Uber tipping ettiequte?
December 6, 2024 7:15 AM Subscribe
I've seen conflicting answers online about tipping ettiequte with Uber drivers, and as I rely a lot on Uber now, I wanted some clarification.
I take Uber pretty much almost everyday now, especially during the winter season, when a ~15 minute walk to the Metro can be hard because of the cold air. It's been especially cold the past few days. Sometimes I "cheat" and take Uber into DC and back if the cost is reasonable and I'm able to snag a good deal.
I've tipped almost every driver, with the exception of bad or rude drivers. However, this really adds up, and I'm not sure what the right ettiequte is, because I really want to save money, but at the same time, I don't want to be an asshole.
My original understanding of Uber in 2014 was that the fare was it, I was being given a ride from Point A to B, and at that time, tipping wasn't even an option. Around ~2019?, tipping was introduced, and the general sentiment at the time was that it was only a suggestion for when drivers went above and beyond (ie, helping carry your stuff, going down a favorable/faster route, or was generally an awesome and personable driver).
Nowadays, I feel guilty when I don't tip a driver, especially because it's so prominent in the app and it even offers suggested tip amounts. I understand that tipping culture in general, for most industries, are out of control nowadays, so for it to be part of carsharing is to be expected. I do feel guilty too, when I don't tip at a fast food restaurant or restaurant pick up, but I'm never sure what's right. Growing up in the 90s/2000s, for example, Chipotle didn't ask for tips at all, but it seems like pretty much all restaurants, even fast food ones, ask for tips now. Tips are pretty much everywhere, it seems.
The main worries I have (maybe overblown, hopefully?) are:
-I've seen conflicting notes on this, hopefully Uber drivers here can pipe in, but: Uber drivers know if you don't tip, and will rate you poorly because of that.
-Because of that possibility, I tip my drivers because I depend on Uber and don't want a lousy rating and therefore not being picked up.
So, question for Uber drivers here on the Green: do you see if your riders left a tip/not, and do you rate them poorly at that time (or retroactively)?
To be honest, a vast majority of my Uber drivers so far have been... fine. Not overly friendly. They simply pick me up, get me to where I need to go, and that's it. It's purely transactional. I'm friendly and wish them a good day/evening, then go on my way, and they do the same, but most of the time, it's nothing special or beyond that. Do I really feel like that deserves a tip? Honestly? No. The fare gets me from Point A to Point B, the driver does their job, and that's it. I paid for the trip. My inner school of thinking is, if the driver was extraordinary or went above/beyond, then sure, that warrants a tip.
My trips to DC are expensive as is (ie, to the tune of $50-60, not including tips, which can easily go into the $10-15 range); it also seems a bit silly to tip $2-3 on top of a $5-6 trip from my home to the Metro station. However, I tip out of fear of being given a poor rating and hence not being able to utilize Uber, especially when I really need the service. Is this fear overblown?
What is the right etiquette? Is my inner school of thought correct; ie, tip when the driver goes A&B, but if it's just a standard, regular ride from point A to B, no worries re: the tip?
(BTW, before you ask: I don't take Lyft now because of the terrible experience I had in September, and they're generally more expensive than Uber. I'm also holding off on getting a car until I can get a sense of if my job is safe once Trump takes office. Don't want a huge investment only to lose my job, so playing it safe for now.)
Thanks!
I take Uber pretty much almost everyday now, especially during the winter season, when a ~15 minute walk to the Metro can be hard because of the cold air. It's been especially cold the past few days. Sometimes I "cheat" and take Uber into DC and back if the cost is reasonable and I'm able to snag a good deal.
I've tipped almost every driver, with the exception of bad or rude drivers. However, this really adds up, and I'm not sure what the right ettiequte is, because I really want to save money, but at the same time, I don't want to be an asshole.
My original understanding of Uber in 2014 was that the fare was it, I was being given a ride from Point A to B, and at that time, tipping wasn't even an option. Around ~2019?, tipping was introduced, and the general sentiment at the time was that it was only a suggestion for when drivers went above and beyond (ie, helping carry your stuff, going down a favorable/faster route, or was generally an awesome and personable driver).
Nowadays, I feel guilty when I don't tip a driver, especially because it's so prominent in the app and it even offers suggested tip amounts. I understand that tipping culture in general, for most industries, are out of control nowadays, so for it to be part of carsharing is to be expected. I do feel guilty too, when I don't tip at a fast food restaurant or restaurant pick up, but I'm never sure what's right. Growing up in the 90s/2000s, for example, Chipotle didn't ask for tips at all, but it seems like pretty much all restaurants, even fast food ones, ask for tips now. Tips are pretty much everywhere, it seems.
The main worries I have (maybe overblown, hopefully?) are:
-I've seen conflicting notes on this, hopefully Uber drivers here can pipe in, but: Uber drivers know if you don't tip, and will rate you poorly because of that.
-Because of that possibility, I tip my drivers because I depend on Uber and don't want a lousy rating and therefore not being picked up.
