Reporter delivers food in NYC for story on apps like DoorDash, UberEats, etc...2/3 of customers did not tip

[Awesome Kev]

It's crazy how many people don't tip when I'm doing Shipt. I am doing so much more than just driving from the store to your house. For instance: I delivered 21 jugs of cooking oil to a customer, 35 pounds each jug, was carrying two at a time form my car to their shop, in 100 degree Florida summer heat... no tip. :(

We have to risk driving in Florida (statistically, not a safe thing to do, lol), walk up and down all the aisles to find the correct items, coordinate with you about substitutions and other discrepancies, go back out into the traffic nightmare (beachside during summer in my case), drive while keeping one eye on GPS and not rear ending someone at a stop light, find you're place (magically well hidden at times) and lug everything inside. All of that has to be done within a one to two hour window, then it's right on to the next one after that.

We do all of that while you get to enjoy your day at work, without having to stop at the store on the way home or just relax on your day off in a safe, air conditioned house. We are doing you an awesome service!

If you're service or delivery driver does a good job, is pleasant and goes above and beyond, please give them a little something for their effort. I do 30 deliveries a week sometimes, so $5 - $10 per delivery goes a long way! Thanks! :)

 

[Falchion]

Sounds like an awful way to have to grind out a wage.

 

[RF Switch]

Yes, people only use those services out of fear. Is this a serious post??? Do you not see the convenience of using 1 service with dozens of restaurants and a common interface over the dozens of different ones that you'd have to enter in all your info for if you ordered directly from each restaurant?

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No I don't see an issue calling a place I order from regularly. All of the places I call have my address already attached to my phone number so I say what I want and no middle man and then if it comes to 13.50 I'll give the driver a 20. I think the apps are great for getting food from places that don't do delivery or are far away and out of my area that deserve a fee to be in place.

 

[Amnixia]

Why are the delivery people risking life? That sounds like a pretty terrible job to pick.

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The same reason as why poor people don't go to the money store to get some more money.

For many its not a choice.

 

[Deleted member 925]

One thing people should also know that sometimes when you order from these apps, the driver can be 15 mins away, and then your drop off from the restaurant is maybe only 2 miles. Sometimes your payout for an order like that is maybe $5 at most, so tipping can supplement a delivery like that that a driver had to spend 25 mins on, including the wait at the restaurant. I feel like if you're not willing to drive 2 miles to pick up food, most people are willing to eat the fees and tip as well since they seemingly can afford it.

Those trips can be rough though, and sometimes people will tip $5 or even $10 which is always awesome.

 

[Super Barrier]

I've been using SkipTheDishes weekly lately and have been tipping 20-25% on top of the delivery fee, via the app and not cash. I've been wondering if the drivers were expecting cash tip on top...no way, right?

 

[Tigress]

Well, you said "if I ever do use them, I won't tip." You should just not use them at all if you feel so strongly about it.

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Well I did say before that I'm never using them ;). I just put that in to say that if at some point for whatever reason I did feel the need to go back on that, I wouldn't bother tipping when I know it really doesn't tip the driver. But, yeah, I don't plan on using them ever until they change that policy because that's theft imho and I don't want to support a company that does that. In fact I wonder if they can get sued for that (I know a lot of times companies will try to get away with crappy shit cause they know the employees don't get paid enough to fight it). I would wonder if the customers could even sue for that (they're lieing to the customers about where their money is going).

 

[Lothars]

Of course, but that's not going to happen. If I had my way a business that cannot secure a living wage for employees wouldn't be in operation.

Just spitballing ideas, it's a little hyperbolic to say I'm "out of my mind". What is your idea for a way to protect drivers from having their time wasted or to have information regarding problem customers?

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Nope not hyperbolic at all. It's a bad suggestion. When you deliver most times you know your regulars and any company I've dealt with has known problem customers that they catalogue but your system is rip for abuse and wouldn't be good.

