0
tdog

Comments from a Tandem Customer... Not good.

Recommended Posts

Quote

My DZ forbids any sort of polite signs about tips and nobody ever mentions tips to the students.



This will have the biggest effect on the level of tips you receive. The main reason tandem students don't tip is because they don't think of our job as something you should tip for. If the idea that we are a service industry and that tips are accepted is put in their head somehow, tip percentages go up greatly.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I'll play devils advocate here:

Do you tip the F.O. or F.As on your commercial flight?

Do you tip the carney working the Zipper ride at the fair?

I think alot of one time tandem pax view it as a carnival ride and treat the whole experience as such.
It's called the Hillbilly Hop N Pop dude.
If you're gonna be stupid, you better be tough.
That's fucked up. Watermelons do not grow on trees! ~Skymama

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I do tip the FA on a flight if I get alcohol. I would never tip the carney because I am too scared to get on those rides. In general, I think tipping is sort of weird and ridiculous. Everyone should just get paid more and the whole tipping thing would not need to exist. For example, good servers at a restaurant should get paid well for helping to bring in return business. Bad servers should be let go. The same could be true for TI's.

When its all said and done I know the pay rate and could choose to work or not work. I choose to work. However, I do believe that a lot of TI's would go out of their way to be more friendly if they knew that a tip depended on it. I am not saying that this a good thing, but it is the truth.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
As a DJ a lot of people ask me what etiquette is on tipping the DJ for private events. This is what i normally tell them and i think it applies here too:

I think tips should be based on the degree of service and satisfaction you received. If you paid XXX amount and you feel you got XXX amount then dont tip and both parties should leave happy with a fair transaction. However, if you feel the person delivering to you gave you value above and beyond XXX, or if you can tell they went out of their way for you, then a tip to show your appreciation for their added value or hardwork is much appreciated.
"If this post needs to be moderated I would prefer it to be completly removed and not edited and butchered into a disney movie" - DorkZone Hero

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
You you tip your rigger? Yes

The pilot? Yes - after a particularly long or hard/busy day, I have.

How about manifest? Yes

or the tandem catchers? No I don't TM, so for me anyway, this is N/A

You asked.
Cheers,
-Grant
coitus non circum - Moab Stone

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Question~

You you tip your rigger?

The pilot?

How about manifest?

or the tandem catchers?


they all provide a service to you the TI, even MORE than a service, without them you couldn't 'work'.



Our TI shares tips with the pilot and packers. We manifest ourselves (it's a really small DZ).
"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

I am curious to know how you get tips. I engage all my students and provide first class customer service. However, I rarely get a tip. Maybe 1 in every 10 to 15 tandems. My DZ forbids any sort of polite signs about tips and nobody ever mentions tips to the students.

Here is my theory. A students pays roughly $200 for a tandem. They probably think that an instructor would get at least $50 of that. (If any of you are getting $50 per tandem, I envy you) The student thinks "Wow, these guys must make $500 or more a day, no need to tip these rich guys with dream jobs."

Personally, I tip everybody that is in a service industry and so it is kind of frustrating that the generosity is not returned. I don't work for tips, I just do a good job because it is the right thing to do. But I won't lie, tips would be nice.



First off, I didn’t get my TM rating for the money and I do not expect a tip nor do I make suggestions that passengers should tip. Because I truly feel it is important, I try to go above and beyond to make every passengers tandem experience a memory they will cherish for a life time, often times the bi-product of this effort results in a cash tip. However, IMHO the real reward comes when I am successful at creating a positive life long memory for my passengers.
I regards to sharing the wealth with others such as pilots, ground crew etc. in all honesty I never gave it any thought until after reading this thread. Now that I think about it, I feel like a greedy little fuck stain and in the future I will pay tips forward to those who were involved in enhancing my passengers experience. Packers, good manifest peeps, fellow jumpers giving words of encouragement should be rewarded however if you are a dick or too busy to give a shit I don’t think warrants an automatic reward from pooled tips. In short reward the desired behavior. ;)
Some day I will have the best staff in the world!!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

good servers at a restaurant should get paid well for helping to bring in return business. Bad servers should be let go. The same could be true for TI's.

.........I know the pay rate and could choose to work or not work. I choose to work......



excerpts above - this would be much simpler

for the employee, I consider tips just a means of begging - people should be payed up front based on an agreement for services rendered.

for the employer - I consider tips just a means of passing on the 'true' cost of employment as an additional unadvertised cost to the customer


good employees should be paid per contract, bad employees should be fired - if it happens enough, employees will improve their service to maintain the job - if it happens enough, good employees will also be more proactive in insisting on other service things - like the employer should wash the jumpsuits more often (example)

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

My DZ forbids any sort of polite signs about tips and nobody ever mentions tips to the students.



excellent policy

I love signs "Tips are not expected, but appreciated"

well, that's a lie since they posted the sign in the first place

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Quote

My DZ forbids any sort of polite signs about tips and nobody ever mentions tips to the students.



excellent policy

I love signs "Tips are not expected, but appreciated"

well, that's a lie since they posted the sign in the first place



On the other hand, I have heard customers, tandems and other students, ask about tipping.

