Tip for Phil Instructors

[Halthron]

When a non-Pinoy asks about the rate for a class, place special attention on detailing all costs involved. If someone asks "if dives are included" in that price, they're asking if there will be any extra costs to dive. This included costs like boat, DM fees, resort fees, tank rental, fills, etc. People get annoyed when they're told they'll have to pay thousands of pesos more than they expected at the last minute. Give them the bottom line cost or range to get certtified.

And don't get me started on taxi drivers tonight either...

 

[chip104]

hehehe, I feel for you.

One thing I hate is when waiting for a restaurant and the server will say it'll be 5 mins cause they don't want to say it'll actually be 15 mins. Then I get frustrated cause I'll have to wait longer (but I don't say anything of course). That's Pinoy hospitality for you. I mean, just say the real time!

And about taxi drivers - I hate how they never have change for my P100!

 

[Spoon]

bro im pinoy and i also have the same problem. in short always be prepared to pay more as the instructor is not responsible for the hidden costs. if you read most of the courses offered, certification never includes: resort fees, gas fills, food, transportation and dm fees. i think this is your responsibilty to check. certification fee is only for the lectures and reading materials. pretty much sop wherever.

like i mentioned i too experienced this but make a conscious effort to get the bottom line cost which is different from the certification cost. well now you know eric.

 

[aparatchiki]

i totalle agree...aye aye!

i believe as part of transparency instructors should provide an itemized list of expenses that inlcudes resort fees (since they are the ones that decide on the resort anyway), boat fees, etc.

i feel like im being cheated if there isnt a broken down list of expenses that the instructor provides. its like they just ask for a lump sum and that's it....no breakdown where ur money goes. *poof*

im the kinda guy the wants to cut ends to make it fit in my budget. and i'd like everything to be transparent (as in it should be at least written) so that i'll know how to plan dives following the OW certification.

tho i have yet to find an instructor that would do such.

just my two cents

 

[shugar]

i'm no instructor but just to be a devil's advocate in this discussion:

lumping costs as a package generally protects the vendor (in this case a course)...

to be specific, instructors can (and probably do) make special arrangements with resorts with regards to their students' use of facilities - remember that as a noob diver you will usually take from your instructors' lead... if your instructor says "split fins suck" you won't buy splits... if your instructor says "use mares, it's good" chances are you'll use mares... this is neither good nor bad, it's human nature

so taking this into consideration, it may be prudent for resorts to offer concessions or premiums to instructors who base their classes at their resort - chances are the 1st resort you do your checkouts in will be the one you'll go back to for your 1st fun dive... and maybe the next until you're confident enough to try out another one

it's business unfortunately and instructors have to eat too.

hope i'm making sense here. as a media ***** i always have to package my offerings, when i'm forced to break them down per clients' requests i still keep certain items bunched up to protect my markups and my suppliers' premiums

sometimes i tell my clients straight out that my cost will increase when i break it down - it protects me, my suppliers, and ultimately my product

not that i'm against transparency, but we have to respect the degree to which an instructor, or any vendor for that matter, will be willing to break down his costs to you

Jag

@halthron: dude, i know what you mean about cabs... if it was only legal to shoot them... sigh

 

[Halthron]

I'm not really complaining about the cost and to be honest, I'm not really concerned with an itemized list either. I hate it when I ask "does this include dives" and the answer is "yes". Then later "Oh, I thought you meant *MY* dives. Not, you have to pay extra for your dives." I understand that the cost can vary a bit when there's only one student in the boat vs. four, at that point a range is appropriate, as it may also be if a resort hasn't been decided yet. Non-locals usually won't "know" about the extra costs and won't be happy about it. Give them an idea of all of the costs and if something is a range, say way.

As expensive as this sport is, a few extra bucks don't bother me. Having the total price change four times in a week does.

 

[paolov]

As expensive as this sport is, a few extra bucks don't bother me. Having the total price change four times in a week does.

now that sucks.....

Sorry for that experience.

 

[*Floater*]

I've been negotiating a few packages for my next trip over there and after numerous emails I'm still not sure if the final packages include everything despite my best efforts to find out...

 

[paolov]

And don't get me started on taxi drivers tonight either...

it's morning now, so i may say on Taxis.

I avoid WALLIS taxis!!!!!

 

[Xizang]

Totally agree on the package cost but disagree on a list where each and every peso you pay goes to. People don't ask Sony to give them a list on where that P10,000 pesos they paid went to. You can't tell Sony, "oh Mr. Sony, I only have P9,000, can you just take out the instruction manual of the TV and subtract the cost of that, 'coz my neighbor has the same TV, I'll just borrow his manual "

A vendor doesn't have any legal or ethical responsibility to be transparent with his margins. He offers a price and if the vendee doesn't agree then he goes somewhere else. This is where packaging courses inclusive of everything comes into play.

An instructor could have package A for P30,000 OW class and Package B for P15,000. Both packages includes everything to get the student certified with probably the difference accounted for in the type of accomodations, the privacy of the pool sessions, the sexiness of the assistant and the amount of clothing she wears during the training sessions.

Unfortunately, the Philippines is one of those places where instructors price courses exclusive of a lot of things and this is because or the nature of the dive industry in Anilao. Most are free lance instructors who have to pay for resorts and boats and these guys (resorts and boats) charge lump sums which vary on the number of students the instructor brings. But fixing the cost structure to arrive at a package cost ain't rocket science, a lot of instructors have figured it out especially PG based instructors.