# Tip policy confusion



## LoneXer (May 30, 2015)

I had a Pax tell me when he signed up that he selected automatic 15% for rides, I corrected him and explained only for the taxi service may you do that, as he got out he said he'd be done in 15 minutes and if I'd wait I told him I'm getting as far away as I can and hit the gas......

This is an old but goodie, my favorite part is they calculate a gratuity into the rate lol

http://www.businessinsider.com/uber...any-tip-money-from-all-inclusive-fares-2014-9

Earlier this week, Uber drivers took to the streets outside the company's offices in Queens to protest the way Uber pays its drivers.

One of their grievances is Uber's policy for allowing drivers to collect tips. Or, we should say, their grievance is that Uber doesn't let them collect tips.

An UberSUV driver named Hilal Aissani told Business Insider at Monday's protest, "Uber tells the customer that their tip for the driver is included, but it isn't. Drivers never see a dollar of that tip money."

Naresh Motwani, an UberSUV driver, says he signed up with Uber in April and regrets it. When Motwani signed up with Uber, he asked about the tip policy. "The answer I got was 'we do not charge tip. We give an all inclusive fare to the customer.' I asked, what if the customer wants to tip anyway? Her response: 'Do not accept any tip from the customer.' I do not remember if she said to tell them the tip is included."

Many of Motwani's customers want to tip him extra, but he has no option of adding a tip to his customers' fare. So some of them give him cash.

In a section of its website called "Do I Have To Tip My Driver?" Uber says:

"Being Uber means there is no need to tip drivers with any of our services.

When using uberTAXI (requesting a ride from a cab via the Uber app, available in select cities), drivers will input the metered fare into the Uber driver application. A default 20% of the metered fare will be automatically added and paid to the driver as a gratuity. You can select the percentage amount of the gratuity by signing into your account at uber.com then clicking the 'Payment' link at the top."

A spokesperson from Uber told Business Insider, "There is no need to tip with UberBLACK or UberX."

It's a confusing policy, and Uber doesn't make it any easier to understand. Even riders are confused.

In a thread called "I thought we didn't tip on Uber, how do we do that?" on the driver forum UberPeople, an Uber customer asked drivers for guidelines on Uber's tipping policy. The drivers who responded had similar things to say.

"Unless you use UberTaxi, there's no tip. UberX drivers aren't receiving any tips. They're not required. However if you insist, we will gladly accept it," a driver named Chicago-Uber said. Another driver, whose username is LAuberX, added, "Tipping waiters is not 'required.' Play on words, not funny Uber."

Despite riders thinking a tip is included in their fare, these drivers make it clear that it's not.

Another driver on the forum, TrafficSlayer, said:

"The fares are the fares, we do not get any 'bonus money' from Uber. When you pay your fare, Uber takes their $1 'safe rides fee' off the top, then takes an additional 20%, the rest is given to the drivers.

Common examples:
$4 min. fare - $1 safe ride fee - 20% = $2.40 to your driver total. Out of this the driver must pay for gas and all other expenses. Uber takes 40%.
$10 fare - $1 safe rides fee - 20% = $7.20 to your driver. Uber takes 28%.
There is no tip 'included' in the fare. In fact, the smaller the fare is, the less of it the driver actually gets. If you take a short ride, things to consider are the following:

What is the driver's ETA from the time of your request?
How long did your drive take?
Did you make your driver wait for you, or were you waiting for him?

These are important because we live in a world where we expect to be paid for our time. If a driver only gets minimum fares, he is not even making minimum wage when you figure out his hourly rate, especially after you deduct expenses. Even a small $2 tip will give a significant boost to your driver's hourly earnings and will be greatly appreciated."

But Uber warns drivers accepting cash tips from riders is risky. Business Insider obtained an email sent to an Uber driver in Los Angeles from Uber LA, warning a driver for accepting tips.

