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How Software in Half of NYC Cabs Generates $5.2M a Year in Extra Tips

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Re: How Software in Half of NYC Cabs Generates $5.2M a Year in Extra Tips

#101

Post by acjohnson55 »

bobbles wrote: post #33
madeofpalk wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> less than 15% requires the server to be noticably rude or inattentive. As an Australian, in a country that doesn't have a culture of tipping, I find it very amusing that you would tip a server who was noticably rude. Edit: For context as well, tipping is on the rise up in Australia, but only at classier/fancier/modern/hipster places, and the extent of a tip would be to round up to nearest $10 (or note, if paying ca…

Yeah and a cabbie not giving full change is seen as 'tipping himself' rather than.. you know.. stealing?

I've never experience that, but then if I'm paying cash, I ask for the specific amount of change I want back.

Re: How Software in Half of NYC Cabs Generates $5.2M a Year in Extra Tips

#102

Post by shostack »

infinotize wrote: post #22

I thought this was a pretty blatant cheap trick the first time I saw it (similar to restaurants putting tip calculations on bills from 18-25% (which are usually post-tax no less!!)) and on the occasion I am in a cab always punch in "Other," or best option pay cash. Automatic deduction for cabbies who often tip themselves and hand you less change without asking - give me my change in full and I'll tip you, thanks. To…

"Automatic deduction for cabbies who often tip themselves and hand you less change without asking - give me my change in full and I'll tip you, thanks."

Couldn't that be entirely (and easily) avoided by simply handing them cash and asking for a specific amount back? Ie. fare is $10 and you want to give a $2 tip, you hand them a $20 and ask for $8 back. Is there a benefit to not asking for a specific amount back that I'm missing?

Re: How Software in Half of NYC Cabs Generates $5.2M a Year in Extra Tips

#103

Post by tzs »

madeofpalk wrote: post #28
infinotize wrote: post #22

I thought this was a pretty blatant cheap trick the first time I saw it (similar to restaurants putting tip calculations on bills from 18-25% (which are usually post-tax no less!!)) and on the occasion I am in a cab always punch in "Other," or best option pay cash. Automatic deduction for cabbies who often tip themselves and hand you less change without asking - give me my change in full and I'll tip you, thanks. To…

> less than 15% requires the server to be noticably rude or inattentive. As an Australian, in a country that doesn't have a culture of tipping, I find it very amusing that you would tip a server who was noticably rude. Edit: For context as well, tipping is on the rise up in Australia, but only at classier/fancier/modern/hipster places, and the extent of a tip would be to round up to nearest $10 (or note, if paying ca…

If you do not tip, they have no way of knowing if the lack of tip is because you never tip, or because you were displeased with the service. A small tip resolves this ambiguity.

Re: How Software in Half of NYC Cabs Generates $5.2M a Year in Extra Tips

#104

Post by mikeash »

nickstefan12 wrote: post #86

I just ran into this last night: I took a cab home from the airport. One: he had no gps and took a wrong freeway change getting home. Two he barely spoke English. Three I basically had to navigate him back on track and painfully turn by turn. End of the trip I go pay, and he's sad that I want to pay with a credit card. Then the tip meter only has 20% or other. I hit other with a much lower tip. He cancels the transac…

Sounds like you got scammed. How could he just change the amount for the ride? Isn't there a meter that's visible to both of you that shows what's due? If he insists that you have to pay more than what the meter says, tell him to get bent.

Re: How Software in Half of NYC Cabs Generates $5.2M a Year in Extra Tips

#105

Post by mikeash »

jack-r-abbit wrote: post #55

There is a lot of talk about how people who get tips generally get a very low wage to start and if they don't get good tips they make a lot less. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour (effective July 24, 2009).[1] Furthermore, the federal government requires a wage of at least $2.13 per hour be paid to employees that receive at least $30 per month in tips. If wages and tips do not equal the federal minimum wage…

The fact that servers are guaranteed minimum wage does not change "they live off tips" one bit. $7.25 isn't enough to reasonably live on. Like it or not, you're paying their rent with your tips. That doesn't mean you're obligated, but it does mean you have a strong influence over their financial well-being, even with minimum wage guarantees.

