RIDEGURU
As a rider there are various reasons for taking Uber/Lyft. Here are some of the reasons riders gave me. DUI, suspended license, dont want to drink & drive, lease car dont want to put miles on, dont have a car, cheaper than parking, and dont want to risk accident in bad weather, public transportation stinks in my area, cheaper, cleaner, more convenient then a cab. They are saving you money, no risk to your car during inclement weather, no risk for you getting in accident if drinking & driving & saving you from DUI or worse. If driver is polite, respectful, car is clean, drives you safely from point A to point B, maybe offers chargers & other amentities, possibly does a small favor by stopping somewhere. Why wouldn't you give at least 1.00 or more? Obviously they are saving you more than that few dollar tip you could give. I totally understand the driver gets paid. But by now you surely have heard that drivers are not making much $ like they used to. After Uber takes their 25%, then 2.00/2.60 booking fee, and then the "others fee" usually .25 to .99. What the driver actually receives isnt much. Lets not forget gas, oil changes, taxes, ride share insurance, wear & tear on car (trans fluid, tires, other fluids, etc) Not that its your fault or problem but assuming you are a somewhat decent person why dont you feel the need to tip a few dollars for a service well done? I am curious why some riders tip and others dont. If you dont tip for rideshare but tip waitress, bar tender, etc... Why someone who hands you a shot & beer, or your dinner on a plate versuses a driver who takes all the risk, gets you around safely, and saves you money?
RIDERS: What are some of your reasons for not tipping a driver?
Posted 5 years, 5 months ago
Posted In
Ask a Passenger
Do you have comments or questions to people who take rideshares? Any driver advice for your passengers or other ridehailers? Share your thoughts, feedback, complaints and have them be heard by real rideshare riders.
Posted By
Monica Castleberry (momof4)
8198
Rider
Driver
Ride Expert from Philadelphia PA
Mom & Nursing Student by day Ride Share Driver by night always on the go
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Comments
Do passengers who barf in the car get negative ratings? I bet they do.
Here's a role-reversal. Last year when I was getting back from college for Thanksgiving break, the barfing was committed by the driver. Yes, the driver. It was about a 25 minute ride from the station, and he and I were chatting about Thanksgiving and our plans. Everything was fine until he got completely silent and stopped responding to me questions. I could see him lean in towards the steering wheel, throw his head back once, then put his right hand to cover his mouth. He was starting to pull over, but it was too late, vomit-ville in his hand and splattered the front seats. I felt horrible.
Just for the record, I wasn't charged the cleaning fee (thank gosh, LOL), and I actually refrained to NOT rate the driver. I felt too awful.
Oh no I would've been super embarrassed. I wonder when he threw up, if you had a weak stomach it made you throw up, if he would'vd reported it to Uber. Lol That really wouldnt be funny but I could see some drivers doing something like that. If that way me while driving I wouldve tried to grab a barf bag. Then I wouldve apologized profusely and refunded your money on the app. I couldnt even imagine. That was super nice of you not to rate him. I didnt gave my pukey riders 5 stars. I knew I would never be paired with the New Years people because of their location and where I normally drive. I did however shoot Uber a message asking them not to pair them with me again. They said yes. We all make mistakes no sense in trashing their rating.
You probably should have reported him. He was probably tipsy from his Thanksgiving festivities.
As a passenger, I expect only two things.
1. A clean car - and I mean a truly CLEAN car. Yes the floormats can be soiled from today's traffic, but NOT from two weeks ago with filthy carpet around them. And yes, I do prefer to look at the windows so PLEASE, wipe the interior windows down once a week or two. And no, I don't want to play with your kids toys scattered about the back seat and back window. And yes, I DO need the AC running when it's in the 70's outside (or warmer) and NO i don't ever want the windows rolled down.
2. Drive the speed limit and obey the laws. Come to a complete stop at stop signs. You don't need to be the fastest car in the left lane on the interstate - just drive safely and comfortably with the flow of traffic. Remember, YOU get paid for TIME and miles, so there's really no reason to drive unsafely, you're actually costing yourself money. And I pay the same no matter how long you take.
