Happy Valentines Day! I’m sure many of us will be going on romantic dates later and might just be using an Uber to get to that overpriced restaurant for dinner. Here’s some more food for thought: is your Uber rating going down (or up) based on your willingness to tip at the end of the ride?
That’s what I’ve been thinking about after reading this week’s related Uber-related posts by One Mile at a Time and Travel Skills, titled “Should I Tip My Uber Driver?“ (both with heated comments, so get your popcorn ready).
What I like most about Uber is that it’s a cashless transaction. I love the convenience of getting in and out of the car and not having to deal with digging for my wallet at the end of the ride.
In fact, in the Uber FAQ, it states: “You don’t need cash when you ride with Uber. Once you arrive at your destination, your fare is automatically charged to your credit card on file — there’s no need to tip.”
There is no way to add a tip to your fare using the Uber app, so I’ve been seriously thinking about the correlation between a passenger’s rating and tipping.
I’ve always been proud of my once 4.96 rating (back when you had to ask your Uber driver to disclose it to you), and I always make sure I am a pleasant passenger to deal with (polite, on-time, clean, considerate and all that jazz that Uber suggests). My rating has been pretty steady after completing close to 100 rides across a variety of cities around the world.
I checked my rating last night, and it is down to a 4.7 (which isn’t terrible, but it’s still down), and I did some Googling about this phenomenon (heck there’s even several threads about tipping in an online community dedicated entirely to Uber drivers). Apparently I’m not the first person to believe that your unwillingness to tip just might have a negative effect on your score.
One recent MarketWatch article states: “Drivers accept tips and, at least anecdotally, a growing number seem to be expecting them”
There’s no way to add a tip to your fare using the Uber app, so now many passengers are giving “five for-five”. Apparently there’s the unspoken “five-for-five” rule in the Uber culture, which translates to somewhat of a secret handshake – you give me a $5 tip, and I give you a 5-star passenger rating.
Am I not getting a 5-star rating at the end of each ride because I don’t leave cash at the end of my trips?
First the record, there have been many instances when I have tipped my Uber driver… especially when I am traveling with my kids and the bulky double stroller. I’ve also tipped on other random trips too when I’m feeling extra generous or if the driver truly does something spectacular. But I will be the first to say that I don’t usually tip at the end of my Uber rides.
The majority of my trips are to and from airports, primarily because I don’t feel like dealing with rude taxi-mafia drivers to begin with. It’s an obvious truth that Uber rides are far less intimidating and definitely more affordable.
But what I’ve also learned is that many Uber drivers double duty as professional drivers where tipping is heavily bullied encouraged (car service and/or taxi). When times are slow, they can simply switch on the Uber app and start taking rides as they please.
So there’s a very good chance your Uber driver is already conditioned into expecting a tip at the end of a ride. We all know that the car service culture (business travelers who usually aren’t picking up the tab) is different than the UberX culture, so it’s easy to believe that your driver might be swayed (indirectly or not) to rate lower in instances when there’s no tip involved.
In general, still think the tipping culture in America is getting out of control. There’s nothing more frustrating than being in a taxi cab in Las Vegas, having an $8 ride, and being charged a $3 “convenience fee” for using your credit card… and then on top of that, a 25% tip “suggestion” automatically highlighted before you reach the final payment screen. Talk about a joke!
Let’s hope Uber doesn’t end up like this down the road, but if the bribery continues, I wouldn’t be surprised…
I would love to hear your thoughts. Have you noticed a dip (or spike) in your Uber passenger rating based on your tipping habits?
I just checked my score after reading your post and my rating has also dropped down to 4.7, even though I consistently treat all my drivers well, respect their cars, never make them wait, etc. I posted this in the OMAAT post, but basically every single time I take Uber, surge pricing is in effect. If the drivers are okay with making 2x+ on my rides, they shouldn’t expect a tip. If they don’t want to drive for the money they are making, they can stop driving for Uber at any time. There are many competitors out there such as Lyft that build a tipping option into their app. Uber will eventually have to address this issue if rider scores continue to fall because drivers feel entitled to tip. The only cash I ever carry is a $20 bill in case of emergency — the one feature I love about Uber is the cashless point of it.
I agree. Ubers policy is no tips and drivers sign up knowing this. Then, they get angry and take their anger out on the unsuspecting passengers. I have also received 4 star ratings for not tipping. I recently discovered that you can amend your drivers rating by re-clicking the star rating in your e-mail receipt. When drivers give me 4 stars for not tipping, I go back and amend their rating. I have sympathy for them as their wages are not great, but if they take it out on me (an innocent pax), I fight back.
Well, you’re not that innocent when you are aware of the low wages and you use this service knowing the driver doesn’t make enough money and still don’t tip or bring all kinds of excuses not to carry a few bucks on you, you’re just as guilty. What you are saying in other words is I don’t give a damn about anybody but myself . As long as I get to ride someone’s car for dirt cheap fares and use this to my advantage to hell what happens to the driver.
+1. If someone is not tipping they aren’t “innocent” It’s like someone going to a restaurant and continually not tipping the server and then complaining that the server is taking it out on “innocent” patrons by not giving them the same level of service that they are to tipping patrons.
“ORCHID” – – You are WRONG. There is NO “policy” that says No tipping. That’s Not a Policy!! I’m a driver and we depend on tips, just like any other service industry job does!!! Stop being CHEAP AND TIP YOUR DRIVER!!!!!!!!! :(
Common sense to tip! Thanks for your post. I’m thinking of putting a subtle sign in my car
It’s common sense? The app says NOT to tip.
The point of Uber is that it is a cashless experience. Being forced to carry cash for tips totally defeats that. If you are a driver and want tips, you should be lobbying Uber to put it in the app. Or, just drive solely for Lyft where tipping in the app is allowed. I wonder why most Uber drivers don’t just do that?
Unfortunately Lyft isn’t available in every area. I don’t require this additional income and am so fed up with these tightwads not tipping that I normally only drive during surge periods (if I don’t get tipped I make up for it with the additional income during surge periods) and on the rare occasions where if I do drive during non-surge periods try to pick up only 4.8*+ passengers and if I get asked to do a long distance ride to a place like the airport outside of my area where I can’t pick anyone up at and it’s during a non-surge period I’m likely going to decline the trip (which I can in this case) unless the passenger is 5 star or says up front they will tip me for going out of my way.
What really ticked me off a couple weeks ago was a pick up at a grocery store. I helped the lady put the groceries in my trunk, returned her cart to the cart pick up area and she asked me to carry her groceries to her second floor apartment (required three different trips with all the bags she had) and she didn’t tip me and was only charged an $8 fare. In that case I felt more than justified giving her a one star.
I only drive for Uber, but have friends that also drive for Lyft as well and if it’s during a non-surge period they keep the other app running if they are picking up a lower rated passenger. If they are picking up a 3 1/2 star rated uber passenger and on the way and a 5 star lyft ping comes in they cancel on the uber rider and accept the lyft ping. Something else for non-tippers to keep in mind if they are seeing a lot of cancels.
That’s because you have to pay taxes on credit cards tips versus cash trips ya moron
Ur totally right. I bet that asshole Uber driver goes home to his mansion and bangs his super model wife while he counts all the money he scammed out of his passengers in tips.
You cheap mother fucker
@matt Since there is in app tipping the tightwads can’t use the excuse they don’t carry cash any longer. I’m sure they will still expect an uber driver to give them five stars or pick up their lower rated asses anyway.
I just use my free credits for free food delivery now instead of Uber rides. I could afford to tip but my supermodel wife likes to keep that money for fancy condiments.
Sorry but my grey poupon wins out over a poor paying job.
Wrong. The Rider app says not to tip. So chill out there.
Since you magically know his reasoning for his rating.
Usually if you’re nice I’ll give you five stars. If you’re rude but then you tip it’ll be five stars. But if you’re rude and then you don’t tip it’ll be less. I have a feeling you might fall into the latter.
Uber does NOT have a no-tipping policy. Their wording is deceptive in DISCOURAGING tipping because they are catering to the riders. I never EXPECT a tip but I am incredibly grateful for the generous gesture during non-surge times as it helps me offset some of the costs of operation, such as fuel or carwashes. During surge I will reject a tip offer unless the client absolutely insists because the fare is good enough. Some of the fares can be under $5 even though you traveled 20 minutes or 15 plus miles.
Some passengers withhold the vital 5 star rating unless the ride perfect, drivers will judge riders the same way. I understand distinguishing tippers from non-tippers but I do not fault the passenger for their expectation that Uber set. Although I would love a tip, I will 5 star any passenger who is polite, kept my car clean and who agreed to a surge fare that helps me way more than a $5 tip.
Yeah but the driver can go back and change the passenger to a 1 star. How hard is it to tip even a dollar. That is being a cheapskate.
And having the option to tip in app should be proof enough that Uber is no longer non-tipping. I don’t think the passengers realize the lower rating hurts them a lot more than us. I have never cancelled as a rider because my driver is lower rated (and hardly ever pay attention anyway).
Now as a driver if a passenger is low rated I’m probably going to ignore the ping.
People need to quit being tightwads and tip. Since they can tip in app they can’t use the excuse they don’t carry cash.
Yeah, but now that it’s moved that way I’m back to just driving myself. I only used it out of convenience because i got so many free ride credits. It’s not worth the out of pocket.
