Rant: Commissions

[Isk8NYC]

As a newbie to the area who still hasn't been put on the "Private Coaches" board at the rink, I don't have a lot of private lessons. At the NYC rinks, we paid monthly on the honor system and I never had a problem.

Because I teach several group lessons each week, my commission rate is 15% on privates, which I think is very high for a staff coach. Still, it's better than the 25% rate the non-group coaches pay.

So why then did the payroll clerk take out 25% commission from my last check?

I've just spent another hour reconciling my check against my lesson receipts. The rink's attitude is "Oh, it must have crossed paychecks." but that's not the case. I've accounted for every single private lesson payment and the only way to tie out the numbers is to use the higher commission rate.

So far this year, they owe me $35. Ridiculous.

I think I'll start putting my privates on the time card with my group lesson billings.
If they don't resolve the missing $35, I'll add that on as well each and every month.

[dbny]

There is something about commissions that has never felt quite right to me, but to be charged such a high rate by mistake is really obnoxious. My rink dropped commissions altogrther last year but also stopped paying for group, which I thought then was very wrong. Now, under our new director, we have a choice each season (we sign a contract). Pay no commission at all and commit to 3 groups a week, or pay a small hourly commission and get paid for group. Not one coach chose the commission, and I'm very happy with this arrangement. I think it has to do with attitude. The previous management "ruled" by fiat, and was pretty nassty about it, while now we have a choice and the attitude from management is that teaching group is a privilege because we can pick up privates from our groups. Hope they straighten it out soon!

[Query]

A number of years ago, when most private coaches in metro DC charged $60-$80/hour (most lessons are 1/2 hour), several rinks added $4/lesson commissions, which some coaches added to lesson fees for lessons taken at those rinks.

That is somewhat less than 15%, and many rinks don't charge.

(I don't know what paid coaches are charged right now.)

From your forum name, I assume you teach in metro New York City, which I've been told has only 1 or 2 indoor rinks (not counting New Jersey), and several outdoor rinks. Metro DC has about 24 (more if you count Baltimore, Fredericksburg and Annapolis).

It's seems odd NYC fewer rinks. They have some pretty wealthy people. Land may be high near there, but at least most rinks around here are on public land, and it is warmer here and takes more electricity. Is metro DC so atypical in the number of rinks? I was told metro Boston and Cleveland have more.

Perhaps you have little choice, with so little competition.

[Isk8NYC]

This is not a NYC issue, I moved to a new state. I'm the new kid on the block during a bad timeframe for ice skating in general. (The Winter Olympics really does create demand for lessons and coaches. The two years before the Winter Olympics is always a lean period.)

Most clubs don't charge a commission since they're renting the ice from the rink. Our Club doesn't have ice this year.
We only pay commissions for teaching on the rink's public and freestyle sessions.

So the student has to pay THEIR public/freestyle entrance fee, plus my lesson fee. The rink collects both, takes out the commission, and then remits the net payment in my check along with my group lesson amounts.

I don't begrudge the rink the commission, but it irks me that they have us sign contracts that state the commission based on how many groups we teach, then they charge me the higher rate! They should be as careful with our paychecks as they are in collecting the fees up front.

This makes me want to audit all of last year, when I had even fewer private lessons. Who knows? Maybe I missed something.

[CoachPA]

I pay $4/hour for my commission, which I don't think is too much at all since my lesson rate makes up for that $4/hour that I owe the rink. When I coach on club session, which is only once a week, I don't have to pay any commission since I am a professional member of my skating club.

[kayskate]

I pay 15% commission on privates and get paid hourly for classes. It all comes in one check from the rink. Never had a problem.

Kay