Personal choice, and I have always found that it's a clear expression of how much you value the service, teaching, coaching and overall experience.
Our adult kids grew up in seasonal race programs, weekend programs, before they reached their ski academy years, both starting at age five. Seasonal deals. Each coach had a contact group of about 6 kids. And they were paid VERY little. These were weekend jobs, BTW. They did get some nice benefits that extended to their families; discounts on everything. My wife would organize a gift from the other parents in our kids' groups every year. Everybody was credited with the thank you, though some never contributed. One for all, all for one. Gift was most often something they could use or wear, along with a check.
In addition, my wife and I would make a cash gift, and the amount varied based on the job done. In some years, the year end tip was over $1K. In others, more like $100. Maybe we knew too much about the system and we wanted to keep the good weekend coaches coaching. Hard to find and retain them. Some made a huge difference to our kids' experiences.
We have never been on the client side of things, as in taking lessons as adults. I have a six decade background that includes a lot of race coaching. My wife has taught over the years, quite a bit. When our kids were in their ski academy years, they lived at home in our ski house, and my wife taught a few days a week. Mostly very young ones. Sometimes she received a tip, often things like a small gift card to the local coffee shop. Nice thought, and appreciated. Obviously, she was not making a living doing this. She was actually helping the ski area with mid week staffing.
Our kids are in their mid-thirties. Both work in the ski business, as do their significant others. Two are what I would say are very high level alpine race coaches. They work with very few kids, year round, and the parents are both demanding and appreciative of a job well done. Gifts and tips are very genuinely given, and much appreciated. Not expected at all. They are very, very well paid, at this point in their careers, and work hard. So hard. The tips are not turning their overall compensation into a living wage. They are past that. It's not comparable to instructor pay.
One of them is an alpine coach, and PSIA. Does NOT teach or coach full time these days. Fills in. Works in the ski business, in a ski town. "Real" job. Does ski an hour or so most every day. Very outgoing. She inherited a gig from an older friend a few years ago. She takes some vacation around holiday weeks, or keeps up with her work odd hours, etc. and skis with the same family of four when they vacation each year. Some days it could be the parents, somedays the kids....now teens through college age. Some days the family.
They know the mountains, they know their way around. They all seem to really like her, and she does know how to teach and give them pointers. They know how to ski, well. Plus she just rips. And knows where to avoid crowds and find snow. A great deal of local knowledge. Plus, no lift lines.
This is the only time of year that she wears an instructor's uniform. This family is very well to do. I believe that her tip last season was $5K for about 10 days on snow. This coming season, COVID willing, she hopes to do December, and a spring break week. Would she do it without the tip? Don't know. I doubt it. But she does enjoy them, and was introduced on the basis that they are great people, fun, and super generous. Dad has helped her in a few business deals and introductions. She joins them for dinner a few times during these weeks, arranges to have their skis tuned as needed, and helps with some equipment issues. They usually have lunch as a group, etc.
It's unusual, but everybody involved buys into it. No big deal. Nobody feels awkward. And the ski school needs bodies, all that they can find, that week. She knows the leadership. It's all good. This family has done this for 20+ years, and I would imagine that the full timers there have their own vacation week repeat regulars.
I'll save commenting on tipping on heli trips {in detail} for another post. My brother has had the same guides and pilots for about six years in a row, since he discovered Iceland in May. He appreciates hard work, and being genuine. So he tips...everybody. No so much with other heli operators. He has over two million vertical feet with CMH. He loves Iceland.
My kids are generous tippers, because as they say working summers when most of your income was tips changes your perspective. If you're cheap and don't tip, it's because you never worked like a dog to earn tips. That's their theory. And yes, many businesses can shift this labor cost right to the customer. My son earned about $12/hour in the summer, and was quickly working enough hours to be into overtime. He needed a lot of certifications and training to do this job. The sales pitch from his boss was that he could earn tips with his particular operation. Some days it was $30. Some rainy days it was close to 0. Some busy weekend days it was $300 plus. Some year end seasonal gift/tips were $500+, before heading back to college. Great job. Boss also let him go ski in a couple of raining blocks. When he started to coach for the full summer, it was quite a pay cut!
Those summer earnings actually did let him exist in his first year of full time coaching. Yes, young coaches in expensive ski towns with few lodging options really do have it tough.