*Subject: Warning # 1 - Accepting Tips*

Hi there - we've received reports from clients that you've been accepting/soliciting cash tips. Accepting tips is against Uber policy - you should NEVER accept tips from clients. Please discontinue immediately. If we find out that you have been, your account will be deactivated. We've calculated the average fare with tip for drivers in Los Angeles and have ALREADY adjusted our fares to compensate you accordingly to make the clients' ride as smooth and efficient as possible.

John Fragoulias, an unhappy Uber driver, said Uber is "telling the customer that the tip is included in the fare, which we all know it is not. If it was, it should be a separate line item in our weekly invoices. And if they say that it is, then they should not take a cut 'percentage' off our tips from their weekly 20% Uber cut, since they take that from the gross fare, which means they are dipping into our tips." Fragoulias drives for Uber, but he's also started driving for Lyft. "In our daily and weekly summary [for Lyft], the tip, if there is one from a customer, is a separate line item, like it should be," he told Business Insider.

"Uber has always said in their marketing material, 'no need to tip, it's all included!'" One Uber driver who wished to remain anonymous told Business Insider.

"All Uber's marketing and driver training material made claims that the tip was included and not to tip or receive tips. But they were always dismissive of drivers asking for clarification and transparency. Things like 'how much of the fare is the tip' are ignored," this driver said. "As a passenger too, if you write support and ask how much of the fare is the gratuity they won't respond. I believe this is an immoral strategy on their behalf to keep themselves artificially cheaper than their competition, like Lyft and Sidecar, who allow tipping through the app."


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## Taxi Driver in Arizona (Mar 18, 2015)

What's the confusion?

The policy clearly states "**** you, drivers!".


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## LoneXer (May 30, 2015)

Taxi Driver in Arizona said:


> What's the confusion?
> 
> The policy clearly states "**** you, drivers!".


The short version lmao


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## Ziggy (Feb 27, 2015)

LoneXer said:


> soliciting cash tips


The dicey thing here is going to be solciting cash tips ... I never solicit tips; but I've gotten a few


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

When I signed on to UberX in Your Nation's Capital in July, 2014, Uber had me watch a "training video". The video stated that if a customer offered you a tip, you should tell them that they do not have to do that. If the customer insists, you accept it and say "thank you". On UberX, I tell the customer who offers the cash tip one time, as this is what the "training video" showed, "You know that you do not have to do that?" The customer has always insisted that I accept it, so, as the "training video" instructed me, I accept it and say "thank you". As I am also an Uber Taxi driver, as others have posted, the driver keys in the metered fare. The application adds a two dollar user fee (no big deal in Washington, as it has cost extra to call a cab in the City since the 1920s. Currently, the charge is two dollars) and a twenty per cent tip by default. If the user wants to change that, he can. He can set it at anything from NO TIP to whatever. The user can set a specific amount for the tip, as well. If the user wants to tip two dollars regardless of the fare amount, he can set it at that.

In Washington, few UberX users tip. Most Uber Taxi users leave the tip at its default twenty per cent. A few tip more, more than a few tip ten or fifteen, rarely does anyone select the NO TIP option. If they tip me something on Uber Taxi, and, there are no other problems, as Uber instructed me when I signed on to Uber Taxi in February, 2013, I give the user his five stars. Anyone who selects the NO TIP option gets anything from one to three stars, depending on several factors. If the UberX ride is no problem, even if he does not tip, I default to my Uber Taxi instructions. The UberX user who is somewhat more of a problem than "no problem" will have stars deducted depending on how much of a "problem" he is. Rarely will I penalise stars on an UberX user for no tip.

Where in Queens is Uber's office?

Uber does tell the UberX users that they need not tip, so I am not surprised when they do not. ..........if only UberX users followed other Uber instructions as carefully.....................


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## John Bynum (Jun 8, 2015)

At the end of this video there is info on tips and cash.

Watch "Uber Driver Training Video" on YouTube


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## OCBob (Jan 20, 2015)

If I got an email stating I cannot except tips, I would challenged them big time. One thing is to solicit tips but another is Uber trying to not us allow to accept them. We are independent and I have a square reader. No cash needed!