Using your logic, if you cant be bothered to carry a couple of dollars with you; you shouldn’t take an Uber. Even at 2X you are getting a hell of a deal with Uber. When you order a steak, do you tip less because the steak costs more than the burger? You are no different than someone that stiffs a waiter. Just like you have the right to hold on to your precious two dollars; drivers (as independent contractors) have the right to tell each other that you are not profitable to their business… and SHOULD leave you waiting on the street without a ride home. You are totally right..that’s the free market. My big problem with the non-tippers is that they feel entitled to taking Uber. They dont’ care if the driver has to drive 15 minutes across town to take them a mile up the street. They will then ask that you “wait” while they go into a store so that you can take them back a mile … with no tip! They also expect to put their bags in your trunk..and to have you take them out. Guess what Ms. No Tipper..you arent’ paying for my trunk space or for me to get out of the car… so don’t ask for that service either…though I bet you do.
Stop being cheap and tip the driver. Those guys don’t make the money you guys think. Some trips a driver is lucky if he see’s $6.00 only to deal with passengers that expect luxury service.
I really hope they raise the fairs…
I drive for Uber part time and much more sparingly now that they have cut the rates so low. Remember Uber is very deceptive in how they present what drivers make. When they say 15-20 dollars an hour that is if you actually have a fare in your vehicle. They do not take into consideration down time and drive time to the pickup. They charge us a booking fee plus 25% of the fare. After you take our time, gas, wear and tear on our vehicle , routine maintenance and car washes (Uber contributes nothing towards anything). If I work a 10 hour week after all expenses I average aboUT 65-70 dollars. I depend on tips which on average only 10-15% of people actually tip just to get me above minimum wage. If you look at Uber’s website it now tells you tips are not included in the fare. When their rates were 40-50 cents per mile higher in the past I didn’t care if I received tips but now it makes all the difference to whether it’s worth my time or not. Also if you ask your driver to make stops along the way tip them. We only get paid from point A to point B. Every minute wasted is less money we make at the end of the day. After all we are providing you a service. Do you tip a waiter? A taxi driver?
Yes you can tip your Uber driver in the app :)
Well said Jim
I’m a part time uber driver and generally drive on the weekends. I consider a tip a blessing and never expect it. It doesn’t affect how I rate my clients in the least. All of my clients receive a 5 star rating unless there’s s very good reason not to rate them that high.
Great attitude, Steve! Many xUber drivers are less than one year, at least those I meet. They seem happy to be drivers. I tipped this morning. The very cordial and professional driver appreciated it but was not expecting it. I think he is already at 5. I learned from this blog that I have to earn my initial 5 star rating by tipping. Many riders who use Uber only for the airport don’t realize that. So if the driver tells them, it’s ok.
I driver for uber about twice a week especially when there is a surge as I work downtown. For sure I’m giving you a poor rating if you don’t tip. This is how I decide on my rating
1 star minimum fare journey no tip
3 stars $10 fare no tip
4 stars $20 fare no tip
5 stars any $ fare with tip
How am I supposed to tip, I don’t carry cash
Carry a few bucks wroth you.
Stay home or learn to carry cash. If you can’t be bothered to pay people that serve you… you should not ask for the service.
If don’t like your job. Get a new one.
Ted, do you have the same response to the server at your favorite restaurant or the bartender or the pizza delivery guy or your barber?
I have a regular job. I use Uber a supplement income so I am not hurting for your tip but a lot of my fellow drivers would really appreciate if even passengers were at least more conscious of “to tip or not to tip”.
Ted –
If you don’t like your rating, tip…
The point is understand the other’s perspective before arriving at the solution king solomon. Not one of these non-tipper advocates have ever driven for uber nor studied the economics of it. The surge pricing makes it acceptable, not extra. You need to tip if car is newer, clean and the driver treats you with a modicum of respect. Its a variable effort that deserves variable reward. Often times I uber drunk college kids and is out of necessity, not free will. Quite frankly Im disgusted that uber doesn’t do more to educate it’s rider base.
Terrible criteria. I’m quite certain this is completely counter to the guidelines set forth in Uber’s policies, which I would encourage you to read. With this sort of attitude, you belong behind the wheel of a taxi. One of the major selling points for Uber has always been that a tip is not expected, as most people do not have or like to deal with small bills every time they need to go somewhere.
Well then I suggest you take a taxi. Stop it really stop it. This isn’t ubers car it’s the drivers car. Driver pays for gas. Insurance, maintenance…. And most people do carry a few bucks on them. Trust me it won’t weigh you down. People like you love to take advantage of the weak and bring up what uber said. If uber raised the price tomorrow I am sure you would be singing a different tune.You like to have your cake and eat it too. If uber drivers quit left and right you would have to take a taxi and pay much more and tip.
I don’t carry cash, I hate carrying cash. I use my credit card for all purchases. If a business does not accept credit cards, I don’t go there.
Most of Angelina’s threads are about travel so I’m assuming most of the readers of this thread are frequent travelers.
If you never have cash how do you handle things when travelling like tipping the bartender at the airport lounge (and even if you don’t drink you have to see a bartender for soda), tipping the shower attendant if you use an airport lounge shower, the hotel housekeeper, the shuttle bus driver, the bell staff if you have to have your luggage stowed before your room is ready or after check out, etc. None of those accept plastic either. Or do you just stiff them as well with the excuse you don’t carry cash?
Of course they do. I do not carry cash is just an excuse. And the good news is Uber has a tipping section so what would be your excuse now?
This is ridiculous. If this is how Uber drivers are rating their riders, I’m going to start rating drivers with the following scale:
1 star: Driver took more than 4 minutes to pick me up after I requested the ride.
2 stars: Driver picked me up within 4 minutes but took at least 1 wrong turn or couldn’t follow the GPS
3 stars: Driver picked me up within 4 minutes, followed proper directions, drove well, but tried to overly engage in conversation
4 stars: Driver picked me up within 4 minutes, followed proper directions, drove well, and did not try to keep a conversation for the entire 20 minutes
5 stars: Never. No driver ever gets 5 stars because I should assume that all drivers are rating me as not 5 stars since I don’t tip as I never carry cash.
There are lots of drivers who are making less than minum wage after uber take, taxes, gas and wear on tear in the car. Quite frankly I dont want to and would refuse to drive anyone who doesnt tip me of i could.
Uber should have something in their app that allows riders to indicate if they are willing to tip or not. That way there are no surprises for the driver.
I am not tipping. If this becomes an issue, I am not taking Uber any more. As much as I like Uber, I used to get around without it and I’ll manage. (And I really would be surprised if not a majority of people think along those lines).
Lol, I honestly care less about the tip since uber informs the driver that tip is not required especially people use uber to not pay as much as they do for taxis, one thing I wish could be possible. Is for the passenger’s to understand they are just regular people like the drivers and not act like they own the driver. A lot of assholes everywhere
Passengers do get deactivated on UBer and with your shitty attitude im sure you get a LOT of low ratings from the drivers #tightead
Rider’s already rate like that. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the airport skin flint
If you can’t afford to tip your Uber/Lyft driver, don’t use the service. Please and thanks ☺
If you tip you are ruining Uber. Judging from the extortion from Flyer94 it may be ruined already. As you mention it was clearly set up for No cash, no tip and no hassle.
I’m sorry not tipping when there is a surge of 2.9x for a couple of hours and no cash! Uber was started due to infuriation over taxis and now they are becoming like them. Vet drivers better
As a part-time driver in a large city, I don’t expect tips when is surging crazy. But like any service industry, if you receive good service from someone show your gratitude and give them a gratuity.
It’s a matter of class. Does it really hurt anyone to throw a dollar or two to say “thank you”. Even if you are paying $20 for what would have been a $7 ride normally… remember this. The driver had LOTS of people they could have chosen to pick up instead of you. You literally needed them more than they needed you at that time. So, at that point..what is the difference between $20 and $22… except that you were gracious and saying “thank you” to a hard working person that is probably just trying to help his family survive or buy a new pair of sneakers for his kids that week. I bet if Starbucks only took cash, the same people that complain about tipping..would be sure to carry cash for their coffees… the only reason people don’t tip is if they are: 1.) Not educated about ettiquette 2.) CHEAP 3.) Feel Entitled. It’s sad. I can’t say that I always tip my drivers enough..but I certainly want to tip SOMETHING to let them know that I appreciate them…and hope they will pick me up quickly next time.
But… you’re not asking someone to say “thank you”; you’re asking them to give you extra money, which is NOT EXPECTED of Uber riders, as the company makes extremely, explicitly, abundantly clear. Like, this isn’t a gray area. There is NO TIPPING in Uber. That’s one of the founding principles of the company. That’s why people use it. Drivers in LA had to sue to even be allowed to accept tips when passengers insist. Just because you wish you were a taxi driver doesn’t make you one, especially when the whole point of the company you work for is to NOT be a taxi company. I just checked, and my passenger rating is 4.97, and I have never tipped and never will (at least barring extreme circumstances). I think the drivers on this thread are some marginal, pissed off blip. Don’t let yourselves be extorted, Uber riders! The price is the price. Period.
you clearly have not read ubers updated policies. its pretty simple. Here it is from their website.
While Uber does not require riders to offer drivers a cash tip, you are wel”come to do so. Should you choose to tip, your driver is welcome to accept or decline.”
This change happened because they got handed their ass in court for saying “no tipping”. Uber drivers are independent contractors and its illegal for uber to tell them they cannot ask for or accept a tip.
