Tipping has increasingly become a hot-button issue in America, especially since both the pandemic and the rise of apps like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, etc. It seems like no matter where you go or what you do, you’re expected to add a tip. While I think you should show appreciation to the people who provided you a service, it’s also gotten noticeably more widespread beyond just the service industry. What feels like it started as a way to show gratitude to essential workers who were risking their health while the rest of the country was on lockdown now feels like consumers are expected to bear the brunt for companies who won’t f–king pay their workers a livable wage.
On November 1, DoorDash started testing a new system that warns customers that they may be SOL on their food delivery if they don’t provide a tip. If a customer chooses not to leave a tip, a pop-up screen appears warning them that tipless orders may take longer to get delivered. The idea behind the warning is to incentivize customers to leave a good tip, since DoorDash has the same model that Uber does, where the driver selects the customer. Gone are the days when you were guaranteed your pizza in 30 minutes or else it’s free. Now, you may have to get into a tip war just to get your pizza delivered at all.
“Earlier this year, we began piloting new information screens in the DoorDash app. When consumers choose to add their own custom tip instead of using one of our suggested default amounts, we let them know that tips can help motivate a Dasher to quickly accept their order,” reads a blog post on DoorDash’s website. The post says that if a customer chooses to not leave a tip, the app will also let them know that their order may take longer to be accepted as a result: “This is because — as independent contractors — Dashers have full freedom to accept or reject offers based on what they view as valuable and rewarding.”
DoorDash notes that since launching this test, it’s seen a decrease in no-tip orders. The screen is being randomly tested with customers in markets across the U.S. and Canada, and DoorDash says it’s planning to carefully analyze the results of this pilot program and open up the floor for customers to leave feedback before rolling it out further.
“Everyday, Dashers go the extra mile to help connect consumers with the best of their local communities. That’s why we encourage customers to show their appreciation by tipping,” DoorDash spokesperson Jenn Rosenberg tells TODAY.com.
“As independent contractors, Dashers have full freedom to accept or reject offers based on what they view as valuable and rewarding While the vast majority of customers do leave a tip, offers that don’t include a tip can be seen as less desirable — this impacts our entire community, leading to longer wait times for customers, orders sitting longer at merchants, and less value for Dashers.”
DoorDash’s test comes after food delivery drivers have shared their experiences with deceptive customers on social media, noting the practice of “tip baiting,” in which customers entice a driver with a large tip only to lower it after the order has been delivered. Some drivers have used the phrase “no tip, no trip” to share their frustration with no- or low-tip orders, while others have gone so far as to confront customers who tip below a certain amount.
Colleen McCreary, chief people officer and consumer financial advocate at Credit Karma, says that for food delivery, an appropriate tip is about 20%, because, “You could’ve picked up the food yourself.”
I think “tip baiting” is terrible, and I’m sorry to the drivers who have been deceived by sh–ty customers. I just checked and it doesn’t look like DoorDash drivers can give feedback on customers in the same way that rideshare drivers can. I know people who get really competitive about their Uber and Lyft ratings. Why can’t DoorDash do a system like that? And when the company says that they see a “decrease in no-tip orders,” does that mean people add a 20% tip or they’re adding in a dollar so they don’t show up as a “no tip” order?
Honestly, I am torn between my inherent belief that we’re all in this society together and need to take care of each other and my outrage that companies like DoorDash don’t have better systems in place to protect their drivers. I absolutely believe in tipping delivery drivers, but aren’t you supposed to tip for service after it’s been provided? This pilot program has been rolled out to increase their appeal to potential drivers. Hey DoorDash, you know what else increases your appeal to potential drivers? Offering them health insurance and other benefits! This is just one more case of yet another company that essentially places the burden of their employees’ cost of living onto consumers.
Photos via DoorDash’s Instagram
All companies seem to think the same way nowadays: how can we make more money by offering less.
I went to a small grocery store yesterday and there was a tip screen at the end of the transaction. I’m so sorry but no. I’m not tipping someone for ringing up my groceries. It’s getting out of hand.
