RIDEGURU
Should I give low ratings to Uber drivers who solicit tips?
Posted 6 years 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
Flutter Shy (FlutterShy)
310
Rider
Ride Apprentice
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Comments
I see this is an old question but going to throw my .2 into it anyway. I agree with CaspPer. If its a subtle sign, tip box, etc. Then I do not see the harm and definately dont see why you would give driver low rating. Zaferian I agree with you on that one, not buying that story. Kstark77 no one is asking for "the community to subsidize workers". In the taxi industry it's well known you tip the driver. I get technically Uber isnt a taxi but same concept. You are getting a discounted ride compared to a taxi, you are getting to and from somewhere safely, if you are happy with the service dont get why cant you tip the driver a few dollars? I know many drivers that go out of their way for riders or provide amenties in their vehicle for riders. Not to mention the crap we put up with from certain riders. A $2/$3 tip is not "sticking it" to the rider. Just seems like you are too cheap to give a small tip for a job well done. You probably dont tip in restaurants either. Waitresses only get pd $3 so why should "community have to subsidize them"? Happy everyone doesn't think like you.
I guess it depends on how aggressive they "solicit" for tips. I don't blame them for asking as it is their livelihood. I don't think they should, because I look at it as an intimidating, but I may not give negative rating.
As a driver I drive to make money, and if you're "offended" that I accept tips, then chances are that you never intended to tip to begin with, and are simply looking for a way to justify not tipping your driver. Let me ask you:
Do you tip in restaurants? Do you tip when you have food delivered? Are you always offended by waitresses and delivery people? Why the hostility towards drivers?
If you think that penalizing drivers for several months (for me, a rating affects me for approx 6-9 months) is justified because they accept tips, you're EXACTLY the type of passenger I 1 star and leave waiting for a ride when you order one.
Okay here is my thing and I do this even in restaurants or anywhere else someone blatantly asks for a tip. It it not because I am cheap but it is because I have worked in a situation where one thing we could never do is ask for tips or gifts. It is not good business to solicit tips. I have no problem with a sign or a something that says 'tips are appreciated'. however if a driver has the bad taste to ask or tell me I should tip it is almost a guarantee I won't. Especially if they spend the ride telling me how hard it is to make ends meet. First of all if it is that hard then get a different job. We all make choices in life and if you want to be your own boss then you are going to work a little harder. That is just life. I am not tipping you because I am a cheapskate or anything like you might think. I typically do tip unless you do something that is uncalled for like being rude, complaining my trip is too short, …
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Okay here is my thing and I do this even in restaurants or anywhere else someone blatantly asks for a tip. It it not because I am cheap but it is because I have worked in a situation where one thing we could never do is ask for tips or gifts. It is not good business to solicit tips. I have no problem with a sign or a something that says 'tips are appreciated'. however if a driver has the bad taste to ask or tell me I should tip it is almost a guarantee I won't. Especially if they spend the ride telling me how hard it is to make ends meet. First of all if it is that hard then get a different job. We all make choices in life and if you want to be your own boss then you are going to work a little harder. That is just life. I am not tipping you because I am a cheapskate or anything like you might think. I typically do tip unless you do something that is uncalled for like being rude, complaining my trip is too short, or any of the myriad of things taxi drivers are famous for. However if you ask me for a tip on principle alone i will tip you less or not tip you at all. Your waitress in a restaurant cannot ask you for a tip, bellman and valets cannot ask you for a tip. Yes they expect one just like you but they would be fired for asking. Soliciting tips is just bad business. I realize many who have never worked in the service industry or who do not understand the ins and outs of acceptable behavior when giving someone a ride. We all have to learn together. I get you use your car and your gas and all the other things but again it is your choice and calling people cheapskates who would not tip anyway is simply not always true. I can say in almost all of my 4,000 plus rides I have maybe not tipped on 10 of them. So I do tip and I will always tip you. You get more if you do an extra service or take my luggage and help at the airport. You get no tip if you tell me you deserve one. It is that simple. However that being said there are many riders who do not tip because they do not get it either. They have never before relied on someone else for a ride and therefore they feel entitled. I have heard many people say they should not have to tip which I adamantly disagree with and have told them. If you are provided a service and you get from point A to point B your driver deserves and expects a tip. Part of the problem is when ride shares first started they actually marketed the no tip thing and once you put that on the table people do not forget it so its hard to change peoples minds. Remember when Lyft first started they called it a donation and you could pay the suggested donation or less if you wanted. What if that model had stayed around? I think they learned very quickly no one is going to drive for them if people would not even pay the suggested amount. That business model died fast and it should have but there are many people who still believe the tip is in the fare you pay. I think the companies are the ones who have to fix this but explaining in their marketing that the up front price is not inclusive of a tip and that riders should tip for the service. That way drivers won't have to offend people and looe tips by asking and riders will know upfront they should tip because some honestly do not think they have to. So instead of looking at what passengers do wrong and blaming people for being cheap, or soliciting tips drivers need to push the companies to explain to riders that tips are not included. Then everyone will be happy. (well except for a few cheapskates you can just stop picking up). :) okay don't shoot the messenger JMO
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Good stuff. You definitely get it!
