Instructor Costs & "Tips"?

[oly5050user]

[ I knew there would be no compensation from him or the facility to stay late for this 1 student.This 1 student did not purchase mask/snkl/fin from us and even purchased a cheap poor fitting wetsuit from elsewhere and he froze during the pool work when everyone else was comfortable.. Please do not tell me he had no $$--he is going with family to Bonaire and staying at the most expensive resort on the island,Harbor Village..He lives in one of the most expensive areas/highest income areas in the country to live in-Scarsdale NY

I think this says more about you than it does about him and not in a good way.[/QUOTE] East End,what do you do for a job that you like to work at for hours without any pay for the extra time you work?
So I guess where you work when you have to stay late and finish a job you do not mind NOT being paid..I like to be compensated for any extra time I have to work, does not matter if it is the student who pays or the facility..As to the student purchasing gear elsewhere,I really do not care where they got it,just do not complain to me about it when you did not follow my advise and buy a suit online that does not fit(too big) and is of poor quality-had flatstitch seam that is not glued and allows water entry instead of a triple glued lockstitch suit.He also complained about his fins are too hard to kick with,again wrong size for him.. He actually wanted me to loan him a suit for the pool.All this student has to do is study and come to the facility during normal working hours and retake the test..there is no charge to do this during normal open hours.

 

[oly5050user]

I probably know 7 or 8 instructors. If any of them were holding a pool session and one of their past OW students asked if they could stop in and use the pool for a little while I don't know of a single instructor that would expect in any way some form of appreciation or tip. A simple "thank you" would be more than enough. Obviously oly5050user would expect/want more.

so you think the instructor should transport tank to a pool and accept any risk exposure for nothing..This is an example of what is wrong with many people in todays society;too many feel entitled and expect everything done for them at no expense to themselves.I for one am so tired of people who want something for nothing and will not accept that behavior.People want us to carry their gear to a training dive site and return it to the facility after use at no charge..I tell them we would have to charge them a valet service fee at a cost of $40..usually they understand that no one is going to be a nanny,hand hold them..People have to GROW UP..

 

[oly5050user]

I probably know 7 or 8 instructors. If any of them were holding a pool session and one of their past OW students asked if they could stop in and use the pool for a little while I don't know of a single instructor that would expect in any way some form of appreciation or tip. A simple "thank you" would be more than enough. Obviously oly5050user would expect/want more.

so you think the instructor should transport tank to a pool and accept any risk exposure for nothing..This is an example of what is wrong with many people in todays society;too many feel entitled and expect everything done for them at no expense to themselves.I for one am so tired of people who want something for nothing and will not accept that behavior.People want us to carry their gear to a training dive site and return it to the facility after use at no charge..I tell them we would have to charge them a valet service fee at a cost of $40..usually they understand that no one is going to be a nanny,hand hold them..People have to GROW UP..

 

[BDSC]

People have to GROW UP..

Just be sure to take your own advice.

 

[Frosty]

so you think the instructor should transport tank to a pool and accept any risk exposure for nothing..This is an example of what is wrong with many people in todays society;too many feel entitled and expect everything done for them at no expense to themselves.I for one am so tired of people who want something for nothing and will not accept that behavior.People want us to carry their gear to a training dive site and return it to the facility after use at no charge..I tell them we would have to charge them a valet service fee at a cost of $40..usually they understand that no one is going to be a nanny,hand hold them..People have to GROW UP..

Ya know its a funny this being in the CUSTOMER SERVICE industry matee. You really need to understand something that it seems you have either forgotten or perhaps simply have never learned.
You are working in an industry where it is TOTALLY discresionary income people are spending. They don't NEED to go diving and they definitely don't NEED to dive with the dive op you are employed by.
So yea maybee its a pain that you have to carry gear for your CUSTOMERS but ya know if you display the attitude you are displaying here pretty soon you won't have to carry any gear because you'll have no customers.
Unfortunately there is an industry rule of thumb--Have a BAD experience you will tell 100 people. Have a GREAT experience you might tell 5.
Now the OP asked the question because they wanted to know the protocol in that specific situation. I feel thats great and I say a big upps to em

 

[Quero]

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[EastEndDiver]

I think this says more about you than it does about him and not in a good way.