The other question you have to ask yourself in those situations as well is:
If you had hit that tip button and dropped a couple of bucks, would the cashier have seen it or would it have gone to the store owner (assuming they are different people). When travelling my hubby and I found out that (in certain places) if you tipped through the machine (adding it to your credit card), it was kept by the restaurant. If you wanted to tip your server, you had to give them cash.
I’ve always heard that DoorDash steals tips from their drivers.
DoorDash (and all food delivery gigs) don’t pay fair wages to the drivers. They expect customers to subsidize those wages with tips (like the abusive pay rate of the restaurant industry). If the platforms would just pay a fair amount to the workers (food delivery and rideshare) tips wouldn’t be necessary. Instead, the platforms take the bulk of what the customer is paying and toss a few dollars to the people doing the work.
And I don’t know if they still allow it but Instacart would allow customers to pre-add tips to attract the drivers to accept the order AND THEN ALLOWED THE CUSTOMER TO CHANGE/REDUCE/REMOVE THE TIP AFTER THE ORDER WAS COMPLETE. Like, literally WTAF?
Sidenote to this: Both Uber and Lyft have cut (by 30-40%) what they are paying rideshare drivers especially on the longer rides. So if you need to go more than 20 miles, there may be a delay in getting a driver because most of us no longer accept long rides due to literally losing money on them. Recently, I got a Lyft request to drive a rider 89 miles and 1.75 hours for $53. I literally laughed when I saw that. Like, no, I’m not working for mere pennies and then getting stuck in a city I don’t know and having to drive back with no fare.
And it’s getting worse and worse for drivers (of all kinds). So yes, if you can afford to tip and you feel the driver did a good job then please tip them. If you can’t afford to tip them please give them 5 stars.
Lastly, the only rideshare platform that treats and pays drivers fairly is Wingz. Wingz only has pre-scheduled rides but the drivers and their vehicles are screened (Lyft and Uber don’t do that) to meet a higher level of service, they pay the drivers the bulk of the fare (68-70%) and you can add drivers to a favorites list and request them for your rides. And their customer support dept is AMAZING for both riders and drivers.
https://www.wingz.me/
Thank you so much for the Wingz tip! (tip haha)
@TORTTU. 😂😂😂
I’d also heard that if you tip on these apps, it goes to the company, not necessarily the employee.
Also, I’ve always believed in cash tips, since if your employer can’t be arsed to pay you a living wage and the government allows those employers to circumvent minimum wage requirements, then I don’t think you should be required to report those tips as wages to be taxed.
But this model eliminates cash tips.
(Also, weren’t tips supposed to be gratitude for a job well done, not a bribe to actually get the job done at all?!)
there is nothing preventing you tipping in cash when the driver comes to your door. however, like the article points out, when drivers are selecting which orders to accept the app shows the tip amount, so it might take longer anyway.
it’s technically wage theft for the corporation/management to skim tips. I would be surprised if that is happening in any of these businesses, just because it’s so easy to track everything. it does however happen at restaurants. some places that pool tips include management, which is illegal.
Most gig platforms have been caught stealing wages and tips. As a driver I try not worry about it but I do make sure I receive the expected amount for my rides. I have no control over tips and have no idea if any of my tips have been stolen.
Because of these problems (among others) the platforms no longer tell us how much the rider paid for the ride and a breakdown of how the fare was allocated. We get “upfront” pricing but no info on how that price was calculated.
Yes, I much prefer a cash tip because I figure that way I know it’s going to the person. But I can’t tip until they get here. We don’t have doordash where I live, but if it ever comes I wonder if I can just add a note that I’ll tip in cash so maybe I won’t have to wait longer. Idk.
Tipping is less common here, because waiters etc get better basic pay. I still tip and so do maybe the majority in a restaurant, but not everyone does. Once in about 2 years, I get such bad service that I don’t tip at all.
So, it’s a cultural difference, but to me it seems DoorDash expects customers to pay for wages that they are not willing to pay themselves.
