5 ms·

Amazon Prime Now... Is that the thing where delivery is "free" but where we are supposed to "tip" the driver ?

spraak 9y ago
I've ordered from Prime Now about 3 to 4 times per week for the past 7 months. It's incredibly helpful for me. Mostly because I don't have a car and prefer to shop from Sprouts (which is similar to Whole Foods) and I'm able to do so with Prime Now. I usually leave a tip to the delivery person because they carry all my heavy groceries up to my apartment, and they've told me it helps them a lot (which is unfortunate in that way, that I'm subsidizing their wage). I literally depend on Prime Now.
- chrisper 9y ago
  Your situation is ok, because you want to tip. I don't think it is ok to automatically fill out the tipping field.
  - eropple 9y ago
    Then seek out an equivalent service that pays their delivery folks more and doesn't require a tip. We have those here in Boston; Peapod's delivery drivers can be tipped and they've said that it's a major part of their income but Roche Bros.'s drivers have literally laughed and said "we don't accept tips, we actually get paid." (I had a $10 in hand--he turned it down. Peapod has a big huge field on the invoice and charges it to the card. Skinflints.) Or accept that, yes, obligatory tipping is part of the culture, and while you may not like it (I sure don't) it is incumbent upon us to do right by the people whose services we are buying.
    - hnaccy 9y ago
      It's not immoral to not tip.
      - eropple 9y ago
        It's immoral not to treat people who are performing services for you fairly and well. If that means tipping, because their employer--who you chose to do business with--doesn't pay them a livable wage, then guess what? You tip. If, at the same time and in no way exclusive to the former, you would like to campaign for better worker rights and wage floors that make tipping unnecessary (or, hell, even illegal), then I will join you in that. You might not like tipping. (Again: I don't.) The person you're rationalizing the stiffing of probably doesn't like having to work for tips. Capitalism kinda sucks and the person-to-person patching is something that more fortunate folks just plain get to do. Sorry.
        MAGZine 9y ago
        So then what's worse--not using the service because you don't want to tip, or using the service and not tipping?
        eropple 9y ago
        That becomes a tough one, doesn't it? I'd say that the use of it without tipping incurs a moral burden, as you're giving the employer money and not making it right with the person who (as is true of anyone in a tipped job) depends on you upholding your part of the social contract. You aren't saving the world by tipping--but you're not making it a worse place, and that's not nothing. Similarly, by not using a service that does its employees dirty without making it right, you are pressuring them--if, admittedly, mildly--towards decent behavior. That assumes that you make it very clear why you're doing it, and you totally should, because communication is part of ethical consumerism. (For similar reasons, when Amazon, Uber, etc. recruiters reach out to me, I underline the way they treat their workforce as a major reason as to my disinterest. It's a data point, and only one, but it's what I can do.)
        AstralStorm 9y ago
        You are actually making the world a worse place too by tipping - not promoting a service with transparency and acceptable terms for all parties involved. This is a second order effect but much more important than first order. (Unless you presume workers cannot reasonably switch companies which means that everyone is already screwed and serious antimonopoly steps should be taken.) If you were not informed, then there is no moral weight for not tipping either.
    - lmm 9y ago
      Or warn people that Amazon is adopting this poor practice, in a public, visible way, in order to put pressure on them to change?
- Consultant32452 9y ago
  You're not subsidizing their wage compared to paying higher prices for the service. You're helping them avoid paying taxes.
smt88 9y ago
The purpose of the tip is to shift responsibility for fair wages from the employer to the customer. Amazon leans on a custom that makes you feel guilty for not paying more than they quoted you. It also hides some of the price until the end, which is an effective dark pattern.
- ironjunkie 9y ago
  Exactly my thinking. Couldn't put it better.
gnicholas 9y ago
Yeah, I had the same feeling when we used it once. It isn't clear what the tip should be for, if they're just delivering something and delivery is covered. I did notice that the Amazon Prime Now delivery person walked up all the steps (25) to my front door and put it right there. Regular Amazon deliveries are always left in the driveway or partway up the stairs. I could see giving some tip for this added effort, and the convenience for the customer. But that's just my experience—for customers who get the same service/convenience from both types of delivery, this reasoning wouldn't apply.
gambiting 9y ago
Just don't tip. Never ever tip with Amazon Prime. Don't tip with Uber either. Tiping using those systems is just allowing those companies to pay shit wages to their employees. When you go to checkout with amazon prime just change the tip to zero.

