Probably way too many

Wow. After reading this thread and several others on that "other" forum for Uber drivers, I am definitely going to be checking my rating immediately after every ride and 1-starring any driver that causes a reduction.

I actually went over to that other forum thinking that I would be convinced that I need to start carrying cash for Uber tips, but after reading through several threads there, not only am I *not* going to tip, but I am also going to start downgrading any driver who even hints at a tip shakedown. You would think that I would feel sympathy after reading their side of the story, but the sense of entitlement and their sneering attitude toward riders that I get from that board has really turned me off. They just don't get it.

I'm new to taking uber and I've been using it a lot here in Orange County. Since I read somewhere that they don't make so much on short rides, I thought I should give the driver a tip. Well guess what, I tried to tip on two different uber rides and both drivers declined to accept. The first time was on a USD 10 ride that had a 1.6x surge pricing. I tried to give I think 2 or 3 dollars but the driver seemed embarrassed to take it and said no need. So I thought maybe my tip was too small. On my next ride, which was a short distance and cost about USD 6, I tried tipping 5 but the driver said "I don't think we're allowed to accept but thank you so much."

I'm quite confused now and I haven't offered since. So far though, my rating is still 5 stars.

This is exactly the response I received from drivers early on as an Uber rider. (Refusing a cash tip) I suspect that these drivers were new, accustomed to drinking the Uber Kool-aid, and not jaded from Uber's rate policies that cause low pay.

Early on, Uber attempted to establish a "no tipping" culture within their domain and drivers have been trained to accept same. In the meantime, Uber has slashed rates to the point where drivers feel that customers should make up the difference because of the low pay. So where we are now is somewhat pivotal - do we accept that we should subsidize Uber's exploitative rates for drivers by tipping, or do we take a stand that Uber drivers should simply not drive for Uber because they are exploitative, and seek alternative means of income, and not tip, since "no tip" has always been part of the product we bought into.

Personally, I am in the "no tip" column here. Firstly because this is what Uber has always sold as their service to both riders and drivers. It is not our responsibility as riders to have to make up for Uber's inability to provide what they have promised - a ride where a tip is not necessary. This is Uber's promise, and it is Uber's responsibility to ensure that drivers are indeed made whole without introducing a tipping system to subsidize inadequate pay. If drivers take it out on me (via crappy service or lower ratings, or whatever), so be it. I will rate accordingly. At the end of the day, it is Uber that needs to change, either by acknowledging tipping in its own app, or raising rates so that it is truly not needed.

What does all of the above mean? There will be many opinions, but from my POV, it means that until Uber makes clear by the positive endorsement of a tip through the app, I strongly urge you to refrain from tipping otherwise. Doing so simply ruins it for the rest of us who would prefer a clearer, more transparent means of knowing what it costs for a commodity service.

I only tip when the driver does something "above and beyond", such as loading or unloading heavy pieces of luggage into the trunk. Other than that, I love the easy cashless experience of just saying "thanks" and going on my way.

Tip Your Driver!!!!! If Warranted. It's our culture
 

I understand that Uber has made it falsely known in recent years that tipping is not necessary, or that "Tipping is included in the ride". All that is a Load of crap. You tip your server right? You tip your Barber Right? You tip your concierge, bellhop and Other staff at hotels right? Then how the hell is this any different. How Flippin hard is it to TIP YOUR DRIVER, as long as they provide a great service for you. News Flash! Some of us enjoy what we do and love meeting Pax and providing that service, but we DO NOT make hand over fist on your rides. Let me explain. Look at how much Uber has SLASHED driver pay and raised our fees. Too many times. Some drivers are reporting g less than $7/Hr after maintenance and operating costs. Just like the rest of the industry, WE NEED THE TIPS TOO. Uber Drivers deserve the same tipping courtesy as everyone else. If the service was awesome and you had a great ride then TIP. I always carry a little cash on hand for these reasons. Yes Uber is a "Cashless" system and a Hassle-Free environment but for the love of Pete PLEASE TIPHONE, just a few bucks isn't going to hurt you, heck even a cool 5 spot would be great considering we are saving you and your 3 Drunk friends a trip to the Slammer and a D-DUB for yourself. We save the day by offering a "Cheap ... ride" to and from wherever it is your heart desires. As a Driver, I provide my PAX with cold water, snacks, magazines and sometimes Donuts for my Morning Crowd. I do open doors and load your luggage and Still hardly any tips. I'm not trying to ..... about it or beat a dead horse, but if I haven't said it before TIP YOUR DRIVER. It goes for both UBER riders (Especially you UberPool folk) and Lyft. Start tipping and you will see much better service in the indistry. The only Uber that get GUARANTEED tips are Uber taxi, currently only in a few markets and if provided in your area you will be sure to know that tip is included. Currently there is a Petition to get uber to add a "Tipping" feature to thr app which would be AMAZING. Would make the long hours so much more worth while. Oh yeah did I mention most of us are away from our families for long hours and maybe crawl in to bed at 4am. Yep, to provide a SERVICE to you at peasant fares. Sure I could go sit in a cubicle all day and collect whatever money and not put wear and tare and mileage on my car, but then I wouldn't enjoy what I do. I enjoy meeting Pax and hearing cool stories and the occasional weirdo. It levels me out. I also enjoy those great conversations with a rider that really gets your mind working. I love all of it (Except the nauseous drunk) I don't like you lol, However;if your friend can warn me ahead of time that would be great. I am an Uber diver who believeshould in accepting ALL rides if a ping come through. I'm that guy that's hustling around town so that I have grocery money. How is it that the UBER generation is all about Sustainable Pay and raising the minimum wage, but can't spare a few bucks to tip a driver. Blows my mind. I hope you look into these issues and make an informed decision that Tipping is Acceptable, and needs to be executed more often. We are however saving you a lot of money and providing a better service than a ...... taxi. Thanks for listening. I'd like to hear some opinions. Let's keep it secondary Education language please. No need to bash me.