I wish more riders were as informed as you;)
I am a driver, I never ask for tips, not complain. Like you I would feel less inclined to tip a driver who openly asks for it. I will automatically tip all waiters, drivers, passenger luggage handlers, etc. by default.
I can see drivers are doing it out of desperation since neither rideshare company actually educated the rider base, not on tipping, nor on car seats for children. Sonsrivers left fending for themselves trying to educate the general public. I however do think that openly asking for tips via jar, or verbal requests is not good for driver image.
I have a simple small one sentence sign on back of center console where vents are for rear passenger “Please rate your ride/trip in app ;)”
No mention of tipping, but by doing so I am hoping passengers will be more inclined to actually rate the trip and we all know what screen comes up next, yup the tipping one, so if the passenger already went through trouble of rating me, hopefully 5 stars, good chance they will also add me a few bucks if they feel I earned it while they are at it.
Guys, what is going on here. The man is just trying to earn a living. All he is trying to do is to ake $1 more on his $3 ride. Trying to feed his family for godsakes. Either throw him a bone, or just let it be. amirite?
+1. These people make less than minimum wage. Can we help them as a community?
Don't stick it to the riders just because Uber cannot run a decent business. There shouldn't have to be a cultural shift and a community subsidizing some unfortunate workers only because this private company doesn't know how to make a profit.
Drivers or riders, you can't argue with this.
What you say is noble, and I agree, but the truth is that the reality is reality. What's happening is what's happening. You can be technically correct, but these drivers cannot feed themselves now, and you are saying we shouldn't help them just because it's Uber's fault. Seems like you just don't care.
You're passionate in defending Uber, but are you also as anti-tipping when you're at a restaurants? Admit it... you're cheap and you're just looking for validation of your questionable beliefs.
To all so called passengers who allegedly say they feel uncomfortable in giving a tip maybe it your hemmorids
What your really saying is that your a tightwad who would not tip anyhow . Please download a mass transit app and delete all ride share apps on your phone.
Totally agree. If you allow yourself to call a cab, you can leave a tip, though not much.
I've run into these drivers. I will admit, it is annoying. and I don't even know how to respond, which by default is a sign that the driver is being rude by making me uncomfortable.
It does depend on how they ask or how hard they push. I often give the, "I will do it on the app later," (I mean, how else, right? unless you pay cash), and one driver said, "I can tell by the way you said it that you won't tip." WTF
Another driver said, "I'd appreciate if you could tip me later. It's difficult to make money on these short rides. Thanks and have a nice day." I didn't mind that nearly as much. I mean, he even gave me a reason which is cool.
You feel uncomfortable ? It's because you have hemoroids.
I've had an Uber driver take my phone and give himself tip. I am not even joking. He was telling me he wanted to show me how to close out a transaction, (Yeah, it was my first ride by myself) and he made it sound like he was being helpful. I mean..gosh, i've been had.
I'm calling bull on this. Sorry.
Another tightwad
How many times are we going to repeat this story ????? If you don't want to tip take public transportation and stop pointing fingers when you know your a tightwad . If you do not tip me when service when rendered you will get a low rating .
That’s retaliatory. You can’t do that. You should self reflect and if there is a reason the rider didn’t tip, you should accept that. You should rate them according to what they are expected to do during a ride as a passenger.
