4 ms·

And now that tipping at ridiculous rates is effectively mandatory, they've priced themselves right out of the market. Interestingly, there is a pattern here wi

by dublin 3y ago

And now that tipping at ridiculous rates is effectively mandatory, they've priced themselves right out of the market. Interestingly, there is a pattern here with most "sharing" services - far more than just rides: AirBNB and VRBO are now postively rapacious in their pricing. What was once decent pricing 5-6 years ago would now make Shylock blush with embarrassment...

j1elo 3y ago
Could you elaborate on why and how tipping at ridiculous rates is effectively mandatory? Genuinely curious. In Europe, I just book a ride in the app, get brought to my destination, say goodbye to the driver, the service's price is automatically charged on my bank account, and I go on with my plans. It does ask for a tip (between 0.50 € to maybe 4 € or so, if I recall correctly) and a rating if you are looking at the app. So maybe give 5 starts as a way to help the driver if they were good and there is some free time to kill. But as far as I know, most people just ignore it and dismiss any extra dialogs after the trip. Are you from the US, and would you say that the culture of almost-mandatory tipping in bars & restaurants also applies for services like Uber?
- stevenicr 3y ago
  <- I'm not the person who were replying to asking the question, so I am not answering for them.. but being the US watching this tipping thing unfold the past 10 years especially has been quite interesting. There was a time when only a few held their hand out, hotel bag carriers, bartenders, food waitresses and strippers mainly.. I think starbucks really pushed tipping into more regular spaces as a whole, and 'influencer' youtube / insta 'models' - and the like have it all extra cool and extra normal.. Now in the 2020's it's common to see people paint thier venmo Id on thier car with 'just got married / graduated / send me a money/drink via cashap.. etc. It's been exacerbated the adding of 'add a tip' on payment devices at places (like starbcuks) and during check out for ordering pizza via web portals.. then you see stories where the pizza place is using door dash instead of their own drivers and places keeping tips.. The rideshare apps ask for a tip at the end of the ride and people worry that tipping or not affects' their rider rating, and there are many people who do not understand that uber drivers are not paid like a regular salary or hourly wage. to see it's added effects - do a news search and see the dozens of 'door dash' (and similar) drivers who demand money when delivering food, beg for money, throw the food, decide to eat it - or otherwise ruin food deliveries because the tip was not high enough -there's been a lot. (one recently cussed at a guy for tipping 30% on an order because the driver felt like the house the person was at was so nice that they should have to tip more) It's a thing with all these gig-workers doing all these things hoping for a tip so bad because they are not making enough money to pay bill and do car (and proper human) maintenance.. There have been several news stories about 'tipping fatigue' that explain it a but here recently as well. Tips requested via digital payment portals at places that have no cashier / wait staff.. It's hitting a boiling point where people are stopping using services where it's asked - and that's adding to other pressures.
  - nullindividual 3y ago
    Tipping at Starbucks is not new. It’s been common since the 90s. What is different is that CC did not used to ask for a tip on the POS.
    - stevenicr 3y ago
      yes, and this POS systems asking for tips at SBX and other places is causing multiple issues. 1 - the unexpected pause / payment not completing makes the customer freeze up and get a panic / anxiety that their card is not working / flagged (publicly) as insufficient funds.. they may not get their needed drug before other important things of the day. 2 - worry about the delay affecting other people in line, extra stress. then they figure out the delay is caused by a new 'give the person staring at you from 2 feet away extra money question. now everyone can tell if you add a tip or hit zero / skip.. and you may have to see this same person the next day, and repeat. These types of payment anxiety things can hit at POS even without a tip us screen.. best buy adds a 'confirm address' screen and then a donate to kids learning screen.. two extra stops on what could be a zero stop process. officedepot asks if you want cash back (admittedly this is a common thing that has been a thing at grocery stores and the like for a long time) - but then decline extra warranty insurance? - then email or print a receipt? then dang the receipt takes forever before it starts printing - all these bad UX issues - it's parts of the problem.
      - nullindividual 3y ago
        Yes, I'm quite aware of the process of checking out at many common retailers and the prompts to expect. Face your fears, fight the anxiety. This isn't a situation to stress over. There are much bigger battles to fight.
  - j1elo 3y ago
    Thank you for the insights > drivers who demand money when delivering food, beg for money, throw the food, decide to eat it - or otherwise ruin food deliveries because the tip was not high enough -there's been a lot Woah. That's so crazy that I'm not sure what to say. Clearly when the whole culture and wages are built on expecting and paying tips, the thing stops being a nice gesture for a good service (what I believe is the original concept of tipping) and becomes an unspecified but essential part of the actual price of things. My first thought was that where I live, services such as taxis and delivery have traditionally been tipped too, but tipping has always been something you do in person: you would ignore whatever app and give the actual rider a couple bucks. Notice the "a couple bucks": tipping here is I'd say hardly ever a function of the price, even in restaurants. Maybe 1 or 2 € per person on a run of the mill place, if the food and service have been good. Nowadays (during last decade) I feel maybe companies started to tell their employees to not ask for tips. It's been ages since a delivery guy stands in my door with a stare and an attitude clearly telling that they're waiting for a tip; they just leave your stuff, say thanks, and leave quickly without dragging the exchange a single second longer than needed.