Be nice if everyone thought like you:). Over the summer I seen a few taxi cabs on I 95 with passengers windows rolled down. I will assume at passengers request, at least I hope. I had a rider tell me he was on his way to work in an Uber temp was 85 hot & humid driver had no air on. I dont understand what would make you think anyone would want to sit in a hot , stuffy car. Thank you for sharing Wes.
So what you are saying is that anything outside of those two things is "extra" and you should tip for them? This is assuming you expect these two things and you wouldn't tip for these two check boxes being ticked off. (I agree with that.)
Personally I hate when the driver ASKS for a tip. Things like "5 stars and a tip please!" or dropping hints such as "I took this guy home in a major storm last night and NO tip, I cannot believe some people still do not tip drivers". Like I can see right through what you are doing and now I want to tip you even less.
Sometimes I get asked by rider "What platform do you like better as a driver"
I typically tell them that they are both about the same for me (Lyft and Uber copy each other for rates), include some examples, such as Lyft pays driver same on Shared rides as regular *by subsidizing the ride) where Uber does not. I also tell them that Lyft displays a long ride notification even on destination filter, then go on to explain that I like doing longer rides better, as I make more money from longer rides, car uses less gas, less wear tear, and passengers seem to tip a bit better on longer rides with Lyft more than Uber, etc.
I may even give an example of a short ride and a long ride as to what a driver makes
On short ride, say driver needs to spend 15 minutes to get to passenger, then wait for them for 5 minutes then drive them 2 miles down pot holes and stop signs and red light cameras in heavy city traffic that takes another 10 minutes at the end making $3.56
On a long ride I would say …
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Sometimes I get asked by rider "What platform do you like better as a driver"
I typically tell them that they are both about the same for me (Lyft and Uber copy each other for rates), include some examples, such as Lyft pays driver same on Shared rides as regular *by subsidizing the ride) where Uber does not. I also tell them that Lyft displays a long ride notification even on destination filter, then go on to explain that I like doing longer rides better, as I make more money from longer rides, car uses less gas, less wear tear, and passengers seem to tip a bit better on longer rides with Lyft more than Uber, etc.
I may even give an example of a short ride and a long ride as to what a driver makes
On short ride, say driver needs to spend 15 minutes to get to passenger, then wait for them for 5 minutes then drive them 2 miles down pot holes and stop signs and red light cameras in heavy city traffic that takes another 10 minutes at the end making $3.56
On a long ride I would say a 45 mile ride like say I did yesterday that took me same time to complete as the short one I would make $40.00 and if passenger is feeling generous ant tips on top of that long ride, that brings my total per ride even higher.
So if a passenger asked a question, and got a response along the lines of what I listed above.
Is all passenger really getting out of the answer is that "the driver somehow is sending that passenger a hidden message to tip at the end of the ride"?
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No! What you said above seems totally reasonable at least to me. I get what Chelly is saying, I hate the *hints* too but by just being factual and answering a question I think that is completely legit. It is the drivers who find a way to very obviously hint about tips.
I agree. Should not ask or hint. There are times in conversation where a rider will be asking questions about driving for Uber, how much do you make, biggest tip etc... I try to avoid mentioning tips at all. I avoid that topic like the plague:) I know some drivers have signs and tip boxes. I just cant do it. I would never put a sign or box in my car. Thanks for sharing your opinion.
Do you know what I don't tip for?
- "Getting me to the destination in one piece...I mean...how else?"
- "Driver greeting me nicely...like a human being"
- "Driver knew the destination and didn't get lost..."
- "Driver was not speaking on the phone while driving me."
I dont think anyone stated "in one piece" not sure what you are asking? Why would you not tip for driver greeting you nicely, like a human being? Yes all drivers see the destination but doesnt always mean the GPS directions are correct. Obviously if they mess up do to their error and not GPS error I agree 100% for not tipping. I also agree they shouldnt be on their phone just rude to do so. Thanks for sharing and giving your opinion.
My point is that tips are for going beyond the expectation and a job well done. In other words, I shouldn't tip for things that are expected of a human being.
Don't get me wrong. I appreciate nice people who smile and greet. However, I do not want to live in a world where I have to pay extra for smiles. Said opposite way, I do not want to pay extra for the driver not being on the phone for being a jerk.
