Doc Savage

What is particularly pernicious about this is that the drivers can screw over pax who they think didn't give a big enough tip by rating them poorly. It'll get worse and worse till only those pax giving 30-40% + tips will get top ratings.

TravelTheWorld66

The driver can't accept a new trip request until the previous rider has been rated. So the rating will always happen before any tipping is done through the app. You can't even exit the rating screen until you've chosen 1-5 stars, so there will be no way to see if the rider tipped or not until after rating them. And I can assure you most drivers wouldn't take the time out of their day to go back into their trip history, find the specific rider that didn't tip (which is difficult because names are redacted from trip summaries), and adjust their rating, which I believe requires contacting Uber support, with typical turnaround times of several hours.

CodeAdam10

Yep. Correct on all counts.

Doc Savage

I've changed my mind about this. Based on your information, this is a change for the better, as it removes the potential for driver down rating pax based on tip size and makes tipping more convenient.

ajeleonard

Exactly, this is actually better than the current situation where there is pressure for a cash tip prior to rating

pinniped

The distinction is moot. Call base rates a penny per mile. Call tips a dollar per mile.

The only salient point is this: I use the app to get a ride at an agreed-upon price. From the perspective of the rider, there is no tip - even if Uber, behind the scenes, called a portion of it a "tip" and a portion of it "base fare". In a way, it's sort of how many fliers buying regular paid flights don't know, or care, whether there was a fuel surcharge.

Further evidence that Uber never intended tipping for uberX: the code is actually there in the app for uberTAXI. If Uber wanted the uberX model to include real tips, they probably could have coded it and tested it in a matter of weeks.

Of course, one might say this whole argument is moot, because at the end of the day the pro-tippers won. Actual tipping - whether you think of it as "tip 2" where "tip 1" is the base fare or not - will be here in a few weeks.

TravelTheWorld66

We'll have to agree to disagree. The point is for many years, many drivers missed out on potential tips because Uber led riders to believe it was already included. That's potentially millions in lost income and shouldn't be taken lightly.

Whether or not you personally decide to tip doesn't matter. What's important is that riders are aware that a tip isn't included in the fare so that they are able to make an informed decision regarding tipping.

john2g1

I think you're missing some serious causality in your statement. I just finished reading a ridiculous 26 point post from a rider on how to get 5 stars... That's it no monetary gratitude just 5 superficial stars. PS this was for UberX!!!

A short out of order version included things like:

• Have an AUX cord
• Charge my phone
• Set the temp to what I want
• Have ice cold water
• etc, etc, common sense, etc

This along is a result of:

1. Uber driver's use their cars and as such they come with amenities (for the driver's comfort) that a taxi (comprable service) would never have
2. Uber's start as a limo service (UberBLACK) and Uber's attempt to pigeon hole limo prices and quality into UberX rock bottom prices

The reality is that riders will keep driver's waiting instead of walking into the car, request to go to a store and have the driver wait (door to door service), ask that the driver exceed the speed limit, expect luggage to be carried and loaded, let them back into your car after they vomited on the side of the road, carry their uncagged pets, etc.


Riders do this all of the time and these are all things that should result in a tip to show gratitude that the driver put up with out of the norm behavior. Because there WAS no tip almost every UberX driver would simply cancel if you made them wait more than 5 mins and collect the cancellation fee.


What you fail to realize is that bad behavior is so prevalent that riders don't care that they are doing less than 5 star things and don't tip because they can't in app (and other excuses).


Long story short yes ratings will take a hit but riders should:

1. Be ready when the car arrives
2. Be where their pin is
3. Contact the driver if there's a gate code or other issues
4. Do not leave trash in the car
5. Don't make the driver come back for left items for free
6. If you're going to the store request a second car when you're done OR tip the driver for his/her time.
7. Don't expect the driver to defy space/time without compensation
8. If your destination is someplace with zero Uber drivers (and so zero requests) tip him/her because GOD knows before Uber a taxi would tell you "NO!!!"

john2g1

Okay so Uber started out as UberBLACK which is more expensive than a taxi so in a way Uber considered the tip (fuel surcharge in your analogy) built in. Uber pigeon holed that model into every other platform (but they are all different).

UberTAXI however, is an actual taxi and as such came with preexisting regulations. The tip code literally had to be in there or UberTAXI would have to be removed.

Furthermore NY (IDK if it's NYC or NYState) which is one of the few markets that has UberTAXI just mandated that all Uber platforms have to have the tip option.

I know the NY thing is a false equivalency but your comment was too.

pinniped

Just because UberBLACK is more expensive than a taxi does not have any bearing on whether the tip is "built in".

I haven't used UberBLACK so I don't know how dynamic that model is, but the point remains that if you engage in an UberBLACK ride, you and the driver have agreed upon a price. He's willing to drive. Has was willing to accept the ride on a platform he knew did not accept post-ride tips, whether he perceived them as "built in" or not. You're willing to ride for that price. If the market bears more for UberBLACK cars than taxis, so be it.

None of this has anything to do with tipping.

cestmoi123

NYC has mandated tipping functionality for Uber, but NYC doesn't (and never has, to the best of my knowledge) had UberTAXI.

Miami305

You repeat this point ad nauseam, which is flawed thinking that essentially supports your view of not tipping an Uber driver. If you want to be that guy, fine with me. I respect a difference of opinion.

But don't pretend like Uber's business practices have not forced some drivers into their current position to accept your ride. Uber has unilaterally chosen to slash per mile and per minute prices on multiple occasions. Drivers who initially signed up at the higher rate, and locked themselves into car loans/leases that Uber heavily advertised and targeted to low-income communities, are essentially being forced to accept up to 50% wage cuts. Some drivers are "willing to drive" without a tip because they don't have another choice since they have to pay a new car loan every month.

canadiancow

There are drivers I would have tipped if there had been an easy way.

But these are not the 5* drivers. These are the drivers I rated 5* and wrote a comment explaining how they went above and beyond.

I don't tip my pilots or flight attendants who do their jobs. I paid for the flight. If they go above and beyond, I write the airline.

Why should my car trips require a second payment after the fact? We agreed upon a price for the service.

Miami305

The same reason you tip your taxi driver.

Feel free to refer to all of pinniped's posts above yours as his argument is exactly yours on why not to tip Uber drivers.

End of the day, we all know neither of you will ever tip drivers, even when tipping is electronic, because you desperately want to save yourself a buck or two.

alanslegal

As a driver, a rider will get 5* from me if they do the following:

1. Be ready when my car arrives (I only drive a 4-8 hours each week and I don't want to be waiting 5 minutes at a handful of pickups as that's wasting my time)
2. Be at the spot where the pin is or close to it (not on the next block, around the corner or even worse the parallel street to where you have dropped the pin off)
3. Say hi when you get in and bye when you get out
4. And be generally pleasant; and I'm a bit more flexible if its Friday/Saturday night when you've had a few drinks and get it that you're happy and having a good time.