What I don’t understand is people saying Uber isn’t a taxi service and they don’t have to tip yet they expect the driver to do things like take their groceries into their house like a car service driver and provide things like bottled water. They expect a lot more from an Uber driver than a cab driver for a lower fare and then don’t want to tip!!!
Fortunately I drive in a smaller market and live downtown near where a lot of bars are and if I see a ping from someone I recognize as a previous non-tipper I just ignore the ping or if I approach and recognize them as a non-tipper from a pervious trip and I know it’s an unprofitable trip I’ll cancel.
As a new rider, my uber rating was 5 then dropped a little to 4.9 for a while. I noticed i was charged more for the same daily route. After reading blogs from drivers, I guess it dropped because I did not tip one driver who acted
Grouchy. I wasn’t in the mood to chat because driver was grouchy. I started to tip once in a while but most drivers seem surprised. My rate finally got back to 4.97, now the cost of the ride went down about 15% or 20% and higher rated drivers pick me up. So I’d rather tip and maintain my rating. I’m not concerned about a driver rating & always tell them I give them 5 stars. They smile & say thanks. Sometimes they tell me about the bad, drunk pax who dinged them and that it takes a long time to get the rating back up. I complained to Uber about being unfairly dinged and thus being charged more. But I got a scripted response, they did not acknowledge thr extra charges. I learn more from these blogs.
And now there’s tipping… so tip! Bottom line. If they get your drunk ass home safe, then tip. Its cheaper than a taxi still, and a dui. Especially when you are just *so funny* or *insightful*, aka drunk.
I used uber three times this past week. I’ve been getting more and more unhappy drivers. Is uber really that bad to work for? All three drivers commented about being angry with uber I don’t get it. If they don’t like it, why do they drive for it?
They drive for uber until their application for IBM gets approved. Because some don’t have a choice. If you haven’t noticed there are not that many jobs out there. And it’s getting worst as time goes by. Not every body was born with a trust fund. And not everyone is a big corporate executive .
Could not agree more with you. I hate the tipping culture in this country where people expect you to tip. If you feel you are being underpaid just raise your price and I will decide if I want to pay that much. Do not expect tip from me. I also like Uber because I don’t need to reach my wallet. It is the convenience that makes the service so great. I also saw my rating go down to 4.6. I am always very nice and polite to all Uber drivers but if that trend to reduce my rating keeps happening I will go back to taxi.
That’s right why didn’t we think of this before??? Let me use my magic wand and pufffffff prices are raised. So now your majesty would you like to pay this price or should I move my wand one more time????
It’s people like you that need to drive their own vehicle. Drivers put up with people’s nonsense only to hear “get another job”. Believe me, I am so glad I found another job.
Driving for Uber was the worst experience of my life! Dealing with ignorant teen agers, stuck up drunk women and just a** holes in general. Uggh
@Flyer94, if Uber prominently advertises this service as cashless wouldn’t you think it’s fair to address this problem directly with Uber instead of giving someone a poor rating? I’m sure most people would tip if it was built into the app. When I first started using Uber they asked me to set up a tipping percentage, and I didn’t realize at first that’s for taxi service only. I think a lot of people who use a cashless service reasonably assume somehow the driver is receiving a tip.
Also, what’s the thought process for giving someone a 3 star rating because they only needed a short ride? If you feel they’re wasting your time or cutting into your earnings you should probably find a different side job that doesn’t require dealing with customers.
@Flyer94 as a part time driver myself, you should be ashamed. I have the same criteria as Steve, I treat the tip as a nice extra, but never expect it, and never rate my customers based on the tip. The only time you should be giving a 1 star is if something truly terrible happens (like having drunk racist passengers).
I truly hope you get booted from the platform.
@Angelina, if you happen to have his email attached to his comment, you should contact Uber Support to see if they can validate this asshole’s claims. Again, this is coming from a part time driver myself. I wish tipping was built into the app, but I don’t fault the customer for that.
I find this thread bizarre. Uber drivers aren’t uber drivers because they have a lot of money…and the fares charged less time, gas, depreciation is a pretty sweet deal. I tip 20% every time unless there is cause to reduce the tip—and then the tip goes down, perhaps to 0%.
For the fun people who say “if you don’t like your job, get another one” I bet they support no minimum wage too. We live in the best country in the world…wouldn’t it be great if we still had a middle class?
You think these people don’t know all this about drivers not making money? It’s just not to their best interest. As long as they abuse the driver with low fares that’s all they think about.
Am I missing something? Why would a Uber rider care what their uber rating is?
If your rider rating slips even a little, you will get charged 15% to 20% more. Plus you are assigned to drivers with lower ratings. You will never know who the driver is who rated you low unless you check your rating each time. It probably has to do with not tipping. It takes many rides to get the rating back up. I don’t care about the rating of the driver, they are mostly all very good. To get the 5 rating back takes a lot of short rides, 5 miles or so. I found the extra 15% was less on a short ride. Each driver is different, some want only very short rides, others prefer driving 15 miles to the city where I work, because it’s busy. I talk to the drivers about the star rating if theirs is low. They usually have a story about a drunk woman passenger who got lost and took it out on the driver by rating them low. I am a woman, so although i sympathize with the driver, i say the rider probably doesn’t use the uber service often so does not understand how ratings hurt the driver. I tell them I’ll give them 5 stars. Now i often tip. I am getting 5 star drivers again. It was a 5 star driver who I think hurt my rating because either I did not tip or i didn’t feel like talking too much. So that tells me 5 star drivers expect a tip. I am ok with that, the cost of Uber is 1/3 the cost of a taxi in my area. I used to take taxis all the time. They have lost so much business that they raised their rates! I still use taxis for short runs, even though cost is 2 times Uber. But I don’t want to bother Uber for a short run. I did my part to support taxis, but i was “hostage” to dirty, smelly cabs with broken seats who fight with other drivers over a fare but then complain about the short distance. Once using Uber, there is no going back. Uber drivers are terrific and their cars are beautiful and smell nice.
Uber should just get rid of the rating system plus a low rating is not really gonna affect u from getting a ride. There are so many drivers someone will pick u up regardless. Also this makes me just want to switch to only lyft now.
Problem is, drivers are at the whim of Uber’s stupid unilateral decisions to reduce fares ‘by x%’ in various cities. You sign up as a driver one week, make barely enough to survive, then Uber comes in with its axe OVER and OVER. In many cases it is NOT the job drivers signed up for, and they have no recourse. Uber does a TERRIBLE job of educating it’s riders, and this is where the frustration lies.
You are NOT supposed to tip. Period. Uber’s price is all-inclusive, meaning that there’s absolutely no need to tip. It is how Uber is when it first started, and I don’t see how price cuts changed that. Those newcomers who tip are ruining it for everyone.
Jacob,
There are many things I would like you to take into account for this. One, the Uber price cuts have also meant less drivers are on the road. Have you noticed that since December, your wait times have gone exponentially up?
Secondly, a tip is not included, actually. There’s a lawsuit about that and Uber LOST. I suggest you go look it up.
There is also the fact that Uber has put many drivers into newly leased contracts. These contracts were signed prior to the rate cuts. Now, these drivers cannot get out of these contracts and are struggling to even work off the car lease because Uber did a bait and switch on them. They essentially work to pay the money off on the car.
Lastly, at 90 cents a mile in my area, you are getting an insane bargain. IRS rates driving mileage to cost you 58 cents a mile. This 58 cents a mile is taken out of the 90 cents a mile. So, what is the driver left with? Essentially, slave wages. Do not forget the fact that should your driver have an accident, even if it is not his fault, his insurance will drop him and Uber will find any reason possible not to cover him. The rideshare policies do not exist in every state and the ones that they do exist in, Uber does not pay enough to justify the policy.
So, knowing all this, your tip actually goes to helping the driver make a few dollars profit, treat the customer better, and keep his vehicle properly maintained. When the rates go down, so does your safety. So, even if you do not have humanity, you should at least be concerned for your safety. When the drivers do not make enough, your safety is jeopardized. The only person that gets a benefit from this is Uber. If you do not believe me, just wait until you see the first crash that happens due to lack of maintenance (which happens due to lack of a proper pay).
This is why, whenever I take an UberX, I always tip. It’s not about the hassle, it’s not about being cheap. It’s about being smart. If every passenger tips $2-5 a trip, the result would be phenomenal.
have you bothered to actually read their updated policies that changed when they got their ass handed to them in court regarding tipping ?
From their site
“While Uber does not require riders to offer drivers a cash tip, you are welcome to do so. Should you choose to tip, your driver is welcome to accept or decline.”
There is never a “need to tip.” Geez. The tip is EXTRA. Like Angelina, if I get extra good service, I’ll tip.
(Of course, this is all theoretical to me, since I do not use uber I think it’s unfair to taxi drivers that have tons of regulations and expenses that Uber and Lyft do not have, and one day, when we have run them all out of business, you’ll all be sorry. You’ll be stuck somewhere where no one wants to pick you up and you will be sol. A taxi HAS to pick you up–not so with Uber.)
