Do you tip a personal trainer?

[exploitedworkerbee]

I’ll be starting a personal training program at the local rec center. It costs about $80/session paid to the center. Is this like massage where the practitioner only gets a bit of that and I am expected to supplement with tips? If so, how much?

 

[Bacchus]

Tipping culture has gone crazy. Let businesses start paying people a live-able wage, charge the actual value of the service instead of having employees gambling on tips.

I would not be tipping a personal trainer, and the model they are paid by varies from place to place, impossible to know 🤷‍♂️

 

[exploitedworkerbee]

Tipping culture has gone crazy. Let businesses start paying people a live-able wage, charge the actual value of the service instead of having employees gambling on tips.

I would not be tipping a personal trainer, and the model they are paid by varies from place to place, impossible to know 🤷‍♂️

Totally agree on the tipping culture thing, i would much prefer to just price it all in, but here we are. I wouldn’t dream of not tipping a massage therapist and this feels like that type of personal service job so I’m not clear on what to do. I just want to know what is typically the expectation and I’ll go with that. If it really varies dramatically place to place how are people to know what kind of place they’re dealing with?

 

[Bacchus]

Totally agree on the tipping culture thing, i would much prefer to just price it all in, but here we are. I wouldn’t dream of not tipping a massage therapist and this feels like that type of personal service job so I’m not clear on what to do. I just want to know what is typically the expectation and I’ll go with that. If it really varies dramatically place to place how are people to know what kind of place they’re dealing with?

I would say that even though it varies, most of the payment models are quite fair to the PT. So I would assume that tipping isn’t really expected.

The logistics also makes me think tipping is weird, unless you pay per session and don’t have a “set” of sessions prepaid?

 

[Dee X]

Tipping a PT you've had for a long time where I lived like 15 years ago was a norm for Xmas...that's it though.

 

[Vicki]

Hell no. They charge like $80-$150/ hr in ny 😭

 

[raw_oyster_eater]

if you can afford a personal trainer, you can afford the tip.

 

[mostlydamp]

No I don't tip my personal trainer and I have not heard of anyone tipping one. I gave him a basil plant once and I would give him a Christmas gift that may be monetary but he wouldn't expect it.

 

[Dee X]

if you can afford a personal trainer, you can afford the tip.

A lot of companies subsidize personal trainers for cheap to nothing for their employees, so that's not always the case.

 

[brentm]

Tipping a PT you've had for a long time where I lived like 15 years ago was a norm for Xmas...that's it though.

I tip my mail delivery driver every Christmas. I also tip housekeeping if I stay in a hotel.

Tipping does get exhausting and it feels like a scam sometimes. Carry my bag 40 feet for 5 bucks? No thanks. But sometimes I oblige.

There's an interesting approach to tipping. Performance vs flat. I tend to be a performance tipper with some boundaries. Low of 10 percent of price and high of 20 percent. Keep my water glass filled during my meal and give good service I'll tip 20 percent. Leave it empty and make me flag you down for a refill it goes down to 10 percent.

It's so subjective. For the OP. I think 10-15 percent of the price of the "session" would be reasonable to expect. Then how many sessions do you sign up for that standard for? Did they go above and beyond? What does that mean for a personal trainer? Are they focused on you and giving you good feedback for your session or are they distracted?

Whatever you choose, it seems like you'd be committing to a certain standard for each session by starting it out. And I suppose it depends on how generous you are with your money or what kind of tipper you are. Typically service industry professionals can earn a tip.

 

[raw_oyster_eater]

Keep my water glass filled during my meal and give good service I'll tip 20 percent. Leave it empty and make me flag you down for a refill it goes down to 10 percent.

I tip 20% on take out. I guess i feel guilty my job is so easy.

 

[exploitedworkerbee]

if you can afford a personal trainer, you can afford the tip.

It isn’t about whether I can afford it. I can afford to tip my dentist but it isn’t expected or appropriate. I’m trying to figure out what category PTs are in — dentist or massage therapist tip territory? It’s sounding more like they’re in mail carrier territory — not expected, always appreciated, usually around Christmas

 

[Bacchus]

My main issue, is that tip seems to be expected more and more places - and for “services” that are a bare minimum/should be integrated in the price.

Speaking of tips though - I do feel like it should be the norm to tip your glp vendors, at least 30% if the injection doesn’t kill you 👍

 

[Vicki]

It isn’t about whether I can afford it. I can afford to tip my dentist but it isn’t expected or appropriate. I’m trying to figure out what category PTs are in — dentist or massage therapist tip territory? It’s sounding more like they’re in mail carrier territory — not expected, always appreciated, usually around Christmas

I think it could depend on how you hired the trainer. If you're paying them through a gym sometimes they actually aren't even allowed to accept money directly. The gym could think they're getting paid to train you on the side and they might get fired. If it's someone you work with personally like you can hire them directly and pay cash it would be nice to give a Christmas gift. Assuming you work with them that long too.

 

[exploitedworkerbee]

While we are on this topic, those of you who have trainers, how frequently do you see them? Weekly?

 

[brentm]

I tip 20% on take out. I guess i feel guilty my job is so easy.

