A friend of mine is going to be taking a pool lesson, and asked what I would normally tip after a lesson. I told him I had not taken one yet, and did not really know. I thought I would ask you guys what an acceptable tip for a pool lesson would generally be.
Tip for pool lessons
- Thread starter mantis99
- Start date
i must be a cheapskate cuz ive never tipped for a pool lesson. Its not like the instructor works for someone else (like a waitress)........he sets his price and you pay it, i think its supposed to cover everything. I mean dont get me wrong, if you feel like you got over and above your moneys worth and feel it, tip away but I dont think any instructors look for it.
From the other end, I have never expected a tip for a pool lesson. I've had a couple of students kick in a little extra because they felt they were getting a lot for the price, but the price is the price. If I were working for the pool hall, and the student were paying the pool hall, then it might be different.scottycoyote said:
But, all donations cheerfully accepted
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Ok... what about this? What if your instructor teaches a class for free? Say that the pool hall he ferquents ask him to do them a favor in teaching these classes to bring in some business during off hours and the only thing the poolhall offers the instructor is free table time and perhaps %50 off his food tab or whatever. Would everyone still not tip?
. I would be afraid to insult him 
by giving him $5 for a lesson
.If you are paying the person for the lesson why would you tip. I don't know any pro who gets paid by the house to give a lesson. Usually the only thing the pro gets is free time. The person taking the lesson pays for one person time. The house gets the table time and the pro keeps the full fee. This arrangement also is likely to bring the customer back to play. Pros in the NY area get 50 - 80 and hour off the books. How many people do you know that make that kind of money.
According to the original post, no mention of a pro was made. As I questioned, what if it is a house pro that is basically giving the lesson on the arm? Would you tip him or not? Whatever his motivation is whether it's to stiffen up the action that goes around or out of pure enjoyment of teaching, doesn't he deserve a little something?kaznj said:
if your paaying for the lesson then no you shouldnt tip him...it would be like giving the pool hall you play some money you win at a tournament just cause you practice ther
SILVER__WOMBAT said:if your paaying for the lesson then no you shouldnt tip him...it would be like giving the pool hall you play some money you win at a tournament just cause you practice ther
Actually, if you win a decent-sized tournament or win a significant chunk in a cash game, particularly if it goes after hours, it is not a bad idea to drop a little something on the tournament director or room owner. Particularly in the case of the room owner, it is a safe bet to assume that you will, at some point, need a favor from the owner. Further, this is a good way to ensure that the room owner will be amenable to allow to engage in sessions that extend beyond closing hours.
To address the topic of the thread, I believe, as someone who has given some lessons, that the best tip you can give an instructor is this: During the interval between instructional sessions, diligently practice the drills and routines that you have gone over during your instructional session; and go to the next one armed with your practice hours, and with questions and observations based on your practice. I can tell you that the vast majority of instructors teach because of their passion for the game and their burning desire to see others advance in this wonderful sport. As such, a diligent and inquisitive student who demonstrates dedication and desire is one of the greatest gifts that any instructor can have!
mantis99 said:
Nothing, he is getting paid. They agreed upon an hourly rate up front, the guy had the oppourtunity to negotiate price at that time.
daytonajoe
Deceased
I Disagree
A lesson is a service, if you agree on a price for 1 hour of lessons, did the instructor stop at exactly 60 minutes??
Probably not he completed the segment he was working on with you, and maybe even some more.. This is a service that they provide not like buying a lesson at Wal Mart!
I have a tendency to tip for services provided, hell one of the rooms I frequent has free pool on Mondays and Fridays from 4 to 8 pm, I tiup out the guy behind the counter with a $fiver, just for his time, the results in return will far outweigh the meager few dollars....
I feel any person in the sevice or instruction industry almost always goes beyond what they had agreed on at the onset, and should be compensated for that extra service he/she provides..
Joe
A lesson is a service, if you agree on a price for 1 hour of lessons, did the instructor stop at exactly 60 minutes??
Probably not he completed the segment he was working on with you, and maybe even some more.. This is a service that they provide not like buying a lesson at Wal Mart!
I have a tendency to tip for services provided, hell one of the rooms I frequent has free pool on Mondays and Fridays from 4 to 8 pm, I tiup out the guy behind the counter with a $fiver, just for his time, the results in return will far outweigh the meager few dollars....
I feel any person in the sevice or instruction industry almost always goes beyond what they had agreed on at the onset, and should be compensated for that extra service he/she provides..
Joe