 Poster: A snowHead
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Eight of us had lessons as a group for a week in Switzerland at Easter - we put in 10SFr each and gave it to our instructor at the end of the week. It seemed like the right thing to do - we had a brilliant week
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Myself and a climbing bud joined a little 3 day group lesson for the first ever time skiing. We went back on the 4th day to ski on our own and left a nice bottle of wine and a card for the girl who had taken our group. Just a little thing to say thanks for a great time.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
Oh dear, bit of a dilemma here. How much would you reckon to tip a Canadian ski instructor who has taken me for 4 sessions of 3 hours private tuition?? I would reckon $50 but perhaps this is being a bit of a cheapskate and he has been very good. Should I tip more, especially bearing in mind this is Canada where tipping is more expected? Any suggestions before about 3 pm UK time Friday please!
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I have done club ski in banff for two years now and never tipped the instuctor at all !! neither did anyone else in the group that we saw.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| stevev wrote: |
| neither did anyone else in the group that we saw. |
That's the secret to good tipping - it should be done sublty/quietly. If you make a big fuss of it in front of others, it's no longer about thanking the instructor, but more about stroking your own ego by wanting others to see how wonderful you are!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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You gotta read this about Cow Tipping - it was almost banned in Florida! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cow_tipping
Re tipping instructors...First set of lessons yonks ago I bought the instructor a pint. Then last month when we went away we had an instructor for a few hours to help MrsPeteMillis and the kids, then he came skiing with a few of us one afternoon after he'd been doing lessons. He got some nosh and drink paid for, and I paid for the pass when he came over to our area which isn't connected to the PdS.
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I gave my group instructor EUR20 last year. There were 8 of us in the group for a week. If everyone (I doubt they did) gave the same that's EUR160 or £100. I don't suppose they get paid very much, and this was peak season, so it didn't seem unduly generous (or mean for that matter). He did look a little taken aback though. On a recent trip to Davos I ended up having two blonde instructressses all to myself for a day (don't ask why!) - I bunged them SFR20 which they seemed happy with.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Fri 16-03-07 10:19; edited 1 time in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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It didn't occur to me to tip our instructor after two 2-hour lessons. The lessons were quite expensive anyway, so I hoped he'd be getting paid quite well. (I tend to compare it with what I get paid per hour as a pilates instructor/massage therapist and work from there). Maybe I was wrong  I did send a thank you to his boss, just to let her know that we were really pleased with the standard of service.
I did tip the girl who gave me a massage though. But it seems easier when you are actually handing over cash in payment anyway. A "keep the change" gesture comes quite naturally. It doesn't really come up if you've paid in advance via credit card.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Quote: |
It didn't occur to me to tip our instructor after two 2-hour lessons. The lessons were quite expensive anyway, so I hoped he'd be getting paid quite well.
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No, it doesn't quite work like that.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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A Kiwi rep for Neilsons gave a gang of us a guided day out in a new area so we all clubbed together for a tip. Otherwise, I generally go with the 'clients provide meal and drinks' view.
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Poster: A snowHead
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On my very first ski lesson in Glenshee, we had a 17 yr old local lad as our ski instructor. I was so grateful to him for helping me to discover such an ecstatic and equisite sport, I gave him a 20 quid tip. I have no regrets - even though he wore an ill fitting ski outfit. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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veeeight, I realise that now, and I'll know for next time
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Before snowHeads it wouldn't have crossed my mind to tip.
Now, I do it all the time and encourage others to do so too.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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A Kiwi rep for Neilsons....
Scarpa was your kiwi rep named Peter by any chance?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I find a couple of comments on technique and of course how red is soooo last year generally go down well.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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i can speak from an american instructor's perspective. tips are not expected and are certainly appreciated. i have quite a few clients from the uk and i realize cultures are different on this topic. times are changing. i have received many more tips from uk clients this season.
in the event you have a wonderful lesson, and/or feel the instructor went out of his way to make the experience great, why not show your appreciation with a 15%-20% gratuity?
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| Quote: |
We normally think around 10% here if at all!
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Canada is a big shock for tipping, it is normal to tip 15-20%, we were told to go for 3xgst as an easy guide. It adds a lot to your bills.
restuarants looked cheap but by the time you add GST (VAT) and 15%tip it is quite expensive
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Just seems weird.. people will tip someone to carry their food to them.. to drive their car 50 feet and park it.. to cut their hair - but someone who trains you in a sport that you can die doing doesn't rate a tip?
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RoboGeek, good point, well made
As a guide in Canada - allow 15% (7.5% GST, 7.5% PST) plus 15% tip in restaurants, bars, hairdressers etc.