All the money for none of the work 😛 Just kidding. That's generous of you.

I think you are what would be called a "flat tipper". 20 percent no matter what.

I'll tip 10 percent on take out. Overall it's always a judgement call. Flat tipping takes the guess work out of it... but I like to reward performance. After all, isn't that why we tip? These employees aren't charitable organizations. I can't write off my tips on my taxes. For me, I like to speak with my money. And that I think for me is what tipping is.

 

[Vicki]

While we are on this topic, those of you who have trainers, how frequently do you see them? Weekly?

I've done 2x trainer sessions a week and 1-2 workouts on my own when I would see a personal trainer. I only saw them like 3-4 months only. You should usually "outgrow" your trainer and they should be teaching you to workout on your own. Then you can do some check in sessions every few months or so. Or when you wanna learn new skills/programming.

I never liked the trainers who try to do a lot of partner style or assisted workouts so I had to keep hiring them.

 

[mostlydamp]

My wife is the one who goes to the trainer partly for accountability, she's not looking to outgrow anything. It keeps her going to the gym. She goes 2 to 3 times per week and I tag along 1 to 2 times a week.

I have a whole gym in my basement with cardio equipment, free weights, a cage, all kinds of stuff. I use it all the time. I go to the trainer because its fun, he's a cool guy, we talk about fashion advice and stuff, and he gets me doing some different types of exercise that I may not do normally.

When it comes to trainers there seem like two categories: ones that you get to teach you basic stuff about exercise and ones that turn into more like a coach who keeps coming with interesting exercises or challenges.

 

[Dee X]

My wife is the one who goes to the trainer partly for accountability, she's not looking to outgrow anything. It keeps her going to the gym. She goes 2 to 3 times per week and I tag along 1 to 2 times a week.

I have a whole gym in my basement with cardio equipment, free weights, a cage, all kinds of stuff. I use it all the time. I go to the trainer because its fun, he's a cool guy, we talk about fashion advice and stuff, and he gets me doing some different types of exercise that I may not do normally.

When it comes to trainers there seem like two categories: ones that you get to teach you basic stuff about exercise and ones that turn into more like a coach who keeps coming with interesting exercises or challenges.

I used to once a week. Then I realized that... unless you need someone for the motivation or accountability, but don't have the discipline or friends to work out with... just take some actual courses and learn yourself. It'll be cheaper after a relatively short amount of time and you'll have that knowledge forever.

 

[tangoecho311]

My trainer wouldn't even accept tips. I would not tip a trainer every session though. Its not like a barber or massage therapist. But I would give a "bonus" for the holidays or whatever.

 

[G Vice]

It isn’t about whether I can afford it. I can afford to tip my dentist but it isn’t expected or appropriate. I’m trying to figure out what category PTs are in — dentist or massage therapist tip territory? It’s sounding more like they’re in mail carrier territory — not expected, always appreciated, usually around Christmas

I've never heard of anyone tipping their dentist. It is not customary, nor is it expected, to tip medical/healthcare professionals (I am one). But well-meaning clients/patients want to do this sometimes, usually during the holidays. They might give a gift card of some sort or bake some cookies for staff, and that's okay.

Do personal trainers fall in to the same category and healthcare professionals ? They may do good work, but the business model can be quite different, and I'm not arguing their value. But they usually aren't counting on tips for income like others in service industry.

I tip my haircut person every time I go, and massage therapist (but I only make time for that once or twice per year).

 

[ProfAndyCarp]

I’ll be starting a personal training program at the local rec center. It costs about $80/session paid to the center. Is this like massage where the practitioner only gets a bit of that and I am expected to supplement with tips? If so, how much?

I never have tipped my trainer of 10 years, but I do give her a small gift at the end of the year — a book, usually.

 

[keangkong]

I’ll be starting a personal training program at the local rec center. It costs about $80/session paid to the center. Is this like massage where the practitioner only gets a bit of that and I am expected to supplement with tips? If so, how much?

I'm not sure I'm an authority on etiquette, but I wouldn't tip unless the prices were super low.

 

[scarywood75]

Hey guys don't become like Canada, we tip for nothing and everything it's just crazy. There's even tip suggestions now when you buy IN A STORE like wtf

 

[PhoenixPalmer]

I don't tip but I do give my trainer a gift every once in a while

 

[Nikon1149]

Man the tipping culture in the US is crazy. Tipping your mailman?

I have worked food service delivery jobs for many many years where I live in the UK, and i'd say maybe 5% of customers tip. I'd always be grateful, but it's just not expected.

I'm pretty sure we have better minimum wage laws out here though, so employers are required to pay at least £11 an hour even for low entry level stuff. Still a low wage, but holy crap I just googled this, and federal min wage is only $7.25, that's really bad. Even worse minimum wage for tipped workers is $2.13, that is utterly astounding.

I learned something very sad today, man those labour laws are third world, what the hell.

No offense my American chums! but literally anywhere in europe has so much better protections for low level workers.

 

[nonyabizznez]

No offense my American chums! but literally anywhere in europe has so much better protections for low level workers.

And y'all's vacation time!