Instructor Tipping

[SKIQUATTRO]

We are headed to Smuggs at the end of the month. My 3.5yr old is enrolled in the ski school program for 4 days. Assuming she'll have the same instructors, what is the customary amt to tip the instructor(s)

 

[ChileMass]

Depends on how much your kids enjoyed the lesson and how much they got out of it. Talk to the instructor with your kids when the lesson is over and you'll know whether they enjoyed it and if the instructor is worth a tip.

A couple of years ago, my 2 girls took a 2-hour private lesson that cost about $100, and I gave the instructor an extra $20. I don't know of any exact rules on this, but I'm guessing it's like anything else - 15% if it's OK, 20% or more if you're really impressed.

 

[JimG.]

I don't know of any exact rules on this, but I'm guessing it's like anything else - 15% if it's OK, 20% or more if you're really impressed.

The general rule of thumb.

Believe me, instructors appreciate any and all tips. I never taught full time, but my salary for the hard work I did put in every weekend and holiday was small.

Tips often tripled my income and made me feel energized for the next day; nice to see that my efforts were appreciated.

 

[NYDrew]

Instructors, Full time and Part time typically break about even for what they make. Minimum wage to $9 is about average on the east coast. PT makes even less.

If it is an all day program for your 3.5 year old, $20+ would be nice(the crew of instructors usually split all tips). Even if your kid got no skiing out of it, remember that instructor is soaked from lifting, kneeling and catching all day. Hour lesson, $5.

I'll be honest, most people don't tip. Therefore the majority are all jerks.

Adult lessons are by your judgement. $0 to the equivalent of your xmas bonus is fair game. Worthless instructor gets nothing, if you take a lesson from me, well...$1,000,000 sounds fair for 2 hours. (just kidding).

YOu don't understand how happy a tip makes an instructor.

 

[riverc0il]

i would think a standard tipping practice for dinner would be a good structure. 15% standard. 20% for exceptional service. sometimes i tip more at dinners. not to knock instructors, but they are making MUCH higher than the average wage for tipable employees. most minimums are well under $5 an hour. i think tipping instructors is the right thing to do though.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

i would think a standard tipping practice for dinner would be a good structure. 15% standard. 20% for exceptional service. sometimes i tip more at dinners. not to knock instructors, but they are making MUCH higher than the average wage for tipable employees. most minimums are well under $5 an hour. i think tipping instructors is the right thing to do though.

True, but waiters and waitresses are turning over tables alot faster then instructors are turning over lessons. Hence, wait staff has alot more opportunity to make tip$.

 

[riverc0il]

HPD, i again reference that waitstaff are horrendously paid around $3 an hour and rely almost entirely on tips. also, ski instructors that have group lessons can have more 'tables' than a waitress would have in the same hour.

in the case of a private lesson, i might go so far as to ask how much the instructor received from the ski area and base the tip off that information. $10-20 might be solid for an hour private lesson depending upon what the instructor actually makes.

quite frankly, a lot of people like to b(&$! about their wages, but most people are tragically under paid. i certainly don't get tips in my job. when i started just under five years ago i was only making $12.50. not many people tip, but even if an instructor making the above quoted $9 an hour gets a few bucks here and there he/she could be averaging $14-15 which isn't exactely horrible in a country that has the minimum wage set at less than six bucks. i am not saying instructors don't deserve tips! tip and tip well! but i just wanted to point out that with a few tips an hour an instructor can actually make a decent amount of scratch on the side.

 

[teachski]

Please remember that instructors do not get any where near what the area charges for a lesson. They are LUCKY if they get $10-12 per lesson/hour for the time they are teaching. Many areas only pay instructors for the actual time they are in a lesson, yet they are expected to be there for line-up even if they do not get a lesson...and they are expected to be available if a lesson comes in after the groups go out.

Being a ski instructor may seem glamorous and it may seem as if they make the big bucks...but they do not! Many folks do not know how poorly the instructors are paid...they think they get a lot...especially when they have a group. They get paid the same for a group of 10 as they do for a private in most cases. A lot of people do not tip because they think they make a lot more than they do. Tips are always appreciated!

Please remember that instructors only get paid for the time they are actually in a lesson...not for the time they spend waiting to be called for one.

