Tipping instructor?

[D_B]

OK, Sorry
And It's nice that you let the labourers take the tip

Just a note on those taxes that they are required to pay here in Ca. ... They pay tax on estimated tips, so even if you don't tip, they still pay tip tax

(I like to tip, and I like reward someone who went out of there way for me)

 

[Mr.X]

I don't believe anyone is below me in the grand scheme of life. But yeah if you RELY on tips to subsidize your income you are basically looking for hand outs. Your "Waiter/Server" job is to do what the title entales wait or serve on people. It is there job and we as a whole are to reward them for doing there job? No. The cashier at your local Walmart makes roughly the same as a server but has anyone gone up to a stocker and drop them a $5 because "I was happy to see you stocked a supply of Crabs-B-Gone" No.

I work hard in my trade and I dealy directly with my customers and do I get tipped? No. Yet I work on a fifth floor window off a ladder, carry up a 75lb window and install it. I am in situations that demand my full attention otherwise loss of property and life could happen. I do my job well, when I leave my customers are happy. If a customer does try to tip me I always turn it down and if the guy/gal persists then I let my apprentice/labour take home that tip.

Here too we have to pay taxes on Tips. My roomate who gets roughly $1000 a month in tips ONLY claims about $125 a month.

I WILL tip if I discover the restaurant does have a tip pool where all the tips get split between everyone, including the dishpig and buser... If my meal was tasty yum yum great I hope the cheif gets the larger portion of the tip.

Just my 2 cents, B

... Wait gimmie back my two cents

I'm sad to say there are folks who are born into unfortunate circumstances. The thought that eveyone is equal is only a theoretical. Traveling in impoverished nations has made me appreciate my good life.

Good service should be rewarded. Poor service should not. You yourself have been tipped and as a true professional you send it down the line. If that's a running philosophy I would try to keep in mind that in the chain of production there might be a low-line, foreign born worker trying to send money home to his kids through tip money.

If you are concerned about the right people getting it - tip the one who hustles the most directly.

 

[ScubyDoo]

Hmm. Im not sure I would tip an instructor for OW certification dives on referral? Would you tip your local instructor if doing your cert dives with them? Your paying for the cert dives, and that should be enough. That said, once your diving certified, I think its imperative to tip your DM's and boat captains. I usually tip about 20%, and do so after every days dives. If you tip them well on the first day, they know you appreciate them and will continue to give you excellent service for the entire duration of your diving. Of course they have to earn that first tip. If they totally suck and provide horrible service....I wouldnt tip them a dime, and Id find a different shop to dive with the next day.

 

[oly5050user]

Hmm. Im not sure I would tip an instructor for OW certification dives on referral? Would you tip your local instructor if doing your cert dives with them? Your paying for the cert dives, and that should be enough. That said, once your diving certified, I think its imperative to tip your DM's and boat captains. I usually tip about 20%, and do so after every days dives. If you tip them well on the first day, they know you appreciate them and will continue to give you excellent service for the entire duration of your diving. Of course they have to earn that first tip. If they totally suck and provide horrible service....I wouldnt tip them a dime, and Id find a different shop to dive with the next day.

your instructor probably got paid a big(if he is lucky) $60. for training you from the 1st time in the classroom to the last training dive..The referral instructor may make $20.for the 4 dive he did with you,thats $5. per dive he got paid..And you will not give him a tip?? How many hours he spent with you?how much time did he spend with you looking over equipment and the advise/suggestions he gave you for the type of diving you plan on doing? How do you think he feels when you tip the dm who if it was a training dive most likely just handed you your fins-how did he feel when you tipped the boat capt.who most likely is the highest paid person working the boat..

 

[ScubyDoo]

How do you think he feels when you tip the dm who if it was a training dive most likely just handed you your fins-how did he feel when you tipped the boat capt.who most likely is the highest paid person working the boat..

I apologize if you misunderstood my post. I wasnt talking about tipping the DM and Captain while on the training dive. I was talking about tipping them on subsequent dives after certification. As for tipping instructors during an ongoing course...I dont feel thats appropriate. An instructors job is to provide competant instruction, not to finesse a tip. Tipping instructors could lead to improprieties...The ole.."I'll give you a good tip if you overlook my inability to clear my mask" sort of thing. Training dives arent pleasure dives, and therefore dont deserve tips in my opinion. The potential for abuse of the system is too high. Tipping after certification though....Absolutely!!

 

[ScubyDoo]

How do you think he feels when you tip the dm who if it was a training dive most likely just handed you your fins

FYI..Good divemasters assisting with students do much more than hand students thier fins. We brood over them like our children. DM's assisting on the surface check and double check to make sure students gear is configured correctly. We make sure thier air is on, and that they have enough air. We notate thier air pressure in and air pressure out. We notate thier time in and thier time out. We help with any question or concern they have about thier upcoming dive or thier equipment. We watch thier faces to see if they're nervous, and calm them down if they are. We offer every level of support they may need. When they cant understand how to fill out thier logbook...we help guide them. We keep track of the dive roster to make sure all divers are accounted for. Inwater we put out all the dive buoys. We set tie the boat off and set out the tag lines and drift lines. We oversee the students and assist the instructors such that if theres a problem student...we take them over and assist them so the instructor can move on to other students. We guide students on thier exploratory dives. We assist them on thier topside skills like the tired diver tows.. We assist them back aboard the boat. We carry thier gear for them...We do anything and everything to make thier diving experience more pleasurable, as well as anything and everything to answer any and all questions they may have about diving. We are thier role models. As for DM's guiding certified divers....thats a whole other story.