Replying to comment about passenger rating. If your rider rating slips even a little, you will get charged 15% to 20% more. Plus you are assigned to drivers with lower ratings. You will never know who the driver is who rated you low unless you check your rating each time. It probably has to do with not tipping. It takes many rides to get the rating back up. I don’t care about the rating of the driver, they are mostly all very good. To get the 5 rating back takes a lot of short rides, 5 miles or so. I found the extra 15% was less on a short ride. Each driver is different, some want only very short rides, others prefer driving 15 miles to the city where I work, because it’s busy. I talk to the drivers about the star rating if theirs is low. They usually have a story about a drunk woman passenger who got lost and took it out on the driver by rating them low. I am a woman, so although i sympathize with the driver, i say the rider probably doesn’t use the uber service often so does not understand how ratings hurt the driver. I tell them I’ll give them 5 stars. Now i often tip. I am getting 5 star drivers again. It was a 5 star driver who I think hurt my rating because either I did not tip or i didn’t feel like talking too much. So that tells me 5 star drivers expect a tip. I am ok with that, the cost of Uber is 1/3 the cost of a taxi in my area. I used to take taxis all the time. They have lost so much business that they raised their rates! I still use taxis for short runs, even though cost is 2 times Uber. But I don’t want to bother Uber for a short run. I did my part to support taxis, but i was “hostage” to dirty, smelly cabs with broken seats who fight with other drivers over a fare but then complain about the short distance. Once using Uber, there is no going back. Uber drivers are terrific and their cars are beautiful and smell nice.
Regarding comment to person who prefers taxis to Uber. I used to try to support taxis. I need a ride every day. Taxis can refuse a fare. Their customer service is not as good as Uber because no regulation and broken down vehicles. I used to take a taxi part way, then take two modes of public transportation then walk to work every day, twice a day. Now I can get to work by Uber in 1/3 the time for 1/3 the cost. Uber drivers keep busy the whole time they are working. Taxi drivers will wait 4 or 5 hours for a fare then refuse the fare if it’s a short one.
My rating is 5 stars (I just checked), but I don’t use the service extensively. Have maybe used it 20 times in the past couple of years. Sometimes I tip, sometimes I don’t. It depends on the driver and on whether I’m carrying appropriate cash. I have noticed a bit of a downward trend the past few rides I’ve taken, where I’ve had drivers (always Uber X of course) with a car that is not tidied up, the front seat looking like a flea market (the second to last driver I took had a takeout container next to him), and I have also seen the service quality decline. For instance, the last 4-5 drivers I’ve taken haven’t gotten out of the car at all to help with the bags. Not that I need or care for anyone to carry my bag, but to the point to Uber drivers out there, if you want a tip, act like you’re trying to earn one. I had to tell my last driver to cut it out and put down his phone and pay attention to the road and not speed.
Make me want to tip you. It’s like a bad server. Earn your tips. That’s how tips work. You’re never “entitled” to them.
I’ve always had a 5-star Uber rating, and I’ve never tipped. I’ve been using Uber maybe half a dozen times a month, every month, for the last two years, mostly for airport runs. I’m always prompt and very pleasant. Maybe location matters; I mostly use it in Northern California (including the Bay Area, my native turf) and in Atlanta. I’ve never had a rude or difficult driver; a few were so nice and helpful I contacted Uber about how great they were.
You have a 5 star rating because you are Uber driver’s favorite passengers. Not only do they make money from you, but they also gain a long ride on the way back as well. This is a time where tipping should not be necessary.
However, on other occasions, Uber users need to factor in the ever increasing time that drivers now take to get to you. Why is this, you may ask? Uber has cut the rates on their drivers. So, if they have to drive 15 minutes to a ping and it ends up being a minimum fare, then they lost money…essentially paid Uber to drive you around. This happens more often than that. In these cases, the tip makes all the difference.
I both use Uber as a passenger and I am a driver. I do not do Uber for the money, but only do it to understand the Uber driver’s mindset and meet some interesting people. If you do not believe me, my two Uber cars are: 2015 Mercedes GLA250 and 2014 Mercedes E350. Yes, I do accept UberX fares in these vehicles.
So yes, I do feel for the drivers who are struggling to make an income and it is becoming next to impossible for these drivers to do so.
I’ve never tipped, will never tip, and my rating is 4.9.
The difference is that I only take UberBlack instead of X. I think on X you get lower ratings.
uber black i believe you pay a fair price for your trp. uberX not so much.
I’m a part-time driver and a user of Uber in San Francisco. Out of about 300 rides over the past year, I received a tip on about 5 of those rides. While I don’t ever expect a tip, it always makes my day brighter when I do receive one. Even a 1 or 2 dollar tip feels great and makes the effort a bit more worthwhile.
After Uber’s recent fare decrease, the only time it’s worth it for me to drive is when surge pricing is in effect at 1.7x or higher. Otherwise, the majority of trips are $4 dollar UberPool fares where I drive two miles to pick up the rider, wait 5 minutes for them to finish pomading their hair, and end up making a net of $1.50 after the rider fee, Uber commission, and gas. I’m extremely grateful that I’m not in a situation where I have to rely on driving for Uber full time.
Lyft manages this expectation pretty well with a tipping system within the app. The driver gets to rate you right after the ride while you get to tip later which helps drive down the correlation between tipping and rating.
Also, your rating would definitely stabilize now simply because of the volume of rides that you’ve taken. :) don’t worry too much about it.
Don’t be a jerk and tip, it doesn’t have to be 5 dollars, at least one dollar or 2 dollars that really helps with gas money, which by the way Uber drivers are not reimbursed.
Syncerely Disappointed Uber Driver
Absolutely tip your Uber driver. And ratings can matter if it’s a high demand time or a trip to some airports.
I drive for Uber as a side job a couple days a week. The nearest airport is 50 minutes away and I’m not allowed to pick up passengers there so if I take a passenger there I have to drive back home and it sucks to not get tipped on those trips and I will rate a rider 3 stars on those trips if they don’t tip (sometimes 2 if they have a lot of luggage I help them with or have to wait).
Drivers don’t even know where they are going until they get to the passenger. In the case of an airport trip now I will decline it unless the driver has a really high rating figuring I won’t get a tip and an airport trip with no tip is a money loser for me (we are allowed to decline trips of that length). I know drivers during high demand peak times like when bars are closing or a concert is just finishing that will only answer pings on a five star customers.
As an uber driver I don’t rate people poorly for not tipping, not until recently, and I’ve been doing this for years. Reading you guys comments about how you “always are on time, always nice, and always respect people’s property” and have your scores going down is absolutely bogus. Just the way you all attacked the driver screams entitlement. You have nice jobs or you don’t work, you have skill sets that permit mobility and can quit doing things you don’t like to do on the drop of a hat, and you lack understanding and common courtesy, and human decency to try to understand that uber drivers aren’t making money unless it’s a 2.9x surge because your average trip cost $5. This is a service industry, thus you tip for the service if it was good service…. What’s wrong with that?
This is so frustrating! I just learned about this yesterday when my driver told me I had a low rating. I checked and it was 4.33. I really have never been rude to a driver or made them wait for me so I can only believe that this rating relates to short trips and not tipping. I always assumed that you didn’t have to tip in Uber that everything was covered in the price you are paying (this is what Uber advertises after all). Uber should really set ground rules: it either tells drivers they CANNOT accept tips or, if tips are accepted (i.e. expected apparently), then the ability to tip should be included in the app or already rolled into the price. I guess I’ll start using Lyft although, frankly, I really would prefer if everything was included and I din’t have to worry about the tip after the ride.
Where is it that uber says that tips are included??????? Show me. The way you say didn’t know I had to tip. Basically you don’t have to tip anywhere. There is no sign at the restaurant or a bar that says you have to tip. But common courtesy says when you get a service you tip. So please oh please stop acting all clueless that you didn’t know. It’s much more honest to say I don’t want to tip then insulting everyone by saying I didn’t know.
Oh my… what a predicament you’re in. Worrying about a tip after the ride is over. I know it’s really hard work to press a number in a box. That is if you take lyft.i genuinely worry for riders for this hard work they have to do after the ride.
Yes, drivers are angry with Uber and are taking it out on passengers. You can amend your rating of drivers by clicking on the star rating in your e-mail receipt. If I get a 4 star rating for not tipping, I go back and amend to 1 star. Sorry, but if you are angry at Uber, don’t take it out on me.
Drivers aren’t angry with Uber. Driver’s are angry with passengers like you who act clueless . Reading all these posts didn’t teach you anything? That the fares are low. drivers driving 15 min to you for a 5 dollar ride? After paying for gas, Insurance, maintenance…. they are left with little money left.
And some people say if they don’t like it why do they work for Uber?? It’s the same thing when they told Marie-Antoinette that people don’t have bread and she replied why don’t they eat Cake? LOL
Why do you entitled people act so clueless. Is it really that hard to tip a buck or 2? That is less then your morning half caf, decaf, none fat, soy, extra hot, extra cold, cinnamon on top latte. Uber has said tips are not necessary, but that was then when for a 10 dollar ride you were paying 20 and Uber was not taking a big percentage. So stop acting like you still don’t know what the problem is.
Hello Angela,
I am a new Uber driver. I provide excellent service in a brand new 2016 Car. I have recently taking people to the airport in the early dark morning hours. And they both left me with 4 star rating and no tip. Uber driver gets below 4.6 rating they get fired essentially. So from now on I have adopted a policy If a passenger does not tip me, even a token one dollar tip I consider a tip, then they get a 4-star rating automatically or even less.
You pieces of shit is why I won’t drive for Uber anymore. Your ride in LosAngeles is .88 cents per mile. Uber takes 25% off that. The minimum ride is $3.50. So if I navigate 10 minutes to get you, then drive you 4 miles, I make $2.80. And then you don’t tip. If you choose uber pool then it’s 30% less for rides longer than 4 miles and then uber takes 25%. Uber is evil for saying the tip is included in the price. An Evil company. I tip $1 when someone opens a beer for me or makes a drink, or when I take a fucking taxi!!!!! If you can’t tip me $1 for driving you somewhere in a leather lined 2016 Mini Cooper 4 door with waters in the door, then I fucking quit. Indentured slavery is what it is.