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## azndriver87 (Mar 23, 2015)

John Bynum said:


> At the end of this video there is info on tips and cash.
> 
> Watch "Uber Driver Training Video" on YouTube


what i get from the video is.......... i can't ask for tips, but if they "want" to give me tips, i can accept.


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## Ub-urs (Mar 5, 2015)

you should never ask for a tip, period. Just put a tip jar on your dash with a few $20 bills in there.


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## LoneXer (May 30, 2015)

Ziggy said:


> The dicey thing here is going to be solciting cash tips ... I never solicit tips; but I've gotten a few


It is not required....
Lmfao


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## Yankee (Feb 22, 2015)

The other night some yahoo told me, as he was getting out, "OK, so I give you 5 stars, that bumps up your tip, right?" I said, "no dude, stars mean NOTHING and there is no $$ involved in the star system." He got very confused, saying, "but I always thought the star system was related to how much tip gets added to your fare!" I laughed and told him no, there's no $$ associated with stars, and contrary to PR, there is no "tip included in the fare". He then became embarrassed, lamenting all the times he gave out stars instead of tips, and handed me some money while apologizing. Of course, the idiot then had me idling for 5 minutes after drop off while he hugged his buddy and told him ("I don't mean to sound gay or anything, but…) 6 times how much he loved him. lol


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## Ziggy (Feb 27, 2015)

LoneXer said:


> It is not required..


my new sign:

" Tips are not *required* "


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## Kalee (Feb 18, 2015)

Tips are never "required". To use the word "required" just sounds so illiterate.
I squirm every time I hear anyone say that. When I hear that I get the same feeling that I get whenever someone says "axe" instead of "ask".

How about, "tips are not necessary"?


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## Ub-urs (Mar 5, 2015)

Kalee said:


> How about, "tips are not necessary"?


How about, "tipping is optional"? Problem solved!


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## DrJeecheroo (Feb 12, 2015)

There is no confusion. Either you tip or you're one cheap ****.


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## UberLou (May 5, 2015)

I leave great tips like, "never fry bacon in the nude! "


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## DrJeecheroo (Feb 12, 2015)

Ub-urs said:


> How about, "tipping is optional"?  Problem solved!


except to sly, aka as mr (blank-less) can put the word tip in there or addypoos might ban me.


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## ReviTULize (Sep 29, 2014)

Another Uber Driver said:


> When I signed on to UberX in Your Nation's Capital in July, 2014, Uber had me watch a "training video". The video stated that if a customer offered you a tip, you should tell them that they do not have to do that. If the customer insists, you accept it and say "thank you". On UberX, I tell the customer who offers the cash tip one time, as this is what the "training video" showed, "You know that you do not have to do that?" The customer has always insisted that I accept it, so, as the "training video" instructed me, I accept it and say "thank you". As I am also an Uber Taxi driver, as others have posted, the driver keys in the metered fare. The application adds a two dollar user fee (no big deal in Washington, as it has cost extra to call a cab in the City since the 1920s. Currently, the charge is two dollars) and a twenty per cent tip by default. If the user wants to change that, he can. He can set it at anything from NO TIP to whatever. The user can set a specific amount for the tip, as well. If the user wants to tip two dollars regardless of the fare amount, he can set it at that.
> 
> In Washington, few UberX users tip. Most Uber Taxi users leave the tip at its default twenty per cent. A few tip more, more than a few tip ten or fifteen, rarely does anyone select the NO TIP option. If they tip me something on Uber Taxi, and, there are no other problems, as Uber instructed me when I signed on to Uber Taxi in February, 2013, I give the user his five stars. Anyone who selects the NO TIP option gets anything from one to three stars, depending on several factors. If the UberX ride is no problem, even if he does not tip, I default to my Uber Taxi instructions. The UberX user who is somewhat more of a problem than "no problem" will have stars deducted depending on how much of a "problem" he is. Rarely will I penalise stars on an UberX user for no tip.
> 
> ...


Skip the first refusal
if they are extending it to you, they are already insisting


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