So, question for Uber drivers here on the Green: do you see if your riders left a tip/not, and do you rate them poorly at that time (or retroactively)?
To be honest, a vast majority of my Uber drivers so far have been... fine. Not overly friendly. They simply pick me up, get me to where I need to go, and that's it. It's purely transactional. I'm friendly and wish them a good day/evening, then go on my way, and they do the same, but most of the time, it's nothing special or beyond that. Do I really feel like that deserves a tip? Honestly? No. The fare gets me from Point A to Point B, the driver does their job, and that's it. I paid for the trip. My inner school of thinking is, if the driver was extraordinary or went above/beyond, then sure, that warrants a tip.
My trips to DC are expensive as is (ie, to the tune of $50-60, not including tips, which can easily go into the $10-15 range); it also seems a bit silly to tip $2-3 on top of a $5-6 trip from my home to the Metro station. However, I tip out of fear of being given a poor rating and hence not being able to utilize Uber, especially when I really need the service. Is this fear overblown?
What is the right etiquette? Is my inner school of thought correct; ie, tip when the driver goes A&B, but if it's just a standard, regular ride from point A to B, no worries re: the tip?
(BTW, before you ask: I don't take Lyft now because of the terrible experience I had in September, and they're generally more expensive than Uber. I'm also holding off on getting a car until I can get a sense of if my job is safe once Trump takes office. Don't want a huge investment only to lose my job, so playing it safe for now.)
Thanks!
On the one hand, drivers choose to accept your ride without a tip. If it wasn’t worth it to them to do the work, then they wouldn’t accept your ride. On the other hand, I don’t know how much money they make after depreciation and gas, etc. I think how much they make per ride/length of time is the key variable here. This varies a lot by region.
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 7:28 AM on December 6 [2 favorites]
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 7:28 AM on December 6 [2 favorites]
Always tip. Always.
posted by tangosnail at 7:41 AM on December 6 [22 favorites]
posted by tangosnail at 7:41 AM on December 6 [22 favorites]
According to this article, less than a third of rideshare users tip, and drivers often rate passengers before they even know whether they got a tip.
My trips to DC are expensive as is (ie, to the tune of $50-60, not including tips, which can easily go into the $10-15 range)
I agree that you should tip if you can afford to tip, but there's no reason you need to be tipping 20% all the time. For me, 20% is the standard for sit-down bar/restaurant service. That's kind of my ceiling. Everything else is kind of a sliding scale down from that, depending on the product and level of service. For food delivery or counter service, or something like Uber/Lyft I'm usually in the 10-15% range unless they really went out of their way.
posted by AndrewInDC at 7:42 AM on December 6 [3 favorites]
My trips to DC are expensive as is (ie, to the tune of $50-60, not including tips, which can easily go into the $10-15 range)
I agree that you should tip if you can afford to tip, but there's no reason you need to be tipping 20% all the time. For me, 20% is the standard for sit-down bar/restaurant service. That's kind of my ceiling. Everything else is kind of a sliding scale down from that, depending on the product and level of service. For food delivery or counter service, or something like Uber/Lyft I'm usually in the 10-15% range unless they really went out of their way.
posted by AndrewInDC at 7:42 AM on December 6 [3 favorites]
I do tip and tip generously, but I have a bad tendency to forget to do it at the time of the ride (because if I'm taking Uber it's usually Pet Uber because I have a cat to wrangle, so I'm entirely distracted by the yowls) and to go back and do it later. I've never noticed my ratings being negatively affected by not tipping at the time of the ride. I would tip on both of the rides you use as examples, for anything but egregiously terrible service.
The gig economy is not where I choose to economize; I'd say tip if you possibly can afford to. Even if that means you give up the rides straight to DC in favor of shorter rides to the Metro to save yourself enough money to tip. I consider Ubers like taxis, and taxis have been tipping services since I was a kid, at least where I grew up. I don't know what the hell to do at Chipotle either and I sympathize, but I don't think that carries over into ridesharing.
posted by Stacey at 7:44 AM on December 6 [7 favorites]
The gig economy is not where I choose to economize; I'd say tip if you possibly can afford to. Even if that means you give up the rides straight to DC in favor of shorter rides to the Metro to save yourself enough money to tip. I consider Ubers like taxis, and taxis have been tipping services since I was a kid, at least where I grew up. I don't know what the hell to do at Chipotle either and I sympathize, but I don't think that carries over into ridesharing.
posted by Stacey at 7:44 AM on December 6 [7 favorites]
I don't know your financial position or your health status so won't make any assumptions about your ability to walk in the cold or pay.