You’re welcome passengers. The Uber culture is so much different than the taxi culture in the sense that it’s a new dirt cheap ride culture. Your welcome that they do this at the drivers expense….My expense. I find it ironic that because it’s a new culture where rides are so dirt cheap, you don’t feel you need to tip $1. Way to rub two brain cells together. If we sound mad, we all are. Driving for Uber is for desperate people. I found that out and I’ve only been driving for them for one month. No more. Thanks, passengers, for making it a win/win for us. Uber will keep dropping the price per mile to get more passengers to take Uber, like a ridesharing bus, and your rides will soon be $1. All at the expense of the driver and his pretty new car. Then automatic rides will take over and you’ll pay taxi cab fares again. But please, please, don’t give your uber driver a dollar tip. Cause they don’t deserve it and you never have any cash on you anyway.
It’s unbelievable how few people tip. What took the cake was last month when a bartender stiffed me, bartenders expect to be tipped for opening a f-ing beer but don’t think their driver deserves a tip??? Fortunately I go to this restaurant a lot and if I see her working at the bar I’ll start eating at the bar so I can save money on dinner but not tipping the POS.
Whenever Uber drops their fares it is less money for the drivers. Fortunately I am only doing this for extra money and will only drive when there is surge pricing in effect and there is a special event going on and I will only pick up highly rated passengers in hopes of a tip. I refuse to take fares to the airport (it’s optional for us to drive to the airport since the nearest airport an hour away is in another state and doesn’t allow us to pick up another passenger) because I’ve been stiffed so much, come on this is close to an hour drive one way and I have to drive back without being allowed to take another passenger and Uber is $45 less than a car service or cab whose driver expects a tip anyway, tip your driver.
I really feel for the drivers who have to do this to survive.
I’ve been a full time driver for Uber for two years, almost as long as its been available in my area.
Yes, My passenger ratings are heavily influenced by tip amount.
Here’s why:
Uber used to make the claim that tips were a part of their service charge. That was an obvious lie but since we got paid a very reasonable amount back when it first began no one really cared. These days Uber has not only slashed fares to attract more riders but has also started taking a bigger cut of each fare, meaning we’re getting paid significantly less per mile than when it all started. Uber has also heavily saturated the market with drivers, cars, and services, which means its harder to get fares overall, which ultimately means less pay at the end of the week.
Now, I drive for UberX in a very fine midsize sedan, keep it spotless, hold myself to the highest standard of courtesy, wear a suit and tie, and at one point even provided water and York mints. For all the extra effort I put into it I almost never received more than $5 in tips, and maintained an above average rating.
But for us drivers ratings are just ratings. We don’t see any bonuses, priority calls, benefits, compensation for extra services, NOTHING for maintaining anything above a 4.6 (the supposed cut off rating. The whole rating system is 100% part of Uber’s implementation of Skinner box methods of attraction and habit formation though ultimately have no effect on the only objective we as workers have: earning money.
“So what?”
It should matter a hell of a lot to you as a rider expecting a better quality ride than the kind you get from a cab. We’re not driving your messy, beer stained and glitter covered ass across town because we like you, we’re doing it because we’ve been promised a decent payday at the end of the week! But we’re people too, we have our own expenses, some of which are directly related to Uber and all the nice little extras you receive on one of our trips. If we’re not getting adequately compensated for all the gas, vacuums, car washes, candy, car repairs, car insurance, property taxes, and bottled water then guess what? I’m going to start dropping features! -One by one until I finally decide enough is enough and quit all together, removing one more honest decent and professional driver from the service in place of Kieth and his broken down ’07 corolla with busted AC and hidden criminal record. Nothing in this world worth having comes free, professionalism and trust are becoming a valuable commodities.
“that’s not fair!”
You know whats not fair? -The fact that even though with the tip, you as a rider would still be getting a huge deal over cabs. If you’re not willing to shoot me $2 on top of the fair to cover a portion of the 25% uber takes then that tells me one thing: that despite all your politeness you don’t care at all about me or anything I do for you. You don’t care that I’ve been doing this for 8+ hours, that after all my expenses I’m barely earning more than $9, or that I’ve driven you out of my work region and will therefore have to drive some 2-3 hours before I can receive another call. All you care about is the fact that instead of $280 for a cab fare, you’re only paying $110. But hay, no hard feelings. Its part of the job and I knew that signing up, which means you’re fickle, tight-fisted, short sighted, inconsiderate ass will still get all the perks and full service just like with any other. But it also means you’re not getting 5 stars.
“find another job!”
-The job market is tough right now, but you’re right! I should find another job. I’m worth a heck of a lot more than what I earn through the service, even my rating agrees! though again, as a rider this should concern you, because unlike the guy below me who’s ready and willing to accept a lower income, I’m a pretty nice guy with a pretty nice ride. I’m fairly stable, very polite, play warm jazz, and in instances where you might be escorting a drunk friend home, may even wave the fee for taking you back to the bar to rejoin the rest of your friends! For that I only ask to be adequately compensated for my time and professionalism. But if that’s too high a price for you then yes, there will be someone else willing to accept your price. How much are you willing to compromise though? You might be willing to give up the water, the candy, the jazz, the nice seat, the polite service, the cleanliness, the punctuality, and expedient trip all to save a buck or two, but then what are you left with?
My guess? Just another faceless cab service.
So with all that in mind, here’s specifically how I rate passengers
5 stars are reserved for the best of the best. Either this means you seriously impressed me, yanked like hell on my heart strings or TIPPED. You don’t get that extra 5th unless you go the extra mile. Handing out 5 star rating to anyone below that standard diminishes the already hollow and meaningless value of precious stars for those that do go above and beyond.
Baseline for ratings is 2 or 3 stars.
Tippers above $2 and below 20 miles get an automatic 5 stars regardless of anything else that may happen short of throwing up. (yes, $2 is all it takes to make me happy, stick a crowbar in your wallet. You’d do it for your barista.)
Considered criteria:
1) How long was the trip? -short trips take up a disproportionate amount of time and only yield about $3.20 after Uber takes it’s cut. after other expenses its somewhere near $2.70 but depending on when the ride takes place could actually cost more in the instance where there I may have missed a longer, higher yielding fare.
-if its a walkable distance and you didn’t tip then yea, 1 star for wasting my time, I’d have actually preferred not getting your call.
-if its a fare distance in town then okay, I’ll base it mostly on how you acted and be happy to have served you. best you can hope for though is 4 stars.
2) How did you behave? -did you put on your own music? buckle your seat belt without me having to ask? Did you try to cram in more passengers than the TOS allows? Be mindful on this accord because unless you tip, its very easy to get rated down for these little things. I’ll be bringing my A game but so should you.
3) Did you have me drive all the way to the airport? if so, its either tip or 1 star. This is because airport trips in my area take me well outside of town, meaning I wont receive another fare until I’ve gone all the way back into town, which means I’m only getting compensated for half the work, while missing out on whatever is happening in town. Its even worse if you’re headed to the next city over, since that usually means we’re leaving our work region and wont be able to accept new fares until we’ve returned to our home city. I may be getting an easy $75 but after gas, time and missed income from staying in my home region what I’m actually owed is double what you’re paying. For pity sake just give me $10 for food on the way back!
4) Are you giving the ride to someone else? Technically, this is illegal. But if you’re making sure your drunk as a skunk friend gets home alright, or giving your (over 18y/o) kid a way to get around town while they finish moving in then ya, no problem, auto 5.
5) are you a regular? do you use the service so often that we start recognizing each other? Awesome, you’re a treasured part of my economy. I’ll take you anywhere in town for a guaranteed 5. maybe even for free once or twice. (Unless you’re a jerk.)
6) Was it surging more than ~1.7? Oh wow, you’re a saint! it went that high yet you still summoned me! and at that level of surge you’re essentially TIPPING! :D easiest 5 in the book, just don’t be a jerk or vom in the back.
-(btw, surges are actually VERY bad for drivers, basically we get less calls during surges which means less rides and therefore less pay, they also don’t last long and are very unpredictable, so therefore not reliable enough to chase down.)
There are plenty of other criteria for which I judge my pax but those are the ones relating heaviest to ratings.
In short summary, Tipping culture is a load of bull, but so is our profit margin. If you want your Uber to remain kind, clean, and overall better than a cab then just tip them the way would would your waiter, your barista, your hairstylist etc. Maybe some day we can get rid of tips and Uber will be as good for drivers as it was in the very beginning, but that money has to come from somewhere. So start carrying a few dollars more in cash, or petition Uber to actually build a tipping option into the app…
…like lyft!
I never really cared for the tip since this city here is busy, I don’t care about how far you’re going because I have a gas saver car so it won’t cost me much, I don’t care if you’re going a mile away because maybe you’re tired and it’s understandable that you don’t want to walk. If you’re total fair was 3$ so it doesn’t make since to you to pay 2$ tip on the top of that because in the first place you chose uber to save money not to spend it is agree. Me as a driver will appreciate you if you appreciate me. You get into MY car which is clean and brand new, show some respect and do not give me attitude because I don’t mind you tipping me or not. If I take you to the airport “even though you’re doing uberpool” you better not act like an asshole because I’m doing your favor. But for you to give me less than 5 stars after all of I do to you, this is shameful. Be reasonable!