 

[JimG.]

Although I think the tip structure is similar, I don't think the comparison to waitstaff is necessarily accurate:

Waitstaff greets diners, takes orders, brings food, clears the table, and provides basic customer service. They do not have to then show diners what the utensils do, show them how to hold the utensils, show them how to put the food on the utensils and which food goes on each one, or pick up food that misses their mouths. And their at least inside, not outside in the cold.

Different worlds.

 

[Mark_151]

I nevber thought of this, but is this just for resort instructors, or should you tip an instructor in a private company as well? For instance, if you take a NATO telemark, clinic that you're already paying big bux for, should you tip also?

 

[SKIQUATTRO]

unfortunatly, people tip off the price of the bill, not the quality of service. The poor girl at IHOP is working as hard if not harder than the girl at Morton's serving my steak dinner. The IHOP bill comes to $30, so I tip 20%, when my Mortons bill is $300, I still tip 20%....bottom line, dont serve breakfast!!!

When I instructed (many moons ago) I got $5.00/lesson and I was Full Time!! When it was bad weather on a Wednesday...no money!!! Still fun though.

 

[thetrailboss]

I tipped at Sunday River. Gave $10 per day that I was with an instructor if I liked them...

 

[NYDrew]

averaging $14-15 which isn't exactely horrible in a country that has the minimum wage set at less than six bucks. i am not saying instructors don't deserve tips! tip and tip well! but i just wanted to point out that with a few tips an hour an instructor can actually make a decent amount of scratch on the side.

Hate to tell you but its been a while since minimum has been below $6. Minimum wage is now at $6.75.

Ski instructors live in or near towns that are considered upper class (aka high cost of everything).

Ski instructors have to own high end equipment and replace it frequently because of over use and people skiing over them during lessons.

Ski instructors cant call in sick on powder days because that is when they are expected most...therefore more wear and tear on cars. More frequent wrecks.

The cost of certifications, renewals and dues of a ski instructor is usually higher then what they make in a season. With my student discounts I spend over $300 a year on training seminars and PSIA dues.

We are the only sports profession that DOES NOT make a true living wage. If people learned to tip, perhaps we would actually make that $15/hr which is all we are really asking for.

Thumbs up to the hardworking people in Tremblant who actually had the balls to stand up for their rights. Unfortunately here in america there is always some 13 year old punk ready to strike break just to wear the jacket.

 

[riverc0il]

Hate to tell you but its been a while since minimum has been below $6. Minimum wage is now at $6.75.

maybe in your state. minimum wage is different in every state (e.g. VT just went from $7 to $7.25 and will adjust for inflation on a regular basis from now on, big thumbs up to that), but the federal minimum wage is $5.15 per hour. also, minimum wage for tipable employees is substantially LOWER by a significant amount. for example, i believe VT is $3.65. check your facts.

Ski instructors live in or near towns that are considered upper class (aka high cost of everything).

doubtful. in VT at least and NH as well for that matter, the cities some ski resorts reside in do have high property values such as killington or stowe. but drive two towns away and it is not the case. for example, i live within an an hours drive of no less than six ski areas and live in a very poor section of vermont that is anything but upper class. many workers from stowe don't live in stowe, they live in morrisville or the surrounding area for example. there will always be cheap living near ski areas in the east, it just isn't slopeside.

We are the only sports profession that DOES NOT make a true living wage. If people learned to tip, perhaps we would actually make that $15/hr which is all we are really asking for.

damn, that's about what i make. i am actually really well paid for this region too. most people would do anything for $15 an hour in this NEK of the woods. as i mentioned in my post, we are ALL rediculously underpaid. folks should definitely tip! i am in full support of this for ski instructors. seems odd that in a group lesson people are not throwing a few bucks the instructors way. big thumbs down to folks not doing so.