There's some discussion here that is consistent with AndrewInDC's cite: Most riders don't tip. So your driver presumably thought the ride would be worth the fare, even with the odds of no tip. So I would say that it would be nice to tip - I always do - but that if it's a financial burden for you, don't feel guilty about not tipping, or tipping a small amount.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 7:46 AM on December 6 [3 favorites]
There's some discussion here that is consistent with AndrewInDC's cite: Most riders don't tip. So your driver presumably thought the ride would be worth the fare, even with the odds of no tip. So I would say that it would be nice to tip - I always do - but that if it's a financial burden for you, don't feel guilty about not tipping, or tipping a small amount.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 7:46 AM on December 6 [3 favorites]
I thought the whole point of Uber was that it was a way to lower the cost compared to a taxi, and that this was done first by subsidy from venture capital (to destroy the taxi business) and then by screwing the drivers and reducing driver wages. Uber pay has gone down over the years.
There is no way on earth that, while I had money in my pocket, I would not tip a cabbie/driver.
On a note that is not just my opinion, my large employer's reimbursement policy says that we will reimburse taxis and driver services up to 20% of the pre-tax/fee bill. We are very strict about tipping for tax and policy reasons and would not offer this reimbursement if it were not considered legal, reasonable and conventional.
I tip 20% pre taxes and fees, or $5 if 20% would be a tiny amount. I regularly need a Lyft to the vet, a ~$12 ride, and I tip $5.
If someone truly urgently needs a ride and truly genuinely cannot afford to tip, that's one thing - people on small fixed incomes, for instance. But as a broad generality you need to tip. Which side are you on, the drivers' or the billionaires'? The billionaires want us all to be so busy knifing each other over $5 that we don't notice everything getting worse.
posted by Frowner at 7:53 AM on December 6 [32 favorites]
There is no way on earth that, while I had money in my pocket, I would not tip a cabbie/driver.
On a note that is not just my opinion, my large employer's reimbursement policy says that we will reimburse taxis and driver services up to 20% of the pre-tax/fee bill. We are very strict about tipping for tax and policy reasons and would not offer this reimbursement if it were not considered legal, reasonable and conventional.
I tip 20% pre taxes and fees, or $5 if 20% would be a tiny amount. I regularly need a Lyft to the vet, a ~$12 ride, and I tip $5.
If someone truly urgently needs a ride and truly genuinely cannot afford to tip, that's one thing - people on small fixed incomes, for instance. But as a broad generality you need to tip. Which side are you on, the drivers' or the billionaires'? The billionaires want us all to be so busy knifing each other over $5 that we don't notice everything getting worse.
posted by Frowner at 7:53 AM on December 6 [32 favorites]
I nearly always tip unless service is extremely poor.
posted by Alensin at 7:58 AM on December 6 [1 favorite]
posted by Alensin at 7:58 AM on December 6 [1 favorite]
Looks like this is one of those questions that reveals a much wider spectrum of what people think is normal than I would have realized. It has truly never occured to me not to tip. I do 20%, or $3-$4, whichever is more (I take a lot of rides in the $10-$12 dollar range, so yeah typically I tip $3). For me tipping is not connected with the friendliness of the driver, but I prefer not to converse anyway. As a data point, my employer also allows 20% tips, as described above.
Check Reddit to hear from actual drivers: https://www.reddit.com/r/uberdrivers/.
posted by CheeseLouise at 8:03 AM on December 6 [7 favorites]
Check Reddit to hear from actual drivers: https://www.reddit.com/r/uberdrivers/.
posted by CheeseLouise at 8:03 AM on December 6 [7 favorites]
A driver's rating matters, and they get warned or penalized if it drops too low.
But, as a passenger, your rating does not matter at all! The driver doesn't even SEE your rating until they've already picked you up, so a bad rating absolutely will not lead to you missing out on rides. Also, most Uber passengers don't tip, so not tipping won't harm your rating. Being rude or dirtying their car is what would get you a bad rating.
I decided I want to think less about tipping so I made firm rules for it. My rule is that I always tip $X as a habit, no decision to be made. (All my Uber rides are about the same length, too, so the amount can be consistent). That's my attempt to never think about tipping at all, and just get that mental tickle out of my head completely.
The only exception is that if the driver is AMAZING, I tip more. One guy shared a fascinating story about an aspect of our shared culture, one woman could tell I was nervous before an event and gave me a wonderful pep talk, one guy brought back my phone when I forgot it in his car, one woman's Uber was super decked out with twinkly lights and candy and it was lovely - in situations like that I tip extra, and really well!
posted by nouvelle-personne at 8:16 AM on December 6 [8 favorites]
But, as a passenger, your rating does not matter at all! The driver doesn't even SEE your rating until they've already picked you up, so a bad rating absolutely will not lead to you missing out on rides. Also, most Uber passengers don't tip, so not tipping won't harm your rating. Being rude or dirtying their car is what would get you a bad rating.
I decided I want to think less about tipping so I made firm rules for it. My rule is that I always tip $X as a habit, no decision to be made. (All my Uber rides are about the same length, too, so the amount can be consistent). That's my attempt to never think about tipping at all, and just get that mental tickle out of my head completely.
