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Instacart is playing games with its workers’ pay

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Re: Instacart is playing games with its workers’ pay

#341

Post by tptacek »

matt_wulfeck wrote: post #338
tptacek wrote: post #298

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's because you're doing it wrong. Don't evaluate their performance. Consider the tip a "variable buyer price-sensitivity upcharge". You're comfortable paying 20%. Me too. So: just always pay 20%, without thinking about it. That's in fact the actual economic purpose of the tip anyways. People think it's to encourage good service, but in fact, in jobs where you can make significant money tipping, there's already co…

Why in the world should a transaction go like this: I just make a purchase. Now it's time to calculate the arbitrary variable buyer price-sensitivity upcharge. Not to mention of course that charge will invariably be higher for those that are attractive. More so if they flirt. Also tipping is not socially obligated in a lot of fields with employees who actually need the money: e.g. Fast food, bank tellers, retail empl…

You're welcome to propose other objections to tipping. I'm only addressing the one about how tipping obligates the consumer to make snap evaluations of the quality of service they've received. No, just tip 15-20% invariably. That's what you're expected to do.

Re: Instacart is playing games with its workers’ pay

#342

Post by Chris2048 »

tptacek wrote: post #340
Chris2048 wrote: post #339

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it still isn't. Giving an example of actual market segmentation, still doesn't make context-free tipping about market segmentation.

I don't understand this response at all. You suggested that making people who are less price sensitive pay more isn't a goal of market segmentation. In fact, it's literally the textbook example of market segmentation.

> You suggested that making people who are less price sensitive pay more isn't a goal of market segmentation

No I didn't. I said the specific thing being discussed was not market-segmentation. Venn-diagram.

> it's literally the textbook example of market segmentation

If you aren't just trying to be patronising, then please point me to a textbook that literally uses tipping as an example of market-segmentation.

Note, tipping higher amounts in different, more up-market places doesn't count, because like I already said:

> Just go to cheaper places if you are 'price-sensitive'

OP was suggesting people choose to tip higher amounts based having a higher income; regardless of venue, and regardless of social-signalling or marketing encouraging you to do so, simply because you can, and because it's a moral and socially responsible thing to do.

Re: Instacart is playing games with its workers’ pay

#343

Post by TheOneTrueKyle »

Why the fuck do you keep talking about cultural norms? "Cultural norms" aren't homogeneous. This cultural norm bullshit you keep spouting is just a way to isolate people from your ideal world that exists in your head. Did you know that some people have different religions? Did you know that some people like macs more than PCs?

My fucking intentions are to get some food. Why are you putting so much value into what is essentially a person who takes food (from a cook, you know, the person responsible for making your food and the actual star of the establishment) and transports it less than a 100 ft radius?

Re: Instacart is playing games with its workers’ pay

#344

Post by harryh »

TheOneTrueKyle wrote: post #343

Why the fuck do you keep talking about cultural norms? "Cultural norms" aren't homogeneous. This cultural norm bullshit you keep spouting is just a way to isolate people from your ideal world that exists in your head. Did you know that some people have different religions? Did you know that some people like macs more than PCs? My fucking intentions are to get some food. Why are you putting so much value into what is…

Cultural norms about tipping waiters in restaurants actually are homogeneous within the United States. In the very few cases where there are exceptions restaurants make sure to indicate this on menus.

Re: Instacart is playing games with its workers’ pay

#345

Post by [deleted] »

tptacek wrote: post #309
Chris2048 wrote: post #303

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> variable buyer price-sensitivity Just go to cheaper places if you are 'price-sensitive'. Arguing 'there's already competition' doesn't make sense, it isn't a binary thing. Are you arguing that if you can afford to pay more, you should? Isn't that socialism? This isn't how capitalism is supposed to work.

No, in fact, market segmentation by price sensitivity is a pretty basic mechanism of applied capitalism, taught to basically everyone who has ever taken a marketing class in business school.

[deleted]

Re: Instacart is playing games with its workers’ pay

#346

Post by TheOneTrueKyle »

harryh wrote: post #344
TheOneTrueKyle wrote: post #343

Why the fuck do you keep talking about cultural norms? "Cultural norms" aren't homogeneous. This cultural norm bullshit you keep spouting is just a way to isolate people from your ideal world that exists in your head. Did you know that some people have different religions? Did you know that some people like macs more than PCs? My fucking intentions are to get some food. Why are you putting so much value into what is…

Cultural norms about tipping waiters in restaurants actually are homogeneous within the United States. In the very few cases where there are exceptions restaurants make sure to indicate this on menus.

You live in a completely different world than I do yet insist on generalizing everything. You are quite fascinating.

Let me ask you this then. Have you ever tipped the person who cooked your food?

Re: Instacart is playing games with its workers’ pay

#347

Post by [deleted] »

TheOneTrueKyle wrote: post #346
harryh wrote: post #344

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cultural norms about tipping waiters in restaurants actually are homogeneous within the United States. In the very few cases where there are exceptions restaurants make sure to indicate this on menus.

You live in a completely different world than I do yet insist on generalizing everything. You are quite fascinating. Let me ask you this then. Have you ever tipped the person who cooked your food?

[deleted]

Re: Instacart is playing games with its workers’ pay

#348

Post by harryh »

TheOneTrueKyle wrote: post #346
harryh wrote: post #344

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cultural norms about tipping waiters in restaurants actually are homogeneous within the United States. In the very few cases where there are exceptions restaurants make sure to indicate this on menus.

You live in a completely different world than I do yet insist on generalizing everything. You are quite fascinating. Let me ask you this then. Have you ever tipped the person who cooked your food?

You live in a part of the US where waiters don't typically receive tips from the vast majority of patrons?

Re: Instacart is playing games with its workers’ pay

#349

Post by soheil »

pshposh wrote: post #302
soheil wrote: post #291

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They may not feel like a chimp and also I like to be the kind of chimp best referred to as a code monkey, thank you! And what makes you think grocery stores with all their deceitful marketing will exist as we know them today? If everyone is a worker for Instacart shopping on behalf of someone else the stores will have to adapt and there won't be any point of distracting those workers with random product placements fo…

Grocery stores will be redesigned to accommodate personal shoppers just like cities were redesigned around the Segway. If the Segway or personal shoppers were free you might have an argument.

I think Amazon fulfillment centers maybe a better example.

Re: Instacart is playing games with its workers’ pay

#350

Post by TheOneTrueKyle »

harryh wrote: post #348
TheOneTrueKyle wrote: post #346

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You live in a completely different world than I do yet insist on generalizing everything. You are quite fascinating. Let me ask you this then. Have you ever tipped the person who cooked your food?

You live in a part of the US where waiters don't typically receive tips from the vast majority of patrons?

Of course people do. It's more your reaction to it. Like you are financially invested in people who don't make food but people who bring food a couple feet to the left.

So have you ever tipped a chef?

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