes that the nail tech stood his ground and kept the money he earned, yet the husband’s undertones of violence were crystal clear, and physical safety is more important than any tip.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture, and all things to do with the entertainment industry.