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Instacart and DoorDash’s Tip Policies Are Delivering Outrage

nytimes.com

341–350 of 376 posts

Re: Instacart and DoorDash’s Tip Policies Are Delivering Outrage

#341
post #222
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those Instacart workers can go drive for the other companies that will get my business. I'm not skipping out on grocery and food delivery. I'm voting for good behavior with my wallet. Note: I recognize the same people driving for different services pretty regularly.

What other company has the same opportunities or market share as Instacart?

Irrelevant.

Re: Instacart and DoorDash’s Tip Policies Are Delivering Outrage

#342
post #10

Just tip $0 in the app and tip in cash, just like Uber / Lyft

What is this cash you speak of? I jest, but seriously, it has been more than a decade since I last had cash on me. I assume there is someway that I could get cash, but it has been so long I'm probably (okay, definitely) not going to go to the trouble. Saying I should tip them in cash is saying that I shouldn't tip them.

This is the most ridiculous thing I've heard in a while.

There are ATM's all over the god damn place.

Re: Instacart and DoorDash’s Tip Policies Are Delivering Outrage

#343

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean ultimately it's the executives that call the shots. I've seen people stand up to executives over things like this and then they get fired and it's business as usual. Most people aren't willing to risk their jobs over screwing over gig workers, especially when you feel powerless to actually stop it from happening. I mean it's so socially acceptable we've even coined the term "gig economy" Chances are the people…

Most people aren't willing to risk their jobs over screwing over gig workers Ironic that they may have ended doing long term damage to their careers as a result.

In what way? The vast majority of employers want cogs. They don't want rebels.

Re: Instacart and DoorDash’s Tip Policies Are Delivering Outrage

#344
post #6

I have a simple answer: I will never use Instacart or Doordash again, ever. Even if they change their policy, they are dead to me as companies, and any company that acquires them is similarly dead to me. If you're out there, upstart disruptors, know that pulling stuff like this will cost you at least one customer for life. I'm sure that there are more people like me.

Same here. I used Instacart heavily for about a year until I started reading more about what a total scum bag company it is.

It’s very clear they only reversed this tipping policy because they are facing pressure. They would never do it otherwise. This is a consistent pattern with them — keep doing unethical behavior until the pressure requires you to change.

Re: Instacart and DoorDash’s Tip Policies Are Delivering Outrage

#345

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Serious question: are ethics taught in MBA programs, and if so, how? Generally speaking, how are MBA's taught to avoid making this very mistake?

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 minim…

>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.

Re: Instacart and DoorDash’s Tip Policies Are Delivering Outrage

#346

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm increasingly convinced that there is no non-coercive way to do it, hence the question: Can anyone think of another way to align incentives other than legislating ethics? I think the current state was inevitable, assuming there wasn't some coercive legislation preventing it. Even then, would people just go do business somewhere else and continue what they are doing because the new system is just viewed as a cost?…

Definitely agree with you that we need legislation. >"Just following orders" isn't an acceptable excuse. >You either quit or you're complicit. It's pretty straightforward actually. I meant that I don't really agree with this part of your rhetoric where you are trying to shame people into behaving ethically in business or quit their job. What happens if everyone capable of thinking about morals quits? Do the companies…

Assuming the business can find new people then basically the ethics-focused opposition is gone and nothing prevents the company from doing worse and worse things.

Re: Instacart and DoorDash’s Tip Policies Are Delivering Outrage

#347

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Definitely agree with you that we need legislation. >"Just following orders" isn't an acceptable excuse. >You either quit or you're complicit. It's pretty straightforward actually. I meant that I don't really agree with this part of your rhetoric where you are trying to shame people into behaving ethically in business or quit their job. What happens if everyone capable of thinking about morals quits? Do the companies…

How does them staying with the company fix anything? It's naive to believe that 'if the good one stay it is better than if they leave' as if they could change the company from within. A company is not a democracy. They won't change shit.

If you think that's true then there is no reason for the "good guy" to leave.

Re: Instacart and DoorDash’s Tip Policies Are Delivering Outrage

#348

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder if they use it to indicate the quality of the customer.

Yep, I often wonder if the driver sees the tip amount before they deliver, and puts less importance on your order if the tip is considered low.

But they don't get the tip so why should they care?

Re: Instacart and DoorDash’s Tip Policies Are Delivering Outrage

#349
post #219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you're missing the point. The problem is not that developers don't care about standards. And its not that developers are just trying to make as much money as possible. Most developers have financial obligations that require them to keep their jobs. The people making unethical decisions are their bosses. The developers cannot contradict their bosses in this way and keep their jobs. However, if you make the sta…

I'm not missing the point. Ethics isn't negotiable. This is not a place to be cynical. "Just following orders" isn't an acceptable excuse. You either quit or you're complicit. It's pretty straightforward actually. What we're trying to get to is a place where there is some incentive for organizations to do the process you described. At a certain point we're just going to legislate it, so we can wait for that blunt ham…

> You either quit or you're complicit. It's pretty straightforward actually.

Not all people have that option.

Developers execute. They can't deny a boss his request based on opinions. These things are okay for the one and not okay for someone else.

The boss is paid to be responsible

Re: Instacart and DoorDash’s Tip Policies Are Delivering Outrage

#350

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my opinion the tip comes in when you ask for a service specific to you and a person provides it. USPS is providing a general service to your, let's call it neighborhood. But a barber is providing a personal service to you. Doordash and the like are more like the latter than the former. You say what you want, a single person in that profession does the work for you, and then you pay their fee and something on top.…

A Florist provides personal service to me, and you aren't expected to tip them, as does a cake decorator, or mechanic. This reads like a reverse justification for tipping, that is innately irrational.

Same with a doctor, lawyer, accountant, refrigerator repairperson, gardener, painter, nanny, DMV clerk, bank teller, and the person making your chipotle burrito. Yet you aren't expected to tip them.

I also find "bring me food" hardly more "personalized" than "scan my items and take my money."

The times you tip are when it's socially acceptable to tip, there's no "rules" you can apply that make any sense.

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