“But to me it seems DoorDash expects customers to pay for wages that they are not willing to pay themselves.”
Yes.
I waitressed for many years and understood that tipping is for providing good service, so I’m conflicted about the recent trend towards “guilt” tipping. If someone provides me good service, I’m a very generous tipper but I don’t want to be “guilted” or “strong-armed” into tipping that may not reflect the level of service I’m getting.
I’ve noticed some food delivery apps charge service fees and delivery fees, and then base the tip off if the total including those fees and tax, not the product subtotal.
I’m sorry but, delivery drivers have always been tipped. That’s not a new thing. Tipping people behind the counter who don’t provide table service (placing order, bringing food, keeping drinks full, etc.) is the new thing. Having food delivered to your door from a restaurant is a service – I would argue it’s a luxury. Tip your drivers.
But then it happened after it was delivered and you actually got a good service.
I never order food for delivery anymore and go pick it up myself by bike for environmental reasons. I used to tip for delivery but that was after they brought it in a timely manner and they said at least a basic ‘hello’ to me.
And you nearly always tipped in cash back then. There was no way for the employer to steal it. We ordered quite a bit in the first few months of the pandemic, but I try not to any more. It’s insanely expensive and the restaurant who’s actually preparing the food only gets a small portion. We briefly found a Chinese restaurant who did their own deliveries, so the total price including tip wasn’t more than you’d pay at the restaurant including tip (and we always ordered way more than we would have eating in just to have leftovers), but eventually they caved to the delivery apps. I still pick up from them periodically.
Tip- to insure prompt service.
I don’t hate this.
If we are going to keep the tipping system it makes sense to let people know that tipping is a part of service.
That said, it’s gone too far when every time you buy something you are are expected to tip the cashier.
Not in the US, not effected personally by the tipping culture, but if tipping is manatory, why not change it to a service fee? Higher fee for fast service, low fee for slow service?
Insted of making a voluntary gesture mandatory?
@Lara – The food delivery apps do charge a service fee (as well as increasing the prices on the individual food items). None of that goes to the driver or the restaurant. The tip is on top of the service fee.
Hotels have always done this for room service. They charge a service fee that goes to the hotel and then you tip the staff member who delivered your food.
This sounds like extortion – pay up or you won’t get your food.
To be clear, DoorDash has always functioned like this. The only difference is that they’re now piloting informing customers that no-tip orders take longer to get accepted. Which is true. I always tip well and get my food quickly and without issue 98% of the time. I agree with the other commenter who said that delivery has -always- functioned this way and it’s a luxury service.
Tipping was always a response to good service, not a prerequesite.
Tipping was done after the service was provided, not before.
I get how delivery systems work. From the way the piece is worded, it’s not just no-tip orders that will take longer – it’s anytime a customer chooses the custom-tip option. They are “gently” warned that the amount of the custom-tip will determine whether a driver will accept the delivery.
If the company cares about the drivers getting tips, then there should be an automatic 20% put on the bill. But a voluntary tip isn’t very voluntary if the driver can choose not to make the delivery
Delivery is a luxury. A luxury I’m paying DoorDash $8-9 per delivery for. This idea that customers are the jerks for not wanting to add another $6-7 per delivery, instead of the company for not paying them a living wage, is crazy to me.
Isn’t the service the delivery portion? Genuine question. Table service I understand. But you’re paying for delivery like FedEx except it’s food. What’s going to be extraordinary about the service? Thank you.
I would tip over here if it was raining heavily or the driver got into a massive inconvenience. But for point A to B delivery? It’s standard.
Fed Ex drivers are paid a salary – therein lies the difference. You are paying for the luxury of having your food delivered to your door, and unfortunately, the company doesn’t compensate drivers, just like restaurants don’t compensate their servers, bussers, or bartenders with a proper salary. They all live off tips; it’s the same principle. If you don’t want to tip – go get the food for yourself, it’s that simple to me.
Should these things change? Yes, I think they should, but until that happens, tip your drivers and servers accordingly.