The rating shouldn’t be reflective of whether the person tipped or how much they tipped. What would you do (what would you rate them), if the rider was a total jerkoff but he tipped you $200?
Sadly the drivers are forced to ask for tips seeing how Uber created this no tipping culture. Don't blame the drivers!
You betcha. It's called begging.
You're asking us to pick you up in a car that we pay for, using gas we pay for, insured by the insurance policy we pay for, we're paid peanuts for it, and you want it for the same price as riding a bus, and you dare call us beggars?
RedAnt, I am a driver.
Passengers are becoming cheaper and cheaper. Yesterday I made 6 rides:
Here they are in miles: (all were Lyft)
32
52
20 (this one tipped $5.00)
70
43
12
All others did not tip. I know it is not me as my rating is 4.96 so passengers are happy with service. All rides were Lyft Regular
I was happy to give out 4 stars to each one of them, except the one who tipped, she got 5 stars
I am actually starting to see a trend with passenger ratings dropping. If other drivers are also giving out lower rating to passengers that do not tip, very soon they will start feeling the pain of long wait times as drivers one after another will start to declin low rated passengers requests.
Lyft let’s drivers rate passengers within 24 hours of ride so it is easy to see next day if they tipped and if they did I change rating to 5.
Got one 45+ min request last night from a hotel where I was parked, i accepted, lady cancels, she re requests, I accept, she cancels , theee times total, bet she was …
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Passengers are becoming cheaper and cheaper. Yesterday I made 6 rides:
Here they are in miles: (all were Lyft)
32
52
20 (this one tipped $5.00)
70
43
12
All others did not tip. I know it is not me as my rating is 4.96 so passengers are happy with service. All rides were Lyft Regular
I was happy to give out 4 stars to each one of them, except the one who tipped, she got 5 stars
I am actually starting to see a trend with passenger ratings dropping. If other drivers are also giving out lower rating to passengers that do not tip, very soon they will start feeling the pain of long wait times as drivers one after another will start to declin low rated passengers requests.
Lyft let’s drivers rate passengers within 24 hours of ride so it is easy to see next day if they tipped and if they did I change rating to 5.
Got one 45+ min request last night from a hotel where I was parked, i accepted, lady cancels, she re requests, I accept, she cancels , theee times total, bet she was looking for a female drivers so I kept accepting just to piss her off ;) as I was the only driver in the area. Eventually I just declined, but here is reverse discrimination agains drivers at work
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Not a bad idea LG PA
Your a commie pinko tightwad.
BigFrank, I could use some money, send some right away. Use PayPal and send it to [email protected].
Only a commie pinko tightwad would refuse.
I begged for money and BigFrank didn't send me any. What a commie pinko tightwad.
You have no common sense and I don't use a ride share app to make a living because of jerk offs like you.
BigFrank, This is a gentleman's forum, shame on you.
I am a gentleman but also a realistic gentleman who knows that drivers uniformed in unity should impose a 15 % service charge that goes directly to the driver to weed out the tightwads .
Now you are making sense. I'm a driver myself so count me in on your proposal.
Your a J/O
I'm sure you are a expert in being a tightwad.
I have worked for tips. It is tough. If Uber paid a living wage then drivers wouldn't have to scrounge.
It's plain rude to blatantly hunt for a tip. But when it's not so blatant, if they are appropriately subtle about it, then I don't care. They are making a living. I'll still tip them and give them a good rating.
It is tacky to beg for a tip but on the other hand it was disgraceful of Uber and Lyft to tell passengers not to tip.
If they are not rude or relentless. If they do it in a tactful way then no why give a low rating. Signs, boxes, jars are ok. I personally dont have any of that but i see nothing wrong with it. I surely dont understand why you would give a low rating. If passengers would make an effort even a few $ drivers would not need to ask. Passengers should be tipping drivers.
to the person who told me it's retaliatory to give somebody a low rating because I didn't get a tip for good service.. I don't see it your way but I do see if I gave good service and you didn't give me a tip that means you're a tightwad and you deserve a low rating
If stupid Uber didn't tell people they didn't have to tip then we wouldn't have to discuss this but it's obvious that tips are needed in order for drivers to survive since the turnover rate is so high and the fares are too low . it is very distasteful for a driver to beg for a tip which is the reason why I avoid rideshare apps like the plague. If the driver gave you good service. asking for a tip is not soliciting it's more like begging and this is what you get from an unregulated transportation service. In all my years of driving I would average 25 to 30% in tips until rideshare apps came along and brainwashed people into thinking that tipping was just a trend.