Your missing my point. In my first post I was asking why wouldn't someone tip if the driver was polite, kind, courteous, helpful, respectful etc...? Not just those few things but also (small favor) ex. loads packages, bags, luggage, etc... makes unscheduled stop for rider ex. store, drive thru, mac machine etc... Doesnt get lost, car neat and clean. Offers charger if rider needs phone charged. Checks to make sure temp is comfortable and what music rider prefers. All of these together as the whole ride experience. Hence the question why wouldnt a rider tip? At least 1.00? So if driver did all of the above things for a rider I just dont understand why someone wouldnt tip. As a rider I tip my driver based on car clean & neat, smells good, driver polite, gets me to & from destination safely (if its raining heavy or snowing there are many obstacles the driver faces) not just the weather but other idiots on the road who cant drive in inclement weather, on their phone…
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Your missing my point. In my first post I was asking why wouldn't someone tip if the driver was polite, kind, courteous, helpful, respectful etc...? Not just those few things but also (small favor) ex. loads packages, bags, luggage, etc... makes unscheduled stop for rider ex. store, drive thru, mac machine etc... Doesnt get lost, car neat and clean. Offers charger if rider needs phone charged. Checks to make sure temp is comfortable and what music rider prefers. All of these together as the whole ride experience. Hence the question why wouldnt a rider tip? At least 1.00? So if driver did all of the above things for a rider I just dont understand why someone wouldnt tip. As a rider I tip my driver based on car clean & neat, smells good, driver polite, gets me to & from destination safely (if its raining heavy or snowing there are many obstacles the driver faces) not just the weather but other idiots on the road who cant drive in inclement weather, on their phone, or drunk. Before Uber/Lyft if I took a taxi I tipped 20% on top of the high priced fare. So why wouldnt I tip an U/L driver? Jow are they any different (in my opinion most U/L drivers & their cars are much better than taxi).? Lets say I am out drinking I would obviously tip the bartender. Why would I tip a bartender 20% for bringing me drinks but not tip my driver who drove me home safely and saved me from a DUI and got me home safely? People in service industry work for tips. Taxi drivers were always tipped 20% on top of the high priced fare unless the rider was cheap. Just dont see how this any different if not a better, cheaper, easier solution than ordering a taxi. Not even saying 20% just wondering why not even 1.00 tip.
As for my 2nd post (reply to your post) I was responding to your post. You posted "driver greeted me nicely", "driver knew destination & didnt get lost", and "driver not speaking on phone" i just re read it as I was going to respond and misinterpeted what you were saying. I do agree with your post those things are the norm or at least should
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I feel I should explain a little more on my logic and why I feel the way I do. I do just about whatever a rider asks within reason. Make an extra stop, 2, sometimes 3 stops that rider doesnt put in app. Drop off their friend or 2 a few blocks away or on the way (more times than not not a few blocks & not on the way). Take express pool riders to their front door because even though they choose express pool i cannot leave a female rider put on street corner at 230am. All of what I just mentioned can cause me to miss another ride and maybe a good paying ride. I have picked up two different females who were so drunk they fell in the street and friend couldnt get them up, one in pouring rain 2 hrs. into my 12 hr night. I got to drive 20 hrs in soggy wet clothes. Helped both up their steps to front door I didnt get so much as a thank you from the 1 in the rain. Is that part of being an Uber drivers job? Sorry but no. Is it because its the decent right thing to do? yes I felt it wa…
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I feel I should explain a little more on my logic and why I feel the way I do. I do just about whatever a rider asks within reason. Make an extra stop, 2, sometimes 3 stops that rider doesnt put in app. Drop off their friend or 2 a few blocks away or on the way (more times than not not a few blocks & not on the way). Take express pool riders to their front door because even though they choose express pool i cannot leave a female rider put on street corner at 230am. All of what I just mentioned can cause me to miss another ride and maybe a good paying ride. I have picked up two different females who were so drunk they fell in the street and friend couldnt get them up, one in pouring rain 2 hrs. into my 12 hr night. I got to drive 20 hrs in soggy wet clothes. Helped both up their steps to front door I didnt get so much as a thank you from the 1 in the rain. Is that part of being an Uber drivers job? Sorry but no. Is it because its the decent right thing to do? yes I felt it was thats why I did it and not for a tip but i feel they should've tipped. Lady orders an Uber pool pull up to supermarket 22 bags my Honda Pilot was full every seat and trunk. Now I cant take anymore riders again I lost money. I loaded all of 2 bags and unloaded out of car up her driveway up 4 steps all 22 bags. Ride made me 3.45 no tip, possibly lost 2 other pool riders, and i had to cancel a 15 mile XL trip as rider needed to leave immediately couldnt wait. 3 people have thrown up in my car didnt report any of them to Uber. 2 of them friends helped me clean car and it was thankfully just liquid. One put me out of commission on New Years Eve as throw up froze to the outside of my car. Not only did I lose 2 hrs on busy night but needed 1 trip for 65.00 bonus. Husband gave me 20.00. I try to be kind and understanding. I try to do the right thing.
