7 ms·

I'm not sure how to feel about it too. While I will be tipping (when actually using Uber), after I initially wondered why Uber didn't allow tips I concluded tha

I'm not sure how to feel about it too. While I will be tipping (when actually using Uber), after I initially wondered why Uber didn't allow tips I concluded that the drivers could become unfriendly about it. They are not yet aggressive about ratings here (South Africa), but I've heard horror stories from the US. I agree completely. Not only woulld this all go away if they are paid better, but they would likely be more motivated and friendly.

kelnos 9y ago
My rule of thumb with Lyft is that if the driver mentions giving them a good rating or tip, they get no tip. Directly asking for a tip (and thereby creating a guilt-ridden obligation) violates the implied social contract around tipping. (Think about other services where a tip is expected: it is rare for anyone to verbally mention a tip.) When I used to use Uber, my policy was that if a driver asked for a tip, I would drop their rating by 1 or 2 stars, depending on how aggressive they were. This has only happened once. (A handful of other drivers had a tasteful tip jar; I found it annoying but chose not to penalize.)
- shadow_banned 9y ago
  Lol what are you a robot?
- creepydata 9y ago
  Tip jars are never tasteful, putting a tip jar out is equivalent to panhandling, IMO. A business is a place for business transactions, not begging.
  - yebyen 9y ago
    I can only assume that you have never worked in any industry in a customer service capacity. Tipping is a totally normal thing, that you are free to engage in or abstain from. If you are especially pleased with a service on a particular occasion, then you should tip. If you are the type of person who is never pleased with anything, then you should certainly feel no obligation to tip, ever. This whole exchange reminds me of an episode of Black Mirror. * (edit: Then again, after reading some more of the impressions on this page, I think I may be privileged that I am in a relatively small midwestern city where Uber and Lyft both offer service. I have never been asked to tip, by any of the drivers I've used on either service. It sounds like that is far from the norm, at least in areas where HN users are.)
    - creepydata 9y ago
      >I can only assume that you have never worked in any industry in a customer service capacity Lol wut? Yes, I certainly have. I've worked no less than 4 customer service jobs. >Tipping is a totally normal thing, that you are free to engage in or abstain from. Only in the strictly legal sense, not the social sense. >If you are especially pleased with a service on a particular occasion, then you should tip. First off, tips for many service employees in the US are not "for exception service," they are "expected for any service." I'd prefer to live in a society where employees give a pleasing service without expecting a bribe. I would prefer to live in a society where some customers are not snubbed because of the assumption they won't leave a tip, or will leave a small one. I also don't care to turn every single interaction I have throughout the day into a business transaction. Not only that but you start with "you are free to engage in or abstain from [tips]" then say "you should tip." Which was is it? Completely optional or expected? You claim it's both. >If you are the type of person who is never pleased with anything Wow, way to project. I am pleased by pretty much any service as long as the job gets done semi-competently . I don't need anything "extra," or small talk, or even smiles. I have a massive amount of empathy for service employees who aren't property trained and if I have a bad experience I usually blame poor management, not the customer service employee personally. If the place is crowded I understand I'm going to have to wait, through nobody's fault, crowds can't always be anticipated. Disliking tips is hardly the same thing as being a miserable person who is always unhappy. That's quite the stretch. >you should certainly feel no obligation to tip, ever. I am not such an asshole to believe that someone who doesn't smile or is working short staffed deserves to have their pay docked. That's cruel. The thing about introducing tips is they become "mandatory," because employees and management come to expect tips. This brings down salaries then everyone is guilted into leaving tips. It's no secret that Uber is ruthlessly cutting fairs and now they are basically saying "we expect customers to make up the difference." Anyways, my comments were not about tipping in general, they were about tip jars, specially. Tip jars are begging and are no different than panhandling. It's a form of guilt tipping(1) and are always distasteful. A business is no place for employees to beg - save that for the streets. https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/advice/2016/05/01/tipping/83696272/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/advice/2016/05/01/tipp... "If you don't pay up, you're shamed for your lack of generosity, at best — or at worst, for stealing someone's salary." And, of course, "He started rattling about how far the cab ride was and how he needed more," she says. "It turned me off. I use Uber now."
  - kelnos 9y ago
    Eh, perhaps "tasteful" was the wrong word. I'm very anti-tipping overall (though will hold my nose and tip where appropriate, because that's just how things are), but I think, in a place where tips are expected, a tip jar is fine, as long as it's fairly unobtrusive and not in your face, and not verbally mentioned. Of course, until now, Uber was not a place where tipping was expected, so... sigh.
    - creepydata 9y ago
      Good point, I understand what you mean now.

