“For most markets where DoorDash operates, customers are prompted to tip on the checkout screen, with a middle option already selected by default. If they want to, they can adjust the tip later from the status screen while awaiting their food, or even after it’s delivered. That’s changing today; while blaming New York City’s minimum wage increase for delivery workers, DoorDash announced that for “select markets, including New York City,” tipping is now exclusively a post-checkout option”
It seems so ridiculous given tipping fatigue, that DoorDash is making what should be a given sound like a negative.
This is the way it should be everywhere. I’m sorry but tipping before the order is even delivered creates a fucked up incentive with the drivers and the people getting food. Especially when apps like DoorDash make it very apparent. Who tipped well before they even pick up food. The tip should always be rendered after service.
I’m fine with a tip for over and above service, but otherwise yes I agree.
Worth noting that this will absolutely destroy the gig economy (which I’m kinda also fine with, tbh) and things like food delivery we see today. There is a reason very few businesses delivered prior to the delivery apps.
close but not quite. Tips are given for excellent service. It’s an extra added bonus for going above and beyond. It should not (and as far as I’m concerned) is not used to pay a person’s base wage.
Minimum wage at restaurants in my state is $2.13 an hour. In such cases, it absolutely is used to pay someone’s wages, which is fucked up, IMO.
Your statement is accurate and reasonable for servers, who are employees of the restaurant, and are guaranteed to earn at least minimum wage.
But we are talking about delivery drivers. Drivers are generally contractors, not employees. There is no minimum wage for contractors. Further, contractors are responsible for their own expenses. The IRS says a mile of travel costs $0.655. DD typically pays a base rate of $2 per delivery, whether around the block, or 20 miles away. That $2 fee covers 3 miles of expenses, which is about a 2-mile delivery, plus travel to the store.
Typically, the driver ends up paying all of the base pay in travel expenses. The only part of his compensation he actually gets to keep is the tip.
This has always annoyed me about food delivery services. Tips are supposed to be reflective of the service delivered. How can I know if that service is going to be good before a driver is even assigned to my order? Prompt after the delivery to add a tip.
Secondary note, if a company cannot pay their employees a living wage without tips than said company shouldn’t exist. Nobody should have to rely on tips to…you know…exist.
So, I deliver for DoorDash from time to time, and it’s made me change how I view tipping in these apps.
I’m not tipping for quality of service (it’s hard to be ‘good’ vs ‘great’ on pick up, drive, drop off as a service, and if the driver manages to do that badly, DoorDash will make it right for you and ding the driver). Instead I’m tipping based on quantity of work, e.g., the distance I’m asking the driver to cover or the size/weight of the order if it’s something like groceries. While this is something that DoorDash should be doing, it’s not and is left to the customer to close the gap voluntarily.
DoorDash likes to act like they’re just connecting customers to people that want to make a delivery, but they’ve set up the system to feel like DoorDash is the service provider rather than the drivers. In reality, drivers should be setting their fees as independent contractors and DoorDash should only be providing the interface.
Tips are definitely not the answer, but…
if a company cannot pay their employees a living wage without tips
Actually, where I live, we don’t have a tip, but companies won’t even if they can. The sad truth is that businesses won’t without pressure. They just call it a social problem, weakness of their country, whatever.
It’s a false assumption.
Again, I believe tips are not the answer.
Wat. If an order isn’t getting delivered (your words):
if a driver sees no tip, your order is last in line if it gets delivered at all.
Than that’s an even BETTER reason that tipping should 100% be eliminated.
I agree. Pre tipping is not a good idea.
I also tip in cash whenever I can. Less chance of middlemen stealing it and “server” can decide to declare it as income or not.
Never offer cash tips on delivery platforms. People occasionally claim in their delivery instructions that they will pay an additional cash tip; nobody actually does. Talk to any driver and they will tell you the same: cash tippers are non-tippers.
Drivers can’t even see your offer of a cash tip until after they have accepted the offer. If you don’t offer a tip at checkout, your cash-tip offer is completely indistinguishable from a no-tip offer.