The only exception is that if the driver is AMAZING, I tip more. One guy shared a fascinating story about an aspect of our shared culture, one woman could tell I was nervous before an event and gave me a wonderful pep talk, one guy brought back my phone when I forgot it in his car, one woman's Uber was super decked out with twinkly lights and candy and it was lovely - in situations like that I tip extra, and really well!
posted by nouvelle-personne at 8:16 AM on December 6 [8 favorites]
> just because you can't bear the chill of 15 minutes' walk in a DC winter
This take is ableist and unnecessarily snarky. Some people can't walk safely on slippery pavement, or breathe well in cold air, or risk getting sick on public transit, or feel unsafe walking in the dark at 7pm due to a trauma history, or have a myriad of other physical or mental health concerns that might make a winter walk harder for them than it might be for others.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 8:22 AM on December 6 [51 favorites]
This take is ableist and unnecessarily snarky. Some people can't walk safely on slippery pavement, or breathe well in cold air, or risk getting sick on public transit, or feel unsafe walking in the dark at 7pm due to a trauma history, or have a myriad of other physical or mental health concerns that might make a winter walk harder for them than it might be for others.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 8:22 AM on December 6 [51 favorites]
As you're making your decision, I'd suggest researching what app-based work is like for workers - "App-Based Workers Speak: Studies Reveal Anxiety, Frustration, and a Desire for Good Jobs", Justice for App Workers movement, "National survey of gig workers paints a picture of poor working conditions, low pay"
There is a concept of "above-the-app" and "below-the-app" - i.e. the person using the app to order services is above the app and the driver or worker is controlled by the app - "below-the-app." The drivers you're interacting with often have to deal with unsafe situations, harassment, with wear and tear on their car, with expenses being foisted onto them instead of being handled by an employer, with angry customers who don't treat them like human beings, with no access to clean or reliable restrooms while driving. Based on this, I do think it's my responsibility to tip every time I use a Lyft or Uber as the person in that situation who is "above-the-app," regardless of the effects it has on my rating.
posted by Uncle Glendinning at 8:24 AM on December 6 [8 favorites]
There is a concept of "above-the-app" and "below-the-app" - i.e. the person using the app to order services is above the app and the driver or worker is controlled by the app - "below-the-app." The drivers you're interacting with often have to deal with unsafe situations, harassment, with wear and tear on their car, with expenses being foisted onto them instead of being handled by an employer, with angry customers who don't treat them like human beings, with no access to clean or reliable restrooms while driving. Based on this, I do think it's my responsibility to tip every time I use a Lyft or Uber as the person in that situation who is "above-the-app," regardless of the effects it has on my rating.
posted by Uncle Glendinning at 8:24 AM on December 6 [8 favorites]
I always tip uber or lyft drivers 15-20% (unless they did something egregiously bad, but they never have) because (like waitstaff) it's a hard job that comes with few rewards and a lot of shit from crappy customers. They don't have to be friendly or make small talk. (People should not have to do that kind of emotional labour to get a tip.) They just need to be civil, show up on time, and get me where I want to go. Is the whole principle of tipping wrong? Yeah, but that's not your uber driver's fault. Don't punish them for it. They're not the ones getting rich.
posted by buxtonbluecat at 8:24 AM on December 6 [11 favorites]
posted by buxtonbluecat at 8:24 AM on December 6 [11 favorites]
This take is ableist and unnecessarily snarky.
I take people at their word if they say they have a disability that interferes with their mobility or safety concerns, but I don't invent scenarios for them. I'm not giving universal advice, I'm giving advice to someone who already broke down in some detail the pros and cons of getting to and from his Metro station from his new home in a previous Ask. It's fine just not to want to walk to work in the cold, but it's a bit of a luxury to take an Uber instead, and to me that makes the moral standards different (I basically agree with Frowner).
posted by praemunire at 8:32 AM on December 6 [11 favorites]
I take people at their word if they say they have a disability that interferes with their mobility or safety concerns, but I don't invent scenarios for them. I'm not giving universal advice, I'm giving advice to someone who already broke down in some detail the pros and cons of getting to and from his Metro station from his new home in a previous Ask. It's fine just not to want to walk to work in the cold, but it's a bit of a luxury to take an Uber instead, and to me that makes the moral standards different (I basically agree with Frowner).
posted by praemunire at 8:32 AM on December 6 [11 favorites]
It's not silly to tip a driver $2 on a $6 dollar trip. They'll see maybe $3 of what you paid, so you're increasing their profit by 66%.
As for tipping in general, percentage based tipping is wildly inappropriate in most situations. It's good to allocate a little extra for the driver if you want to, but you needn't follow Uber's exorbitant suggestions.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 8:34 AM on December 6 [1 favorite]
As for tipping in general, percentage based tipping is wildly inappropriate in most situations. It's good to allocate a little extra for the driver if you want to, but you needn't follow Uber's exorbitant suggestions.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 8:34 AM on December 6 [1 favorite]
Also, if I really needed to take a recurring ride to the Metro and also needed to budget, I'd try to figure out what I could afford (being generous but not tipping myself into penury) and divide that out by anticipated trips. Maybe you can only afford $1 for the regular metro trips and $5 for the $50-$60 trips, for instance. I think that if you're on a tight budget (and have health concerns, even if they do not literally totally prevent a walk to the Metro) the best strategy might be to have that "I can afford X tip on short rides and Y tip on long rides" and just go with that.