kelnos 9y ago

My rule of thumb with Lyft is that if the driver mentions giving them a good rating or tip, they get no tip. Directly asking for a tip (and thereby creating a guilt-ridden obligation) violates the implied social contract around tipping. (Think about other services where a tip is expected: it is rare for anyone to verbally mention a tip.) When I used to use Uber, my policy was that if a driver asked for a tip, I would drop their rating by 1 or 2 stars, depending on how aggressive they were. This has only happened once. (A handful of other drivers had a tasteful tip jar; I found it annoying but chose not to penalize.)

shadow_banned 9y ago
Lol what are you a robot?
creepydata 9y ago
Tip jars are never tasteful, putting a tip jar out is equivalent to panhandling, IMO. A business is a place for business transactions, not begging.
- yebyen 9y ago
  I can only assume that you have never worked in any industry in a customer service capacity. Tipping is a totally normal thing, that you are free to engage in or abstain from. If you are especially pleased with a service on a particular occasion, then you should tip. If you are the type of person who is never pleased with anything, then you should certainly feel no obligation to tip, ever. This whole exchange reminds me of an episode of Black Mirror. * (edit: Then again, after reading some more of the impressions on this page, I think I may be privileged that I am in a relatively small midwestern city where Uber and Lyft both offer service. I have never been asked to tip, by any of the drivers I've used on either service. It sounds like that is far from the norm, at least in areas where HN users are.)
  - creepydata 9y ago
    >I can only assume that you have never worked in any industry in a customer service capacity Lol wut? Yes, I certainly have. I've worked no less than 4 customer service jobs. >Tipping is a totally normal thing, that you are free to engage in or abstain from. Only in the strictly legal sense, not the social sense. >If you are especially pleased with a service on a particular occasion, then you should tip. First off, tips for many service employees in the US are not "for exception service," they are "expected for any service." I'd prefer to live in a society where employees give a pleasing service without expecting a bribe. I would prefer to live in a society where some customers are not snubbed because of the assumption they won't leave a tip, or will leave a small one. I also don't care to turn every single interaction I have throughout the day into a business transaction. Not only that but you start with "you are free to engage in or abstain from [tips]" then say "you should tip." Which was is it? Completely optional or expected? You claim it's both. >If you are the type of person who is never pleased with anything Wow, way to project. I am pleased by pretty much any service as long as the job gets done semi-competently . I don't need anything "extra," or small talk, or even smiles. I have a massive amount of empathy for service employees who aren't property trained and if I have a bad experience I usually blame poor management, not the customer service employee personally. If the place is crowded I understand I'm going to have to wait, through nobody's fault, crowds can't always be anticipated. Disliking tips is hardly the same thing as being a miserable person who is always unhappy. That's quite the stretch. >you should certainly feel no obligation to tip, ever. I am not such an asshole to believe that someone who doesn't smile or is working short staffed deserves to have their pay docked. That's cruel. The thing about introducing tips is they become "mandatory," because employees and management come to expect tips. This brings down salaries then everyone is guilted into leaving tips. It's no secret that Uber is ruthlessly cutting fairs and now they are basically saying "we expect customers to make up the difference." Anyways, my comments were not about tipping in general, they were about tip jars, specially. Tip jars are begging and are no different than panhandling. It's a form of guilt tipping(1) and are always distasteful. A business is no place for employees to beg - save that for the streets. https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/advice/2016/05/01/tipping/83696272/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/advice/2016/05/01/tipp... "If you don't pay up, you're shamed for your lack of generosity, at best — or at worst, for stealing someone's salary." And, of course, "He started rattling about how far the cab ride was and how he needed more," she says. "It turned me off. I use Uber now."
- kelnos 9y ago
  Eh, perhaps "tasteful" was the wrong word. I'm very anti-tipping overall (though will hold my nose and tip where appropriate, because that's just how things are), but I think, in a place where tips are expected, a tip jar is fine, as long as it's fairly unobtrusive and not in your face, and not verbally mentioned. Of course, until now, Uber was not a place where tipping was expected, so... sigh.
  - creepydata 9y ago
    Good point, I understand what you mean now.