I am not asking for a pat on the back, a medal, or a 100.00 tip. I am sure there are many other drivers who do extra things for thie riders also. I made my choices not one of them forced me to do or not do any of it. If drivers should be a kind, decent human being so should riders.
In the examples I posted those people should have tipped. If I had done any of that to a driver your damn right I would've tipped and tipped big. I am not an unreasonable person. It very frustrating when you go an extra step and people like i mentioned above cant be considerate enough to tip. Its funny how the more you do for someone you get no tip or not much of one. The less you do the more people tip and the bigger they tip. (Not in all instances but a lot of them) Go figure.
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Unless the driver is awful, gets you lost not cause of GPS, or car is dirty and a mess thete should be no reason not to tip the driver.
As a. non app driver and owner of a small private taxi service , 30 to 50 percent of the daily gross is in tips . So if a driver s daily gross booking is $300 he will make a average of $120 extra in tips and that is without providing any type of amenities . Your thinking how that can be ? You cannot give quality and value at the same time so either you give quality service or you give the customer value . I choose to give quality service to those who understand what quality means and compensates for that particular type of service. 75% of our customers are seniors the other 25% of those who want quality service that they can trust. I just can't believe that somebody publicly wrote that they would give a driver one US dollar if they provided some type of amenities ; I mean that just totally disgraceful and distasteful but that's the majority of what app companies give to their drivers.
I see some not so nice comments here. In our market, without promotions we are not really making enough money to drive. If you are paying $10 for a 25 minute ride, that means the uber driver is getting $5. which if you include pickup time... and waiting 3 minutes for you to come out, that is more like $10 an hour. Subtract gas, car payments, insurance, cleaning daily, maintenance... tires, oil... They are not making much. If they do a good job, even a dollar helps. If you are paying less than ever for a ride... I guarantee you it is coming out of the driver's pocket... not Ubers. If you want to keep seeing nice cars and good service... tip a little.
This maybe an unpopular opinion, but honestly, getting me from A to B is not enough to deserve a tip. The driver has to be attentive and pay attention than just getting me to A to B.
I’m not saying the bar is high. I tip 98 percent of the time. Say hello and be polite. If it’s safe, maybe get off the car, greet me and help me or at least offer to help me load the bag. Make sure it’s safe during drop off. Ask if we have questions
I don’t need fancy chargers and water and snacks. Just someone attentive and is proud of the job. Trust me; riders can tell.