 

[Deleted member 925]

Sounds like an awful way to have to grind out a wage.

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It all depends on how busy your area is. If I worked 5-6 days a week and did a full 8 hour day each day, my take home for two weeks could easily be between $1300-$1400.

 

[sangreal]

I only tip on UberEats the next time I go to order something because I use the website and there is no option to pick a tip in advance like there is in the app

 

[BringBackSonics]

How much y'all usually tip?

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I usually throw tip 5$, because I usually have several fives on me. I once tipped a guy a 20$ bill, when it was a snow storm but the guy was still hustling, so I appreciated him being open.`

 

[mattiewheels]

It's sad how many people are geared to think people are cheap for not tipping. You know who's actually cheap? These apps and owners who refuse to pay a livable wage and then pass the cost onto the customer.

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You're right, but at the moment this is the system in place in the US, and the one you choose to willingly participate in. So playing dumb about how it's the businesses fault doesn't mean you shouldn't tip.

 

[Tigress]

I've used Door Dash many times and never tipped anyone cash because I normally don't carry cash on me at all anyway. If I do it's usually big bills. Can't help that the app takes the money from them.

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You can then choose to use a different service (I never have cash either). It's not like they are the only game in town. Hell, they're expensive. I ended up using Uber Eats the one time I tried those services out because even without the 5 dollar new customer discount Uber eats was about the same and their app was better. Without the discount DoorDash would have been much more expensive. But if you must support such shenanigans, don't bother tipping cause all you are doing is giving door dash money, not the driver money like you intended. Unless you want to pay full wages + some to make sure the driver gets more than the regular wage.

 

[Sunster]

yeah I deliver for Domino's and if I'm in the low income area people don't tip. And it's no mystery why because they'll tell you. They think we are cashing in on the delivery fee. We are paid less than $6/hour when on delivery. We receive $1.25 per delivery towards buying gas. Those 2 together are still less than minimum wage. It says on every box we deliver,
THE DELIVERY FEE IS NOT A TIP TO YOUR DRIVER Giving us $1 or $2 isn't going to break your bank. If it does, or if you want to take a stand against tipping minimum wage workers, don't order pizza.

 

[ephexia]

Didn't the Uber Eats app used to have a notification after delivery that said- "Did you enjoy your delivery from restaurant X? If you did please consider leaving a tip."

That kind of language confuses stupid people and makes leaving a tip seem very optional.

Personally I always tip 20% on any delivery I get.

 

[OgTheEnigma]

yeah I deliver for Domino's and if I'm in the low income area people don't tip. And it's no mystery why because they'll tell you. They think we are cashing in on the delivery fee. We are paid less than $6/hour when on delivery. We receive $1.25 per delivery towards buying gas. Those 2 together are still less than minimum wage. It says on every box we deliver,
THE DELIVERY FEE IS NOT A TIP TO YOUR DRIVER Giving us $1 or $2 isn't going to break your bank. If it does, or if you want to take a stand against tipping minimum wage workers, don't order pizza.

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That sounds illegal.

 

[Sunster]

That sounds illegal.

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unfortunately it's not. tip your drivers.

 

[TriniTrin]

yeah I deliver for Domino's and if I'm in the low income area people don't tip. And it's no mystery why because they'll tell you. They think we are cashing in on the delivery fee. We are paid less than $6/hour when on delivery. We receive $1.25 per delivery towards buying gas. Those 2 together are still less than minimum wage. It says on every box we deliver,
THE DELIVERY FEE IS NOT A TIP TO YOUR DRIVER Giving us $1 or $2 isn't going to break your bank. If it does, or if you want to take a stand against tipping minimum wage workers, don't order pizza.

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Why would you still work for them at this company? Even McDonalds averages at $9.35.... Seems like being a delivery driver is a ripoff.

 

[Not Spaceghost]

To be honest the uber eats should force a 2 dollar tip minimum, the way the shit is set up it makes tipping look like it's something you should only do if your delivery guy was the best guy.

