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I'm surprised when I hear this, that tipping is so abhorrent that instead of using a service that, while maybe not perfect, is better and doesn't have significa

by yladiz 10y ago

I'm surprised when I hear this, that tipping is so abhorrent that instead of using a service that, while maybe not perfect, is better and doesn't have significant problems within the company (e.g. sexual harassment) and the with treatment of their drivers, amongst other things, the person chooses to stick with Uber. Can someone explain this to me? What's wrong with the Lyft system where tipping is optionally given at the end of the trip, within the app. This seems that it removes the two majors issues with not tipping within Uber: 1) it's optional, and even if it isn't you can simply leave the car and deal with it later, saving you time; and, 2) you're not worried about your rating within the app depending on if you gave a tip or big enough tip. Edit: I'm asking seriously, why is not tipping a justification for keeping Uber? Tipping sucks, sure, but it's part of a lot of service jobs in the states that you just accept.

kelnos 10y ago
> Tipping sucks, sure, but it's part of a lot of service jobs in the states that you just accept. I don't think most people "just" accept it. I think they accept it, with extreme reservations, often with a sense of anxiety around social pressure & guilt. So I think you underestimate how much sway a service that doesn't expect/require tips might have over one that does. Having said, that, for me, it's a combination of things. I actually don't object to Lyft's tipping culture (and like you point out, tipping is implemented as close to perfectly as possible on their platform). I use Lyft when it seems to make sense (and tip, often ~20% for shorter rides), but often I find myself seeing a 6 minute estimated wait from Lyft while Uber is saying 2 minutes. I tend to walk a lot when I can, so most of the time I use Uber/Lyft when I'm running late or don't have the time to walk, so 2 vs. 6 actually matters. Or I request a Lyft, get matched with a driver, and see an estimate for a 3 minute arrival, which stays saying "3 minutes" for 10 minutes before I cancel and go back to Uber, and a car arrives to pick me up 2 minutes later. Or there was the time where Android Pay just stopped working in the Lyft app for two weeks. I'm really unhappy with Uber's behavior as a company (and use it less where practical), but they just offer a better product, regardless of their stance on tipping.

by yladiz 10y ago

kelnos 10y ago

> Tipping sucks, sure, but it's part of a lot of service jobs in the states that you just accept. I don't think most people "just" accept it. I think they accept it, with extreme reservations, often with a sense of anxiety around social pressure & guilt. So I think you underestimate how much sway a service that doesn't expect/require tips might have over one that does. Having said, that, for me, it's a combination of things. I actually don't object to Lyft's tipping culture (and like you point out, tipping is implemented as close to perfectly as possible on their platform). I use Lyft when it seems to make sense (and tip, often ~20% for shorter rides), but often I find myself seeing a 6 minute estimated wait from Lyft while Uber is saying 2 minutes. I tend to walk a lot when I can, so most of the time I use Uber/Lyft when I'm running late or don't have the time to walk, so 2 vs. 6 actually matters. Or I request a Lyft, get matched with a driver, and see an estimate for a 3 minute arrival, which stays saying "3 minutes" for 10 minutes before I cancel and go back to Uber, and a car arrives to pick me up 2 minutes later. Or there was the time where Android Pay just stopped working in the Lyft app for two weeks. I'm really unhappy with Uber's behavior as a company (and use it less where practical), but they just offer a better product, regardless of their stance on tipping.