Ski instructors have to own high end equipment and replace it frequently because of over use and people skiing over them during lessons.

dedicated skiers factor this cost into their season regardless. if instructors were not instructing they would still be buying high end equipment if they loved to ski that much any ways. why do ski instructors need high end equipment specifically? n00bs aren't going to know the difference. you need equipment that fits your ability high end or not. $5300 a year in dues and training is asinine, that much i will agree on.

i am not trying to down play wage issues here, nor am i suggesting that ski instructors are paid what they are truly worth... they are not. but your claims don't hold wait and are especially trivial given the fact that so many other people in ski country work for far less without the chance for tips. sorry, i also go balistic when teachers complain about low pay when Mass was starting them at $30k and a few months off a year. the fact is, most citizens get paid crap for what they do. i feel bad for citizens working two jobs at minimum wage. a true living wage is so far off from what people are getting actually paid it is rediculous. the official poverty line is set at an amount no one could reasonably live comfortably off of making minimum wage. $9 an hour plus tips ain't no picnic for sure, but there are a lot worse labor issues that i am concerned about to be quite frank.

 

[NYDrew]

Sorry, yeah, didnt catch that typo in time. $300 was the actual number. ($86 for dues, 100-200+ for seminar/s)I wouldnt pay no 5300 if it meant I could win a gold in the next olympics.


I've tried the low end equipment. Just doesnt hold up as well, ski's would last 1 season max. High end, like race grade or what ever you would classify vokyl supersports in last much longer. Even teh edges seem to damage less. Ive tried not wearing them for lessons, but then I spend half my day walking to the locker room instead of skiing.

$30,000 is not nough to live in a safe area in urban areas (new york is my example)

End of story, tip your instructor something if he is either a childrens instructor or good for you.

 

[riverc0il]

i lived off $26k (before taxes) in the boston metro area for a few years living single and still managed to swing going into boston to party twice a week. i just can't see complaining about wages when people out there are working their butts of for minimum or not much more. the buying power of the dollar keeps going down and wages aren't really going up much. *sigh* this is why i stopped reading about this stuff, because it pissed me off so much. but hey, CEOs get million dollar raises every year, woo hoo!

seriously. just tip your ski instructor.

 

[HDHaller]

A related story... This discussion demonstrates that even ski area veterans aren't too sure about instructor tipping. I know of instructors who've taken advantage of this lack of instructor tipping standards and "guided" students towards tipping with a sort of funny, although slightly dishonest, act. While Instructor X was teaching a lesson, Instructor Y would ski up to X and say something like "The Smiths left this for you after their lesson," and hand X a $20 bill, holding the bill in plain sight for a moment so that X's students could see it. X would say thanks to Y, stuff the bill into his parka, and continue with the lesson. Later, when Y was teaching a lesson, X would provide him with the same service in front of Y's students, giving the $20 bill back to Y ("The Jones family left this for you...")And the $20 "seed bill" would go back and forth between them all season, generating tips from students. Not a ski school approved technique, I'm sure.
-HDH

 

[NYDrew]

Actually, thats genious. Whats the difference between that and people stuffing their tip cup to encourage tipping.

Maybe a $5 would be a lot more honest. Thats a more common tip for an hour.

It is just a reminder that tips are appriciated and common when satisfied to those people that don't know.

 

[Paul]

Actually, thats genious. Whats the difference between that and people stuffing their tip cup to encourage tipping.

Maybe a $5 would be a lot more honest. Thats a more common tip for an hour.

It is just a reminder that tips are appriciated and common when satisfied to those people that don't know.

Anyone who falls for that deserves to pay out an extra $20 tip.

That the intructor likely deserves anyway, BTW...

I'm a semi-retired SCUBA instructor. Tips were very few and far-between. People don't usually bring too much money with them when they were going in the water. I think they also figured we were highly paid. HA. $250.00 to teach a 6 week course. 4-5 hours a week. 2 in class, 2 in the pool. Then 2 days out in the ocean. 2 FULL days. Aside from the fact that Member dues and liability insurance combined were about $1200.00 a year....do the math.

 

[teachski]

Patrollers, now they are really the people that make the big bucks! Why be an instructor and make $10 per lesson with the possibility of getting a tip or two when you can be a patroller and get the big bucks? My annual income from patrolling isn't even enough to get me a piece of penny candy (oh yeah, neither is a penny any more.) Patrollers do it because they like to help people...the same is true about most older instructors.

I have done both. My weekly instructor's money was barely enough to pay for gas to, food at and drinks at the area after shift. I was not doing it for the money, If I were I never would have survived. I was one of the highest paid instructors at the area too...I gave that all up to be the patrol director and make $0.00 a year.