Recommended Posts
Out of about 2300 tandem jumps over 10 years, the only "tips" I received was a good cigar and a guy gave me a certificate for a free hamburger at his restaurant. ![[:/]](/uploads/emoticons/dry.png "[:/]")
We just never even considered being tipped as part of the deal I guess. Maybe things have loosened up a bit now.
We just never even considered being tipped as part of the deal I guess. Maybe things have loosened up a bit now.
The older I get the less I care who I piss off.
JohnMitchell 14
See, ya ought to get back into it.
Quote
QuoteAs instructors, you are just that, instructors.
Whoa, I keep forgetting that. I guess we're not human, either.
What does humanity have to do with all this?
The tendency to tip in America has gotten well out of hand - now we are supposed to tip even for bad service!? I don't think we should be tipping for routine service, and I resent that many tourist industries underpay their employees to make tipping nearly a necessity to compensate. I prefer upfront pricing, and the ability to acknowledge superior performance as I see fit.
People have made many references to diving ops. DMs on an 8 hour charter round here might get $50, and then a split of the tips. For that they don't even enter the water, or perhaps a quickie between dives for the customers. Even then, I'm not certain to tip, though by now I've narrowed down the boats I use to ones that do give me deserving service. In any event, I think they'd see $30 per jump as pretty good money, esp if you use the DZ's tandem rigs.
I think the signage described is fine in the suit room, but any announcement on the plane will offend.
Shark 0
QuoteWhat does humanity have to do with all this?
Have you ever had to counsel any of your students after a mediocre skydive? Let me give you an example. I've had a student with stability issues and worked long hours with this student including numerous times in the tunnel. This student, in my assessment, had the heart and "basic" skills to skydive, but had the typical leg asymmetry. It took several jumps just to get to Cat. D. Most instructors would have given up on this guy and given him the bowling speech. I saw something different and even spent several minutes searching for this guy's motivation, or lack of it. Cat. D was successfully completed, but on Cat. E he got into an uncontrolled spin at the bottom end. I redocked and pulled for the student. Should I have been compensated extra? Hell, NO! He did buy me a bottle of water, though and we sat down, talked and did corrective training. Since then he has completed AFF and will be on his A license check dive this weekend. Didn't you have stability problems as a student? I do not recall your instructors giving up on you. Did the wind tunnel help you in your freefall position and ultimately your confidence? Who will instill that confidence and encouragement?
I'm not defending mandatory tipping. Humanity? Try kindness, compassion, and in some cases mercy.
I'm glad you didn't get the Bowling speech from an inhumane instructor.
I'm sorry, I'm still not seeing how someone calling you instructors means they don't consider you human too. The notion of tipping seems separate from that.
I ended up jumping with nine different AFF-Is, as well as a couple more in coach jumps. I'd say all were spot on with regards to looking out for my safety, while some were more helpful and positive in helping me figure out where it was going right and wrong. My problem wasn't so much about stability - I could do an amazingly still, if totally unrelaxed hover. It was moving forward that lead to craziness. And it lead me to take time out.
Ultimately it was the Crowells at Perris and the tunnel there that got me past that L4-5 hump and things went reasonably well since then. I'm due to be in LA the next month and I'll be sure to thank them appropriately, with A in hand.
If I deserved the bowling speech, I'm not sure it would be better to get it kindly. A harsh line may cause me to react to the contrary, but a soft pitch might also give me opening to say : if I correct this, then it's all fine again.
I ended up jumping with nine different AFF-Is, as well as a couple more in coach jumps. I'd say all were spot on with regards to looking out for my safety, while some were more helpful and positive in helping me figure out where it was going right and wrong. My problem wasn't so much about stability - I could do an amazingly still, if totally unrelaxed hover. It was moving forward that lead to craziness. And it lead me to take time out.
Ultimately it was the Crowells at Perris and the tunnel there that got me past that L4-5 hump and things went reasonably well since then. I'm due to be in LA the next month and I'll be sure to thank them appropriately, with A in hand.
If I deserved the bowling speech, I'm not sure it would be better to get it kindly. A harsh line may cause me to react to the contrary, but a soft pitch might also give me opening to say : if I correct this, then it's all fine again.
QuoteSee, ya ought to get back into it.
Believe me, sometimes I think about it, kinda do miss that part (tandems), still. Then I think about how my old screwed up neck would feel after a weekend of hauling meat and the vision vanishes.
The older I get the less I care who I piss off.