What is it with Uber riders wanting bottled water lately?? I’m also a frequent uber rider and know some drivers have it in their car but it’s usually in bigger cities coming from the airport.
I’ve had two different riders ask me if I had bottled water this month. One was a rider I’ve had before that works near my condo and only goes a couple miles home and never tips (even thought she is a bartender and I’m sure would be upset if someone didn’t tip her for opening their beer and handing them a glass) and said her last Uber driver had bottled water in the cup holders and told her every driver is suppose to have it available upon request. The other one simply asked me if I had any bottled water (he didn’t tip either and not sure if he would have if I had the water).
Most of my rides are under 10 miles though.
Really, people don’t want to tip and are saving a lot of money over a cab and then expect bottled water????? I have never had bottled water offered to me in a cab.
When it’s to the riders advantage they say but Uber says not to tip…. And they become so obedient to the company but when the company starts raising rates in the future because more and more drivers sign up and quit because they realize they are not making any money then you would wish you had paid the that dollar but you’ll be paying a lot more. Uber also said that drivers will be making 95 grand a year. Do you also believe that? Just put 2 and 2 together with little money that you are charged as a passenger minus 25% uber commission, gas, maintenance, insurance… How many hours does a driver have to work to make 95 grand? And for the people that say drivers know what they were signing up for. Most people have no choice. Until they find something better. But if more drivers quit what are you going to use as your cheap transportation? You rather sit in a dirty cab and pay double or more then to to tip one lousy dollar???
I also realized that i only have 4.7 star rating when i always give out 5 stars to drivers. i never had any issues as far as i remember. so this must be because i do not tip, i don’t think expecting tips is a good attitude. my 5 star rating for you is my tip. if this is the culture among drivers then maybe i should change the way i rate … start giving 1 star by default and just rate 5 if they are really really good.
The driver doesn’t deserve a tip but you as a passenger deserve a safe ride, picked up in a few min. Offer you mints and water. Stop for you during the ride so you can pick up your dry cleaning… With dirt cheap fares in his own car and his gas. And you think your tip is the stars that you give him??? Unfortunately the grocery store doesn’t except stars as payment. If your 5 star rating is the equivalent of a tip for the driver, then a 3 star is the drivers way of warning other drivers.hey guys this is a cheap one. Leave him standing on the curb, maybe a yellow cab will pick you up.
I’ve heard some lame excuses for not tipping but this one takes the cake.
The drivers 5 star rating is for getting you to your designation safely and having a clean car and taking the best route. The only reason to give a driver a lower rate is if the car is unsafe or the driver long hauls you (never had that happen in Uber but has plenty of time in Vegas cabs), driver is rude, etc.
Also if you continually give drivers bad ratings and they lose their uber driving rights it results in fewer drivers which means you are waiting longer for a ride and/or rates will go up since demand will be greater than supply and/or you have more surge charging. When I drive for Uber I really don’t care about tips if it’s surge driving because I make a lot more than driving non-peak times with tips. You’re better off tipping your driver during regular peak times than paying surge rates.
You are under no obligation to tip a driver but the driver is under no obligation to give you a good rating and has a right to give a three star rating to warn other drivers that you probably don’t tip and they can pick up the higher rated passengers instead that probabl do tip
Some of these people will pay 200 dollars for a haircut and color and have no problem giving a tip, but when it comes to uber or Lyft they become Scrooge. They have some high demands like using the aux for music or charger, water, mints. And I heard some driver got 3 stars for not opening the door for the passenger. They expect sooo much but think a 2 dollar tip which is less then their morning coffee is expecting too much. How cheap
Or they have no issues giving a valet a tip just to simply retrieve their car from a garage. No wear and tear on the valets car and it is only taking the valet a couple minutes, yet they don’t want to tip an uber driver for giving them a ride.
They don’t touch my car’s electronics in any way shape of form. I do provide 3 different types of chargers (apple, USB micro A?, and usb C) They don’t get water or mints, but i maintain a 4.9 rating with over 1500 trips. I do hate it though when i pick up pax from a fancy restaurant that you know they tipped the waiter and they don’t tip their driver. They probably would if uber would include it as an option. Fortunately i do live in a city that has Lyft and for many many reasons i consider them to be a better company, not the least of which is the tipping. So Lyft will ALWAY take priority when it comes to the requests that come in.
I recently started driving for Uber because my mom has leukemia with my little brother living with her…. and, well I’ve decided to take it upon myself to pay her rent & utilities.
I drive a new BMW 7 series and work Uber X. I can turn on “Select[plus]” only, but those rides are fewer. So, I have both X & Select[plus] running in unison. I enjoy doing Uber X sometimes because I get to provide a luxury service to people who weren’t expecting it. A little highlight to their day getting a luxury car for $5. Roll up to the bar in style, with a properly dressed driver. Heck, I even hold the doors open with an umbrella in the rain.
Passengers often drink the water bottles, enjoy the cars wifi & TV, and eat their fare ride in snacks. I do NOT expect them to tip, but on the inside I wish they would, as does everyone else. I know that I go above and beyond for my passengers, but neither of them have returned that favor.
I would think that someone in a situation like mine would receive tips, but it has never happened. What should I do? Just become a lifeless people mover and throw people in and out of my car all day and screw my ratings? Or should I keep up my current mindset and hope that humanity kicks in? I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place.
First off sorry to hear about you mom and it’s great what you are doing for her and her brother.
If you’re going as far as to hold the door open with an umbrella in the rain common sense should tell them to tip.
If you are never receiving tips I would stop driving Uber X. Or only drive when surge pricing is at a level you are making a profit and save a little money by not providing bottled water (a cab won’t provide it). If you aren’t making any money why bother? And if it’s a new BMW7 do you really want to be putting all those miles on the car anyway since it’s under warranty. Fortunately I don’t need the Uber money to survive on and it’s extra income so I just drive when surge pricing is in effect and won’t pick up low rated riders or riders in bad areas where I know I won’t get tipped (Uber hasn’t said a thing to me yet for not having a 100% acceptance rate). I figure if people aren’t going to tip on a cheap fare then I’m only going to drive when surge pricing is in effect and I can make a profit.
Also make sure to rate the passengers appropriately. If you are providing bottled water and holding an umbrella and they don’t tip on a $5 fare, they certainly don’t deserve a five star rating.
Just stick to Uber select where you get a decent reimbursement and a better shot at being tipped.
If you can’t make enough off Uber select then try Lyft. No guarantee you will get tips there either but when the passenger goes to rate you there is an option to tip and I’d hope most people would have enough sense to leave a tip if they are getting a luxury car experience. The thing that is bad about the Lyft app is you have no idea if the person stiffed you or tipped you really well until after you rate them and if they tip on the app it included on your year end 1099 and taxed (Lyft doesn’t keep any of the tip, you get the entire tip).
As a person who drives for Uber and who will use the service as a passenger, I get the slippery slope.
Drivers do not make the money people think they do. They use their car, pay for gas, car washes and maintenance. Then there are things on much smaller scales but still important that came out of pocket for me such as purchasing iPhone chargers I do not need because I own an android.
On the passenger side, I understand they appreciate the convenience of Uber and like it being billed as “hassle free and cash less”. You cannot fault the passengers for the expectation as a paying customer, no matter how small or large the fare that Uber has set for them.
I feel like there is passenger vs rider feud and nobody is holding the real culprit accountable: Uber.
Uber could very easily provide a tipping option on the app. It would be at the very least a display of placing value on their drivers that that tax a 25% rake on PER RIDE. Many passengers who are tippers would do so gladly and those that do not still will not. The way it is set up now though is 95% of passengers do not tip, mostly because the option is not very convenient.
Uber has the answer but chooses to stick to poor reasons such as fear of racial discrimination for not providing the passenger/rider relations soothing feature.
I normally only drive during surge charging thanks to the cheapness of people not tipping and uber’s cuts and one thing that really is irritating me lately is non-tippers complaining about Uber pool not being in my area and non-tippers when you return an item left in my car.
I had two passengers last week complain that Uber pool wasn’t in my area yet (there is not enough of a demand for it in my city and if they did offer it I wouldn’t do pool anyway because I’d probably get stuck with a single rider anyway making even less) and one was bragging about how she uses it in other cities for really short trips and usually is the solo rider and can get fares as low as $3 (I’m sure she doesn’t trip those drivers either). Another passenger complained about Surge pricing (it’s a rider I’ve had before and remember him since he’s in a well known position in my city and makes enough money he can afford to tip) I use Uber pool in cities I travel to unless I’m in a huge hurry and am amazed that almost every trip I am on where another passenger is dropped off before that the driver gets stiffed. One time I was in an uber pool from the airport and got dropped off first and got cash out of my wallet as we were approaching the hotel to tip the driver so I wouldn’t have to mess around with my wallet outside while he got my bags out of my trunk and the other passenger asked me if we were suppose to tip pool drivers. She told me she never tips on pool because the driver is getting a lot more fare *SMH*
What is really irritating me is when people leave stuff behind in my car and I get it back to them and they don’t tip. I’m finding the passengers that tipped me on the original ride always tip me for returning their stuff and the ones that stiffed me on the original ride don’t tip me for returning their merchandise. I had someone that left an Ipad in my car last weekend who stiffed me on a tip. The passenger that got in after her saw it and was honest enough to hand it over and there was a business card attached to it and I called her on that. She asked me to deliver it to her house four miles away and I figured I’d get tipped and sure enough I got stiffed. In the future if a passenger that stiffs me leaves anything in my car and contacts me I am going to tell them there is a delivery fee to return it or I’ll leave it at the security desk of the building my day job is at with their name on it and they can retrieve it there.