Tipping is important and I think that people should tip at least something if at all possible, but I also don't think that a driver would want someone who had a legit need for their services to create serious financial hardship for themselves by tipping.
posted by Frowner at 8:46 AM on December 6 [1 favorite]
Tipping is important and I think that people should tip at least something if at all possible, but I also don't think that a driver would want someone who had a legit need for their services to create serious financial hardship for themselves by tipping.
posted by Frowner at 8:46 AM on December 6 [1 favorite]
It's fine just not to want to walk to work in the cold,
They said that the "15 minute walk to the Metro can be hard because of the cold air." Anyone with chronic joint paint is going to have a much harder time walking in cold air.
More to the OPs question, if its a common route you could always ask a driver if they do personal trips off the app. Esp. if you have the same driver twice. Then you could negotiate a rate that's probably less than what Uber is charging you and they would still make more money.
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 8:48 AM on December 6 [3 favorites]
They said that the "15 minute walk to the Metro can be hard because of the cold air." Anyone with chronic joint paint is going to have a much harder time walking in cold air.
More to the OPs question, if its a common route you could always ask a driver if they do personal trips off the app. Esp. if you have the same driver twice. Then you could negotiate a rate that's probably less than what Uber is charging you and they would still make more money.
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 8:48 AM on December 6 [3 favorites]
I tip on virtually every ride, unless it was an absolute disaster for reasons within the driver's control.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 8:53 AM on December 6 [1 favorite]
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 8:53 AM on December 6 [1 favorite]
I'm biased because I've known people who drive for Uber. They work hard and are definitely not getting rich off tips. For a 5-10 minute ride in my area, $3 is considered a good tip that a driver would be happy to receive, but even a dollar or two helps (so don't feel bad if you can't afford a $3 tip every time).
Barring being unable to walk in the circumstances and extreme financial insecurity, I think morally a tip should be considered part of the cost of the ride. The average Uber driver is less financially secure than the average Uber rider.
posted by Eyelash at 9:00 AM on December 6 [3 favorites]
Barring being unable to walk in the circumstances and extreme financial insecurity, I think morally a tip should be considered part of the cost of the ride. The average Uber driver is less financially secure than the average Uber rider.
posted by Eyelash at 9:00 AM on December 6 [3 favorites]
Tipping is not baked into the compensation structure of taxi and ride share services like it is with sit-down restaurant service. As such you are not obligated to tip when using Uber etc. because you are not depriving the driver of part of their expected fee. However, it's my understanding that taxi service is customarily tipped. I generally add ~15% or a few dollars (whichever is more) and tip more if the driver provided extra service.
You do not need to justify your usage of Uber etc. based on your health status or financial position. You are free to use the service if and when it suits your needs.
posted by 4rtemis at 9:13 AM on December 6 [4 favorites]
You do not need to justify your usage of Uber etc. based on your health status or financial position. You are free to use the service if and when it suits your needs.
posted by 4rtemis at 9:13 AM on December 6 [4 favorites]
It is absolutely NOT TRUE that you need to tip if you can "afford to take uber because it's cold out." That is ridiculous. No one here can tell you how to budget your money. I know someone who takes uber because they can't bear the cold. They can't afford a car and there are no buses near them. Then they might have to eat a frozen waffle for dinner because they can't afford to go to the grocery store. Poor or budgeting people often have to spend money in ways that richer people judge.
The low wages of workers is horrifying. People who have the time, energy, and resources should fight to raise minimum wage. It's not the responsibility of everyone who wants to purchase a service to feel guilty about this.
The guilt trips on metafilter are really out of hand. (As pointed out above, restaurants are different, it's a long established norm and contract is understood.)
I have worked in the service industry in both food and clothing retail for many years and I can tell you that handing a customer a cup of coffee at a counter is a lot less work than wrapping up and removing tags from a bunch of clothing, and the pay was the same. No one is yelling at you for not tipping the cashier at H & M.
In short: You do not have to hand your money to a worker if you yourself are pinched for cash. You are allowed to spend the money you do have as you wish. And if I am an uber driver ever again (i did it for two weeks and it was awful but not because of customers tipping or not) I am not expecting a mom to take food out of her kids' mouth to give it to me as a tip just because she decided they could have a little bit of softness in their life and take an uber.
posted by ponie at 11:56 AM on December 6 [10 favorites]
The low wages of workers is horrifying. People who have the time, energy, and resources should fight to raise minimum wage. It's not the responsibility of everyone who wants to purchase a service to feel guilty about this.