I have never used Door Dash, but in general I prefer to tip in cash. I’m never sure how the servers get paid their tips from credit cards (do they get it that day or wait until next paycheck? does the restaurant take out a cut?), and in my mind if I give them cash then they have money that day to put gas in their car or buy food for their kids. If any service I use switched to this system, I would stop using it altogether.
Good point.
I remember there was a scandal in the UK a few years back when waiters of a chain (or several chains) did not get their rightful cut of the tips when they were done by debit/credit card.
I’ve worked as a waitress and as a delivery driver for Domino’s back in the day to pay for grad school. I always tip in cash unless it’s DoorDash or Uber Eats. Because I know how important that cash is at the end of the night when you’re working for peanuts as a waitress. That cash put gas in my car so I could deliver pizzas that night.
However, every restaurant I’ve ever worked for you do not get the credit card tips until usually your paycheck. One mom and pop pizza place that I worked for would pay you at the end of the week.
But in the US, wait staff make $2.13 an hour and I think that figure hasn’t changed since the 1970’s! So, I won’t cry for Door Dash, the company.
The driver getting 100% of the tip has always been my concern, no matter what the app says. Pre-Covid I only ordered from UberEats and either always did a cash tip or did a small tip on my card and supplemented it with cash. And I also feel that the “fees” were a lot less in 2019.
I used DoorDash in July when I was at a hotel in Birmingham and I left very clear instructions, double checked the address, all that good stuff and the app still sent the driver in the wrong direction. Poor guy, I think I ended up giving him $10 or $20 in cash on top of whatever I tipped in the app.
Since I found that Door Dash drivers are usually hit or miss on following my explicit instructions, I just select the middle tip and if the driver leaves my food at a different location, I call and ask for a refund on my tip and I get a refund. If a driver has done an excellent job like faster delivery or delivering in terrible weather, I will call DD and increase my tip. When I don’t feel like tipping at all, I just pick the food up myself. But I hate restaurants and food places that have tip jars when I’m picking up the food myself. I asked a cashier at a BBQ place whether my sister tipped him bc she was being obnoxious, and he misunderstood me and said that the tips by customers are divided amongst all of the people working that shift, which really surprised me. I’ve even seen tip jars at some gas stations, which is also ridiculous. But I had a college roommate who was a waitress and after the stories she told, I try to leave decent tips and will tip well for excellent service.
If i catch you stiffing a waiter, or a delivery driver- i will likely never share a meal with you again. I will judge the crap out of you (in the US) if you do not tip appropriately.
And i’ve noticed, the people who tip poorly are never the ones who can only afford that one celebratory meal out once in a while- its someone who can absolutely afford to tip- just chooses not to. Because they don’t have to- and because there are few to no consequences for it.
ITA @ariel.
Funny how it is usually the rich guy who hates to tip most. Or people from areas/countries that don’t usually tip. Nothing more charming than someone who hates to share their wealth with people who obviously don’t make much money! They tell people on welfare to get a job and then if they do take the job that the wealthy person doesn’t want (they don’t want to pick up their own food and they definitely don’t want to deliver anyone else’s) then that same wealthy critic won’t tip them. That kindness and generousity warms my heart. Go ahead make the Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerbergs and all the mega rich companies of the world wealthier but please don’t tip the little driver! Pay full price for the overpriced coffee, the Amazon packages, the airplane tickets, the audiobooks but please don’t tip the server! Your money should be going to Amazon instead!
My biggest beef is I order delivery from a pizza place a few blocks away from me and the drivers always have another stop they do first that is miles away and then come back to me and the pizza is cold. I’m tipping 25% and put in the comments that I’ll be out front waiting for them which I am. It takes them less than a minute to hand me the pizza as they’re driving by. The drivers tell me they go in the order the that’s given to them so I don’t take away their tip but it’s so annoying and doesn’t make sense. I know, I should just pick up the pizza myself.
@Donna Are you getting pizza delivered from door dash or the pizza place itself? Is this a door dash thing? Anytime I got pizza delivered by pizza hut itself for example they did not make any other stops and just went directly to my house. If the service was decent I tipped the driver in cash. Why get door dash if the actual place already delivers?