I've ordered from Prime Now about 3 to 4 times per week for the past 7 months. It's incredibly helpful for me. Mostly because I don't have a car and prefer to shop from Sprouts (which is similar to Whole Foods) and I'm able to do so with Prime Now. I usually leave a tip to the delivery person because they carry all my heavy groceries up to my apartment, and they've told me it helps them a lot (which is unfortunate in that way, that I'm subsidizing their wage). I literally depend on Prime Now.

chrisper 9y ago
Your situation is ok, because you want to tip. I don't think it is ok to automatically fill out the tipping field.
- eropple 9y ago
  Then seek out an equivalent service that pays their delivery folks more and doesn't require a tip. We have those here in Boston; Peapod's delivery drivers can be tipped and they've said that it's a major part of their income but Roche Bros.'s drivers have literally laughed and said "we don't accept tips, we actually get paid." (I had a $10 in hand--he turned it down. Peapod has a big huge field on the invoice and charges it to the card. Skinflints.) Or accept that, yes, obligatory tipping is part of the culture, and while you may not like it (I sure don't) it is incumbent upon us to do right by the people whose services we are buying.
  - hnaccy 9y ago
    It's not immoral to not tip.
    - eropple 9y ago
      It's immoral not to treat people who are performing services for you fairly and well. If that means tipping, because their employer--who you chose to do business with--doesn't pay them a livable wage, then guess what? You tip. If, at the same time and in no way exclusive to the former, you would like to campaign for better worker rights and wage floors that make tipping unnecessary (or, hell, even illegal), then I will join you in that. You might not like tipping. (Again: I don't.) The person you're rationalizing the stiffing of probably doesn't like having to work for tips. Capitalism kinda sucks and the person-to-person patching is something that more fortunate folks just plain get to do. Sorry.
      - MAGZine 9y ago
        So then what's worse--not using the service because you don't want to tip, or using the service and not tipping?
        eropple 9y ago
        That becomes a tough one, doesn't it? I'd say that the use of it without tipping incurs a moral burden, as you're giving the employer money and not making it right with the person who (as is true of anyone in a tipped job) depends on you upholding your part of the social contract. You aren't saving the world by tipping--but you're not making it a worse place, and that's not nothing. Similarly, by not using a service that does its employees dirty without making it right, you are pressuring them--if, admittedly, mildly--towards decent behavior. That assumes that you make it very clear why you're doing it, and you totally should, because communication is part of ethical consumerism. (For similar reasons, when Amazon, Uber, etc. recruiters reach out to me, I underline the way they treat their workforce as a major reason as to my disinterest. It's a data point, and only one, but it's what I can do.)
        AstralStorm 9y ago
        You are actually making the world a worse place too by tipping - not promoting a service with transparency and acceptable terms for all parties involved. This is a second order effect but much more important than first order. (Unless you presume workers cannot reasonably switch companies which means that everyone is already screwed and serious antimonopoly steps should be taken.) If you were not informed, then there is no moral weight for not tipping either.
  - lmm 9y ago
    Or warn people that Amazon is adopting this poor practice, in a public, visible way, in order to put pressure on them to change?
Consultant32452 9y ago
You're not subsidizing their wage compared to paying higher prices for the service. You're helping them avoid paying taxes.

smt88 9y ago

The purpose of the tip is to shift responsibility for fair wages from the employer to the customer. Amazon leans on a custom that makes you feel guilty for not paying more than they quoted you. It also hides some of the price until the end, which is an effective dark pattern.

ironjunkie 9y ago
Exactly my thinking. Couldn't put it better.

gnicholas 9y ago

Yeah, I had the same feeling when we used it once. It isn't clear what the tip should be for, if they're just delivering something and delivery is covered. I did notice that the Amazon Prime Now delivery person walked up all the steps (25) to my front door and put it right there. Regular Amazon deliveries are always left in the driveway or partway up the stairs. I could see giving some tip for this added effort, and the convenience for the customer. But that's just my experience—for customers who get the same service/convenience from both types of delivery, this reasoning wouldn't apply.

gambiting 9y ago

Just don't tip. Never ever tip with Amazon Prime. Don't tip with Uber either. Tiping using those systems is just allowing those companies to pay shit wages to their employees. When you go to checkout with amazon prime just change the tip to zero.