Tipping is a traditional affair in the ski world. Ski instructors and other mountain employees get really good at estimating how much you should tip, and they use that skill to their advantage. In this article, we’ll discuss how much you should tip your ski instructor. You’ll also discover the most common pitfalls that you might fall into if you aren’t careful, and how to avoid them.
Table of Contents
The Basics
Before we begin, let’s unpack some basic concepts. First, tipping is not compulsory. Second, your ski instructor is an employee, not a partner or a master.
The former is true because you’re not obliged to tip your ski instructor. You don’t have to provide food, shelter or pay for their lessons. Basically, you’re paying for their service, so it is customary to tip them based on how good they were at teaching you how to ski. Your ski instructor’s tips, therefore, can vary from nothing to a few hundred dollars. It really depends on how much you appreciate their service.
The latter is also true because ski instructors are not your masters or partners. They are employees who work for a company, and the only connection you might have with them is through the lessons you paid for. Therefore, they are not entitled to any special treatment. You can treat them however you want, but you should always keep in mind that you’re not obliged to do so.
To put it simply, when you hire a professional to perform a service for you, they are not entitled to a tip. In the U.S., it is not necessary to tip plumbers, electricians or other contractors. If you do choose to tip them, however, the most common rounding rule is 15% of the bill. If you’re not sure how much the service cost, ask the contractor for a copy of their bill.
The Basics Applied
With that out of the way, let’s apply the basics to your situation. Your ski instructor was hired by a company called Go Ski with the goal of making you a happy, lifelong skier. To achieve this goal, Go Ski paid your instructor’s salary as well as provided food, lodging and other perks. In turn, your instructor did their best to teach you the craft of skiing, making you a better and more appreciative skier. They also introduced you to the après-ski life, showing you the various attractions that the Swiss Alps have to offer. If this sounds like a pretty sweet deal to you, then kudos to you and your instructor, because you’re certainly going to need to tip them well for all that they did.
Now, let’s say that you did not appreciate your instructor’s help that much. You’re certainly not obligated to tip them, but if you don’t want to, then you can opt out by not paying them. In this case, the company would not get their money’s worth, and the instructor would have to look elsewhere for their wage. In a similar situation, your instructor might ask you for a tip as compensation for all the effort that went into teaching you. In this case, you would be wise to tip them, otherwise, you might end up paying them another way.
Last but not least, let’s say that you’re unsatisfied with the service that your instructor provided. In this case, you have two options. First, you can ask for a replacement. This is rather inconvenient for both of you, as you have to find a new instructor, and it creates a gap in your skiing schedule. The second option is to file a complaint. This must be done in writing and should be sent to the company’s customer service department. The best way to handle this is to be as polite as possible and remind them that you’re a paying customer who is not satisfied with the service they provided. In this case, you will have to decide whether or not to tip them based on the outcome of your complaint.
The Real Questions
Now that we’ve established some common ground, it’s time for some hard questions. If you’re reading this, then you’re probably wondering how much you should tip your ski instructor. Let’s look at each question separately and see how you should approach the answer.
How Much Should I Tip My Ski Instructor?
The short answer is: it depends. There are certain broad guidelines that experts in the field use when tipping. First and foremost, tip fairly. Just because your instructor is a woman, for example, does not mean that you have to give her a 25% tip. In a similar situation, if your instructor is older than you, then you might want to give them a smaller tip. Keep in mind that these are just guidelines and that you should use your best judgment.
As for how much you should tip your instructor, experts say that the amount should be directly proportional to how much you value their services. In other words, if you think that the service they provided was extraordinary, then you should also hand them an extraordinary tip. If you’re not sure how much their service was worth, then you might want to spend a little time figuring it out before you tip them. Once you have an idea of how much they’re worth, then it’ll be easier to decide on a number that you feel is appropriate. Maybe you want to tip them 10% of what you paid for their services, or 15% if they were particularly helpful. Just remember the 10% rule: if you’re not sure how much the service cost, then you can leave it at that. You will not be charged for any service that you did not ask for, and you will not be tipped for things that are not related to their duties as a ski instructor. This goes for food, drink and any other perks that you might have received during your stay. These are not related to their teaching service, and you must not count them as part of your tip.
How Does My Daily Ski Routine Impact My Tipping Decisions?
When you return home from a long day of skiing, the last thing that you want to do is calculate how much you should tip your ski instructor. After all, you just want to relax, refresh and rearm for the next day. The truth is that your tip decision-making is not going to be as simple as you’d like it to be. You’ll have to take into consideration several factors, including the type of skiing that you do. Consider paying close attention to the following:
- How long have you been skiing?
- How much do you value your time?
- How much do you value your health?
- How is the snow and the season?
- How much do you enjoy your skiing experience?
- How much do you enjoy the company of other skiers?
- How is the ski school?
- How is the snowboard school?
- How is the ski village?
- How is the nightlife?
- How is the ski tourism in general?
- How expensive is the trip?
If you’re new to the sport, then take it slow and easy. Just focus on having fun and making the right moves. After all, that’s what counts in life. As for the rest, you can always ask your fellow skiers or those in the know. They’ll be more than happy to help out.
Once you’re more acquainted with the sport, then you can start making smarter decisions, tipping those that helped you improve and not tip those that did not. Of course, keep in mind that there is no right or wrong answer in this case. It’s all about what you feel in your heart to be true.