nagel
Contributor
It's getting colder outside and the dive season is ending (for us). So, what better thing to do but let's poke the bear a little and talk about tipping.
Don't get me wrong I very much appreciate dive masters, boat captains, boat crews, etc. I think they typically go far above and beyond to ensure the safety and comfort for everybody who dives with them. I typically offer IMHO a descent tip if not a little above standard and typically with disregard of actual service. Most of the time the service is 2nd to non, but occasionally somebody may just go through the motions, but they still get a tip from me. I have been that person that shook their head when others passed on offering the tip.
With all that said, part of me wonders why the industry rely's so much on tipping? I mean many boat dives, liveaboards, dive excursions are not cheap. We are paying a lot for these trips...where does this money go? Why is it not shared with the crew? Why are we the customers left to feel shame for not tipping and told most of their salary comes from the tips? Where I work we have many employees and to make the business go we have to pay them a good wage...we can't go to our customers and say they need to tip our employees because they did their job for you. Why don't Dive Operators pay their employees a descent wage and get away from the tipping aspect or at least bring it back to where it should be - an extra Thank You for taking care of me. Not something that is relied upon to pay bills.
Some will say, okay stop the tipping and the cost of the Dive Trip goes up. It's already there if you add in the tip at the end that you are "shamed" into offering. Why not just make this part of the cost and move on? Tipping is an "extra" not a "right". It should be given to somebody who did a good job. Some may say if you do away with tipping then the service will go down. Really, will it? If you pay them appropriately they will want the job and if they get tips above that they will have some incentive to go above and beyond.
Anyway, I think you get my point. I"m interested in others thoughts and I will continue to tip and I think they deserve it (normally), but it does make me wonder why the business plan is set up this way.
Let the arrows begin..........
Don't get me wrong I very much appreciate dive masters, boat captains, boat crews, etc. I think they typically go far above and beyond to ensure the safety and comfort for everybody who dives with them. I typically offer IMHO a descent tip if not a little above standard and typically with disregard of actual service. Most of the time the service is 2nd to non, but occasionally somebody may just go through the motions, but they still get a tip from me. I have been that person that shook their head when others passed on offering the tip.
With all that said, part of me wonders why the industry rely's so much on tipping? I mean many boat dives, liveaboards, dive excursions are not cheap. We are paying a lot for these trips...where does this money go? Why is it not shared with the crew? Why are we the customers left to feel shame for not tipping and told most of their salary comes from the tips? Where I work we have many employees and to make the business go we have to pay them a good wage...we can't go to our customers and say they need to tip our employees because they did their job for you. Why don't Dive Operators pay their employees a descent wage and get away from the tipping aspect or at least bring it back to where it should be - an extra Thank You for taking care of me. Not something that is relied upon to pay bills.
Some will say, okay stop the tipping and the cost of the Dive Trip goes up. It's already there if you add in the tip at the end that you are "shamed" into offering. Why not just make this part of the cost and move on? Tipping is an "extra" not a "right". It should be given to somebody who did a good job. Some may say if you do away with tipping then the service will go down. Really, will it? If you pay them appropriately they will want the job and if they get tips above that they will have some incentive to go above and beyond.
Anyway, I think you get my point. I"m interested in others thoughts and I will continue to tip and I think they deserve it (normally), but it does make me wonder why the business plan is set up this way.
Let the arrows begin..........