This is why I refuse to use DoorDash. What they’ve just described is a fee, not a tip. If I’m being forced to pay the driver on top of paying for my food, why not just get anyone to pick up the food and cut out DoorDash altogether? What exactly is DoorDash for, besides a middleman to tack on fees. I can just call any restaurant and order take-out.
A tip used to be a way to show appreciation, and was at the customer’s discretion. Crappy service at a restaurant? Small tip, sometimes no tip at all (that rarely happened though, thankfully). Now just about everywhere I go, that damn tip screen appears, and as someone else said, I’m being guilted/strong-armed into tipping. I absolutely refuse. I tip the nice guy at the cafe counter because I know him well and he always gets my food quickly and piping hot. I tip my hairdresser well because he always does a great job. I will NOT tip someone just for *doing* their job. That’s what their wage is for. Nowadays I make a point of eating at ‘no-tip’ restaurants (when I do eat out, usually can’t afford it) because they pay their workers better and give benefits.
Screw DoorDash. You all should do the same.
I used to use DoorDash a lot when my mother was getting ill (dementia.) But the restaurant prices and fees have gone up so much, it’s way too expensive. When one Pizza Hut pizza costs $40 total, that’s just ridiculous. And since a lot of chains are getting into delivery–like Panera–I’d rather go that route if I have to. Add to that the fact DD has constant problems treating its delivery people right, and quitting them is a no-brainer. Am doing a lot of dump-and-bake and slow-cooker cooking these days…🙃
I actually work for DoorDash part-time, in addition to my regular job, and have thoughts about this –
First, it is the truth that if you don’t tip, you will wait longer for your food. As drivers we can see the low-paying orders and figure there is no tip; many drivers will reject that order before it is accepted (probably by a newer driver who doesn’t know any better lol), and your food will arrive much later, and probably cold. Those are just the facts. But DoorDash putting that in the app? Those cheap people not wanting to tip, will just put in .25 cents, I swear. How is that helping us?
I know some people argue about tipping ahead of time, but honestly, if you had a horrible experience, you could always call and adjust your tip afterward, so I don’t see the big deal here. I have worked in the restaurant business for years, and giving good customer service is always a priority to me, therefore, I always tip well. Though I know not everyone is like that.
Fact is, DoorDash treats its drivers horribly. For example – if someone calls and claims their food wasn’t delivered (and it actually was), you are risking that driver getting deactivated off the platform. This happened a lot during the pandemic, as you can imagine. It’s ridiculous. Customers get to rate us, but unlike Uber or Lyft, we don’t get to give any customer feedback – like the ones who claim their food wasn’t delivered, people who are incredibly rude, etc.
Bottom line, I don’t see how this policy helps the drivers in any way whatsoever.
@AmyB That happened to my friend who used to drove for DoorDash in California back in 2020 or 2021. Someone complained about him and he said it was a lie but the company didn’t care. They kicked him out without any warning. I felt really badly for him since he’d already been out of work thanks to Covid. It’s crappy how they treat their workers.
@Chloe
Yes, I belong to a FB group for DoorDash drivers in my area, and I have seen several people experience the same thing. It’s really awful – people trying to be cheap, steal food, and then the driver gets fired because you are an asshole.
@AmyB, Ugh, I’m sorry. People really can be so terrible.
Listen, friend, I’ve got nothing but respect for you and all the other ethical food delivery folks (which is the majority of them). I’m a rideshare driver (over 5 years) and when I first started I tried driving for UberEats and after a couple of weeks I realized how awful it is and how little it paid. So kudos to you for being able to do that job.
When we got back from vacation, we ordered food through DoorDash. The delivery driver not only dropped it off at the wrong house, they never answered the phone when I called to find out where it was after the app said it had been delivered. They sent a picture but it was a close-up so we couldn’t even make out the porch! We finally found it outside of a neighbor’s house that wasn’t even home. Before that, I always tip ahead of time so that wasn’t the problem. It was a pain to have to deal with figuring out where our food was and then complaining to DD about the whole thing right after we got off a 5-hour flight.
