Tipping

[Ray_Ray 0]

I am about to do my first tandem jump and wondering how much do people usually tip their tandem instructor? This is all new to me.

[phreeloader 0]

i'm no TI, just a student ... but i would go with a standard 20% if he does a great job & makes it memorable. Don't forget the camera guy too

[piisfish 135]

tipping ? isn't that what you do with cows ?

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[tsalnukt 1]

Don't bother unless they really deserve it. Tips should be EARNED.

[normiss 620]

I've gotten as little as $0 and as much as $100.
Usually it seems most people tip $10 or $20.
If they tip.


Multi-million dollar earning pro ball player?
Zeeerow.


It's the only job I've ever worked where I might get tipped so any amount is a treat to me.
I rapidly convert it to beer.

[towerrat 0]

If your instructor was professional, courteous and made you feel comfortable then by all means tip away. However, if not, then no. As a general rule, most of my tips seem to be $20. There is no set standard and we appreciate all tips. I have been tipped as much as $100 and as little as the few singles in the bottom of the guy's pocket. No matter what the amount I consider it a "thank you and job well done", and I'm grateful for it. The point is: if you like the guy, throw him a twenty. If he is a pompous douche (skydivers can be that way) then skip it. He is getting paid for his time regardless, you're just covering his bar tab later.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

[hookitt 0]

20 bucks times 10 tandems in a day ... plus the pay tandem instructors get.

Yeah, I should do Tandems but I prefer getting fewer jumps and then nothing from AFF students

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[Ray_Ray 0]

Thanks All!

[deadwood 0]

I would usually share my tips with the packer.

He who hesitates shall inherit the earth.

Deadwood
Skydive New Mexico Motorcycle Club, Touring Division

[normiss 620]

Excellent point.
Fully agreed.

ALWAYS take care of the packers.

I loves throwing down some packer beer monies!

[skytribe 16]

At the DZ I work at we are tipped less frequently than you guys are saying. I used to get a lot more when I worked on the East Coast.

Sure we get 10/20 here and there but this is the exception rather than the norm.

And before you guys start saying its about service etc. We get a huge number of amazing testimonials from students sent to the DZ. The DZ surveys customers in the following week and have a very high satisfaction rating. So the student definitely leave the DZ happy.

Barista's get more tips round here than skydiving instructors.

I'd seen and liked the concept of a small sign saying tips are not expected but always appreciated but DZ owner not keen on that idea.

[SEREJumper 1]

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but always appreciated but DZ owner not keen on that idea.

Well thats probably the reason Most people coming to jump are not thinking about tipping, even though we are providing a service to them.

The DZ I work at we give them little envelopes with the certificates and make sure to tell them if they had a good time, that the envelope is there for tips if they so choose. They can give it back to us, OR hand it to manifest. This gives them an easy out if they don't want to tip or don't have the cash to.

How much do you tip a waiter to bring you drinks and the food from the kitchen? 10-15% of the check and most people don't even bat an eye at that.

I do appreciate tips when I get them, but I'm not to bummed when I don't. I treat every jumper the same and give them the best experience I safely can since this may be the only time they ever jump.

Normal tips are $10 and $20's in Northern, CA.

We're not fucking flying airplanes are we, no we're flying a glorified kite with no power and it should be flown like one! - Stratostar

[JohnMitchell 14]

hookitt

20 bucks times 10 tandems in a day ... plus the pay tandem instructors get.

Yeah, I should do Tandems but I prefer getting fewer jumps and then nothing from AFF students

I do tandems and AFF and get tips from both.

Here in WA maybe 1 in 5-6 of my students tip, even though we have the "Tips are not required, but appreciated . . . " sign at manifest. Friends that work on the North Shore at Oahu, HI say that tipping is the norm; almost everyone does. I think it's just the local culture that makes the difference.

I work at making every student/passenger feel at home and try to maximize their experience. I feel that's part of my job. I agree that the D. bags should not get tips, but I'm sure they do.

I recently read an article on tipping that said the actual service doesn't matter as much as the mindset of the customer. Tippers almost always tip. Tightwads almost always don't.

Heck, I even tip the kid at the car dealership that puts on my new license plate.

[skytribe 16]

JohnMitchell

***20 bucks times 10 tandems in a day ... plus the pay tandem instructors get.

Yeah, I should do Tandems but I prefer getting fewer jumps and then nothing from AFF students

I do tandems and AFF and get tips from both.

Here in WA maybe 1 in 5-6 of my students tip, even though we have the "Tips are not required, but appreciated . . . " sign at manifest. Friends that work on the North Shore at Oahu, HI say that tipping is the norm; almost everyone does. I think it's just the local culture that makes the difference.

I work at making every student/passenger feel at home and try to maximize their experience. I feel that's part of my job. I agree that the D. bags should not get tips, but I'm sure they do.

I recently read an article on tipping that said the actual service doesn't matter as much as the mindset of the customer. Tippers almost always tip. Tightwads almost always don't.

Heck, I even tip the kid at the car dealership that puts on my new license plate.


I think it is a regional thing. Its probably a similar ratio to what you talking about and I'm up in WA to.

