I have a really really embarassing question to ask about money

[hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian]

I've been thinking about taking some classes at Builders Brewery, and I know you're supposed to tip the instructors. I have no idea how much I should tip. I don't want to come across as a cheapskate, but on the other hand I don't have unlimited amounts of money…
So, would anybody be willing to give me a guide as to how much the tip should be?  I have NO frame of reference for this at all!
And yes, I do find it embarrassing to ask... (I suppose I could ask the instructor, but that's even more embarassing)

[Alwin Alcott]

3 minutes ago, hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian said:

(I suppose I could ask the instructor, but that's even more embarassing)

as some instructors also are here on the forums you passed that point... so just ask them 

[FairreLilette]

4 minutes ago, hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian said:

I've been thinking about taking some classes at Builders Brewery, and I know you're supposed to tip the instructors. I have no idea how much I should tip. I don't want to come across as a cheapskate, but on the other hand I don't have unlimited amounts of money…
So, would anybody be willing to give me a guide as to how much the tip should be?  I have NO frame of reference for this at all!
And yes, I do find it embarrassing to ask... (I suppose I could ask the instructor, but that's even more embarassing)

I haven't taken many classes but for the ones I did take I tipped 200 lindens for a class.  I only have so many lindens too.   It kind of depends what you have and what you get out it.   50 to 100 is considered a fairly low tip in SL from things I have read and 500 to 1000 are for the big spenders.  I'd say I fall into the medium range from what I've heard but it depends on your personal budget.

Edited January 23, 2021 by FairreLilette

[So Whimsy]

I usually tip 200, sometimes more depending on the length of the class and the quality.

[hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian]

23 minutes ago, Alwin Alcott said:

as some instructors also are here on the forums you passed that point...

I was kinda hoping for that, actually. I just didn't want to ask a specific instructor at a specific class...

[hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian]

15 minutes ago, So Whimsy said:

I usually tip 200, sometimes more depending on the length of the class and the quality.

24 minutes ago, FairreLilette said:

I haven't taken many classes but for the ones I did take I tipped 200 lindens for a class.  I only have so many lindens too.   It kind of depends what you have and what you get out it.   50 to 100 is considered a fairly low tip in SL from things I have read and 500 to 1000 are for the big spenders.  I'd say I fall into the medium range from what I've heard but it depends on your personal budget.

Thank you, that's very useful.

[FairreLilette]

45 minutes ago, hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian said:

Thank you, that's very useful.

You're welcome, and if you need additional private help it may be available.  But, if I ask for private help I tip an additional 200 lindens or so.  It all depends if the instructor has further private time or not which maybe I'm asking for 10-20 minutes for some private time for certain questions I may have.  

[hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian]

14 minutes ago, FairreLilette said:

You're welcome, and if you need additional private help it may be available.  But, if I ask for private help I tip an additional 200 lindens or so.  It all depends if the instructor has further private time or not which maybe I'm asking for 10-20 minutes for some private time for certain questions I may have.  

Good to know :-)

[Lindal Kidd]

I taught at Caledon Oxbridge University for years. I always had a tip jar out, but never felt slighted if nobody gave anything. After all, most of my students were newcomers, and no one expects them to have much, if any, money. Often I'd get tips of $L50 or $L100, and less often tips of $L200. Rarely, someone would tip more.

[Horus Salubrius]

Tipping is optional & I honestly do not think that any one will think less of you if you do not tip.    If you can afford to do so, then do .. if not, then don't sweat it.   🙂 

[MoiraKathleen]

I would suggest just tipping whatever you feel comfortable with on that day.  I wouldn't let not being able to tip keep you from attending classes.  I tip different amounts, depending on what I have available at the time of the month I'm taking the class.  The owner of tip jars can specify the suggested amounts that show up when you click "pay" on it, so I wouldn't feel bad at all if you're only able to pay the lowest amount shown.   

I don't think that the instructor is going to be obsessing over who tipped how much, or even notice if someone there didn't tip at all, especially if it's a well attended class.  