The guilt trips on metafilter are really out of hand. (As pointed out above, restaurants are different, it's a long established norm and contract is understood.)
I have worked in the service industry in both food and clothing retail for many years and I can tell you that handing a customer a cup of coffee at a counter is a lot less work than wrapping up and removing tags from a bunch of clothing, and the pay was the same. No one is yelling at you for not tipping the cashier at H & M.
In short: You do not have to hand your money to a worker if you yourself are pinched for cash. You are allowed to spend the money you do have as you wish. And if I am an uber driver ever again (i did it for two weeks and it was awful but not because of customers tipping or not) I am not expecting a mom to take food out of her kids' mouth to give it to me as a tip just because she decided they could have a little bit of softness in their life and take an uber.
posted by ponie at 11:56 AM on December 6 [10 favorites]
I think morally a tip should be considered part of the cost of the ride.
This.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:58 AM on December 6 [3 favorites]
This.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:58 AM on December 6 [3 favorites]
Mod note: One comment removed. Please focusing on helping the OP instead of berating them for their choices. We want AskMe to be a place where people come for help, not to be "yelled" at.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 12:42 PM on December 6 [7 favorites]
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 12:42 PM on December 6 [7 favorites]
But, as a passenger, your rating does not matter at all! The driver doesn't even SEE your rating until they've already picked you up, so a bad rating absolutely will not lead to you missing out on rides.
Not true. If they’re up for it, I often talk to drivers about their experience, whether it’s busy, where they usually drive, whatever. Uber tries very very hard to keep them from declining trips and some drivers aren’t aware of, don’t care about, or find it impractical to look at passenger ratings.
That said, drivers absolutely can see your rating before picking you up. Some markets rate more harshly than others, so what a “good” rating is varies, but usually going under 4.8 will make it harder to get picked up. This is especially true if you’re traveling later at night and/or in areas that drivers perceive as “sketchy” or dangerous or prone to having puking drunks.
That said, drivers don’t and practically can’t rate based on tips unless you give cash tips. There some rare exceptions but they’re not worth worrying about.
If you are reasonable and polite, the number one thing that bothers drivers is making them wait. Time is money for them and it can put them in uncomfortable situations if there isn’t an obvious place to wait.
So, be ready on time if you’re concerned, and wait for them in the lobby or sidewalk.
posted by knobknosher at 1:00 PM on December 6 [2 favorites]
Not true. If they’re up for it, I often talk to drivers about their experience, whether it’s busy, where they usually drive, whatever. Uber tries very very hard to keep them from declining trips and some drivers aren’t aware of, don’t care about, or find it impractical to look at passenger ratings.
That said, drivers absolutely can see your rating before picking you up. Some markets rate more harshly than others, so what a “good” rating is varies, but usually going under 4.8 will make it harder to get picked up. This is especially true if you’re traveling later at night and/or in areas that drivers perceive as “sketchy” or dangerous or prone to having puking drunks.
That said, drivers don’t and practically can’t rate based on tips unless you give cash tips. There some rare exceptions but they’re not worth worrying about.
If you are reasonable and polite, the number one thing that bothers drivers is making them wait. Time is money for them and it can put them in uncomfortable situations if there isn’t an obvious place to wait.
So, be ready on time if you’re concerned, and wait for them in the lobby or sidewalk.
posted by knobknosher at 1:00 PM on December 6 [2 favorites]
My understanding is that, for both Lyft and Uber, the driver cannot see your (in-app) tip until after they have rated you, and cannot retroactively down-rate you. Not tipping won't reduce your rider rating.
posted by kickingtheground at 1:21 PM on December 6
posted by kickingtheground at 1:21 PM on December 6
It never occurred to me not to tip. Really! I always tip and in cash if I have it, something around 15% - 20%. A couple of drivers have recently thanked me for tipping in cash because they have remarked that they (and other drivers they know) sometimes don't receive all the tips they are entitled to. I don't know if this is true, but this is not an issue with a cash tip. I do the same thing when I take cabs, which, living in a big city, I sometimes do if I'm in the city and it's cold, raining, etc. and a cab drives by.
Based on the answers above from people who say a majority of riders don't tip - how do you know this? As far as I know the base pay provided by Uber (depending on earnings I guess) had been reduced since their start-up days, and some drivers tell me it's hardly worth it to drive anymore except when it's surge pricing. If that's true, drivers are coming closer to the restaurant waiter model, and tipping is even more central to their earnings. If I'm wrong about this, I'd appreciate a knowledgeable insider setting me straight.
posted by citygirl at 1:25 PM on December 6 [1 favorite]
Based on the answers above from people who say a majority of riders don't tip - how do you know this? As far as I know the base pay provided by Uber (depending on earnings I guess) had been reduced since their start-up days, and some drivers tell me it's hardly worth it to drive anymore except when it's surge pricing. If that's true, drivers are coming closer to the restaurant waiter model, and tipping is even more central to their earnings. If I'm wrong about this, I'd appreciate a knowledgeable insider setting me straight.
posted by citygirl at 1:25 PM on December 6 [1 favorite]
You might be interested in reading Drive: Scraping by in Uber's America for a driver's perspective on Uber and more.
posted by Pineapplicious at 1:34 PM on December 6
posted by Pineapplicious at 1:34 PM on December 6
I've always tipped taxis, hired private cars, and "ride share." IMO the fact that Uber didn't include credit card tips at the beginning was part of the fiction "ride share" was different from taxies or private car hires.
