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Uber Finally Adds a Tipping Option To Its App (gizmodo.com) 85

Posted by BeauHD from the spare-change dept.
After years of complaints, Uber is rolling out a tipping option for drivers. "Tipping is available in Seattle, Minneapolis and Houston as of today. We're starting with only 3 cities so we can create the best tipping experience for you and your riders. We'll be adding more cities over the next few weeks, and will make tips available to all U.S. drivers, by the end of July 2017," Uber said in an email to drivers. Gizmodo reports: Uber will also roll out a full set of driver-friendly features. The cancellation window will narrow to two minutes (it was previously five) and drivers will get a per-minute fee if a rider makes them wait beyond two minutes. Drivers will also get a cut of Uber's "teen fare" which had previously gone exclusively to Uber. Now, drivers will get $2 of the fee. Uber will also offer drivers the option to enroll in injury-protection insurance. Uber has always argued that it offers a seamless experience and that adding a tip feature into its app would interfere with that. The company promises an up-front fare to the rider, with no fumbling around for cash or evaluation of a driver's performance beyond assigning a rating.
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Uber Finally Adds a Tipping Option To Its App More

Uber Finally Adds a Tipping Option To Its App

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  • Everyone hates tipping (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 20, 2017 @07:11PM (#54657393)

    Everyone hates tipping because in North American culture, we're at the point where it's considered obligatory not optional. One of the nice things about travelling to Japan or Australia is that no one expects to be tipped.

    Allowing for tipping might get more drivers out on the road, but it will make for a substantially less satisfactory customer experience.

    • One of the nice things about travelling to Japan or Australia is that no one expects to be tipped.

      Really. Have you ever been on a dive boat in Australia?

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Anonymous Coward

        It's obligatory because employers are legally allowed to pay less salary to employees who make substantial income off of tips. The US federal minimum for employees in professions where they are expected to make regular tips is $2.13 per hour. And employers do indeed often pay as low an amount as the state and federal governments allow.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by swb ( 14022 )

      I almost got thrown out of a Shropshire pub for trying to tip the bar maid.

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by physicsphairy ( 720718 )

      Personally, I love tipping. I like the opportunity for generosity and able to show appreciation for people. I wouldn't be nearly as comfortable having people wait on me if I couldn't reward their consideration -- at that point I would rather just take care of it myself.

      By the same, though, I greatly dislike when establishments underpay their employees so that tips are necessary. Then tipping is longer generous, it is just not-being-a-jerk-and-stiffing-people.

      • Re:Everyone hates tipping (Score:4, Insightful)

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 20, 2017 @10:17PM (#54658325)
        It's not "their consideration". It's "their job". They're not doing it because they're nice. They're doing it because they are being paid to. If they weren't being paid, they wouldn't be there. Sure, tip if it makes you feel better. But rest assured that they don't give a fuck about you or your feelings at all.
    • I've called an Uber and not been proud of it because I know the driver is being abused. I switched to Lift because they let me tip and found the last Lift I called I didn't have the option (no idea why).

      Tipping gives me a chance to put my money where my left wing mouth is when I'm stuck patronizing evil businesses because almost every business bigger than a dog groomer is evil in some very obvious way. It's not much, but I never said I was much of a man. I'm humble enough I can't do very much more than

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by djinn6 ( 1868030 )

        I've called an Uber and not been proud of it because I know the driver is being abused. I switched to Lift because they let me tip and found the last Lift I called I didn't have the option (no idea why).

        Hint: The US government produces these things called "bills", which are also known colloquially as "cash". I promise you Uber isn't going to do anything to you if you decide to hand some of those over to the driver at the end of your trip.

        By the way, if you really, really like paying extra for your ride, you should call a regular taxi instead. You know, the ones that are actually licensed by the government? Last I heard, business wasn't doing so great and they'd really appreciate a few more suckers- I me

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by KGIII ( 973947 )

      LOL I like tipping. I carry cash, pretty much just for that reason. I even tip the guy who pumps my gas. It's a nice way to say, "Thank you for giving me good service." I even tip bad service, in places where tipping is customary. If a server screws up my order, I might even eat what they ordered for me - if it looks interesting. I'll still tip 'em. I won't give them as much, but I will still tip 'em.

    • "Drivers will also get a cut of Uber's "teen fare" which had previously gone exclusively to Uber. "

      Wait, what? Uber has been charging a special higher fare for teens... but the driver was (up until now) getting the same amount????

      How does that make any sense? If there's a surcharge because teens are in some way harder to deal with-- what, do they damage the cars, or what?-- the driver is the one dealing with it-- the driver should get the surcharge and Uber get zero part of it.

      Not much info about the teen s

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by mjwx ( 966435 )

      Everyone hates tipping because in North American culture, we're at the point where it's considered obligatory not optional. One of the nice things about travelling to Japan or Australia is that no one expects to be tipped.

      Yes, we pay our workers a wage that can be lived on. Sure it's not a life of luxury, but you aren't dependent on handouts either.

  • available option = expected action (Score:5, Insightful)

    by markdavis ( 642305 ) on Tuesday June 20, 2017 @07:26PM (#54657511)

    I can understand why many people will want to tip. But I thought the whole point was to use RATINGS to reward or hurt the drivers, not money. Riders would know what the exact amounts are in advance and yet still have the power to adjust the drivers future success through feedback in the app. Higher rated drivers will be more sought-out, have more success, and ultimately make more money.

