When to tip your skipper

[trswem]

Hey all. I’m taking an ASA 101 course this weekend, where we stay out overnight in an anchorage. Food and drink are also provided. The materials I received from the school advise that a tip is common though not mandatory. When’s the best time to give the tip? Slipping a $50 into his hand while we exit the boat seems a little tacky, is there a procedure for this?

[SailingHarmonie]

Speaking as a former sailing instructor/charter captain I seriously doubt your skipper would EVER be offended by $50 in his hand--whenever it happens. I certainly was always grateful for anything extra the customer thought I had earned, no matter when or how it was presented. Seriously, don't sweat the how. Put it in an envelope if you really feel the need to be discreet.

The skipper is getting paid by the school for 8 hour per day, but spends the whole weekend with you. It seems like the situation custom made for a bit extra.

[more]

Originally Posted by trswem

Slipping a $50 into his hand while we exit the boat seems a little tacky, is there a procedure for this?

yes everybody tip like this and 50-100€ is usually amount.but sometime sume go to 2000€ my record is 1000$ and 360€ but guest this sume leave down in boat in envelope. this record is hairdresser and city communal worker from chicago. if you give 30-50$ nobody be offend

[5BTM]

Usually, after a transatlantic flight, I slip the captain a twenty, twenty five if the landing was soft.

I hesitate to leave the money in the bags they provide in the seat back

[Mike OReilly]

You seriously tip your instructor, or as instructors, accept tips?!? Isn’t that a rather direct and obvious conflict of interest? I mean, doesn’t the instructor also oversee the final exam in these courses, and determines who passes and who fails? I get why you would tip a charter captain, but an instructor? … worse, your instructor … just sounds wrong.

When I took my various cruising courses through Canadian schools there was neither the expectation, nor the slightest hint, that one should slip the instructor a $50. In fact, I suspect if I’d tried to do so, it would have been rejected, and perhaps been grounds for failure. And yes, all these courses were week-long liveaboards.

[5BTM]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

You seriously tip your instructor, or as instructors, accept tips?!? Isn’t that a rather direct and obvious conflict of interest? I mean, doesn’t the instructor also oversee the final exam in these courses, and determines who passes and who fails? I get why you would tip a charter captain, but an instructor? … worse, your instructor … just sounds wrong.

When I took my various cruising courses through Canadian schools there was neither the expectation, nor the slightest hint, that one should slip the instructor a $50. In fact, I suspect if I’d tried to do so, it would have been rejected, and perhaps been grounds for failure. And yes, all these courses were week-long liveaboards.

" The materials I received from the school advise that a tip is common though not mandatory."

You can't make this stuff up.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by 5BTM

" The materials I received from the school advise that a tip is common though not mandatory."

You can't make this stuff up.

What's the world coming to?!? I wish I'd known this when I was back in school. It would have been a lot easier to slip my physics prof a $50, than to have to go through all that bother of learning and studying .

BTW, if I received that kind of "advice" from a school, I'd cancel my course and find a different one.

[cdocsail]

I used to think like Mr Oreilly because of the wonderful childhood I had growing up in the US. Where meritocracy and fair play were so common they were taken for granted.


But then i traveled.

And woke up.

Unlike the US, the world still functions on ‘time honored’ principles of personal contact. Have you ever done a deal in the Middle East? Asia? Even Europe? Have you ever been to a public marketplace? How about a bazaar?

The anonymous transactions we now have in the US are a form of ‘mass production’. It is a way that corporations have changed our social behavior to facilitate more frequent and rapid transactions. We think it is better and ‘fairer’ because everyone pays the same price for an item. But we are cutting out a big part of our humanity.

Interestingly, corporate America had hollowed out the pay structure so much (with execs making ever greater multiples of their employees) that employees now ask for tips everywhere. Go to starbucks? Any shop that uses a credit card terminal? A tip screen appears.

When to tip? When you think the person who has been responsible to you for anything is not fairly paid. An instructor for the ASA course is also your captain. You are not tipping the teacher ( although i did bring the occasional apple to school) you are tipping the person who kept you out of harms way amidst the myriad dangers that are invisible to you when you are at sea

[more]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

You seriously tip your instructor, or as instructors, accept tips?!? Isn’t that a rather direct and obvious conflict of interest? I mean, doesn’t the instructor also oversee the final exam in these courses, and determines who passes and who fails? .

usually never,exam usually government guy, ex old captain.in usa some cost guard .this be nice if instructor be also on exam.
in usa you have lot different school,exam.

