What Is SOP re Tipping Harp Teacher?

[Kathleen Dougherty]

A friend just took her first dobro lesson, and afterwards her husband told her that a music teacher ought to be tipped an additional amount when paying for a lesson. Having ages ago taught piano and organ, this wasn’t the practice then. I have started taking lessons from a harp teacher, and my friend’s email question to me about tips caught me off guard.

What is customary regarding harp teachers and tipping?

(I have presented her with an apple!)

Cheer,
Kathleen

[barbara-brundage]

Gifts are okay, but professionals like teachers, doctors, lawyers don’t expect a tip. It’s different for performing, when the performer is considered a kind of service worker. (You wouldn’t tip a recitalist, who’s in artiste mode, but a gig player can be tipped, and according to Miss Manners, should be.)

[Misty Harrison]

Kathleen,

[sherry-lenox]

I bring a small momento for special reasons. I went to a workshop last weekend given by wonderful local professional teachers and performers. Since my teacher isn’t well known in this area, I took her a small gift on my lesson day to thank her for preparing me to work with these other wonderful people.

I’m sure my teacher would not expect or want a “tip”.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

If you are taking lessons through a school where you pay the school and they pay the teacher, tipping is a great idea, because as a rule, the teacher is getting less than half of what you are paying for lessons, and what you are paying is most likely already less than they would get for private lessons. It should be done discreetly. It is not common though, maybe in other societies, and some teachers might be offended. An annual gift might be a more suitable approach, at the end of the year like a bonus. The other thing to be conscious of is breaks for holidays and vacations where the teacher will not get paid, and you should definitely consider paying the amount they would otherwise be earning, so holidays are not gloomy. When I’ve worked for caterers who negotiated a low fee, then gave me a generous tip, like the waiters, I was offended by that, rather than being paid my proper fee.

[Mel Sandberg]

Pardon my ignorance, but what does SOP mean?

[Anonymous]

Standard Operating Procedure

[Mel Sandberg]

Thanks a stack.

[Author]

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