by dublin 3y ago

j1elo 3y ago

Could you elaborate on why and how tipping at ridiculous rates is effectively mandatory? Genuinely curious. In Europe, I just book a ride in the app, get brought to my destination, say goodbye to the driver, the service's price is automatically charged on my bank account, and I go on with my plans. It does ask for a tip (between 0.50 € to maybe 4 € or so, if I recall correctly) and a rating if you are looking at the app. So maybe give 5 starts as a way to help the driver if they were good and there is some free time to kill. But as far as I know, most people just ignore it and dismiss any extra dialogs after the trip. Are you from the US, and would you say that the culture of almost-mandatory tipping in bars & restaurants also applies for services like Uber?

stevenicr 3y ago
<- I'm not the person who were replying to asking the question, so I am not answering for them.. but being the US watching this tipping thing unfold the past 10 years especially has been quite interesting. There was a time when only a few held their hand out, hotel bag carriers, bartenders, food waitresses and strippers mainly.. I think starbucks really pushed tipping into more regular spaces as a whole, and 'influencer' youtube / insta 'models' - and the like have it all extra cool and extra normal.. Now in the 2020's it's common to see people paint thier venmo Id on thier car with 'just got married / graduated / send me a money/drink via cashap.. etc. It's been exacerbated the adding of 'add a tip' on payment devices at places (like starbcuks) and during check out for ordering pizza via web portals.. then you see stories where the pizza place is using door dash instead of their own drivers and places keeping tips.. The rideshare apps ask for a tip at the end of the ride and people worry that tipping or not affects' their rider rating, and there are many people who do not understand that uber drivers are not paid like a regular salary or hourly wage. to see it's added effects - do a news search and see the dozens of 'door dash' (and similar) drivers who demand money when delivering food, beg for money, throw the food, decide to eat it - or otherwise ruin food deliveries because the tip was not high enough -there's been a lot. (one recently cussed at a guy for tipping 30% on an order because the driver felt like the house the person was at was so nice that they should have to tip more) It's a thing with all these gig-workers doing all these things hoping for a tip so bad because they are not making enough money to pay bill and do car (and proper human) maintenance.. There have been several news stories about 'tipping fatigue' that explain it a but here recently as well. Tips requested via digital payment portals at places that have no cashier / wait staff.. It's hitting a boiling point where people are stopping using services where it's asked - and that's adding to other pressures.
- nullindividual 3y ago
  Tipping at Starbucks is not new. It’s been common since the 90s. What is different is that CC did not used to ask for a tip on the POS.
  - stevenicr 3y ago
    yes, and this POS systems asking for tips at SBX and other places is causing multiple issues. 1 - the unexpected pause / payment not completing makes the customer freeze up and get a panic / anxiety that their card is not working / flagged (publicly) as insufficient funds.. they may not get their needed drug before other important things of the day. 2 - worry about the delay affecting other people in line, extra stress. then they figure out the delay is caused by a new 'give the person staring at you from 2 feet away extra money question. now everyone can tell if you add a tip or hit zero / skip.. and you may have to see this same person the next day, and repeat. These types of payment anxiety things can hit at POS even without a tip us screen.. best buy adds a 'confirm address' screen and then a donate to kids learning screen.. two extra stops on what could be a zero stop process. officedepot asks if you want cash back (admittedly this is a common thing that has been a thing at grocery stores and the like for a long time) - but then decline extra warranty insurance? - then email or print a receipt? then dang the receipt takes forever before it starts printing - all these bad UX issues - it's parts of the problem.
    - nullindividual 3y ago
      Yes, I'm quite aware of the process of checking out at many common retailers and the prompts to expect. Face your fears, fight the anxiety. This isn't a situation to stress over. There are much bigger battles to fight.
- j1elo 3y ago
  Thank you for the insights > drivers who demand money when delivering food, beg for money, throw the food, decide to eat it - or otherwise ruin food deliveries because the tip was not high enough -there's been a lot Woah. That's so crazy that I'm not sure what to say. Clearly when the whole culture and wages are built on expecting and paying tips, the thing stops being a nice gesture for a good service (what I believe is the original concept of tipping) and becomes an unspecified but essential part of the actual price of things. My first thought was that where I live, services such as taxis and delivery have traditionally been tipped too, but tipping has always been something you do in person: you would ignore whatever app and give the actual rider a couple bucks. Notice the "a couple bucks": tipping here is I'd say hardly ever a function of the price, even in restaurants. Maybe 1 or 2 € per person on a run of the mill place, if the food and service have been good. Nowadays (during last decade) I feel maybe companies started to tell their employees to not ask for tips. It's been ages since a delivery guy stands in my door with a stare and an attitude clearly telling that they're waiting for a tip; they just leave your stuff, say thanks, and leave quickly without dragging the exchange a single second longer than needed.