[Chic Aeon]

As a past instructor (almost a hundred classes) I would like to THINK that the instructors are there to instruct and help and not there for the money.  I very rarely received tips and didn't expect any. This was in a school and I also never tipped any instructor that I took a class from . I did THANK THEM however. Everyone I believe likes to be appreciated.

 

To the OP. Look at it this way, from an instructor's point of view (well mine anyway) we cannot TEACH if there is no one TO TEACH. So go, and listen and learn and say "thank you".  That is all that is really needed IMO.  If you feel you have learned a lot (honestly I have been in some very painful classes through the years that I had a hard time just staying) then certainly give them a tip -- whatever you can afford.   This really shouldn't be a big issue. 

 

 

Edited January 24, 2021 by Chic Aeon
spelling

[Eggy UwU]

i would say, tip as you can afford, a little can go along way.

[hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian]

Thank you for all the feedback - very useful, and much appreciated! 😀

[Paul Hexem]

Personally, I look at the trends on the MP and give people enough to get something from one of the popular stores.

That said, anything is better than nothing at all- and for many instructors (even other performers like DJ's), any engagement will make them happy. Doing stuff like that in SL is not done for the money, so the reactions are the really rewarding part.

[Lindal Kidd]

3 hours ago, Paul Hexem said:

Personally, I look at the trends on the MP and give people enough to get something from one of the popular stores.

That said, anything is better than nothing at all- and for many instructors (even other performers like DJ's), any engagement will make them happy. Doing stuff like that in SL is not done for the money, so the reactions are the really rewarding part.

Oh yes, this! The most disappointing classes for me were 1) when nobody at all showed up, and 2) when people showed up, but just sat like potatoes through the whole class.

[Prokofy Neva]

On 1/23/2021 at 1:23 PM, hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian said:

I've been thinking about taking some classes at Builders Brewery, and I know you're supposed to tip the instructors. I have no idea how much I should tip. I don't want to come across as a cheapskate, but on the other hand I don't have unlimited amounts of money…
So, would anybody be willing to give me a guide as to how much the tip should be?  I have NO frame of reference for this at all!
And yes, I do find it embarrassing to ask... (I suppose I could ask the instructor, but that's even more embarassing)

I think any tip in SL, whether for a landlord (*cough*) or instructor or live musician cannot be $1 or $10. This is not the equivalent of RL money. So that's really chump change.

I think personally it has to be $250 at least, if not $1000 or more for a live musician (in real life, there'd be a US $3.00 or $5.00 cover charge, so why not?)

If you are poor at least $100.

 

[Tari Landar]

The people that believe $50L-$100L (or even less) are "lowball" tips, are likely people that have more disposable money at the ready. Please don't just listen to those people, at least some don't have the slightest idea what it is like to NOT have that money at the ready whenever they need/want it to be and that's likely from where their opinion is seeded (even if the conversion to rl currency is actually quite small, it doesn't matter). Most people will appreciate anything at all, whether that is $1L or $1,000L. I cannot imagine myself being upset by someone not having tip money, or tipping a smaller amount. I never have been, I never would be. For me, personally, that seems an absurd response to something like that, to be honest. I don't expect others to agree with my stance, as evidenced by this and other similar threads, but, eh, I'm going with my stance on this one, lol. I think more people think along the lines that I do inworld than you might find here on the forums, actually. You'll see it at many a venue where $10-$100L tips are VERY common and quite appreciated by the recipients. We're a pretty small minority of sl users on the forums after all.

 

I have done rl work where tipping was a very large portion of my actual income (because I happen to live in the US where tipping is more commonplace than many other countries in the world, right, wrong, or indifferent, that's reality), it does not compare to such work here in sl, at all. So equating the same costs to a similar rl scenario doesn't work as a comparison either.

[Horus Salubrius]

14 hours ago, Paul Hexem said:

That said, anything is better than nothing at all- and for many instructors (even other performers like DJ's), any engagement will make them happy. Doing stuff like that in SL is not done for the money, so the reactions are the really rewarding part.

This.   I host several DJs in different clubs & one of the best things about it is engaging with people in local chat.    So yeah, if you can't tip you can show appreciation by engaging with the host & DJ in local chat.  