I think sometimes people just don't think about tipping instructor whereas the culture at barista stands is a tip jar (very open and upfront), just like a bar in us you tip the bar tender. It may not help that we have a large number of Indian/Chinese descent customers and tipping may not be a cultural thing for them as well.

My thought is we probably provide a lot more service to customers (more so than the typical barista or bar tender) but the customers have already lashed out a good chunk of change and they may be under the impression we as instructors get a big chunk of that.

If I get a tip (great), if I don't no worries. I think of tips as an appreciation of good service, the lovely testimonials are great as well (as someone has to sit down take time and put there thoughts down).

[AliMac 0]

I've worked manifest at a couple of different dz's. Whenever a student asks me about tipping their instructor I usually tell them that it is optional, not expected but the amount is usually within the $10-$20 range, I also explain that a "fun Jump" or "non work jump" is about $20 (with employee discount if you have one) and the instructors will really appreciate a jump paid for for them. :)

[gregpso 1]

Ray_Ray

I am about to do my first tandem jump and wondering how much do people usually tip their tandem instructor? This is all new to me.

I did 19 tandems in Australia and never thought of tipping. I suppose should have put money on bar $20 or so for Wokka etc. I just never thought of it. Tipping is not the custom here in Australia as it is in the USA (believe me I noticed the difference when I was in the USA recently). but in hindsight I should have give my many TIs something more than a thankyou and strong handshake.

Did put $50 on the bar at Australian skydive but Ralph the CI there was so generous to an idiot like me he gave me 2 free (yes free) AFF jumps.

I should have put alot more than that !!

I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

[JohnMitchell 14]

gregpso

Did put $50 on the bar at Australian skydive but Ralph the CI there was so generous to an idiot like me he gave me 2 free (yes free) AFF jumps.

You got some good karma goin' there. . .

[davelepka 4]

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Friends that work on the North Shore at Oahu, HI say that tipping is the norm; almost everyone does. I think it's just the local culture that makes the difference.

My guess would be that it's the vacation culture in that case. I'm guessing that 95% of their business in HI is people on vacation, and if you have the cash to vacation in HI, you have the cash to tip your TI. Not to mention that people are used to tipping when on vacation between cab drivers, bell hops, waiters, concierge, maids, etc.

Here in Ohio, we don't get a big tourist crowd at the DZ. It's pretty clear that some of them emptied their pockets (or close) just to cough up the $200 for the jump, so you might not expect a tip. That's not to say that everyone who tips is Mr. Moneybags, but the typical tipping customer generally appears to be more affluent than less.

The amounts match what others are saying. Between $10 and $30 is average, with anything more being the exception.

[JohnMitchell 14]

I remember taking a very sharp, pretty college coed on a tandem who tipped me $20 after the jump. She had done a great job and really enjoyed the jump, and I wanted to just give her the money back and tell her to save up for AFF because I knew she'd love the sport. I knew all you guys would love having her in the sport.

I felt almost guilty, with my govt. job during the week, taking money from a young woman going to college.

But I kept it.

[NickyCal 17]

So now I feel like a tool. I admit to not even considering a tip when I did my tandem. I think that they need to invent an app for my phone that I can point at things and it will tell me if you're supposed to tip or not! We're in farm country Midwest and I wouldn't say that tipping is a big part of the culture here. It honestly never even crossed my mind. A sign would definitely have been appreciated! For those DZ owners who don't like the idea, clueless customers like me do appreciate being reminded when a tip is appropriate.

[theonlyski 3]

I say if she's hot, she can get more than just the tip.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[faulk04 0]

At my DZ's tips are very rare. We have a little jar in manifest that is to the side for tips. I can count on one hand how many times I have gotten tips as the videographer (I guess I'm doing something wrong) I am not sure how much our TI's are getting from tips but I don't think it is that often.

I know when I did my 1st tandem I didn't tip my instructor.

[SEREJumper 1]

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We have a little jar in manifest that is to the side for tips.

Out of sight, out of mind.

We're not fucking flying airplanes are we, no we're flying a glorified kite with no power and it should be flown like one! - Stratostar

[JohnMitchell 14]

You're not a dork for tipping.
This weekend I taught the AFF FJC. It was a fun class of a dozen folks, all sharp, athletic and with great senses of humor. I was having as much fun as they were. At then end of the day, a woman, whom I didn't even jump with, gave me a $40 tip from herself and her boyfriend. They had so much fun on their Level 1 they both went right back up and did a Level 2.

That and about another $30 in various tips. I took Vskydiver out to dinner last night, of course.

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

hookitt

20 bucks times 10 tandems in a day ... plus the pay tandem instructors get.

Yeah, I should do Tandems but I prefer getting fewer jumps and then nothing from AFF students

That's a misnomer, bro. I've never done a ten tandem day where I got tipped ten times; particularly not $20 a pop.... Like others on here, I've been tipped as high as $100 (in Hawaii), but what seems most common is $20. I NEVER expect a tip, no matter how awesome I thought it was or how much I had to work to safely get that 250 pound galloot to the ground in one piece. People pay a lot of money to do tandems. Some people save up for a very-long time to be able to afford it.

Ultimately, we could all use a little extra beer money for a job well done.

Chuck