    Now tipping will become EXPECTED, like it is in all other industries where tipping exists. Yeah, Uber says:

    âoeTipping is not included, nor is it expected or required,â the team added. âoeAnd thatâ(TM)s how we intend to keep it.â

    But I am telling you, there will be an expectation of tipping for good service and leaving no tip will imply bad service. And no tip might lead the Driver to downrate a Rider.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Lumpy ( 12016 )

      Yep, UBER wont expect it, but the Drivers will. Oh and you had better tip 30% because 20% is the new normal.

      • >"Yep, UBER wont expect it, but the Drivers will."

        Exactly

        >"Oh and you had better tip 30% because 20% is the new normal."

        Outrageous! At least for wait service, 15% is a good tip, 20% is superb. There is zero reason that the percentages should ever increase.... inflation takes care of the actual amount relative to the food.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by AvitarX ( 172628 )

          Food start to finish becomes less expensive relative to cost of living due to automation/technology.

          Also, the meager base pay becomes relatively less.

          Further, good and superb are completely culturally subjective (right or wrong).

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by AvitarX ( 172628 )

        It's more than that.

        Uber doesn't pay drivers enough, this allows them to keep the low fares, and pay the driver more.

        Tipping had become pretty much mandatory anyway (to keep a rating high enough for future rides), this just makes that part more honest.

    • The drivers will probably have a little sign in the car, "Tips appreciated!"

      Way to kill a good thing.

    • leaving no tip will imply bad service

      Imply to whom? Who will know other than the driver? Why should this be the concern of the customer?

      The passenger could just be Canadian.

  • Pay to Win (Score:5, Insightful)

    by dohzer ( 867770 ) on Tuesday June 20, 2017 @07:46PM (#54657629)

    Oh good; just when I have a 5.0 rating, the Uber star rating system becomes pay-to-win.

  • Shame on Uber (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 20, 2017 @08:00PM (#54657705)

    The so called "tipping culture" is one of the (many) reasons I did not return to the US after leaving in my 20's. It exemplifies the hypocrisy of American self view, where most Americans pride themselves on being honorably anti-corrupt while essentially bribing people in service industries for better service or benefits (e.g. more meat in a sandwich or "free" drinks at a night club) with the reward being tips. The idea is similar to success-based fee structures in the legal profession (prevalent in the US), which happens to be strictly illegal in most English common law jurisdictions for precisely the same moral reason against tipping.

    Sometimes agreeing to demands from employees or contractors is wrong, and it should be in Uber's interest to avoid conceding on this. A better and morally sound alternative would be to offer incentive based revenue sharing adjustments on a driver-by-driver basis based on feedback ratings from riders. For example, the top 25% rated drivers with average billable miles driven per day could earn an increase of 15-25% on passenger revenue, while the bottom 25% would lose a comparable amount of their revenue share. This kind of solution provides an entrepreneurial incentive to perform better, which is precisely in line with the concept Uber (and other ride sharing services) was built on.

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
      • "To me that was clear that all the friendliness was because of money, not because they liked me or they where nice people."

        I hate to shatter your happy little delusion there, but most waiters are only in it for the money. Not because they like you.
        • I know. Seriously. These guys are the biggest whiners. "When I told I wanted to pay with card, they leave with my card, come back with the card and some more papers and then leave. Never to be seen again."

          What were they expecting? The waiter to come chat with them? Seriously, such narcissistic behavior. And one guy left the country because he didn't like tipping.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by mjwx ( 966435 )

        Paying and 'service' in the US is the thing I hated. The service in the restaurants (not fast food or food chains) was not better than I would get in Europe. If anything, I would say that it was a little bit worse. The reason is that when I am asked if I want a desert and say no, I would still be able to sit, empty the bottle of wine, order a coffee and cognac and enjoy the evening.

        Getting good service in Europe and Australia means you have to be nice to service people. I rarely get bad service here in the UK, then again I'm nice, polite and treat others with the respect I would want in return. The person serving me is in the same position in society as me. Tipping promotes inequality between purchasers (haves) and staff (have nots). Whenever this kind of inequality exists, it cultivates arseholes.

        Be rude and arrogant to the nice Dutchperson serving you and you'll get a curt reply

  • You're driving this. (Score:3)

    by Gravis Zero ( 934156 ) on Tuesday June 20, 2017 @08:27PM (#54657827)

    If you give money to a sleazy company then don't be surprised when they are sleazy. We've learned how terrible they are and yet people keep giving them money. If you use Uber then you deserve all the sleaze you get from them.

  • We've reached the tipping point.

  • Although this is great news as a lot more people will start tipping Uber drivers, I always tipped in cash before and will continue to do so.

    I prefer tipping everyone in cash if possible, because it's a small way of fighting back against over-taxation. It gives the receiver the option of declaring that income or not, which makes me happy to think about - and as a bonus it gives them something to enjoy right then, they can get a drink or whatever on me.

    Don't be stingy when tipping, consider how little the mo

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by djinn6 ( 1868030 )
      So the last time you hired someone to fix your house, did you also tip them 20%? A little $4000 on top of the $20,000 repair job? Or did you become a cheapskate and justify it to yourself with "this is the price we agreed on"?
  • "Uber will also offer drivers the option to enroll in injury-protection insurance. " Do passengers know what kind of coverage they have before getting in an Uber service vehicle? Seems kind of important to know . Hey u got insurance any proof? Would want this before a tip option.
  • Like someone else said, drivers will consider it good, but customers will not so they will stop using Uber now over other services. The ease of not worrying about how much to tip and quickly exiting a ride was great. Plus, you could always hand them cash already. Mark my words this is very, very, very bad for Uber and expect even bigger losses for them as a company in the following quarter. I'd like to think the purpose was to attract more drivers to the service, but I've never had a problem getting a ride

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