This always causes problems with Brits in restaurants when trying to split the bill, they just take the menu price and put that in. Take the price +15% +15% and that will be the correct figure.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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RoboGeek, so do you tip your surgeon after a successful op?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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If the surgeon is earning CAN$15 an hour, yes.
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In many parts of the world it's accepted that you perform your work to the required standard for your specified wage. A tip is only given if a) you're bloody rich and want for whatever generous or selfish reason to give one b) exceptional service has been provided (exceptional service not being normal everyday good service, but exceptional uncommonly good service). The culture of expecting a tip is imho an undesirable one, unless it is made a formal and explicit requirement with clear guidelines, like an compulsory service charge. I think people should be paid properly (yes, I know many people aren't, have no control over it, but also that hardly anyone who works thinks they're paid properly), so they're not expecting a tip. 
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You know it makes sense.
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As a guide in Canada - allow 15% (7.5% GST, 7.5% PST) plus 15% tip in restaurants, bars, hairdressers etc.
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depends where you are - not all provinces (are they provinces in Canada?) have PST, and where they do it's not always 7.5%. Plus if you are in Tremblant there is the 2% resort royalty as well (Intrawest special  )
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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RoboGeek, It's a bit different over here. Most of us would not expect a tip (although it's nice, but I find embarassing). We're not in the end, though, paid more than those over the pond including their tips. some of my friends inthe States earn about the same before tips + them, (Aspen, I suppose, being posh etc..) I think the schools do pay more per hour though on the whole.
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Poster: A snowHead
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veeeight, that's why trade unions were once thought to be a good thing. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Typical instructors' wages in the States seem to be in the $7.50-$15/hour range, depending on resort and certification, etc. Some may get a bit more than that, but I haven't been told of that. There are bonuses for request privates, returns, etc. This is one of the challenges for US instructors. You may pay $80 each for a group lesson or $460 for an all-day private, but the instructor may typically be earning about $50 (after taxes). That's why tips are so nice for them.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hence my dilemma.
I do believe in tipping instructors - I tip my hairdresser and the waiter, why not the person who has really tried to help me with my skiing? My problem was the amount. I wanted to show my appreciation as he had really helped me, but couldn't really afford to pay another 20% on top of the cost of having 4 afternoons of private lessons. Anyway, he seemed pleased and surprised  (I gave $70 in the end)
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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ssh, Would that be for a full cert? A couople of my pals do get lots of extras for requests and regulars and re-bookings and all sorts, but it seems awfully complicated.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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steve's financials are a bit off. full certs in colorado are paid up to $30.00 per hour as a base rate and for the most part these are the individuals working private lessons. i doubt we have a full cert making as little as $15.00 per hour at winter park, however, it might be the case. we talk about wages and i feel i know about what everyone is making.
yes, a request private at winter park pays between 150% and 170% of the base pay rate depending upon one's return tate.
so......say an instructor has a gross revenue per day of $200.00. do the numbers and that will probably amount to 20k per season.
as noted.....surgeons are on a slightly different pay scale and yes after three operations in the past three years i bought mine a christmas gift!
tips help guys/girls feed a family.
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Rusty Guy, that sounds a bit more like it! Are the euro and the dollar still about the same? If so, then it's slightly less than many ISTDs or ISIAs would make, but then the only bonuses we'd get would be the odd tip or present (I have a bottle of champagne waiting to be drunk and 24 pack beers!) If you work for a french ski school you are an independent worker, and if made "permanent" then you get a profit share at the end of the season. However the British schools do seem to pay more per hour, but the instructors are just employees.
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i just spent two days with a family from kansas. they seemed to have a good time and claim to have enjoyed improvements in their skiing. at the end of the day today they showed their appreciation with a very, very generous gratuity.
it made all the hard work over the past two days well worth it.
perhaps in the end it is just as foreign to an american family to not tip as it is for visitors to tip.
in either case the kindness was appreciated.
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Rusty Guy, A muslim family who skied with me recently paid more than the bill - I tried to give it back, thinking it was a mistake, but they said that the prophet mohhammed said "blessed is he who asks less and gives more" - I thought that was pretty good! (I'd given them a deal as they booked every afternoon and had been with me before etc etc.).
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Had a instrictor all day for four days in Bulgaria recently, the instruction was really cheap, maybe €90 each for two of us for the whole time! So of course we tipped as in Bulgaria even a small tip can go a long way. I think if you are satisfied and you got value for money you should tip, an instructor does a lot more foWear The Fox Hat, Wear The Fox Hat, r you than a water in a restaurant and you always hae to tip them!
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| easiski wrote: |
| Are the euro and the dollar still about the same? |
1 US dollar = 0.75 Euro. 1 Euro = $1.33
Rusty would (of course!) know more about the high end of the scale. I'm only a cert 2 and am a part time instructor in the group pool at Copper, so it is from that experience that I draw my numbers.
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FAQ