That sounds illegal.

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Nah, the tip is factored into your pay plan and with some statistics or whatever they figure that getting X amount of tips per week makes it about equal to minimum wage.

Seems like being a delivery driver is a ripoff.

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It really depends, I was a pizza delivery driver for a local chain during college and on friday's I could easily pull in 80-120 dollars in tips from just working 4pm to 9pm. Most other days of the week it was an average of I wanna say 50 bucks?

 

[Deleted member 18944]

you shouldn't tip doordashers unless its actual cash in their hand that they dont report. if you tip, DD takes it out of their delivery fee they're getting anyway, so its like throwing money away to DD itself, not the person

tip the person in cash

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Wowowowowowwowow what the fuck

 

[RedMercury]

Nope not hyperbolic at all. It's a bad suggestion.

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Dude, you said I was "out of my mind". For offering a bad suggestion. For delivery drivers. On a video-gaming forum.

In the future I will make sure my suggestions are thoroughly vetted by you before casually offering them on a gaming forum lest I need to check myself into a mental health facility for immediate evaluation.

 

[Tigress]

Lol calm the fuck down. People choose their jobs and if their place has a policy that hurts their income they are the first ones who should know about it, nobody forces them to work in that specific place.
I wasn't trying to be ethical, just stating where I stand on tipping in this case but of course you'd put words in my mouth and act like I'm the worst person on earth. Classic era

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Wow the entitlement is strong with this one. Because it's so easy to just get up and find a good job that doesn't fuck you over. Let me give you a tip, most service jobs are trying to fuck you over one way or the other. There are very few that don't and the ones that don't are so highly wanted it's not so easy to just say get a job with them (getting a Costco job is not so easy, everyone who works retail wants one and they can choose to be very picky. Works well for them cause they get a large pick of employees and they don't have much turnover).

Instead of putting the onus on the workers to change, why not put the onus on the companies who have far more control over their own policies to change. Oh wait, then you can't justify being cheap and ripping off drivers over policies they don't have control over. As I said, you might as well be honest and say you just don't care if others are exploited as long as you don't have to pay more. You're being more honest then at least rather than this pitiful excuse to make it look like you are not a bad person.

 

[Sunster]

Why would you still work for them at this company? Even McDonalds averages at $9.35.... Seems like being a delivery driver is a ripoff.

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Because amongst other things, a drunk driver broke both of my legs and hip last year and I cannot have a job where I'm standing for 8 hours.

 

[Coyote Zamora]

You're right, but at the moment this is the system in place in the US, and the one you choose to willingly participate in. So playing dumb about how it's the businesses fault doesn't mean you shouldn't tip.

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But you/they also choose to participate in a system where tipping it's entirely optional. You don't get to have it both ways.

 

[DeltaRed]

If I'm paying a delivery fee then I don't expect to have to tip the person otherwise what is the point of the fee

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Because amongst other things, a drunk driver broke both of my legs and hip last year and I cannot have a job where I'm standing for 8 hours.

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Oof. Sorry buddy.

 

[Brass Body Dave]

Wowowowowowwowow what the fuck

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Yeah, it's a shitty ass practice.

If you're guaranteed $10 for the delivery, and the person tips on their card $5, you still only get $10 - they remove it from the guaranteed bonus.

 

[JeTmAn]

I intentionally pick up food from the restaurant myself so I don't have to tip or pay delivery fees. I avoid eating out entirely at nicer places so I don't have to tip.

Who's worse, me or the person who orders from the place but then doesn't tip? They're withholding the tip, I'm sometimes withholding purchasing the entire meal to get out of tipping.

Edit: I did tip $10 on a $30 meal last night though. It was not Italian.

 

[doublechocochip]

Only used Doordash one time when they offered $10 discount and free delivery. The fee they charge is too high, and they also charge more for each item than it costs at the restaurant. Haven't used Doordash or any other food app since I discovered that.