I didnt mean just one of those things I posted. I meant all of them. As in driver being polite, respectful, attentive, and pays attention. Drives safely,car is neat and clean. Help with packages, luggage, and will make a stop or 2 if asked. Carries plain old phone chargers (nothing fancy) as sometimes riders need to charge their phone and aux cord so they can enjoy their own music if they choose to. Ask if they want to use GPS or would they like to provide directions. This is why I feel a driver should be tipped. I would hope most drivers out there would treat their riders as I stated above. Help them with their bags and make a quick stop if asked. So assuming that most do this then yes they deserve a tip. I know there are drivers out there that dont say 2 words, cars are dirty, etc and wouldnt help their own mom out of their car. So no they dont deserve tip. I agree with LG PA on getting out of car & opening door. I dont do it either unless they are …
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I didnt mean just one of those things I posted. I meant all of them. As in driver being polite, respectful, attentive, and pays attention. Drives safely,car is neat and clean. Help with packages, luggage, and will make a stop or 2 if asked. Carries plain old phone chargers (nothing fancy) as sometimes riders need to charge their phone and aux cord so they can enjoy their own music if they choose to. Ask if they want to use GPS or would they like to provide directions. This is why I feel a driver should be tipped. I would hope most drivers out there would treat their riders as I stated above. Help them with their bags and make a quick stop if asked. So assuming that most do this then yes they deserve a tip. I know there are drivers out there that dont say 2 words, cars are dirty, etc and wouldnt help their own mom out of their car. So no they dont deserve tip. I agree with LG PA on getting out of car & opening door. I dont do it either unless they are elderly, handicapped, hands are full. It is nice to hear that you tip 98% of the time. It would be great if all riders were like you. The weather conditions I drove in the snow and rain were absolutely awful and very dangerous. I seen multiple accidents on I 95 Saturday night. State Troopers were saying how bad it was on I 95 and TP. I watched people getting pried out of cars with power tools and jaws of life. I had 7 trips up and down 95 that night. Roads were flooded, windy out, constant down pour, I got all of those people to their destination safely along with all the other things mentioned above as did many other drivers that night. Your damn right I feel we should've been tipped especially that night. I bet on the 5 trips to the bar the bar tender got tipped for bringing some over priced drinks:) I do appreciate that you do tip. I also appreciate your feedback on why you should or shouldnt tip. Just trying to understand people I guess. Just want to know their logic and opinions. Thanks again. Keep on Tipping:)
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Probably comes down to passengers still not being accustomed to tipping rideshare drivers or are just plain cheap.
It will take time until cultural shift kicks in. A pizza delivery driver who drives a pie a few miles from point A to point B must be tipped (because this is a custom in US), driver hauling a passenger and their bags and their kids safely from point A to point B (not so much) :)
Some months back was driving two millenials from train station in NJ to Philadelphia, they ordered a pizza during a ride so it could be delivered to their home by time I got them there. They were asking the pizza clerk if they could leave a tip for driver over phone. No tip for me though :) because all I did was delivered their cheap asses safely in the rain from Point A to point B :)
Unbelievable. I dont understand there logic. Maybe they just lack common sense? Were not raised right? Yes some people are just cheap but it cant be the only reason they dont tip. Then I have other riders that tip well above what they should when I do nothing extra. I just dont get it.
Out of curiosity, would a bellboy who handles luggage at hotel for 2 minutes or a door man in an apartment complex that holds a door open for 7 seconds deserve a tip just for doing their job?
If yes, then why would not a driver who not only helps with luggage but also hauls the passenger in their car deserve a tip?
I do not think it is necessary to jump out of the car, run around and hold door open for passenger, unless passenger is handicapped or elderly. Especially when drivers have to stop in the middle of the busy street to pick up a passenger.
It just feels that cheap passengers (not you since you tip 98% of the time) are just looking for excuses to make it seem ok not to tip.
So if 98% of rides result in a passenger tipping, this tells me most drivers are shining stars:)
If only 98% of all passengers tipped 98% I think we would be in good shape:)
Dangerous drivers. Those who speed or weave in and out of traffic. No, I'd rather get their safer than dead.
Cranky drivers. It doesn't matter if it's towards me or other people on the road. The true nature often come out when driving.
I agree. Had a rider the other night tell me he had a driver that was so nice until.the last 5 min of ride. Flipped out on another driver, tried cutting driver off road, pulled up on his bumper and was screaming. Turned to my rider (his at the time) and said "i am sorry i dont usually do that". No thats the norm for him. Rider asked him to let them them out of the car immediately. True colors always come out. Thanks for sharing.
I have never not tipped. Minimally $2 every trip no matter how short and 25-35% for long haul. However if I ever ever find a driver who doesn’t torture me with forced chatter for an hour I tip at my higher percentage. They are sooooooooo rare