Taxi drivers don't set their own rate and neither do Uber drivers.
posted by muddgirl at 3:30 PM on December 6 [1 favorite]
Taxi drivers don't set their own rate and neither do Uber drivers.
posted by muddgirl at 3:30 PM on December 6 [1 favorite]
You MUST tip your uber. I live in DC, 20% is minimum here.
posted by capricorn at 8:12 PM on December 6 [3 favorites]
posted by capricorn at 8:12 PM on December 6 [3 favorites]
To elaborate on this: Uber drivers can't see your tip until they rate you. Rideshare, like cabs, is a tipped service. 20% is minimum in DC for tipped services because as you've likely noticed the cost of living is sadistic here.
posted by capricorn at 8:15 PM on December 6 [1 favorite]
posted by capricorn at 8:15 PM on December 6 [1 favorite]
I take people at their word if they say they have a disability that interferes with their mobility or safety concerns, but I don't invent scenarios for them.
People cannot - and should not need to - lay out seventeen deeply personal reasons why they “deserve” to take a cab without being judged.
I'm not giving universal advice, I'm giving advice to someone who already broke down in some detail the pros and cons of getting to and from his Metro station from his new home in a previous Ask
… which is partly why I bristled, because I read that thread too and saw at least four reasons why Ubers are indisputably a very “deserved” and “non-frivolous” option here specifically!
But again, people do not need to “deserve” a cab or be guilted into paying extra to erase some kind of bourgeoise stain. Ubers exist and we are allowed to take them without feeling bad about it.
Uber is the bad guy for underpaying workers, not an individual person who requires a drive to preserve their energy, physical or mental health, time, or safety, or even just “wants” a frivolous drive so they can relax. We should tip if we can afford it, but taking an Uber I makes you a Bad Rich Person.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 12:55 AM on December 7 [2 favorites]
People cannot - and should not need to - lay out seventeen deeply personal reasons why they “deserve” to take a cab without being judged.
I'm not giving universal advice, I'm giving advice to someone who already broke down in some detail the pros and cons of getting to and from his Metro station from his new home in a previous Ask
… which is partly why I bristled, because I read that thread too and saw at least four reasons why Ubers are indisputably a very “deserved” and “non-frivolous” option here specifically!
But again, people do not need to “deserve” a cab or be guilted into paying extra to erase some kind of bourgeoise stain. Ubers exist and we are allowed to take them without feeling bad about it.
Uber is the bad guy for underpaying workers, not an individual person who requires a drive to preserve their energy, physical or mental health, time, or safety, or even just “wants” a frivolous drive so they can relax. We should tip if we can afford it, but taking an Uber I makes you a Bad Rich Person.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 12:55 AM on December 7 [2 favorites]
* Sure, we should tip if we can afford it, but sheesh, taking an Uber doesn’t make you a Bad Rich Person Who Must Atone!
posted by nouvelle-personne at 1:02 AM on December 7 [2 favorites]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 1:02 AM on December 7 [2 favorites]
If you’re just looking for data points, I’ve always tipped cab drivers (like since the 80s) and I don’t see Uber as any different at this point - very early Uber not-tipping was a marketing point but it’s always been my practice to tip.
For the seven years my husband and I lived in the burbs and took cabs sometimes we were often in a tight budget but we did budget tips; it was for us still cheaper than a car and parking costs. It wasn’t daily though.
The counter-service coffee shop tip jar is new; my relationship with that is more scattered. The local bakery now has a tip screen on its Stripe thing and that made me pause…I decided ok, I’ll tip, but I go there less often and don’t just grab an empanada…it put it into the category of having to think harder about the spend.
posted by warriorqueen at 1:50 AM on December 7 [1 favorite]
For the seven years my husband and I lived in the burbs and took cabs sometimes we were often in a tight budget but we did budget tips; it was for us still cheaper than a car and parking costs. It wasn’t daily though.
The counter-service coffee shop tip jar is new; my relationship with that is more scattered. The local bakery now has a tip screen on its Stripe thing and that made me pause…I decided ok, I’ll tip, but I go there less often and don’t just grab an empanada…it put it into the category of having to think harder about the spend.
posted by warriorqueen at 1:50 AM on December 7 [1 favorite]
For another perspective, I think tipping is a tough thing because it has so many axes or dimensions to it.
