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Uber rolls out in-app tipping

washingtonpost.com

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Re: Uber rolls out in-app tipping

#121
post #41

Wow. There are a lot of people in here that have never worked in the Services industry or done the math for an Uber driver's take home pay after taxes/gas/maintenance. It's ironic how the same people who say they don't mind paying a higher price vs tips, are choosing Uber because they are cheaper than a Lyft/Taxi.

I'd easily use NYC taxis if they had an app and payment system as convenient as Uber's. I HATE having to tip, but wouldn't mind paying higher to have it included in the price; I also abhor the taxi TV nonsense blaring in NYC cabs.

I never used Uber when I lived in NYC, its actually more work than hailing a cab there IMO.

Re: Uber rolls out in-app tipping

#122

A rhetorical question: what would it take to build a not-for-profit but 'capitalist' platform like Uber with all the features that exist today (reviews, ratings, scheduled rides etc) where drivers just pay a monthly subscription fee (say $25-100 based on earnings?) and take the entire earnings of the ride? I understand the marketing costs of getting drivers and riders on the platform but end of the day, if the driver…

A taxi-ride futures exchange

Re: Uber rolls out in-app tipping

#123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

fyi this is what Lyft is already doing

Right Lyft already do this but there is no pressure because you don't have to tip right away. You get off and think about it. I was a Lyft driver for one summer. Also Lyft supposely paid more. Uber never encourage tipping and they didn't care about their driver at all. Their CEO was on the record for this. I chose Lyft because they were more friendly and they didn't treat their worker like dirt. I wouldn't ride an Ub…

" Riders will be asked whether they would like to leave a tip when rating their driver at the end of a trip." So exactly same as Lyft. Also do not forget Lyft would not exist without uber doing most of the "shady" work they did to get around and eventually change regulations which helped ride-sharing companies to operate .

Re: Uber rolls out in-app tipping

#124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I despise how little drivers are paid. This is also accepted. What's your point?

My point is Uber doesn't care about what you despise so long as it serves their bottom line.

Right—but clearly they do.

Re: Uber rolls out in-app tipping

#125
I don't want tipping to be a thing. I'm also hoping that it doesn't impact how the driver will rate me after-the-fact.

I use Uber to commute in Seattle (often both ways) and have encountered repeat drivers. Will they give me a lower score now that they realize I'm not tipping them?

Not tipping is what made Uber more simple and required less effort on my part. Tipping a taxi driver was annoying and this will be annoying too.

I was also wary of using food delivery app services for the longest time because of the tipping. I am glad that I can just do a $5 tip (or whatever) + built delivery fee IN THE CHECKOUT PROCESS and not worry about it AFTER they have showed up at my doorstep with the delivery.

TLDR: I don't want to tip because it requires more effort and consideration from me as a rider after the fact. I will not tip like this.

As an aside, I've tipped an Uber driver ONCE before because it was a distant airport ride and he helped with the very heavy luggage my girlfriend and I had. I gave him cash.

+For whatever it's worth, I tip waiters and stylists very well. I don't have anything against tipping itself, just this kind of implementation into an app service where it didn't have tipping before.

Re: Uber rolls out in-app tipping

#126
post #2

Why not just raise the prices a bit again? Now I'm worried I'll get down-starred for not tipping on Uber, which is just kind of annoying. I feel like not requiring a tip is Uber's biggest differentiator

The way Uber works now is it incentivizes the driver to give you a poor rating if you don't tip. By including the tip functionality in the app, and preventing the driver from seeing the tip before you are rated, it will remove this incentive. I don't like tipping either but Uber had to do this and I'm confident the data showed it.

I used to tip in cash to avoid the bad rating especially if I am travelling to airport and have heavy luggage. I hate carrying cash and this is a very welcoming change. Anything that would make them look less evil(Although i don't think they are any worse than most companies.) is a good PR move.

Re: Uber rolls out in-app tipping

#127
post #2

Why not just raise the prices a bit again? Now I'm worried I'll get down-starred for not tipping on Uber, which is just kind of annoying. I feel like not requiring a tip is Uber's biggest differentiator

I deleted Uber and installed Lyft after riding in a car in Portland where the driver had discreetly tucked a dollar bill in the console as a tacit cue to tip. I hate tipping. I avoid situations where I have to tip, or get pressured to tip.

I don't get your point. With lyft you are explicitly asked to tip. But delete uber anyways because of one bad driver; sounds like a fair argument. /s

Re: Uber rolls out in-app tipping

#128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why are people up in arms over this? Being able to tip on Lyft is one of my favorite parts and from what I've read and understood, it generally favors the drivers. You don't need to tip immediately, a nice little dialog pops up with pre-configured amounts, and you can go above and beyond if you had good service

Because tipping is racist, sexist, and classist --- tips don't correlate with levels of service and reduce predictability in working and using a service.

> Because tipping is racist, sexist, and classist

Surely this has to be facetious? If not I would love to hear you elaborate?

Re: Uber rolls out in-app tipping

#129

Now I'm going to start using Lyft again. The tipping model is terrible and given the option I'll always shy away from it. Even though Lyft has the same feature, they pay better, so I don't feel bad for not tipping them. Also having to deal with some of the shadier/creepier drivers expecting tips sounds like something I'd rather not deal with.

"Also having to deal with some of the shadier/creepier drivers expecting tips sounds like something I'd rather not deal with." What makes you think you won't get them with Lyft? Pretty much same people drive for both services. I just look at both apps and pick a cheaper one.

Re: Uber rolls out in-app tipping

#130

For something that is supposed to be friction free, tipping really runs against that. We all know that next there are going to be the subtle and not-so subtle encouragements from drivers to tip. Then the expectation to tip. This move seems to only confuse me as a consumer, create something else for drivers to be annoyed about (the tips they receive vs what uber claimed they'll see), and adding an additional cognitive…

Lyft seems to have nailed it - the tip is not necessarily immediate (and can be added 3 days later), and the payout to the driver is in a single anonymized chunk, so it's not easy (or too late) to track the rider to the tip amount.

Uber is giving you 30 days to tip the driver . They will also be giving single aggregated chunk at the end of day or week.
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