If you live in a city that has a hub you can return it their as well.
I know I can leave it at the hub but the Hub isn’t convenient to where I live and I’m sure not going to go out of my way for a non-tipping passenger. Uber used to give a $10 finders fee for returning lost merchandise but now that they don’t do that any longer there is no incentive for me to go out of my way to return a lost item to a non-tipper on a fare I could have easily lost money on to begin with.
Something I have done with lost items with people who were nice and tipped is to leave it at a lost and found at nearby supermarket. I had someone leave their keys in my car one night and she was able to get ahold of me and the area she lived in wasn’t convenient to me but I still offered to deliver them to her and she asked me to leave them a lost and found at a Kroger I shop at. I dropped the keys off at customer service and said I found them in the parking lot and sent her a text and then she called Kroger a few minutes later and said she thought she dropped her keys out of her purse and the tile on the keychain was showing they were there.
After reading the entitlement that Uber drives feels towards tips, I will never ever tip an Uber driver again. All you entitled Uber drivers on here can thank yourselves and your co-workers for that.
I don’t think you ever tipped with this attitude. So no one is missing anything.
Keep the 1 dollar to yourself. You need it more.
It is funny how people like you think drivers have an entitled attitude. Since you are the one using their personal car and expect a limousine service for very little money you pay. why don’t you just use your own car and stop bothering drivers. The drivers don’t need riders like you.
Hi Tony,
I just found this article as a link to another article, and read through the entire set of comments. Obviously your name pops up a lot and you’re understandably upset at the situation. I just checked my rating, and I’ve got a 4.78, which I’m guessing is also due to the fact that I never tip, since I’m always where I say I’m going to be, on time, respectful of the driver’s property, and polite. I also generally take shorter rides, a little bit longer than is comfortable to walk in a rush, but not too far. Maybe 2-3 miles or so in the city.
There was another person on here who said that didn’t know the were supposed tip and you really let that guy have it, although he also said he was going to lyft, and it wasn’t clear what he thought about actually tipping.
Whether you believe it or not, I was totally oblivious to the fact that drivers of Uber were expecting tips. I’d heard about stuff going on and the lawsuits and such, but I hadn’t ever read full stories about it. I always tip when I take lyft, since it’s built in, and would be happy to tip in Uber as well—which I will certainly start doing from today—but I think there are plenty of people who really don’t know that drivers are suffering and that they’re expecting a tip.
I remember when I originally signed up for Uber, one of the things they were actively marketing was that their service and their price was a full service, one-stop-shop, no hassles price, and that passengers were not only expected to /not tip/, but that drivers should decline any tips and inform the passengers. Obviously a lot has changed since those days, but people were trained to behave this way from Uber, I think that’s where the true problem lies.
I am not a cheapskate, and I would be more than happy to pay higher fares and would continue to use the service, when I do use it. I’m happy to tip as well, now that I know I should be, but I think you have to accept that not everyone who is oblivious is doing it out of malice, and there are plenty of people who might start tipping with education, but like the drivers, feel screwed in the deal from /Uber/.
Unless my driver is truly unsafe, a screaming racist, or otherwise horribly offensive in some way, I’ve always given 5 stars. I think it’s pretty sad that drivers and passengers are participating in this “holding stars hostage,” demeaning culture when really it’s Uber that are cutting fares to drivers, increasing /their/ percentages, and created (and continue to maintain) an environment where plenty of people really don’t think they’re /supposed/ to tip, service industry or not.
Hi Jason
I completely understand that some people don’t know about the tipping and I have friends that didn’t know. But there are other ones that know now and still act like they don’t know and mention a Uber policy from a few years ago and they also know that few yeas ago Uber prices were much higher and their commission was much lower so the driver back then didn’t care about tips. But as the general public we all know this now regardless of who created this situation, we use this service and we know drivers use their own transportation without any financial help from Uber. How can we be this selfish and careless and have an I don’t care attitude???
As for the rating nothing really happens to the rider even with a low rating. It’s the driver that gets it if they drop below 4.6.
I am not saying don’t take shot trips,but this is where the driver really gets screwed.
Sometimes they have to drive several miles to accommodate a customer who is going 2 blocks. And he is literally making less then 2 dollars for the trip. Here is even 2 dollar tip makes the difference. And another thing Jason. Do you know anyone that will say I am rude to Uber drivers. I abuse the driver and their car and I am never a nice person? Of course not. We all see ourselves as Nice and polite. Am I wrong?
I am a 50 something year old, who is laid off after working my whole life for the same company. Then my car got wrecked into and I had to use the insurance money to live off of cause no one wants to hire someone my age, so had to pay little to buy an older car with many miles on it. I can’t even drive for a car service because my car is a 2003…Too old to qualify.
So, every once in awhile..Maybe twice a week, I’d like to go out for a few drinks..Not falling down drunk where I need ur help…But a few too many to drive…. so I looked for the cheapest driving service. If I don’t have to pay a tip then Uber is the cheapest for a round trip nite out. If I have to tip then Z-trip (which uses taxis) and includes a 20% gratuity built in is the cheapest. So though I feel bad, I always go with the cheapest way to do anything, (every cent counts) until I get out of college and can try to get another job. Wud u rather have no fair (making no money) by people in this city using a different service? Or no tip but at least a fare to make some money? I know every cent counts for u too as u aren’t making a fortune, but u can work at the other driving services or even two or three at a time. Way more than I can make. So it would be unfair to rate me badly. When I could afford it, I always tipped everyone well (most people do). Now I don’t use services that REQUIRE me to tip. I cut n color my own hair etc. I dont go to restaurants, I go to fast food places that don’t require tips (and those people make less than you). Most people aren’t being mean to u by not tipping, they just need to use the cheapest service, and if u check the difference in price between my city’s driving services the differences r between 25 cents to a $1.00 at the most unless u add that tip to Uber which makes their service $4 more for me on a $10 trip each way. I wouldn’t even use Uber if a tip was required as it puts me $8 over for the week which cud go to paying a bill. So try and think about the people u drive, not just yourselves. People without jobs, retirees, etc. Maybe u should be kind and help others like me out. When I was in my 20s it was also hard to find a job…But we used jitneys to get to the store, etc and paid $2 for 2 people and the drivers would help even a young woman carry groceries and would NOT take a tip even if offered, cause they knew we were worse off than they were. Bottom line the people not tipping can’t afford it and if Uber adds tips their prices wud be much higher so everyone would use Lyft or Z-trip and Uber would be out of business, because other than the no tip requirement..Uber offers nothing special that another company does not. So this is a smart business move if u want to compete with another company and u not lose ur job.tafwt
I am an excellent tipper. I tip 20% without question, even when the service isn’t great…except with Uber. I don’t carry cash and SCREW the people in the comments who keep suggesting I should. Seriously, these comments are infuriating! Chase ATMs only let you withdraw money in increments of $20. What am I supposed to do, hail an Uber to go to my bank branch, say “wait here while I get some cash, go in and get some singles, tip the driver, hail another Uber to get to my ACTUAL destination and then tip him/her too? Yeah, screw that and screw you. Let’s be brutally honest. No one has ambitions of becoming an Uber driver. You drive for Uber because you made poor decisions in your life. Don’t take that out on me. I treat every driver with respect, but I’m sick of my rating taking hits because drivers feel entitled to something Uber has explicitly stated I shouldn’t worry about. You want riders to tip? Talk to Uber. They’re the ones refusing to build the option in to the app.
I find it hard to believe no one carries any cash. What do you do if you are out and about and want a bottled water? A lot of small mom and pop convenience stores don’t take plastic or require a minimum spend on plastic.
What happens if your car breaks down or you get in a wreck late at night on the interstate away from home (has happened to me) and need a ride to the nearest truck stop to wait safely or to a rental car place, do you tell the tow driver that went out of his way you don’t have cash for a graduity (I’m sure a lot of the tightwads on this thread probably wouldn’t even think about tipping someone for that).
A lot of Uber drivers like myself do this for spare cash. Fortunately I don’t depend on the money from Uber and now that they did the latest rate reduction (all the more reason for people to tip since you’re rates when down when your drivers pay did) I usually only drive during peaks and if it’s not during peak times I only pick up riders rated at least 4.8.
You are under no obligation to tip but drivers are under no obligation to pick up a poorly rated driver. Angela said she rides from Newark to NJ. A driver is allowed to cancel since they are driving out of state and can’t pick up in NY and will have to deadhead back to NJ and responsible for the tolls. If riders like that aren’t going to tip to at least compensate for the tolls I don’t blame the driver for rating the passenger poorly.
If people have such an issue with tipping uber drivers then why not take a cab?
If I have cash, I often don’t have the right bills. As Chris says, many ATMs only give you $20s.
Also, I am not sure how much I should tip. This morning I took a Uber pool ride, my charge was $3.29. A $1 bill seems both excessive (as a percentage) and too little to make a difference. So how much should I tip? 70 cents?
Ah enough said. You take Uber pool . My God.
That’s why I don’t do Uber pool rides. Good grief if you are getting a $3 ride that you pay $19 for a cab for the same distance tip your driver.