 

[Deleted member 18944]

Yeah, it's a shitty ass practice.

If you're guaranteed $10 for the delivery, and the person tips on their card $5, you still only get $10 - they remove it from the guaranteed bonus.

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So like, I use DD all the time.. How do I make sure my dasher gets paid proper aside from the cash tip.

 

[Boiled Goose]

Tipping should be banned and fair wages enforced.

Tipping outsources labor risk to workers and puts burden on consumers to indirectly address hidden costs.

 

[Sunster]

If I'm paying a delivery fee then I don't expect to have to tip the person otherwise what is the point of the fee

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it goes to the restaurant. having a delivery option brings higher costs and the fee goes towards that overhead.

 

[Tigress]

But you/they also choose to participate in a system where tipping it's entirely optional. You don't get to have it both ways.

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Ok, not tipping is not "not participating in that system". That's just abusing the system (you are still encouraging the companies that partake in this system as they still get the same amount of money whether you tip or not). Not participating is refusing to patronize any company that doesn't pay its employees a living wage or relies on tips. Good luck with that in America (aside from some states that actually do require a real min wage for servers). The only way your argument works is something like DoorDash where they use your tip to cheapen what they pay. But you're still better to just not use them entirely.

 

[Creation_Scapes]

I usually throw tip 5$, because I usually have several fives on me. I once tipped a guy a 20$ bill, when it was a snow storm but the guy was still hustling, so I appreciated him being open.`

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This is basically exactly what I do also.

 

[Maximus]

You're right, but at the moment this is the system in place in the US, and the one you choose to willingly participate in. So playing dumb about how it's the businesses fault doesn't mean you shouldn't tip.

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I never said I don't tip. I always tip fairly when I get a delivery or sit down in a restaurant as long as the service is good. I dislike how more and more places expect a tip or if I'm coming in to pick up the food, I am not going to tip on that.

 

[Darryl M R]

I just try to stop ordering out as much now. High delivery fees that don't really go to the drivers and other fees makes it hard to justify more frequent purchases. I tip whenever I do get something.

Also, people should not need to depend on tips to make decent wages. The system is broken. Vote for people who would change it for the better.

 

[krazen]

Not surprised the people who actually live on public assistance were more likely to tip. I have no problem (and I have done in the past) shame someone for no tip, even a stranger. The way the system set up is that the labor doesn't get paid and it's up to the mercy of the customer to fill in that gap, imho if you just game the system by not doing it, you're a bad person and deserve the call out like a litterer, etc.

 

[Deleted member 17092]

If I'm paying a delivery fee then I don't expect to have to tip the person otherwise what is the point of the fee

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How do you think these delivery services exist? That's how they make their money, to pay wages, their marketing, everything.

Like do you think they are just benevolent corporations who want to deliver your food to you for free?

If they paid $15+ an hour the delivery fees would be north of $10.

The delivery fee is not a tip. Yes, individual restaurants/franchisees should not be charging a delivery fee and then not giving any of that to the driver. But they do. Don't fuck over the driver by ordering from those places and not tipping. If you can't handle a $2-3 tip on a $20ish dollar order, don't order delivery from that restaurant. Get it from somewhere else or go pick it up yourself. You're literally wasting the drivers time in a sense by not tipping them. Like it would be better for them if someone else ordered who does tip instead of your cheap ass.

What you are saying is literally the equivalent of I paid for this food at a restaurant why should I tip my server (which admittedly some idiots are saying in this thread and all tipping threads).

What's funny is if they did pay their servers $15+ an hour and raised food prices accordingly, people would complain the food is too expensive and not eat out. But when they are allowed to fuck over a server personally they're happy to do it.

Most of the restaurants that did do that and started a no tipping model in the US have gone back to tipping because both customers and servers generally like tipping.

So like places that have a high MW and no tip credit (west coast, NYC), there was some restaurants that started doing no tipping policies. Customers and servers hated it so they got rid of it. Even if people are getting a decent wage people like to tip.

