I get a facial and my hair done monthly. I rarely get manicures or pedicures; I can do that myself and there's much less danger of infection; it also saves me a lot of money. I can't cut my own hair so I don't consider that a luxury but I admit the facials are an indulgence.

I've been going to the same women for years and I've always thought of them as professionals who provide a service. I have a good relationship with both of them; I think I know as much about them as they do about me. We're not friends but my relationship with both is friendly. I look forward to my salon visits; it's nice to relax and chat with them about girly things, which I don't often get to do because I work mainly with men and then go home to a house full of men.

I guess the bottom line is that I want or need these things to be done and they do it so much better than I can do it or my friends can do it. I'm happy to pay for their services and tip generously on top of that because they both work part-time and are very much in demand. I admit it's ultimately self-serving but I want to stay at the top of their "favorite customers" list.

That said, I can understand that in some circumstances, it could be a very stressful and demeaning line of work. If the person providing the service is just a nameless face to you, you're more likely to treat them like "the help." Interestingly, I would imagine that this occurs at the extreme ends of the spectum -- the inexpensive nail salon staffed almost entirely by non-english speaking immigrants and the high-end destination spas since they don't usually attract repeat customers.