[5BTM]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

BTW, if I received that kind of "advice" from a school, I'd cancel my course and find a different one.

Yeah, noble sentiment, but are you willing to make the ultimate sacrifice; miss out on the box of Cracker Jack and the compass inside?

[Snore]

As a former delivery Capt and ASA instructor, the idea of tipping depends.

If the instructor teaches and you learn- that is his !@#$ job. Why a tip? I would not expect anything. Don't misunderstand me- I wouldn't refuse it- but I would not expect someone to tip me.

If the instructor goes out of his way because you are having a hard time learning something. Or spends his off watch teaching more that the required 101 syllabus, or generally goes above and beyond what you think of as the minimum of the class, then yes giving the guy/gal a $50 is appropriate.

Do you "have to"? Nope, but life is about karma...

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by cdocsail

Unlike the US, the world still functions on ‘time honored’ principles of personal contact. Have you ever done a deal in the Middle East? Asia? Even Europe? Have you ever been to a public marketplace? How about a bazaar?

Uhmmm.... ASA: American Sailing Association. Emphasize "American."

Originally Posted by cdocsail

Interestingly, corporate America had hollowed out the pay structure so much (with execs making ever greater multiples of their employees) that employees now ask for tips everywhere. Go to starbucks? Any shop that uses a credit card terminal? A tip screen appears.

Yes, but why? It's not by accident that employers are underpaying their employees, and offloading the costs directly onto customers. It's happening everywhere, but we, as customers, don't have to passively roll over and just let it happen. It's like any market message; if we all said "no", then businesses would be forced to pay people adequately.

There are some sectors of the North American economy that have long been lost to the "tipping culture", which let's be clear, is NOT a tip. It's now part of the normal pay package. But we don't have to let it expand.

[Kd9truck]

Why?
When to tip? When you think the person who has been responsible to you for anything is not fairly paid. An instructor for the ASA course is also your captain. you are tipping the person who kept you out of harms way amidst the myriad dangers that are invisible to you when you are at sea[/QUOTE]

That’s the job….as the captain. to keep all who board out of harms way.

It sound like you’ve got beef with America
Please leave your political opinions of countries on appropriate forums, this one is about sailing and cruising.

To the OP:
I tip in cash and am very generous…when I deem so.

That ASA encourages tipping is crazy, that absolutely de-legitimizes their certifications*. It also legitimizes a lower rate of pay.

Do you tip, firefighters, cops, nurses, doctors, amusement ride operators, train conductors, Pilots, etc.?

Now if he’s/she’s the instructor and you tip them, yes that’s a bribe, in legal terms it’s called “quid pro quo “. (Dinner and drinks are bribes too.)

“Quid pro quo”
: something given or received for something else

Cheers


* ASA is. Private business designed to give the novice charter person a level of education that the boat charter insurance companies will accept. There is no need for certification, to buy , or if you own your own vessel in most states.

The coast Guard “6 pac” is the entry level, captains license nationally recognized.

[NorthCoastJoe]

I never got a tip ever. I worked as a Firefighter, Paramedic, Whitewater Rafting Guide, Scuba Instructor, taught a lot of people and never got a tip. It was never a part of the job then, maybe we got paid enough.

Now I feel that employers are underpaying and expecting tips to make up for the lack of a living wage. I recently bought premade food in a foil wrapper and a pop up for tips came up. The only thing the person did was push a button on the register and for that they deserve a tip? I even had to microwave it myself!

[Foswick]

This idea is so foreign to me - the idea that you would tip the instructor. But, apparently it is a thing.

But ... I would say that reputation is currency. That has always been true in the boating/sailing community, but it is increasingly true that online reviews and ratings are sometimes better than cash.

I run across people all the time who go above and beyond. I do two things for these people. First, I try to give them more of my business. I am a very loyal customer when someone does right by me. Second, I tell everyone about my good experiences. If there is a service provider that is good to work with, I want them to stay in business and be successful.