 

[SadiesMom]

FYI..Good divemasters assisting with students do much more than hand students thier fins. We brood over them like our children. DM's assisting on the surface check and double check to make sure students gear is configured correctly. We make sure thier air is on, and that they have enough air. We notate thier air pressure in and air pressure out. We notate thier time in and thier time out. We help with any question or concern they have about thier upcoming dive or thier equipment. We watch thier faces to see if they're nervous, and calm them down if they are. We offer every level of support they may need. When they cant understand how to fill out thier logbook...we help guide them. We keep track of the dive roster to make sure all divers are accounted for. Inwater we put out all the dive buoys. We set tie the boat off and set out the tag lines and drift lines. We oversee the students and assist the instructors such that if theres a problem student...we take them over and assist them so the instructor can move on to other students. We guide students on thier exploratory dives. We assist them on thier topside skills like the tired diver tows.. We assist them back aboard the boat. We carry thier gear for them...We do anything and everything to make thier diving experience more pleasurable, as well as anything and everything to answer any and all questions they may have about diving. We are thier role models. As for DM's guiding certified divers....thats a whole other story.

I'm also primarily a teaching DM - but in a cold-water, shore diving environment. As such, what I do involves working with students in the pool on problem skills one on one until they get them (not matter how long it takes), as well as answering any questions they have before and after class that they're too intimidated to ask the instructors. I sort, size and assign equipment and make sure it gets in and out of the LDS truck before and after class.

On open water weekends, I get the students organized for the instructor and geared up in their 30-40 pounds of lead, sometimes while wearing *my* 30 pounds of lead. Since they're phenomenally slow, this can take a while and is quite physically tough on my back. I doublecheck their gear and air and often have to make runs back to shore for more weight. I set floats and assist students into the water over rocky entries so they don't fall or hurt themselves. I swim groups of students out to the float and sometimes have to keep watch over them there while instructors work skils with other students on the bottom due to bad vis (<5 feet). I keep watch over groups of students on the bottom in bad vis (we typically have vis less than 5 feet) and surge and keep them calm. When students get too tired or freaked out, I tow them back to shore, get them out safely, then swim back to the group. I take students on exploratory dives and have to find things to show them to keep them interested and not freaked out in lousy vis and significant surge - then I have to get them safely back to shore and out of the water over those same rocky exits.

Yes, I love it. But I lose money (about $30) every time I agree to work a class. And the IRS is only going to put up with that for so long. So yeah - I wouldn't mind a tip once in a while from one of those students I helped with a problem skill or towed back to shore when they were too tired to swim by themselves. But it hasn't happened yet.

But I'll tell you what....I sure as HELL do more than "hand students their fins...."

Should I stop doing it? Maybe. Maybe all of us who don't make any money as DMs or instructors should just quit doing it. And the rest of you will see how difficult it is to find anyone to teach you or guide your dives or help you on your vacations or brief you on new dive sites.... Hmm..

 

[SadiesMom]

BTW - Telling your server you don't tip before getting your bill... Hah Yeah, make sure to do that next time.

I'm confused, Glazier...if you're not ashamed of your opinion and your position, why wouldn't you be completely honest with your server about your intention not to tip him/her prior to getting the service? What *you're* doing is lying by omission - leading your server to believe that you *would* tip because that's what "normal" behavior is both in Canada and the US, and then getting a service under that impression.

The *honest* way of dealing with your server would be saying prior to your meal, "Look - I'm going to be honest with you - I don't believe in subsidizing your poor career choice by tipping, so I'm not going to tip you for your service - just thought you should know that up front. Thanks." Then you accept whatever service you get. Otherwise, you're a liar and a cheat and you're stealing the service s/he gives you under false impressions.

Either stop being a coward, be honest and accept the consequences of your stance, or suck it up and tip the poor server for goodness's sake. Or move to some country where tipping is not the norm.

 

[oly5050user]

I'm confused, Glazier...if you're not ashamed of your opinion and your position, why wouldn't you be completely honest with your server about your intention not to tip him/her prior to getting the service? What *you're* doing is lying by omission - leading your server to believe that you *would* tip because that's what "normal" behavior is both in Canada and the US, and then getting a service under that impression.

The *honest* way of dealing with your server would be saying prior to your meal, "Look - I'm going to be honest with you - I don't believe in subsidizing your poor career choice by tipping, so I'm not going to tip you for your service - just thought you should know that up front. Thanks." Then you accept whatever service you get. Otherwise, you're a liar and a cheat and you're stealing the service s/he gives you under false impressions.

Either stop being a coward, be honest and accept the consequences of your stance, or suck it up and tip the poor server for goodness's sake. Or move to some country where tipping is not the norm.

ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Imagesetter]

I have to admit, though my ignorance, I never tipped the instructors I had for OW, Advanced nor rescue. For some reason, I thought I was not suppose to tip but I did purchase meals for them instead. On boats, I do tip. (I always believe in tipping well)

So, the DM course I am in, the instructor would definitely get a tip. Not just because I now know it is acceptable, I became aware of this a number of months ago, but for the amount of commitment and time he must commit to my training. Almost done btw, I just can't seem to get around to mapping a site. When conditions are good enough to make mapping easy, it is a BIG incentive to grab the camera instead.