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Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

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Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#371

Post by tempestn »

martinko wrote: post #356
brandonbloom wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> your cancel reflects poorly on you in Uber's rating system This is simply not true. I just checked: My rating is 4.73. I've probably taken a few hundred rides with Uber. I assume they adjust ratings for bad experiences, especially if you're a regular rider. By the way: It's not that hard to get consistent 5 stars as a passenger. Be respectful of the driver and follow these steps: 1) Say something like "Hi, are you…

Wow that eerily reminds me of the s02e01 of black mirror. No way am I gonna optimize my behavior to get some higher 'rating'.

Obviously you don't have to follow that script verbatim. It's just a manner of behaving like a civilized person.

Edit: that said, the quotes from Steeeve below do start to sound pretty Black Mirror

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#373

Post by [deleted] »

Steeeve wrote: post #248
brandonbloom wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> your cancel reflects poorly on you in Uber's rating system This is simply not true. I just checked: My rating is 4.73. I've probably taken a few hundred rides with Uber. I assume they adjust ratings for bad experiences, especially if you're a regular rider. By the way: It's not that hard to get consistent 5 stars as a passenger. Be respectful of the driver and follow these steps: 1) Say something like "Hi, are you…

4.7 is low. 4.6 is where drivers get fired. At 4.5 a lot of drivers won't pick you up.

[deleted]

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#374

Post by muse900 »

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.

I agree.

If uber implements tipping, it might be exploitable by the drivers e.g you don't tip me ill give you low rating kind of thing. There is an issue where drivers supposedly make little money, but thats up for the company to solve.

Personally I use uber quite a lot in London, and I am asking most uber drivers on how they find the job etc. The vast majority of them reply that they can work whenever they want and its flexible so they like it. On the money side of things they claim that if you work properly and don't rent a car, you could be making around £2-3k a month, which is above the minimum salary in the UK and London. So I think uber drivers are mostly unhappy that they are under self-employment instead of fully employed by Uber etc. Although I can't see a company that would give you the flexibility to work as much as you want and when you want and having to pay for your holidays etc. Its more of an issue of the Gov fixing up some self-employment rights rather than uber itself (my opinion).

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#375

Post by rubzah »

Jarwain wrote: post #359
developer2 wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With optional after-the-fact tipping, I'd still be concerned whether or not the fact you tipped is tracked. When you tip, is the driver individually informed? The next time you get the same driver, are they in a position to remember that you were a bad tipper on the last trip? Even if the driver isn't made aware of your individual tipping history, surely the company as a whole is tracking this information and buildin…

I'd assume Lyft has the information as to who you tipped and how much. However, my understanding is that the driver does not know which individual tipped them (and rates the passenger lacking this information). The driver's tips are summed up in a daily report making it difficult to know who tipped and how much

That's exactly how it should be designed in my opinion. If the driver is doing a good job, his total tips will go up. No point in haggling with individual customers.

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#376

Post by seanp2k2 »

shostack wrote: post #263
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.

On the bright side, this will be solved forever with the first full auto taxis. Unless Johnny Cab suddenly starts asking for Bitcoin...

I believe we're still a decade or more from true driverless vehicles / cabs. There are so so so many situations which require specialized decision making to get out of that we really need general AI to truly have cars drive themselves. I'm sure we'll get some sort of hybrid model sooner where the cars are driverless 95% of the time, but someone at a remote center can take over and pilot it around construction / through a power outage / on icy roads / in emergency situations / while getting pulled over by police / when there is a rally in the streets / on detours with workers waving you on / in freeway shutdown-type situations etc etc.

Uber is betting the farm on being able to solve this in the next couple of years or however much financial runway they have left. Good luck, but I don't see how.

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#377

Post by wiwofone »

roel_v wrote: post #362
brandonbloom wrote: post #133

I'm only a little surprised that nobody has suggested this, but: If the driver does something shady, just get out of the car. Immediately. Don't even give them the opportunity to apologize for it. I've had drivers call ahead to ask where I'm going. I just hang up on them, cancel the ride, then order another ride. While I'm in the car with a new driver, I report the incident using the in-app system and, on many occasi…

Never used Uber, what's the problem with someone knowing where you're going? Doesn't the app tell the driver before they pick you up? (Well I guess not, or they wouldn't call you...)

The destination shows up when the ride starts (i.e. you get in the car). Calling beforehand is a an indication that the driver might want to cancel the ride if the destination is "inconvenient" (e.g. from city center to a remote suburb).

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#378

Post by bernardvdw »

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…

This is 100% inline with what I'm thinking. I am amazed by how many people don't realize that tips are mainly a scheme managed by the employer to guilt-trip the customers into paying an extra mandatory unpredictable amount of money.

The thing that makes me so sad about it, is that the waiters are the first ones to guilt-trip the customers, but never the employers. It really hits a nerve when I read those blog posts from ex-waiters, explaining how difficult it is to "live with a waiter wage, so please make sure you tip 25% at least". That attitude is exactly the reason why employers continue to take advantage of employees.

I agree that in the current state of things, tips are needed for waiters to survive. But it doesn't make any sense economically. If mandatory minimum wage was set for waiters, and tips were built-in, everyone would be better off.

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#379

Post by [deleted] »

nomnombunty wrote: post #116

Uber pool is just a terrible experience in many levels 1. Many drivers think they make less if the passengers are using Uber pool. I am not sure if this is true or if they are confused. However, when they find out I am using pool they instantly turn passive aggressive and start complaining how they make nothing on a pool ride. They make me feel as if I am taking advantage of them. 2. Uber also tries to pack the car t…

[deleted]

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#380

Post by solidsnack9000 »

roel_v wrote: post #362
brandonbloom wrote: post #133

I'm only a little surprised that nobody has suggested this, but: If the driver does something shady, just get out of the car. Immediately. Don't even give them the opportunity to apologize for it. I've had drivers call ahead to ask where I'm going. I just hang up on them, cancel the ride, then order another ride. While I'm in the car with a new driver, I report the incident using the in-app system and, on many occasi…

Never used Uber, what's the problem with someone knowing where you're going? Doesn't the app tell the driver before they pick you up? (Well I guess not, or they wouldn't call you...)

The app doesn't tell them so they can't cancel based on less desirable destinations.

Uber drivers have called me and said that they want to go to the airport, not anywhere within the city, and then driven in circles, &c.

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