East End,what do you do for a job that you like to work at for hours without any pay for the extra time you work?
So I guess where you work when you have to stay late and finish a job you do not mind NOT being paid..I like to be compensated for any extra time I have to work, does not matter if it is the student who pays or the facility..As to the student purchasing gear elsewhere,I really do not care where they got it,just do not complain to me about it when you did not follow my advise and buy a suit online that does not fit(too big) and is of poor quality-had flatstitch seam that is not glued and allows water entry instead of a triple glued lockstitch suit.He also complained about his fins are too hard to kick with,again wrong size for him.. He actually wanted me to loan him a suit for the pool.All this student has to do is study and come to the facility during normal working hours and retake the test..there is no charge to do this during normal open hours.[/QUOTE]


Yes if I have to stay late to finish a project I do.I am sure there are a lot of people similiar to me.I am salaried ,a very good salary,so if I need to stay I do.I do not get compensated for additional hours.

 

[oly5050user]

East End,what do you do for a job that you like to work at for hours without any pay for the extra time you work?
So I guess where you work when you have to stay late and finish a job you do not mind NOT being paid..I like to be compensated for any extra time I have to work, does not matter if it is the student who pays or the facility..As to the student purchasing gear elsewhere,I really do not care where they got it,just do not complain to me about it when you did not follow my advise and buy a suit online that does not fit(too big) and is of poor quality-had flatstitch seam that is not glued and allows water entry instead of a triple glued lockstitch suit.He also complained about his fins are too hard to kick with,again wrong size for him.. He actually wanted me to loan him a suit for the pool.All this student has to do is study and come to the facility during normal working hours and retake the test..there is no charge to do this during normal open hours.

Yes if I have to stay late to finish a project I do.I am sure there are a lot of people similiar to me.I am salaried ,a very good salary,so if I need to stay I do.I do not get compensated for additional hours.[/QUOTE]
not compensated for additional hours is understandable because you are a salaried employee being compensated very well,sure it does not work out as little to what a scuba instr makes per hour.Been there did that and that's fine..I am sure you also get a year end bonus $$$$$. for the extra efforts your employer appreciates (same as a really big tip right !)

 

[oly5050user]

Ya know its a funny this being in the CUSTOMER SERVICE industry matee. You really need to understand something that it seems you have either forgotten or perhaps simply have never learned.
You are working in an industry where it is TOTALLY discresionary income people are spending. They don't NEED to go diving and they definitely don't NEED to dive with the dive op you are employed by.

Yes it is a customer service industry for customers who pay for any additional services/time/effort they require.

So yea maybee its a pain that you have to carry gear for your CUSTOMERS but ya know if you display the attitude you are displaying here pretty soon you won't have to carry any gear because you'll have no customers.

Teaching for over 30 years and it has worked for me well enough that I get alot of referral work for former students.Again this is what is wrong with todays society;people think they do not have to earn what they want,that anything is supposed to be just handed to them.

Unfortunately there is an industry rule of thumb--Have a BAD experience you will tell 100 people. Have a GREAT experience you might tell 5.

Again,I have quite a few former students sending me their friends and family.I run trips out of the country with many of the same people every year with more joining us every year.

 

[Crowley]

Can't believe this has turned into a flame war so thank you Quero for stepping in.

Let's look at a different scenario. I work in a burger restaurant. Five people request burgers. I expect them to pay for those burgers. Last week, this guy bought a burger from me, but since I know him and he came back to buy another burger, I slip him a side order of fries for free. I still expect to be paid for the burger. In return, if I ever walk into the pub that this guy owns, maybe he'd like to slip me a shot of tequila when I order a round of beers.

The OP asked if he could use the pool during the instructor's class. Perhaps that took a little bit of time and attention and there is no such thing as a free air fill, however miniscule the cost per tank may be. Me? In this case, I'd buy the guy a beer, or a burger, or whatever, just to say thanks. It's kind of a normal human thing to do, I reckon.

When it comes to tipping instructors or guides? Why not - if you feel you've had a good service and you have some spare change - 20 bucks for me is a great night out, actually! In some places tipping is almost required for any service, and there was mention earlier of how somebody knows 7 or 8 instructors who blahblahblah ... I know *hundreds* of instructors - and pretty much ever single one of them would appreciate a tip, but in general, don't expect one.

Lots of our customers bring us bread and cheese and sausages from Europe that we simply can't get here in Egypt - and they are so delicious that the smell of crinkly green cash is temporarily wafted into the other side of the brain - and a nice gesture like that is worth more than a thousand words, if not dollars. We don't, as a general rule, earn a lot of money. You probably don't tip the burger flipper in McDonalds but if he went out of his way to serve you a burger that looked like the picture on the menu then yeah, I would be inclined to say "keep the change".

Cheers

Crowley