Do you tip your instructor?

[Matt B]

Taking a DM class now and was curious if it is customary to tip your instructor, and how much? Class is in Cozumel.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Please tell all my previous students I'm waiting for tips from them. Plus compounded interest.

I've never been tipped by students nor as a student tipped.

 

[rhwestfall]

I picked up the tab at breakfast or dinner a couple times....

 

[Marie13]

I’ve had a couple instructors who said they don’t like getting a cash tip when this topic came up in conversation. Picking up a nice meal out or a bottle of liquor you know they like was what was recommended to me.

 

[Tracy]

Some do, some don't. Buying dinner is much more common.

 

[Lorenzoid]

As I have said in other threads asking this question, in my opinion an instructor in a course in which the student is graded who believes a tip is even a remote possibility has a conflict of interest, so we students should not foster that belief. I also believe a good instructor recognizes the conflict of interest and refuses tips. I agree with others who have said giving a small token of appreciation, if anything, is the better route.

 

[ROUS]

I buy meals. My AOW instructor was so good, I gave her a nice tip as well.

 

[TMHeimer]

I received one tip once-- a beer. I don't recall any DMs getting tipped for assisting with courses here. But, we got paid $300 a course by the owner.

 

[boulderjohn]

When I was working for a dive shop and I pointed out I was only making a couple dollars an hour in some classes, far below minimum wage, The Director of Instruction said it was legal to pay instructors less than minimum wage because they could potentially make up the difference with tips. I told him pretty much nobody tips instructors, and the law said that if tips do not bring pay up to minimum wage, management was required to pay the difference. He said he didn't know that, but he didn't change anything.

So if you are getting instruction from an instructor employed by a shop in the United States, that tip will help. It might even be more than the instructor was actually paid.

 

[Angelo Farina]

"Tipping culture" is really a bad habit, in my opinion.
When working as an instructor, I was offered a tip only once, and I immediately converted the tip in a good bottle of wine to share among all students and assistant instructors of my class.