xooz

Well.. to prolong the agony, the "question" was "...we should supplement folks with tips as a routine thing AND we should encourage avoiding tax laws as well?" I already stated I tip as a rule. I do not go out of my way to tip in cash as I believe it enables tax fraud. Others do not agree. I can live with that.

As to the actual topic, arollins was kind enough to clarify the sequence of actions that allays my concern that drivers rate riders based on tips. Sounds like they rate before getting tip info. That's good enough for me.

arollins

As a driver, my preference for a cash tip is not a tax evading issue, but rather just having cash in hand to use when buying water, food, or anything else while I'm driving. I bring money with me, but its always handy to have extra as well.
I greet and treat my passenger as they enter the car. I help loading/offloading lugagge and grocery bags, this, out of curtesy, but also because I do not want others to scratch my trunk, car. I assist eldelry and those that appear to need help. I dont do this with the expectation of a tip, but it certainly comes in handy.

Most riders do not take in consideration that the car belongs to the driver, and sometimes they sneak some food or drinks while the driver is not looking and leave a mess on the car. I've myself have slowed down my driving for almost a month with the COVID-19 outbreak. I only do Uber on the side for extra income, but at the moment, I do not feel it is worth it.

jamesteroh

That's why I don't get why people will tip a cab driver and not an uber driver. Uber is usually cheaper and the driver is using their own car. I really hope people are tipping generously now with the Coronavirus and the added risks drivers are taking. The guy that works in my building that drives for Uber is refusing to drive for a while. He said it isn't worth the risk and does it for part time income mainly on weekends and with the bars all shut down it isn't worth it. There's probably going to be a demand for it for it though for people without cars in bigger cities that need to work where they have eliminated or cut back bus services.

Need

Lots of Uber drivers are turning into Instacart shoppers and DoorDash, UberEat, etc... deliverers. I tip them extra but in the app not in cash to minimize the risk of transferring anything to them. BTW, I used to walk out to the Amazon delivery truck if I see them coming to get my package so they don't have to walk up the driveway to my front door. Don't do it now... as the driver told me to stop and he put the package on the floor so I could approach to get it. I think they have rules to not let anyone get close.

jamesteroh

If I were any uber driver right I'd stop driving unless I absouletly had to seeing it's impossible to distant six feet. And for people who do curbside pickup for food, tip when you order if you have to prepay because some restaurants aren't allowing cash tips now.

GrayAnderson

To at least take the devil's advocate position here, early on part of the point of Uber (in particular) was supposed to be "the price is the price is the price". That is, you'd get a price for a ride (say, $20) at pickup and there would be no expectation of a tip and no "surprises" because a driver took a longer route. That was a major thing for me using them to start with (well, that and taxi agencies generally screwing the pooch with those bloody "entertainment" functions that I'd have to keep shutting off...there's a reason that half the time I'll pay for a black car if I'm not bothering with rideshare)...but at the time, as I recall, fares were also somewhat higher because there were fewer drivers and the worst of the issues hadn't arisen yet.

WillBarrett_68

that's still the case

the only difference is that they've added the ability to tip if you want to.

Loose Cannon

One thing you can do is wait for a period of time, such as an hour, before rating the driver.

s0ssos

So you are saying before you had no ability to tip?
Or are you saying before they added it in the app you didn't tip?

WillBarrett_68

[Moderator edit]

Tips aren't some sort of discrete thing. Money is fungible, The fact that they marketed it in the early days as "tip included" didn't actually mean anything, and people who like to tip still tipped before, only they did it with cash.

audio-nut

When Uber first started, the price of the trip was quoted as a range and the final cost was based on actual time and distance.

Tino

Get your rating and your number of trips high enough, and you no longer have to worry about ratings anyway. I'm at a 4.97 after about 1,200 rides, so short of committing a crime, my rating isn't going anywhere.

Segments

Can’t see my number of trips in the app. Is it visible from the website?

Tino

No, but I was able to track my monthly numbers through the ibotta app that was (don't know the current status) offering a very generous rebate per ride.

TeddyBoomBoom

I am not a wealthy man in the slightest, by FlyerTalk standards, but I went to college , grad school, and through a subsequent terminal professional degree, and am fortunate to be in the early stages of a reasonably lucrative career. But... I’ve also washed dishes, sold t-shirts, waited tables, and tended bar. It has legitimately never occurred to me to try to AVOID tipping ppl.

I can’t imagine sitting in a restaurant and doing the math as to whether the server “deserves” 17 vs 23%, or whether the Uber should get $17 on the card because all I have are $20s. Heck, I’ve moved to a state where somebody else pumps your gas. I always throw them $3-5 depending on what’s on my wallet. If a big company sends hourly employees to pick up and install appliances or furniture, I throw the guys some cash proportional to the job.
AAA same thing.

My wife doesn’t really mind, but I know she thinks I’m a little silly.

With the exception of restaurants, my entire “extravagant/extra” tipping probably ends up to be <$100/mo total. I think in this country service industry employees have a tough gig so I’m happy to
err on the high side. Also, being known to be a fundamentally generous/chill person can serve you much better in life than being the guy that saved 3 bucks on an Uber once.

tldr: in the absence of intentional .......ry, I pretty much always tip well.

Just my 2c,

- Ted