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Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

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Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#151

Post by SilasX »

walru wrote: post #96
ryandvm wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know. Maybe Uber should just pay you more and we can not encourage the antiquated custom of tipping.

Is good service and hospitably an antiquated notion? I'll happily give a bartender, server or a driver an extra buck or two when they make the experience pleasant/informative/friendly because, far too many people treat their jobs not as a privileged but a chore. Without tipping far too many would take your money for granted and the quality of service would decline across the board because there is zero incentive to p…

In some cases, that makes sense, or at least, enough sense that I can see "reasonable people disagree..." there.

In other cases, I just want a ride home. I don't care about being regaled with tales, or how hyperoptimized the route is, or fake friendliness, or even refreshments. I just want to know, unambiguously, what it takes to satisfy my obligation for this specific service, and reasonably expect that the provider is on the same page.

Uber wanted to create a special zone for exactly this, and make expectations as clear as possible for everyone going in, and yet that still isn't good enough for many people.

(Though, FWIW, I think they also abused their position by driving rates insanely low.)

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#152

Post by myrandomcomment »

hyperbovine wrote: post #88
redm wrote: post #4

No Tipping is one of the main reasons I liked Uber; no cash, no pressure, you just get out of the car and walk away with everyone happy. I would rather pay more for each fare and have Uber aggressively prohibit tipping. I suspect many people feel the same way and if Uber doesn't get it under control, it could be the biggest challenge they face.

After I switched to Lyft in the wake of the Susan Fowler thing, I discovered that they give you the option to tip. It made me realize that the pain point of tipping is actually feeling pressured to tip the moment the service ends . With the Lyft app I can tip (or not) later on, and I almost always do. It's not tipping that I don't like; in fact I really like tipping. With their strict no-tipping policy, it turns out…

Agreed. Used Uber for what? 2 years now? Just tried Lyft after all the crap about Uber and I liked it. I normally do tip the Uber driver for a long ride (I live in NorCal an my house is a pain to get to). Moving on to Lyft. I like the fact I can tip in the app.

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#153

Post by SilasX »

ryandrake wrote: post #142
blhack wrote: post #89

I'd love if an economist of somebody with a better financial background could comment on this: When you're giving a tip, you're effectively giving money to the people who own the company (or participate in profit sharing). Tips allow employers to pay their employees under market rate. By paying enough tip to bring the employee's wage up to the market rate, you are subsidizing the company's profit, not the employees p…

Yea, I don't get where this idea came from that tipping is either good for the employee or good for the customer. The employee is getting paid a crappy wage and the customer is being guilt-tripped into making up for it. The only winner is the employer.

Don't forget that you're implicitly paying a premium to compensate for the unpredictability/lumpiness/[1] of the tips!

[1] as well as "the presence of people who deliberately flout the expectations" and whose non-payment must be made up, in expectation, by more honest customers.

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#154

Post by nopassrecover »

In Australia we've tried tipping Uber drivers (e.g. because we've inconvenienced them with a stop to pickup food on the way home) and so far after 5 occasions no driver has accepted the tip (taxi drivers accept a tip without question, and usually won't accommodate short trips, despite the law, yet alone special requests).

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#155

Post by ProfessorLayton »

thesmallestcat wrote: post #120
dorfsmay wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's why I always pay 15% tip at restaurants regardless of the service. I disagree with tipping (an after-the-fact unilateral contract), but we know that restaurants don't pay fair wages. EDIT: Following some comments here, I feel I need to add that I'm in Canada where 15% is considered "normal".

15%, regardless of the service? Don't pat yourself on the back so hard.

What's the implication here? The parent post paid more than they were required, if not then the business could charge more to cover their costs.

This kind of thinking is precisely what's wrong with tipping in the first place.

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#156

Post by coolsdude2282 »

I just made an account to post this, a factor that isn't really being brought up by any of the comments I've seen in this conversation is drugs and other illicit practices used by Uber drivers to make money.

I have known several drivers who sold marijuana, small individual shot bottles, smoking papers, flavored cigar papers, and other 'party related favors' out of their cars to make their Uber driving more profitable. Without this source of income made from people going to/from parties and bars on weekends, alongside their actual ride fares, their profit margin is not even worth the time.

These 'tipping' hustles are frankly extremely mild in comparison to my experiences. I'm of the opinion that these hustles are publicly frowned upon, but in practice are not effectively policed on purpose. If Uber policed these sorts of practices in an effective way(like if they had cameras/monitors in cars) they would lose a substantial portion of their drivers instantly.

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#157

Post by paulddraper »

cortesoft wrote: post #135
paulddraper wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then Uber should be charging more. Sorry about that.

Uber charges the amount that they need to get enough drivers to drive the number of customers they have. When there aren't enough drivers willing to drive at the given rate, they go into 'surge' pricing to intice more drivers to drive. You know what would happen if they raised the rates and paid more to the drivers? Two things - fewer riders would ride, and more drivers would drive. You would end up with a lot of dri…

Correct. Drivers should also be driving less for Uber.

Or, alternatively, everyone is making the correct decision and there isn't an imbalance anyway.

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#158

Post by snowwrestler »

taneq wrote: post #78
iopq wrote: post #53

I drive Uber from time to time. I've only gotten a tip once over ~50 rides. A lot of the time the traffic conditions mean that after costs (I assume $0.40 per mile costs for mileage, gas, maintenance, etc.) my hourly is closer to $8 an hour (because after I drive for a while sometimes I need to drive a long way back as well on my own dime), which is below minimum wage. That's not including having to pick up plastic b…

Maybe you can explain something that I've never understood. I see drivers saying "driving for Uber is terrible and a waste of money". I see them saying "after expenses I'm basically working for free." But they keep doing it . They keep driving for Uber even though they know that they're basically just working for free, in order to make money for Uber. If you take vehicle depreciation into account, you're probably not…

The implied social judgment whenever Uber drivers come up is a bummer.

Yes, people prefer to make a little bit of money instead of not having money. This is surprising?

And when someone earns a little bit of money, they might wish that they made more money. Again--not news.

I think before getting critical about why Uber drivers are so dumb, it's worth thinking about why you don't drive for Uber. The answer probably starts with "because I don't feel like I have to." It does for me.

If someone has a great highly-paying full time job and still drives for Uber, then sure, question that person's judgment. Most Uber drivers are not in that situation though.

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#159

Post by fernandotakai »

slater wrote: post #13
acheron wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But tipping sucks. That was one of the reasons Uber was better than Lyft in the first place. Then some assholes sued and now Uber drivers are allowed to ask for tips. Nice job breaking it, hero.

Why does tipping suck?

because people need to get fair wages instead of relying on tips.

the only country i've visited that has tipping is the us. outside the us, people get paid fair salaries and tipping is done when the service is outstanding.

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#160

Post by thesmallestcat »

ProfessorLayton wrote: post #155
thesmallestcat wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

15%, regardless of the service? Don't pat yourself on the back so hard.

What's the implication here? The parent post paid more than they were required, if not then the business could charge more to cover their costs. This kind of thinking is precisely what's wrong with tipping in the first place.

The implication is that 20% the widely accepted minimum "good tip" rate, and consistently tipping 15% is consistently being cheap. Especially when you're a tech worker FFS.

Let's break out of our echo chamber a bit. In the US, tipping isn't "paying more than required," it's basic manners. You can argue until you're blue in the face about how businesses are to blame, but the vast majority of society, who have no big beef with tipping culture, will find you cheap rather than discerning.

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