Tandem Masters- do you tip your packer or pilot

[Chiquita 12]

I know that there have been quite a few threads on whether people do or should tip their packer, but I would like to know if a tandem master gets a tip from a customer do they share a portion of it with the packer/packers or with the pilot? I am asking only if the tandem master gets a tip, not if they do it on a regular basis. I know that the tandem master is the one that does most of the work, but the packer and the pilot definitely had a part in the over all experience.

The reason that I ask this is that I work in a restaurant and when I get tipped by a customer I share a portion of it with the busser(s), the bartender, and the food runner (if we have one that night). I do most of the work for the customer, but all of them help make my job easier and effect the customer's over all experience.

So I was curious if people in the skydiving community do the same.

"Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity"

[boxingrrl 0]

At our DZ, the tandem packers are paid by the DZ. The tandemmasters generally have no idea who packed their rig. (Rigs owned by the DZ.) Pilots seem happy to get some free beer at the end of the night. (Packers never seem to turn it down, either. Hmmm...)

Some tandem masters split their tip(s) with the videographer, though. Same premise as the restaurant. Generally, the tandemmaster and videographer make the greatest impression on the customer. (Not to take away anything from pilots and packers.) A student that comes down stoked from their first jump is usually even more appreciative once they've seen their video. So, it's nice and seems fair to share, but not everyone does it.

[tictoc 0]

I will tip bouth once and a while. The way I see it is when you go to a place to eat you don't see what goes on in the back but that dosn't mean that thouse PPL don't need to be shown they did a good job. The student dosn't know the differance between a good flight or a good opening. A "thank you" is good but $ is alwase better I think.

--------------------------------------------------------
Some one must go to the edge for others to be able to find it. But if you go be sure you can make it back.

[AggieDave 6]

Lets see. The only "tip" I've recieved thus far was a nice cigar. The pilot doesn't smoke, nor did the guy that packed the rig, so nope, I smoked it all by my self and by god I enjoyed it.

I think it has to do with the area of the country I'm in, tipping never occures to people and I'm not going to say or imply a damn thing. I do this because I love it, the fact that I get paid to do it blows me away and is a nice bonus to get to jump for free due to tandem earnings...well, I do pay bills and stuff with tandem earnings, but this is the sort of thing where if I didn't get paid, I'd still do it, but I'd also have atleast 1 more source of income.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[scottjaco 0]

Why don't we all just tip everybody!

Manifest $5 per load
Load Organizer $5 per load
Pilot $5 per load (weather we jump or not)
packer $5 per jump
DZO $5 per jump

Jumpticket $20 + $25 (in tips per jump)

$45 buck per jump.....ohh wait!, let's not forget about the 3% credit card fee thats becoming so trendy, as we all know, VISA and Amex are hurting right now.....

46.35 per jump!

I think this is very reasonable when you consider how hard working and under appreciated everyone at the DropZone is.

[boxingrrl 0]

I hear ya'-- but I think the question is referring to tips above and beyond your normal pay. At our DZ, it happens infrequently, but it happens. A tandem passenger will tip the TM and/or videographer $5-20. Granted, it's not as exciting splitting $5, especially if you're going to do it with the packer, pilot, and videographer....

[nightjumps 1]

When asked to be a Tandem Master at a sister DZ and bring my own rig, I will tip the packer at the end of the weekend. If I use their rigs, I do not. I do not tip at my own DZ. Anyone has access to my beer chest.

[diverdriver 5]

Scott, I think what we're getting at here is tandem students that without asking tip their tandem master. Not every up jumper has to tip. I appreciated a beer at the end of the day as the engines spooled down when The Video Bytch (tm) handed me a Heineken. That was a nice touch. She did it every day I flew and she jumped at SDC.

When I packed full time some of my customers tipped one or two extra packs (5,10 bucks) at the end of the weekend. Percentage wise it might not have been much but in my mind it was always very much appreciated and never expected. And then a couple times a season the TMs would have a BBQ for the packers as a whole to appreciate them for packing and catching on windy days. I think that was a whole lot better than handing over money.

Chris Schindler
www.diverdriver.com
ATP/D-19012
FB #4125

[airtwardo 6]

A bit off subjuct perhaps...

Last summer after a couple FANTASTIC wreck dives
in the South Pacfic, I 'tipped' the divemaster (scuba)
20 bucks.
He almost looked confused!

Seems tips in that industry are few and far between...
Much like ours!

I got a few as a Tandem Master,
but wasn't doing it for the money...
so I always turned the whole thing over to the
video person who I figured needed it more than I did.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[slotperfect 7]

I will occasionally get a tip, as will the camera flyer who filmed the jump. I am not in the habit of tipping the pilot or packer(s) as part of the equation, but we on the Staff take care of them in other ways.

Arrive Safely

John

[masher 1]

What is this American fascination with tipping?

Why do you voluntarily give people more money then they charge for a service?

I buy a coffee from a coffee shop, I pay what it costs. Why should I give them money to bring it to my table?


.

Please note: This is a serious question, and is not intended to cause offense....

--
Arching is overrated - Marlies

[Chiquita 12]

As far as restaurants go the server are generally only paid $2.13 an hour. Some restaurants may pay a little more, but not many and I am sure their entrees cost a bit more. As far as coffee shops go I do not know what they are paid, most I would assume are at least paid minimum wage. But tipping is generally done for a service that was done well. It is given as a show of appreciation. There are other times that tipping is generally done such as a haircut, taxi ride, door man, valet, tour guides, and such.

As far as drop zones go, it seems that most people do not tip. But there students that feel the desire to tip if they had a really good time or something like that. But it definitely seems to depend a lot on the area that you are in. I would say that in Florida and California, or places that get a lot of tourists, students are more likely to tip, but I do not know for sure. I know of some people that tip packers and I know of people that don't. So it seems more like personal preference.

Anyway, I help that helped at least a little. If you have any moe questions let me know and I will do my best to answer them.

"Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity"

[burbleflyer 0]

No.

[skyjunior 0]

It does not matter if a customer tips me or not. But I usually tip the packers after I have done a weekend of tandems. They are doing a job that is usually thankless,physically demanding, and in the summer very hot. On a good weekend we tandem instructors can make between 300 to 600 dollars. A 10 or 20 dollar tip to some of the hardest working guys and gals on the dropzone does not seem out of line.

PLEASE REMEMB