I think it is better that they get an "official" answer than just asking the nearest person and getting whatever that person might say.

Unless tipping is literally forbidden, what should the answer to such a question say?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I pretty much agree with all your thoughts. I am lucky to be in a position where I do not need to do tandems. I have the luxury of doing them for fun and extra cash. But what about the full time guys? They work their asses off and get underpaid. I don't think it would be a big deal if the general public knew that it is ok to tip those guys if they do a good job. People tip a guy who picks up their bag at the airport but they don't tip a guy who lands them safely?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

I pretty much agree with all your thoughts. I am lucky to be in a position where I do not need to do tandems. I have the luxury of doing them for fun and extra cash. But what about the full time guys? They work their asses off and get underpaid. I don't think it would be a big deal if the general public knew that it is ok to tip those guys if they do a good job. People tip a guy who picks up their bag at the airport but they don't tip a guy who lands them safely?



It's not unreasonable for whuffos to presume DZ and the TI are part of a single entity. They'd have no idea how much the DZ pays the TIs, nor is it their social responsibility to find out. But more to the point: tandems aren't cheap, and $200 is a real chunk of change for a lot of people. For someone on a tight budget who's just experienced the sticker shock of paying for a tandem jump, it probably just doesn't occur to them to shell out some more money.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I wait till the end of the year and tip my packers and manifest based on the numbers for the year. A small tip every weekend doesn't have the impact of a large tip once a year. I also buy beer for the pilots and catchers (individually) at the same time. They take good care of me during the year!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote



I love signs "Tips are not expected, but appreciated"

well, that's a lie since they posted the sign in the first place



I don't know how a thread I started about instructors doing a poor job turned into a thread about tipping tandem instructors, but I guess I could do a cheap jab and say, all TIs care about is money... hehehe

But in all seriousness, a sign I think is a great idea as a lot of customers don't know what is appropriate and it can make them uncomfortable.

That being said, here is a merge of my two favorite signs into one I like:

We don't work for tips, they are never necessary, but they are always awesome.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote



We don't work for tips, they are never necessary, but they are always awesome.



I like your sign very much.

We have a sign like the one mentioned earlier, but I don't like the way it sounds.

Your sign is far superior.

I'm going to suggest that our current sign be replaced with yours.

Thanks!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Quote



I love signs "Tips are not expected, but appreciated"

well, that's a lie since they posted the sign in the first place



I don't know how a thread I started about instructors doing a poor job turned into a thread about tipping tandem instructors, but I guess I could do a cheap jab and say, all TIs care about is money... hehehe

But in all seriousness, a sign I think is a great idea as a lot of customers don't know what is appropriate and it can make them uncomfortable.

That being said, here is a merge of my two favorite signs into one I like:

We don't work for tips, they are never necessary, but they are always awesome.



I'm with Mr. Rehm on this - even that sign is still just another way of saying "please tip".

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Quote



We don't work for tips, they are never necessary, but they are always awesome.



I like your sign very much.

We have a sign like the one mentioned earlier, but I don't like the way it sounds.

Your sign is far superior.

I'm going to suggest that our current sign be replaced with yours.

Thanks!



Just make a new one and change it. The new management will not mind a bit.

I'm merely an AFF instructor that does not know how to throw a drogue so I seldom get tips :P ... but I still think the current sign is annoying.
My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

I think they should get a percentage of incoming tips. I've tipped out all of those people. Not always regularly but if i do well i like to spread it around.



That's how I use to do it, at the end of the day I would total the amount...40% was mine and 60% was split among the 'support' crew.

If 5 or 6 TI's are doing that, the 'team' gets a pretty good incentive to keep things rolling smoothly. B|

The more loads turned, the better their day end % is.

In my instance anyway, what I 'lost' splitting the gravy I more than made up for by~ 'slinging more out the door', ~than I might have without all the attentive assistance.


Other places & people may do things differently, but I always felt funny about people not splitting the tips up...just because they were the 'face' on the video. :)










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

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
You sound French.
French restaurants routinely add 10 or 20 percent to bills "pour le pain."
That directly translates as "for the bread," but really means "for the waiter's service," so the tip is included in the bill.
Leaving cash on the table is considered odd behaviour in France or Germany.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Yep, I totally agree. I am curious to know if there are any DZ's out there that promote tipping in some way. I am not for it or against it, just curious to know what other DZ's do.



I have heard tell of a DZ where the manifestor will walk up to a TM as they are suiting up a TP; hand the TM a $20 and say "Oh, here's the tip your last passenger left for you" as a way of"assisting" the current TP with the idea of tipping. Even when the last passeneger hasn't really left a tip.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

0