I did not give one star because I was driven safely to my location, but I will be contacting uber about it

Being in the passenger transportation industry, I can understand you wanting to be tipped, especially as you hardly make any money working for Uber. However, I just don't understand if the pay is that bad, why do you continue to work for them? Uber's model is more for the casual driver looking to make a little extra money, not for someone to make a living off of. That is the mistake many make as we have had drivers decide to quit w/o notice after they worked a few days part-time and made a decent amount that they felt it would be worth it to go at it full time and make more. Now they want to come back, but because they didn't give us any notice, and we were left scrambling to cover their shifts, they are not eligible for rehire.

What I don't like about Uber is the way they come in to a city and run illegally so that they can create a demand for the public to make the authorities make Uber legal under regulations. When they first started out, they followed the rules and became profitable. Now doing it this way, the flaunt the authorities. In Miami-Dade, FL they have amassed close to $10 million in fines before the commissioners made them legal. Now they are trying to mitigate the fines, and still not follow the rules set to make them legal, still collecting fines for picking up in areas of airports and seaports outside their designated points.

I welcome the competition if they were to abide by the rules.

You already explained how it's different: Uber made it known in recent years that tipping is not necessary. Beyond that, Uber's app promotes a cashless experience.

Also keep in mind that tipping is not only *not* customary in many parts of the world, it's actually discouraged.

If driving for Uber doesn't make financial sense, drive for someone else or do some other job. I'm sorry if this comes across as blunt or insensitive, but it's a simple reality. Lyft, for example, allows for in-app tips -- maybe that's a more financially rewarding option for you.

If you acknowledge that Uber is cashless, for the love of Pete PLEASE stop asking for a cash tip. If and when Uber adds the ability to provide a tip through their app, then you'll have a leg to stand on. Until then, demanding that people carry sufficient "5 spots" in local currency to look after Uber drivers reeks of entitlement and unreasonableness.

By the way, you're not keeping me and my 3 drunk friends out of the slammer; my planning and maturity to not drive is what's keeping me out of jail.

1. Welcome to Flyertalk.
2. I primarily use Uber in NYC. In NYC, UberX is priced to be just about in line with a taxi fare, if you include a tip on the taxi fare. No reason for me to pay a tip in that circumstance, it's already fully priced into the fare.

Welcome to FT IraqVet505!

I would tip on many rides if Uber would include a tipping function in the app. I'm usually not carrying small bills and I am often not even carrying the currency of the country that I am traveling in.

I also don't like to have to print out my Uber receipts and write in the amount of tip I gave for my expense reimbursements. I would rather forward my Uber receipts directly to our accounting department.

When i'm using Lyft I tip frequently. If your standard of living is dependent on tips perhaps you should give Lyft (if Lyft serves your market) a try inasmuch as they make tipping much easier and less hostile than Uber.

Last week, I had a meeting with a same day turn in Singapore. I flew from CGK to SIN in the morning. I used Uber to go from the airport to my meeting and then back to the airport when I was done. I did not have any SGD on me and I didn't tip.

IraqVet505 welcome to FT. Not bashing you. Just some feedback - I couldn't read your post - if you had something to say it was lost on me. Perhaps some paragraph breaks would help? Honestly my eyes starting glazing over by the 3rd line...

If this occurs, I may consider tipping. If Lyft and Uber rates remain exactly where they are in cities where I use both, I'd probably tip about 10% if offered the chance to do so in Uber.

Good luck with your petition.

Right now, there is no tipping option. Handing a driver cash is a nonstarter. Period.

Thanks, lainys. I tried but gave up, a bit like Izvestiya in the bad old days.

And thanks, too, for not quoting the full post, unlike several others. ;)

So let me get this straight. Your intent is to try to influence people who have the opposite view to you....? :rolleyes:

"News Flash!" - actually tipping is far from necessary (or normal) on Uber. I'd have thought you'd have checked that before taking the job rather than getting upset about it afterwards?