I increasingly dislike tipping and the pressure to tip increasingly larger percentages. When I was younger, 15% was viewed as a decent tip, now it seems like 20-25% is considered a minimum. As a consumer I have no real idea how much the workers are getting paid as a base salary or what portion of my tip goes directly to the workers vs. something else. Maybe it sounds silly but I find tipping stressful! I would much rather the restaurant say something like “we pay all our workers at least X, and if you order delivery we will add on Y to cover the cost of fuel/vehicle wear, a tip is not required”. Whereas this kind of thing where you have to guess what level of tip will get you your food….thanks but no thanks, I’d rather heat up a frozen dinner.
Let’s just get rid of the tipping custom already. And salaries within a company should not be outrageously different, so that the top guy gets billions and the delivery person one dollar. Makes no sense. Everyone builds the same company.
Pay your employees properly. If you need to increase your charges do so.
The first time I travelled in the US I was shocked by the tipping culture (coming from Europe). My taxi driver asked me where his tip was when he dropped me at my hotel so I gave him some cash but I was on a work trip and with no receipt for that amount it was my money out of my already very limited personal budget for the trip. At the time I could never have afforded a trip to the states and I ended up having to subsidise my travels myself because of having to tip everywhere.
The general public should boycott this and skip. They jack up the food prices, charge a delivery fee and then expect you to tip on the full total…. If we are really finding inflation that bad then why avail of these ripoff services……
I have given up on these services now for 15 months and am not looking back!
WASTE OF MY HARD EARNED MONEY!
Always check your receipts. I went to Subway (where I am now supposed to tip for fast food. I worked there many moons ago and would have never expected one). I didn’t tip and hit skip on the keypad and was charged almost $5 in tip on my receipt anyway! I didn’t realize til I got home. I contacted the customer service and didn’t get a response. Unreal.
I always tip for good service and that means at or above standard percentage; and for delivery, I tip AFTER not BEFORE my food arrives and typically give cash to make sure they get their tip. I will no longer use DoorDash – I heard about the rumor but didn’t think it could be true – Saturday confirmed it is indeed true. We ordered a standard order we have done many times before. It was supposed to arrive in 30-45 minutes. Our order gets picked up in about 15 minutes and sits in the driver’s car for the next hour while he drives around picking up other orders and making other deliveries (you can watch him moving on the map and it alerts you when “making another delivery nearby.”) Our dinner was an hour late and cold. He received ZERO tip.
I hope you realize that DoorDash gives drivers stacked orders a lot – especially during busy times, so they may be picking up 2/3 orders at a time, and then delivering them. Many times, these orders will come in as a pair/or as three orders at once. So, if you accept it, you are accepting all of them.
That is in no way the fault of the driver but from DoorDash’s end. As a driver myself, if I am held up or late, I always contact the customer and let them know what is going on, and I use my hot bags to ensure the food stays hot. I know everyone is not like me, but I worked in fine dining for almost 20 years before doing this part-time to supplement my job now.
Penalizing the driver for these things isn’t fair; it’s the same as penalizing the waiter for the chef/kitchen taking a long time for your food. They have no control over that. I don’t know why people can’t understand this.
I always tip unless the person is extremely bad(which I’ve never had this problem ). Many are trying to make a living or paying for their college education. For Grubhub there’s an extra fee charged to customers so drivers don’t have to rely on tips here in CA.
Also in California, it’s mandatory that waiters etc get paid at least minimum wage(but I still tip). But in other states, they’re paid lower than minimum wage and solely depend on tips.
Why would you tip before you received the service? We ordered from Doordash ONCE. We did the tip online when we ordered. The food was coming from a restaurant FIVE MINUTES away. It took the driver 45 minutes to drive the 3 blocks (and the food was ready very quickly after ordering). So why would I ever tip ahead of the service again? We are happy to tip but what is the incentive to get good service if the driver already has the tip whether s/he gets to the destination quickly or not.