I do not ask for tips, however there is one exception: The Uber App will not allow us to pick up passengers more than a few miles out of state. We are allowed to take them out of town as long as it ORIGINATES from our area. (Even if they are in state, it is unlikely we will get a passenger going back home on long distance trips.)
If someone wants a long ride well within another state, I cannot get a rider back. If the rider wishes to go an hour or more away, I tell them at the beginning of the ride: "I cannot get work on the return trip. Please consider taking care of me for the "dead leg" back. You may not know this but Uber does not pay for gas, the maintenance, insurance, car payments, XM radio, or any expenses. I pay for EVERYTHING. Uber just pays us a fixed rate by the mile and minute. (Mostly.) A large chunk of what you pay goes to Uber."
I do not specify an amount. &n…
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I do not ask for tips, however there is one exception: The Uber App will not allow us to pick up passengers more than a few miles out of state. We are allowed to take them out of town as long as it ORIGINATES from our area. (Even if they are in state, it is unlikely we will get a passenger going back home on long distance trips.)
If someone wants a long ride well within another state, I cannot get a rider back. If the rider wishes to go an hour or more away, I tell them at the beginning of the ride: "I cannot get work on the return trip. Please consider taking care of me for the "dead leg" back. You may not know this but Uber does not pay for gas, the maintenance, insurance, car payments, XM radio, or any expenses. I pay for EVERYTHING. Uber just pays us a fixed rate by the mile and minute. (Mostly.) A large chunk of what you pay goes to Uber."
I do not specify an amount. So far I have not declined a ride, most people agreed, some stiffed me anyway. I leave it to them to decide. Most people get it and don't think twice about it.
Do you really think it is fair to expect an Uber driver to accept a 2 hr ride, when they have to drive almost 2 hrs back for FREE? (We literally do not have to accept the ride and can cancel it at any time if you are rude, lude, or aggressive, toxic, or even unclean... or if we really do not have the time to make a 4 hr trip.)
Feel good about yourself! Seriously, If you are offended, then probably what you feel is guilt because your awareness has been raised as to your being a cheapskate... Take care of the people who provide you with good service. That being said, if the driver or the car is maloderous, toxic, rude, lude, a horrific driver, if the car is unsafe... then do what you must. Better yet end the ride and give them a 1. However if they have taken pride in their car, and service, and been a good experience then consider leaving a few extra bucks
What others do, should not affect who you are. You are not lessened by being asked for a tip, nor are you required to give one just because you were asked. So feel good about yourself, have some confidence in your actions or lack of... and do the right thing. Furthermore, should the service be contingent upon an unwanted tip, simply decline if it is not to your liking: Roll the dice, take a chance and the next driver in a clunker will come your way who is willing to work for the shells of peanuts. The ride will be awful, the smell may come out of your clothes, you might have to listen to bible music the whole way, your throat may be burning, and your nerves wracked... but hey... no tips solicited.
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Some drivers are really creative with soliciting tips. One just had a sign that said "Tips for Tacos", I love tacos so I gave a tip...
Did you get a Taco in return?
Fuego, I like it. Love your sense of humor.
YES.
I know drivers and riders both give low ratings to those people who are rude. and I do consider soliciting tip as very rude. The tip isn't something you ask for. It's for a job well done. You shouldn't ask for it, and you shouldn't expect it. I can't believe this needs to be explained.
I am sure this "soliciting" works in many cases, but the whole reason it works is because of the pressure being put on the rider. I consider this horrendous, and the driver should be discouraged for doing such things. and if it takes a low ratings, so be it. (I mean, what is the rating for if it doesn't deter bad unwanted behevaiors?)
It's ok for drivers to "remind" you to tip, but it has to be a gentle nudge. I think most people know that tipping option is there in the app, and we all know reminders aren't reminders. It's a... nudge.
It’s all in the delivery. It all depends on how you ask