One axis of whether I tip or not is how much time someone spends 1:1 on me. Hairdresser, waitstaff, masseuse. For longer taxi or Uber, or where they've had to drive out of the way to or from my endpoint, yes. For counter service, no. For a short uber that lands them at a good spot for them like a metro stop, probably not.
Another axis is emotional manipulation. I resist the guilt trip of "if you can afford X, you owe an open wallet to everyone in the path". I also resist the guilt of pay that is not enough: that is capitalists pitting people against each other and profiting as a reward, and that market inefficiency is not going to be solved by me. I also very actively look out for and resist doing things just by suggestion (the tip line on Square or Ipad checkout).
Like someone said above, in some markets it's baked in, like waitstaff. In that case your choice is what you consider the base to be, and whether you exceed it. Those choices are affected by the above as well.
posted by Dashy at 4:49 AM on December 7
One axis of whether I tip or not is how much time someone spends 1:1 on me. Hairdresser, waitstaff, masseuse. For longer taxi or Uber, or where they've had to drive out of the way to or from my endpoint, yes. For counter service, no. For a short uber that lands them at a good spot for them like a metro stop, probably not.
Another axis is emotional manipulation. I resist the guilt trip of "if you can afford X, you owe an open wallet to everyone in the path". I also resist the guilt of pay that is not enough: that is capitalists pitting people against each other and profiting as a reward, and that market inefficiency is not going to be solved by me. I also very actively look out for and resist doing things just by suggestion (the tip line on Square or Ipad checkout).
Like someone said above, in some markets it's baked in, like waitstaff. In that case your choice is what you consider the base to be, and whether you exceed it. Those choices are affected by the above as well.
posted by Dashy at 4:49 AM on December 7
Tipping for cabs has been a widespread expectation for decades. I don't see how apps are different - except that not being face to face with a person removes the visceral social component. This is not a 'tipping these days is out of control' issue.
Departing from the expectation of tipping because it's an app seems like rubbing salt in the wound.
posted by lookoutbelow at 8:27 AM on December 7 [2 favorites]
Departing from the expectation of tipping because it's an app seems like rubbing salt in the wound.
posted by lookoutbelow at 8:27 AM on December 7 [2 favorites]
This is not a 'tipping these days is out of control' issue.
I disagree. When I was younger, 10% was considered a reasonable tip. Then it was 15%. Now it is 20%, and I’ve seen the Uber App offer 30% as an option.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 9:22 AM on December 7 [3 favorites]
I disagree. When I was younger, 10% was considered a reasonable tip. Then it was 15%. Now it is 20%, and I’ve seen the Uber App offer 30% as an option.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 9:22 AM on December 7 [3 favorites]
The few times I sneaked a peek at my drivers' uber apps as they were completing my ride or accepting a new ride after mine, I was shocked to see that the earnings from each ride was about half or LESS THAN HALF of the fare that the rider is paying.
I think the tipping culture is out or control, but at the same time if I can afford to spend a few bucks when someone is making only a few dollars per ride, I tip.
posted by dabadoo at 6:44 PM on December 7 [1 favorite]
I think the tipping culture is out or control, but at the same time if I can afford to spend a few bucks when someone is making only a few dollars per ride, I tip.
posted by dabadoo at 6:44 PM on December 7 [1 favorite]
When I was younger, 10% was considered a reasonable tip. Then it was 15%. Now it is 20%, and I’ve seen the Uber App offer 30% as an option.
Well, people need to eat:
After adjusting for inflation, however, today’s average hourly wage has just about the same purchasing power it did in 1978, following a long slide in the 1980s and early 1990s and bumpy, inconsistent growth since then. In fact, in real terms average hourly earnings peaked more than 45 years ago: The $4.03-an-hour rate recorded in January 1973 had the same purchasing power that $23.68 would today.
posted by oneirodynia at 6:49 PM on December 12
Well, people need to eat:
After adjusting for inflation, however, today’s average hourly wage has just about the same purchasing power it did in 1978, following a long slide in the 1980s and early 1990s and bumpy, inconsistent growth since then. In fact, in real terms average hourly earnings peaked more than 45 years ago: The $4.03-an-hour rate recorded in January 1973 had the same purchasing power that $23.68 would today.
posted by oneirodynia at 6:49 PM on December 12
Well, people need to eat
They do. On the other they also need to be paid a living wage, not rely on the kindness of strangers for their livelihood. All this tipping is propping up a system that is failing the employees.
At what point do we say enough? 100% tips?
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 8:00 PM on December 12
They do. On the other they also need to be paid a living wage, not rely on the kindness of strangers for their livelihood. All this tipping is propping up a system that is failing the employees.
At what point do we say enough? 100% tips?
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 8:00 PM on December 12
I often forget to tip until the next time I open the app (could be several days or even weeks later) and it doesn't seem to have affected my passenger rating.
posted by Jacqueline at 3:35 AM on December 16
posted by Jacqueline at 3:35 AM on December 16
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posted by treetop89 at 7:17 AM on December 6 [5 favorites]