Re: How Software in Half of NYC Cabs Generates $5.2M a Year in Extra Tips

#106

Post by cheald »

nickstefan12 wrote: post #86

I just ran into this last night: I took a cab home from the airport. One: he had no gps and took a wrong freeway change getting home. Two he barely spoke English. Three I basically had to navigate him back on track and painfully turn by turn. End of the trip I go pay, and he's sad that I want to pay with a credit card. Then the tip meter only has 20% or other. I hit other with a much lower tip. He cancels the transac…

This sort of crap is exactly why I use Uber whenever possible.

There's plenty negative to be said of Uber, but at least the drivers aren't attempting to constantly scam me. I'm absolutely done with putting up with taxi bullshit. There's a lot of security in both parties knowing that their identity is known to a mutual third party, and that bad behavior will have consequences.

Re: How Software in Half of NYC Cabs Generates $5.2M a Year in Extra Tips

#107

Post by mikeash »

madeofpalk wrote: post #28
infinotize wrote: post #22

I thought this was a pretty blatant cheap trick the first time I saw it (similar to restaurants putting tip calculations on bills from 18-25% (which are usually post-tax no less!!)) and on the occasion I am in a cab always punch in "Other," or best option pay cash. Automatic deduction for cabbies who often tip themselves and hand you less change without asking - give me my change in full and I'll tip you, thanks. To…

> less than 15% requires the server to be noticably rude or inattentive. As an Australian, in a country that doesn't have a culture of tipping, I find it very amusing that you would tip a server who was noticably rude. Edit: For context as well, tipping is on the rise up in Australia, but only at classier/fancier/modern/hipster places, and the extent of a tip would be to round up to nearest $10 (or note, if paying ca…

A low tip can send a stronger message than no tip. If I was really upset with a waiter for some reason, a one-cent tip would convey my displeasure much better than leaving nothing at all. Not that I've had occasion to do this.

Re: How Software in Half of NYC Cabs Generates $5.2M a Year in Extra Tips

#108

Post by lotharbot »

tzs wrote: post #103
madeofpalk wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> less than 15% requires the server to be noticably rude or inattentive. As an Australian, in a country that doesn't have a culture of tipping, I find it very amusing that you would tip a server who was noticably rude. Edit: For context as well, tipping is on the rise up in Australia, but only at classier/fancier/modern/hipster places, and the extent of a tip would be to round up to nearest $10 (or note, if paying ca…

If you do not tip, they have no way of knowing if the lack of tip is because you never tip, or because you were displeased with the service. A small tip resolves this ambiguity.

It's somewhat common to leave a two-cent tip to signify you were displeased with the service.

Re: How Software in Half of NYC Cabs Generates $5.2M a Year in Extra Tips

#109

Post by mikeash »

biot wrote: post #2

I find tipping culture really confusing. How is it that when your plumber saves the day and gets your leak fixed (saving you expensive flood restoration costs) you pay the price on the invoice, yet for a car ride from A to B it's worth paying 20% to 30% over the invoice price? Compare that to buying a new vehicle where, regardless of how knowledgeable and spectacular the salesperson is, you are considered to be getti…

In addition to the other reasons given, I think a lot of it is just historical. If an industry is traditionally tipped, there's a lot of inertia against moving it to be non-tipped. Employers won't want to pay more when their employees are getting tips, and customers won't want to stop giving tips until employers pay more. Likewise, there's a lot of inertia against moving the other way. I'd wager a lot of it is just luck of the draw over time.

Re: How Software in Half of NYC Cabs Generates $5.2M a Year in Extra Tips

#110

Post by nickstefan12 »

mikeash wrote: post #104
nickstefan12 wrote: post #86

I just ran into this last night: I took a cab home from the airport. One: he had no gps and took a wrong freeway change getting home. Two he barely spoke English. Three I basically had to navigate him back on track and painfully turn by turn. End of the trip I go pay, and he's sad that I want to pay with a credit card. Then the tip meter only has 20% or other. I hit other with a much lower tip. He cancels the transac…

Sounds like you got scammed. How could he just change the amount for the ride? Isn't there a meter that's visible to both of you that shows what's due? If he insists that you have to pay more than what the meter says, tell him to get bent.

The meter said 100, but after I tried to manually enter a tip other than 20, is when I found out about it "actually being 150". He claimed that he had turned the meter off at one point and was actually doing me a favor he wouldn't have done if he had known I was going to barely tip him. I would have stood my ground (having to give turn by turn to your cab driver for 20 minutes is hardly tip worthy), but being in front of my house I didn't want to cause a scene and was tired from my flight.

The irony is that I actually was about to take an über x quoted at $70, but I decided on a cab last minute (wish I hadnt).

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