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I think in this case the ethical issue is not disclosing the policy more directly. I suppose why would anyone tip $5 if the driver would only get $1. My guess

I think in this case the ethical issue is not disclosing the policy more directly. I suppose why would anyone tip $5 if the driver would only get $1. My guess is that this isn't really an ethical issue with Instacart, which I view as a very well run company. More likely, the model is a fairly cleverly designed tip jar that accepts tips and then brings up the average wage so that workers have a higher guaranteed minimum, in exchange for some tips not going directly toward their own pay. This is a clever system, which likely derived from the optional "service fee" which Instacart used to incorporate, which was used to fund additional employee benefits. The problem is that when you call it a "tip" then people expect it to work a specific way and so the underlying clever idea is lost and the company appears to have done something shady. Look at the history of Instacart's explorations of a service fee and you'll see that what's going on. I think Instacart deserves credit for trying to find a better solution to this problem than what had existed before, though I think a smarter way to do it would be to let customers optionally contribute to the "bonus till" that is paid out companywide to customer-facing staff who have the best star ratings.

save_ferris 8y ago
So you're suggesting that this is a dark pattern to direct users into thinking that they're leaving a tip when they're not? If Instacart chooses to adopt a system that isn't universally understood and transparent to both shoppers and customers, the onus is on them to make sure that users of the app understand what's going on. If they fail to do so, they should be held responsible for it. Seeing as how thousands of shoppers have organized and signed petitions about this "feature", a clear misunderstanding on the part of shoppers and customers exists here, which demands an explanation as to why Instacart would implement such a confusing, opaque tipping system in the first place. How does that sound like a well-run company to you?
dba7dba 8y ago
> My guess is that this isn't really an ethical issue with Instacart, which I view as a very well run company. I can't agree with that. A well run company doesn't steal $4 from a $5 tip originally given to some poor person making minimum wage.
gamblor956 8y ago
In the US, "tip" has a legal meaning and tips are subject to specific rules.
imtringued 8y ago
>More likely, the model is a fairly cleverly designed tip jar that accepts tips and then brings up the average wage so that workers have a higher guaranteed minimum, in exchange for some tips not going directly toward their own pay. That doesn't make any sense. If the minimum wage is $1000. There are 10 workers and this month there is $1000 in the tip pool. Then the company won't pay out $1100. The company still takes the $1000. If what you said was true then they wouldn't deduct from the wage. They would deduct from the tip and say that it's added to a tip pool.

save_ferris 8y ago

So you're suggesting that this is a dark pattern to direct users into thinking that they're leaving a tip when they're not? If Instacart chooses to adopt a system that isn't universally understood and transparent to both shoppers and customers, the onus is on them to make sure that users of the app understand what's going on. If they fail to do so, they should be held responsible for it. Seeing as how thousands of shoppers have organized and signed petitions about this "feature", a clear misunderstanding on the part of shoppers and customers exists here, which demands an explanation as to why Instacart would implement such a confusing, opaque tipping system in the first place. How does that sound like a well-run company to you?

dba7dba 8y ago

> My guess is that this isn't really an ethical issue with Instacart, which I view as a very well run company. I can't agree with that. A well run company doesn't steal $4 from a $5 tip originally given to some poor person making minimum wage.

gamblor956 8y ago

In the US, "tip" has a legal meaning and tips are subject to specific rules.

imtringued 8y ago

>More likely, the model is a fairly cleverly designed tip jar that accepts tips and then brings up the average wage so that workers have a higher guaranteed minimum, in exchange for some tips not going directly toward their own pay. That doesn't make any sense. If the minimum wage is $1000. There are 10 workers and this month there is $1000 in the tip pool. Then the company won't pay out $1100. The company still takes the $1000. If what you said was true then they wouldn't deduct from the wage. They would deduct from the tip and say that it's added to a tip pool.