So many problems with your line of thinking:
1. No…I really don’t carry cash. I’ve never had my car break down. I purchase reliable vehicles and keep them maintained. If I get a flat, I change it myself. I don’t know where you live, but if I go somewhere to buy a water they always take debit/credit. If they don’t…I simply don’t buy anything. Dehydration makes your skin look tighter.
2. I don’t take cabs for the exact same reason I don’t tip Uber drivers…many of them require cash. I. DON’T. CARRY. CASH. Plus, I’m black, so hailing a cab isn’t always a simple process. (yes, that’s still a thing) And don’t even try and say I’m the stereotypical poor tipping black guy. As I said before, I tip 20 percent MINIMUM whether the service is good or bad.
I always make sure I have small bills to tip an Uber driver and baristas (my coffee shop doesn’t allow tipping on credit cards). What I do is just ask the business to break a $20 before I page an Uber if I don’t have small bills. If I’m not at a place that can break bills I use Lyft since I can tip in App that way (I prefer giving cash though since they won’t get 1099’s and also like Lyft since they treat their drivers better but if I’m without smaller bills I’m sure they’d rather receive a tip and get taxed than stiffed).
I tip the driver whatever I would tip a cab. I figure I’m getting a cleaner car than a cab most times. And a lot of Uber drivers give things like bottled water and will let you charge your phone, good luck getting that service in a cab.
A suggestion I have for Uber drivers is get a square app. If people are going to use the excuse of no cash they can tip that way. I was in an Uber recently that had a tablet with some games and wifi and card reader.
Why don’t more drivers do that? Or do you still end up with people too cheap to tip?
I’m a little concerned as to why I don’t have a perfect 5 rating though. My rating is 4.96 and an Uber driver I encountered recently told me that rating is great and I would have no problems getting picked up and it is when it falls below 4.8 that he will consider not doing a pick up. He also told me on trips that involve handling luggage or bags he will offer to carry the bags inside for a high rated passenger where with a lower rating passenger he simply pops the trunk.
I didn’t tip two trips in Peru since you don’t tip cab drivers and I felt that extended to rideshare drivers as well but forgot that last time I used a Cab in Peru I always negotiated the fare ahead of time with the driver whereas an Uber driver can’t set their rate. That may be why I don’t have a perfect rating. I didn’t use Lyft in Peru since it isn’t available there and always tip in the US and my rating is a perfect 5.
Someone in my office refuses to tip Uber drivers (even though she uses them on airport trips and expects the driver to handle her baggage) and she only has a 4.65.
We have both paged Ubers from after work events to go home and a couple times I had a ride a lot faster than here so ratings must matter.
If people don’t carry cash I’m also wondering how you handle tipping your baristas at coffee houses? Starbucks allows you to tip on their card but a lot of the smaller coffee houses have tip jars without the ability to tip on a card.
Lyftrider,
If your rating is 4.96 you will have no issues getting your ping accepted. In fact a 4.96 could help you even more than a 5. A new passenger starts out with a five and some drivers get a little nervous when a ping comes through with a 5 star passenger that is a new rider. If you always tip though there is no reason for the driver not to give you a five.
I don’t use square because from what I’ve heard from other drivers it doesn’t make much difference. Most passengers that don’t tip are just cheap and use no cash as an excuse and aren’t going to ask if you have a square reader. If you put up a sign saying tips are appreciated and you have a square app some passengers will get upset and rate the driver lower.
Like I said my solution is to only accept passengers with a 4.8 or higher rating and if they don’t tip they get rated appropriately. If the passenger is well behaved I normally give them a four if they don’t tip. If they request me to do things like handle luggage or obnoxious passengers they normally get a three. There are drivers out there that won’t pay attention to ratings that are hard up for the cash and they can handle those passengers.
If someone doesn’t want to tip that is fine but they shouldn’t get upset when a driver rates them lower so other drivers are forewarned before accepting future pings.
I’m sure no lawyer or accountant is going to accept a new client that will be a money loser. This is similar reasoning.
“… and if they don’t tip they get rated appropriately.” Yes, that’s why I stopped rating right after the ride is over and only do so after I noticed that the driver has not dinged me with a bad star rating.
One of the reasons I switched to Uber/Lyft was I was tired of the subjective decision-making of tipping when most of the time the driver wasn’t called upon to do anything extra. I just wanted to pay whatever I was charged–and I wish they would just make the rates high enough to be fair to the drivers. It’s an imposition on me that Uber/Lyft want me to pick up the slack of deciding what their drivers should make because they want to be cheap. Just charge more for the rides!
I would still use Uber/Lyft if their prices went up, but I will go back to driving myself if I have to start making decisions about what kind of tip the driver expects in exchange for rating me five stars.
I try to be really helpful, always call the driver after I book the ride to make sure the GPS is right (it’s often not), and still I have had many occasions where the driver can’t find me, the app pin is wrong, or the driver is unfamiliar with the area, or doesn’t speak the same language as I do so I can’t help them find me. In those cases, the last thing I’m thinking about is tipping, even though I know it’s sometimes the apps fault not the driver. I like Uber/Lyft when it requires no mental energy. Lots of times I have had to work as hard as the driver to make the ride work. If tipping and tip-based rating starts to complicate it too much I won’t be as interested in using the service.
How is figuring out a tip for an uber/lyft driver anymore difficult than figuring out how much to tip a taxi driver?
As far as the pick up location goes, never use the pin. Type in the name of the business or the address manually. The driver goes to whatever location the rider selects as the pick up point, so if the GPS is off then the driver is going to get routed to a wrong location. Relying on the GPS of the APP for a pick up point is a major complain of many drivers, myself included. I go to wherever the app takes me and if the passenger doesn’t show up in the allotted time I do a no show and collect the fee.
I’m still curious how the new tip function will work. Am I adding 10/15/20% (so 50 cents to my average ride) or will they provide full dollar amount options. If the latter is true, I don’t think I’ll use it to tip.
Not sure why the couldn’t just be honest about it and charge more so drivers get more….
As somebody else has said, it devalues
So you only tip a taxi driver 50 cents?????
Sorry, Gary, you misunderstood.
I was saying that if the options are based on percentage, it might be as little as 50 cents (15% of a $3.30 UberPool). Or you do more of respectable tip of let’s say $4, and than you have a tip of 120% (which seems excessive as a percentage, and somewhat defeats the UberPool option with the lower price).
Regarding your comments about taxi drivers, my experience has been that most of them steal their tip, you give $40 for a $24 fare and you have to beg and plead for at least some change.
Well problem solved, Uber is starting to roll out tipping. Kind of devalues the service for me but oh well.
Fantastic! I will gladly tip now that they’ve made it practical to do so. Hopefully, this $5 for 5 thing isn’t going to become part of the Uber culture though. For most of my rides this would be an 80% tip, which isn’t a realistic percentage in any industry.
If it’s a short ride and you don’t ask the driver to do anything special I don’t think most drivers expect $5. The times it’s nice to get a $5+ tip is if it’s a long haul (which you would give a cab driver), taking passengers to and from the airport and handling luggage or like in Angelinas case where a rider ask me to take them from NJ to NYC where I can’t legally pick up another ping and have to deadhead back to NJ. In the latter case Uber should do what taxis do and charge the passenger a surcharge for going out of state.
Good to know. If it’s a long ride, the fare will likely be high enough that 20% will be more than 5 bucks anyway. I just didn’t want drivers to rate me low for not giving 5 dollars on an 8 dollar fare.
It’s official uber is rolling out in app tipping so people won’t have the excuse they don’t carry cash to tip the driver. I’m sure people will come up with other excuses not to tip. As a driver I’d rather they just raise the rates. Rolling out nationwide by July 31.
More good news for drivers, they changed the cancel time window from 5 minutes to 2 minutes so if a rider cancels after two minutes from requesting the ping we’ll get our cancel fee.
Nice to see some positive changes coming for the drivers now that Travis is goine.
These days people expect tips for nothing at at., like when you get counter service at a fast food place like Starbucks. When I was a kid I worked for a flat hourly wage. I made it work. Why take it out on the customer if you don’t get the tip you wanted. Isn’t it your fault for picking that job? Nother example. I’m working for a flat salary now. When I work overtime, and I work a lot of this, I don’t go to my boss and ask for a tip or a little extra or a raise. It’s actually nice to do a good job without expecting something for it. It’s what old-fashioned craftsmanship used to be. How many great treasures would we have if the artist had his mind wrapped around this concept of fair payment? Another point.. What is quality of life to you? Is it enough money to buy a 50 inch hdtv, or getting along with people and having a good time whether you’re eating McDonald’s or filet mignon? The other day I got into an uber an the driver was thinking about his tip the whole time, like one of Pavlov dogs. Give me a better reason why I should pay you more money than I ever got for doing such unskilled work. Shut up, go to nightschool, and treat your customers better.
The problem is Uber has dropped their fares and gas prices have gone up. Would you be willing to the same job for a lower salary? If you don’t want to tip that is fine but don’t expect a good rating either. I’m sure you aren’t going to take new clients if they are costing you money. Uber drivers are the same. We don’t want passengers that aren’t profitable and the rating system is a perfect way to weed out the poor customers.
Wow, someone who makes sense and doesn’t complain.
If every Uber driver went to night school and left Uber. Who is going to drive your sorry cheap ass??? You know you use someone else’s car and you disrespect that person? How do you know what that driver is thinking?? Are you a psychic ???
Do you go out to dinner and not tip the waiter? Uber and Lyft are services no different than a waiter. No need to tip 20%. Most drivers (like me) take any tip, even $1, as a form of your appreciation for getting you where you need to be.