QuoteHave you ever had to counsel any of your students after a mediocre skydive? Let me give you an example. I've had a student with stability issues and worked long hours with this student including numerous times in the tunnel. This student, in my assessment, had the heart and "basic" skills to skydive, but had the typical leg asymmetry. It took several jumps just to get to Cat. D. Most instructors would have given up on this guy and given him the bowling speech. I saw something different and even spent several minutes searching for this guy's motivation, or lack of it. Cat. D was successfully completed, but on Cat. E he got into an uncontrolled spin at the bottom end. I redocked and pulled for the student. Should I have been compensated extra? Hell, NO! He did buy me a bottle of water, though and we sat down, talked and did corrective training. Since then he has completed AFF and will be on his A license check dive this weekend. Didn't you have stability problems as a student? I do not recall your instructors giving up on you. Did the wind tunnel help you in your freefall position and ultimately your confidence? Who will instill that confidence and encouragement?
It is your JOB as instructor to do this, it's what you are paid to do. If you do it well, you get more business, more referrals, better word of mouth, and that is how you are rewarded. If your college prof spends extra time with you helping you understand some more tedious or difficult topic matter, do you hand him a $20 on your way out the door?
I have been offered tips more than once in my job. I work in a professional setting, I get paid every day to do what I do, it's my job to do my best. I have always turned down tips and always will, it just isn't appropriate.
I would buy my instructors a beer any day of the week, especially if I'm the one driving them to drink
But I wouldn't hand them cash. A gift and tipping are very different. Jen
Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda
flypunk 0
For my professors who spent extra time with me and took the time out of their personal lifes to give me a hand, I would often send them a xmas gifs or something after I was off their class.
I dont take sides on the tipping that is a personal decision no one is asking or coercing and we dont post signs saying one way or another, some of our instructors/camera guys take them some dont.
...
I dont take sides on the tipping that is a personal decision no one is asking or coercing and we dont post signs saying one way or another, some of our instructors/camera guys take them some dont.
...
>But I wouldn't hand them cash. A gift and tipping are very different.
I'm just curious, how do you see them as different? It seems to me your giving something (cash or gift) in appreciation for a service. How is one really different from the other?
I'm just curious, how do you see them as different? It seems to me your giving something (cash or gift) in appreciation for a service. How is one really different from the other?
I've never left a waitress or valet or any other kind of 'servant' type profession a gift, I give cash. Webster defines tipping as "A small sum of money given to someone for performing a service; a gratuity." A tip by definition is cash, not a gift.
Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda
Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda
Remster 24
QuoteI'm just curious, how do you see them as different?
Try giving your SO $100 for his/her birthday... let us know how that goes!
I'm not a full time instructor, and as such I dont make my living from jumping, so my view is from that angle. I dont expect any tipping when instructing or coaching. I dont think its very generalized at our DZ either, even for the full timers.
Remster
QuoteTry giving your SO $100 for his/her birthday... let us know how that goes!
Well, last year for his birthday, I bought him his first rig (I didn't start jumping until a year after this). Which means more to him, the cash or the fact that his non jumping wife saved her pennies for a year to support something that he loves to do?
This year I bought him an audible altimeter. Think that this is a little better than cash??
Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda
I do think you and Remster are right regarding significant others. Cash is probably not a good substitute for Valentines Day gifts.
I thought we were discussing tipping in the relationship of a TI and student whom I will, statistically speaking, most likely know for an hour tops and never see again. Personally, if a student or their mother feels I have gone above and beyond and wants to give me a little something (although I never expect it or ask for it), I would most prefer a little cash to a beer or bottle of licquor because I don't drink.
I thought we were discussing tipping in the relationship of a TI and student whom I will, statistically speaking, most likely know for an hour tops and never see again. Personally, if a student or their mother feels I have gone above and beyond and wants to give me a little something (although I never expect it or ask for it), I would most prefer a little cash to a beer or bottle of licquor because I don't drink.
your college professor makes a lot more money than your skydiving instructor.
Quoteyour college professor makes a lot more money than your skydiving instructor.
What does income have anything to do with tipping? With the exception of the $3.00/hr waitresses/other servant type work who are expected to make their pay in tips.
Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda
Quote
Try giving your SO $100 for his/her birthday... let us know how that goes!
Or if you're really daring, just give a twenty!
Shark 0
QuoteQuoteyour college professor makes a lot more money than your skydiving instructor.
What does income have anything to do with tipping? With the exception of the $3.00/hr waitresses/other servant type work who are expected to make their pay in tips.
Let me know when your professor or waitress saves your life. Oh, wait! It's not their job! It's not my job to save anyone's ass either. It is funny, though, how you try to compare the two. Then again, I doubt you'd tip your doctor. Have you tried miniature golf? Check your attitude and enjoy your next skydive with your instructor. If you understood my post I could really care less about a meager tip.
That was a fun load.
I said to his wife, 'See those guys? That is your husband. Now see that? That is their first parachute, they are under a reserve
She tipped me too. I don't think so much that you saved her husband's life, but that she thought it was so funny that he got a "double" parachute ride, and that she had so much fun. She was pretty cool.
And yeah, I get my share of tips too. I never say 'no'. I think they are appropriate for a job well done, but should never be expected or taken for granted.
----------------------------
bzzzz
Share this post
Link to post
Share on other sites