I made 12,50 an hour, lodging included (there is plenty of instructors making less). How much lower can it get? You guys have minimum wage too right...
That's low, Skitechnek, but lodging included is nice. You should be tipped generously.
I made 12,50 an hour, lodging included (there is plenty of instructors making less). How much lower can it get? You guys have minimum wage too right...
I agree as it intuitively makes sense that you can negotiate a better deal with more collective leverage.Best tip for instructors : "Unionise if you want more cash!"
LOL! Alta, still a refuge for dirtbag skiers (that's not an insult), so maybe the instructor doesn't see that kind of money often. That tip wouldn't be the least bit out line at a fancy resort.
The problem is that many instructors don’t really care about low wages. It’s such a heterogeneous group that getting agreement on unionizing is harder than stuffing a pound of melted butter into a wildcat’s ear in a dark room using a red hot needle. Attempts have been made. They took so long and produced such disagreements that SAM was easily able to stave them off (and then fired the ringleaders).Best tip for instructors : "Unionise if you want more cash!"
The problem is that many instructors don’t really care about low wages. It’s such a heterogeneous group that getting agreement on unionizing is harder than stuffing a pound of melted butter into a wildcat’s ear in a dark room using a red hot needle. Attempts have been made. They took so long and produced such disagreements that SAM was easily able to stave them off (and then fired the ringleaders).
This strategy also works very well for getting one-on-one all day park and halfpipe instruction at group lesson rates. When you get to the group lesson start area, just ask matter-of-factly where the moguls/freestyle/freeride/[insert advanced specialty here] group is gathering. Its a happy day indeed for the instructor who gets assigned the occasional student who requests this type of lesson on a walk-up basis. It’s also pretty low risk in that it’s likely that you can get a refund as long as you clearly request a mogul lesson when you pay for the lesson and they don’t or can’t assign you to an appropriate group or teacher before the lesson starts.Just a suggestion here. Don't go to copper that day. Drive to ABasin and get your lesson. Here is how:
Call them up cuz this is confusing to do online.
Buy, for $30, the snow huggers club membership. It gives you one half off lesson.
Buy for half of $150 your group lesson.
Your lesson includes your lift ticket. You just got a group lesson for $105.
Now go stand in line for your lesson to start. When they start asking the "getting to know you" questions what is really going on is they are taking the pulse of the people in the group to break them up into skill appropriate groups. You say confident and honest things like " I confidently ski groomed blacks and would love to learn better how to ski bumps all day today." Nobody, NOBODY, who normally skis ABasin needs a lesson so it's just you and a few people who have skied a few blues. If you can differentiate yourself as being significantly better than them and convince the other lesson takers that you really want to learn some advanced stuff today you will find yourself in a private lesson. You don't want to work on your turns or learn how to make it down their harder blues. None of the other lesson takers will be interested in the bumps and the instructors will not force them to be in the bumps class. They always break the lesson up into a beginner blue group and an advanced blue or black lesson. So, you just want to be the advanced. My wife and I got our private lesson this way and my kids almost always get a private lesson this way. Just be firm that you're not a beginner and you're not interested in beginner blue lessons. It's not getting away with something it just feels like it.
And, if the OP likes whoever the instructor and passes that along as a recommendation, when makes the introduction, that’s a nice token of appreciation, both personally and financiallyJohn Lawson, Todd Casey and Doug Sakata would all be solid choices as a request private.
Tip as a general courtesy of a notional amount, a drink etc yes. 20% of lesson price -erm....
No disagreement from me!Yeah I know. But that's why I as a potential customer resent any expectation that I should tip a "professional". If they won't or can't work out how to get paid fairly (by their employer who is already taking a hell of slice of my wallet as a "booking fee") why should I pick up the slack?
Tip as a general courtesy of a notional amount, a drink etc yes. 20% of lesson price -erm....
Just a suggestion here. Don't go to copper that day. Drive to ABasin and get your lesson. Here is how:......
You don't want to work on your turns or ….
If Alta is a refuge for dirtbag skiers, then I aspire to be a dirtbag skier!LOL! Alta, still a refuge for dirtbag skiers (that's not an insult), so maybe the instructor doesn't see that kind of money often. That tip wouldn't be the least bit out line at a fancy resort.