[Talligurl]

What is it worth to you? Software often has different prices for commercial vs. personal use, this is because it is worth more to someone running a business and making money from it than to an individual just using it for some personal project. Only you know what it is worth to you, be honest about what that value is and tip accordingly.

[Cinos Field]

I've always seen 100 linden as kind of the standard tip. Tip jars I've used usually default to 25, 50, 100, 250 or thereabouts, and that's largely the average range of what I see people give, too.

 

[FairreLilette]

6 hours ago, Talligurl said:

What is it worth to you? Software often has different prices for commercial vs. personal use, this is because it is worth more to someone running a business and making money from it than to an individual just using it for some personal project. Only you know what it is worth to you, be honest about what that value is and tip accordingly.

I agree with this too.  If it's worthwhile knowledge that helps you get a project that you really like or love completed, a tip is a thank you, but I still would be myself.  I have always kept a budget for tipping, and 200 is my usual average.  Write down any questions you may have too and then ask for some private time for those few questions as it may help you get a project completed that you really love, or the instructor may be able to direct you to a specific class you need to get that project done.  

Edited January 25, 2021 by FairreLilette

[Mollymews]

i like it when the tippee doesn't make me guess what they would like

i like it when there is the edit box default and and only 1 fixed amount button indicating the upper range. And not 4 fixed amount buttons with a wide range.

so if the default edit is 50L and the fixed button is 100L then tippee is saying 50-100 is good. Any more or less (by editing) is up to the tipper

what confuses me about expectations is when the range is like [50]. 10 20 100 200. It kinda suggests that 200L is good but will take 10L. My confusion is, is the person undervaluing themselves at 10L or are they overvaluing themselves at 200L.  I much prefer when I get shown a much narrower range. [10] 50, [20] 100, [50] 200, [100] 400, [200] 500, [500]1000, etc With the lower amount being editable/changeable

 

Edited January 27, 2021 by Mollymews
[]

[hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian]

On 1/27/2021 at 4:22 AM, Mollymews said:

i like it when the tippee doesn't make me guess what they would like

i like it when there is the edit box default and and only 1 fixed amount button indicating the upper range. And not 4 fixed amount buttons with a wide range.

so if the default edit is 50L and the fixed button is 100L then tippee is saying 50-100 is good. Any more or less (by editing) is up to the tipper

what confuses me about expectations is when the range is like [50]. 10 20 100 200. It kinda suggests that 200L is good but will take 10L. My confusion is, is the person undervaluing themselves at 10L or are they overvaluing themselves at 200L.  I much prefer when I get shown a much narrower range. [10] 50, [20] 100, [50] 200, [100] 400, [200] 500, [500]1000, etc With the lower amount being editable/changeable

 

The more classes I go to, the more I agree with that....

Also, I definitely found that some of the classes are quite... forceful at fishing for tips. Which I can understand, but as somebody who's not from North America, I do find that slightly offputting.

Also, what's with not offering class notes? It can take me about an hour to edit a chat log, and every minute that I do it I feel really pissed off that I have to do it. So I'm "paying" with my time, and on top of that I have to tip you? Nope. Is it just me who feels that way?

[Silent Mistwalker]

3 hours ago, hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian said:

as somebody who's not from North America, I do find that slightly offputting.

As someone from NA I find it very annoying. Tips are the customer's way of saying "you did a good job". Low end doesn't say "you did a crap job but here's a tip anyway". It can mean "you did an excellent job and I wish I could afford to give you a larger tip".

Point being the better service given, the higher the tip will be depending on the customer's financial ability.

This applies to SL not just RL.

People tip what they feel the server deserves according to how much they can afford to tip. If you are doing a job worth tipping, you'll get the tip without having to ask for it. Where do you think the phrase "Keep the change" got its start? 😊

On a personal note, I don't always have the extra cash on me but if I have at least $2USD that is the minimum tip I will leave in RL. And if I have to make it up in change, the pennies do NOT mean you did a bad job. Whoever started that bs should have been horsewhipped.

I think I've mangled quote marks enough for one day. 🤭