 

[Deleted member 8752]

Most of those kids at NYU are in debt 100k+ for their education. The delivery person likely has more disposable income in their pocket than they do.

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Then they should get off their butts and pick up food themselves. Not tipping a delivery person is unacceptable.

 

[Deleted member 8752]

We shouldn't be guilting customers into doing the employer's job.

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That's just not how this works.

 

[Brass Body Dave]

So like, I use DD all the time.. How do I make sure my dasher gets paid proper aside from the cash tip.

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That's it, or tip beyond their guaranteed amount. Wouldn't have any idea what it'd be without asking.

 

[Atilac]

Most of those kids at NYU are in debt 100k+ for their education. The delivery person likely has more disposable income in their pocket than they do.

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Then they don't have the money to get take out.

 

[DeltaRed]

How do you think these delivery services exist? That's how they make their money, to pay wages, their marketing, everything.

Like they aren't just benevolent corporations who want to deliver your food to you for free?

If they paid $15+ an hour the delivery fees would be north of $10.

The delivery fee is not a tip. Yes, individual restaurants/franchisees should not be charging a delivery fee and then not giving any of that to the driver. But they do. Don't fuck over the driver by ordering from those places and not tipping. If you can't handle a $2-3 tip on a $20ish dollar order, don't order delivery from that restaurant. Get it from somewhere else or go pick it up yourself. You're literally wasting the drivers time in a sense by not tipping them. Like it would be better for them if someone else ordered who does tip instead of your cheap ass.

What you are saying is literally the equivalent of I paid for this food at a restaurant why should I tip my server (which admittedly some idiots are saying in this thread and all tipping threads).

What's funny is if they did pay their servers $15+ an hour and raised food prices accordingly, people would complain the food is too expensive and not eat out.

Most of the restaurants that did do that and started a no tipping model in the US have gone back to tipping in the US because both customers and servers generally like tipping.

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I don't think you should have to tip the person who carries your food to the table either. I'm in the UK though so we have different mentalities on tipping.

Tipping should be for doing a good job, not just doing your job.

 

[Avitus]

The wealthy neighborhoods always tipped less when I delivered pizza. Working class regulars with kids to feed were always generous.

 

[Lothars]

Dude, you said I was "out of my mind". For offering a bad suggestion. For delivery drivers. On a video-gaming forum.

In the future I will make sure my suggestions are thoroughly vetted by you before casually offering them on a gaming forum lest I need to check myself into a mental health facility for immediate evaluation.

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Yeah and you have your opinion and i have mine. You don't have to like what i said but again you posted it and not everyone is going yo agree. You don't have to freak out about it.

 

[Deleted member 17092]

Tipping should be banned and fair wages enforced.

Tipping outsources labor risk to workers and puts burden on consumers to indirectly address hidden costs.

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Ok great. Go volunteer for a minimum wage rate increase advocacy group. Until that happens keep tipping your servers.

 

[Deleted member 925]

The wealthy neighborhoods always tipped less when I delivered pizza. Working class regulars with kids to feed were always generous.

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Fucking this.

Working class neighborhoods always tip me but when I deliver to a guy who had two Range Rovers in his drive way and has a huge McMansion, he didn't tip. Neither did the surgeon I delivered to last week in the ER wing of a hospital.

But the girl who I dropped off McDonalds to that was clearly babysitting tipped me $5.

 

[TheDutchSlayer]

Why are the delivery people risking life? That sounds like a pretty terrible job to pick.

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Gig economy is soooooo great isn't it.

 

[KartuneDX]

For one thing, and I'm sure it's been mentioned, but these apps charge ridiculous surcharges, fees, plus the tax, and my order for something as simple as one McDonald's meal could easily be over $20. I'm just not tipping that.

 

[ScoobsJoestar]

Wish those services paid people a living wage to start with, but until that day comes I'll keep tipping because I don't want to make a moral stand with someone else's living lol