owflyer

Nope, some people are just plane cheap.

chuboy

Imagine that!

As an Australian, the notion of feeling compelled to pay more than you are asked for in exchange for a service is totally bizarre to me. I am struggling to accept any of the arguments I've read in favour of tipping.

Uber says no tips required. Presumably drivers are aware of that when they sign up for the wage they will receive as an Uber driver. So, why would I then give a tip? I am not a charity!

bargainhunter3

Do you not tip on anything then? Restaurants? Haircuts? Bars? Etc? If you don't, then your argument holds, but if you do tips at these places, then your argument is bogus. Restaurants and Haircut places don't broadcast to tip.

For the poster who talked about half hour rides to get to a person. THIS CAN HAPPEN! Not in big metro places like SF, LA, NY but smaller areas can. I once drove nearly 20 mins for a 3 min ride. Uber drivers have no idea where they are going once they pick up a person. If they did, drivers would cherry pick longer fares for more money. Drivers only know where they are taken the fare once they begin trip.

chuboy

No - in Aus tipping is not expected at all. Generally speaking you don't tip anyone and nobody expects to be tipped. That includes restaurants, hairdressers, hotels. Different culture I suppose. Some cafes will put a tip jar on the counter but in my experience few people add to it, even if they only have small change.

Some of my friends bartend or wait restaurants and do sometime get tips from wealthy or drunk customers, but they definitely don't rely on tips to supplement their wage. You can live off a hospitality job here even if you never get tipped.

paulwuk

This Is the issue the widely travelled person has. While tipping 15-25% is essential in the U.S. (In some places, but not others), in Europe it's clearly optional (unless there's a service charge), in the Far East it's often an insult.

That's not a problem, but more unworldly travellers will export their own tipping culture. Austrailians not leaving a penny in a NY diner, or Americans leaving 20% to their Beijing taxi driver.

Tipping is a minefield for anyone with an outlook beyond their own local area, and it would be far easier if the world was the same (Currrency, language, tipping). It's not though - and variety is the spice of life, but when it comes to Uber it is - no tips, job done.

Tips / bribes drive down wages - the business owner can pay less by assuming the customer will make up for the wage.

Uber does not do tips, same as when I buy some soap from CVS. If that changes, uber will be able to pay less in tippy countries and it leads to the mess we have elsewhere where people rely on tips.

There's an argument as a British citizen in not legally allowed to tip, especially in the U.S. Where it's accepted to be a required payment.

Need

I don't wait for surge rate to end before ordering UberX, so I considered that the tip already.

nd2010

I tip my Uber drivers a few bucks each ride. It's still cheaper than a taxi and the service is much better. The drivers rate us too and low rated passengers are less likely to get picked up.
I found an Uber driver in my neighborhood. Because I tip him well, he gave me his phone number so I can schedule a ride with him. For example if I need a ride to the airport at 4 in the morning when there aren't any other Uber drivers online.

Segments

And what would result in a lower than 3 rating from you?

themicah

When you call him, does he log into the driver app and accept your ride? Or do you just pay him cash? If the latter, you might want to check on what kind of auto insurance policy he has. If anything ever went wrong while he was giving you a ride, it would suck to find out that you're not covered as a paid passenger in his personal vehicle.

Adelphos

- In NYC, UberX is on par or slightly more expensive than a taxi (when including the 20% Taxi tip).

- If Uber drivers are rating customers lower due to not tipping, that's a problem. Uber specifically says tipping is not necessary. If I get rated lower because I don't tip, that directly impacts my experience as a customer as lower rated customers are picked up less. Until Uber says tipping is customary, it needs to punish drivers that leave low ratings due to no tipping.

Diaster

So stop tipping everyone else while you are at it. If they do you a solid why not tip? Driver earnings at x level are below min wage! That's what uber doesn't tell you? Just about a dollar a mile. Take out the 57 cent wear and tear.. That 43. A mile. At average 30 miles per hour that's about 12.90 and hour, oh but wait that doesn't count the at least half and hour for every hour of return or dead time. So really 8.60 an hour.
Yeah... Don't tip, walk or take that expensive dirty cab.. That you do tip on top of the $35 for the same ride!
Cheap and pathetic!

IceTrojan

I think if the driver goes above and beyond, then tip.

Why are people here thinking that tips are verboten? There's no "need" to tip, so don't if you don't want to, but to report a driver for pointing out that tip isn't included in the fare (which it's not) is just wrong.

Outright asking for a tip is definitely wrong. But informing a pax that tip isn't included isn't.

IceTrojan

This I agree with as well. Drivers shouldn't expect a tip... passengers shouldn't expect to tip... ratings shouldn't reflect tips.

But for a doing something out of the ordinary, why not tip?

Diaster

I had to join this forum, compelled to comment.
First off, tipping is customerry in the US rightly or wrongly because employers punt the wage issue to the customer.
Here, taxi, limo, hair, bartender, waitress, uber taxi, nail salon, massage, stripper, valet, bell hop, doorman, and the list goes on, gets tipped. Really, seve me a beer barkeep, here's a buck!
Next, uber leads it drivers into thinking they will make good money. Their first adds placed it at $35 an hour, They started taking bigger commissions and now they claim $18 an hour.
Next, as a result there is an over saturation of drivers in many if not most areas, lured by the promise of good earnings.
Now I will give my experience. I am a new driver with a black car and one off custom truck, lifted, sound system, entertainment, video, karaoke etc built in.
No more uber black is allowed in my market.
I get pinged to Auburn, CA. I was in Roseville. I drove 12 miles to pick this dude up, that's $3.69 hard fuel cost to me before the ride. I pick him up and he is thrilled with the "awesome ride" row 2 miles later, dropped off, no tip! I earned 4.00 and still had to drive 12 miles back!
Lucky I picked up two young ladies for a concert who were thrilled with the "awesome ride" and tipped me $40 for the $24 ride of which I got $19
Point is, uber has everyone brainwashed! They want you to not tip, hassle free experience is so they make money. They do not care about the drivers.
End result, you stop getting clean safe rides and start getting ghetto wagons because that is the cheapest way to the provide service. Realistic driver business model. Now you can change that so a large degree, however...
You don't want to tip... Fine then the service will die and you can go back to dirty cabs ar 3x the cost, pay in cash and... Wait for it... You will probably tip the non English speaking driver, but wow you showed those Uber guys didn' you!
Lastly for the 5 stars is your tip cheaPskate! Uber considers anything less than 4 stars, an epic fail. So by that, a Prius ride equals a Mercedes ride. I will tell you this, you have that choice not tip and give that star that was earned anyway at great discount. Here is what the driver can and will do (your cute little star awards door swings both ways) He/she will rate you 4 or less, likely three. I will for sure! Enough of those and you won't get picked up... EVER! Riders rated less than 4.7 get passed over a lot here. So you can decide to not tip and we can decide to not give you a ride, cool huh!
Lastly, all of you cash no carry types. Tell me, So when you plan to valet your car, you don't cash out a bunch of ones to tip him as you come and go. Neither the bell hop nor the maid, nor the doorman... They all make more than uber drivers and don't use their own personal gear!
I have never seen so many... How do I put it... Cheapskate self centered losers!
Okay, rant over

Diaster

Giving you a ride in my personal car after waiting for 20 minutes... That's way out of the ordinary. You guys think this is like, non stop delivery... Look at your app, look at all those riderless cars!