# I thought I was tipping



## Davetripd (Dec 14, 2015)

So a post in another thread reminded me of this. We all gripe about the lack of tips but up until I became a driver I honestly thought I was tipping. 

When you sign up for Uber you choose your gratuity. I slid it to 20% and congratulated myself on being a kind and generous human. On all the rides I took (usually airport) I would just look at the total, rate the driver, and assume the tip was included. 

It wasn't until I started driving that I went back and realized it said Uber Taxi. Even if I would have spotted that I would have assumed it was for all rides because all Ubers are taxis right?

I guess I don't really have a point but I'm guessing there are a lot, even a majority, of riders who think they are tipping.


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## KiaScott (Dec 10, 2015)

I doubt that. I also drive for Lyft, which drops a screen in the passenger's face for opportunity to tip, and I get no more tips from Lyft passengers than I do from Uber passengers.


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## Davetripd (Dec 14, 2015)

Really? I have heard around here that lyft tips are not inconsequential. I have gotten about $20 in tips from Uber, $17 on new years


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## Hunt to Eat (Nov 19, 2015)

Davetripd said:


> Really? I have heard around here that lyft tips are not inconsequential. I have gotten about $20 in tips from Uber, $17 on new years


Tips are much more frequent on Lyft.


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## grayspinner (Sep 8, 2015)

I've had quite a few pax who are mortified to learn they haven't been tipping. 

To me, this setting a tip for uberTaxi (a service not even available here) is deliberately misleading - too many intelligent people have told me they thought they were tipping. These are all people who want to tip because it makes them feel generous. They often switch to lyft so they can tip on the app. 

My lyft tips are pretty consistently about 12% of my total fares. I'd say about 65% of my lyft riders tip.


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## Hunt to Eat (Nov 19, 2015)

grayspinner said:


> I've had quite a few pax who are mortified to learn they haven't been tipping.
> 
> To me, this setting a tip for uberTaxi (a service not even available here) is deliberately misleading - too many intelligent people have told me they thought they were tipping. These are all people who want to tip because it makes them feel generous. They often switch to lyft so they can tip on the app.
> 
> My lyft tips are pretty consistently about 12% of my total fares. I'd say about 65% of my lyft riders tip.


This notion of people thinking they were tipping on Uber doesn't carry any water with me. I appreciate that it's a convenient excuse, but anyone with a fourth-grade understanding of mathematics can easily figure out that at 90 cents per mile and 16 cents per minute there is NO tip in the fee charged.


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## Idunno (Nov 1, 2015)

It's true, after telling some friends that tips aren't included they seemed kinda angry. 

"But I selected 20% when I signed up."

No tips are not included

"What a sleezy company."

Here, download Lyft and try this code, LOL


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## volksie (Apr 8, 2015)

Davetripd said:


> So a post in another thread reminded me of this. We all gripe about the lack of tips but up until I became a driver I honestly thought I was tipping.
> 
> When you sign up for Uber you choose your gratuity. I slid it to 20% and congratulated myself on being a kind and generous human. On all the rides I took (usually airport) I would just look at the total, rate the driver, and assume the tip was included.
> 
> ...


It's my view that Uber owes every independent contractor & every rider 20% of fares earned and fares charged.


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## grayspinner (Sep 8, 2015)

Hunt to Eat said:


> This notion of people thinking they were tipping on Uber doesn't carry any water with me. I appreciate that it's a convenient excuse, but anyone with a fourth-grade understanding of mathematics can easily figure out that at 90 cents per mile and 16 cents per minute there is NO tip in the fee charged.


I think many people don't really pay attention to their fare breakdown at all. Especially the people who would naturally tip. Many folks in my area wouldn't notice a fare increase.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Davetripd said:


> When you sign up for Uber you choose your gratuity. It wasn't until I started driving that I went back and realized it said Uber Taxi. a majority, of riders who think they are tipping.





grayspinner said:


> I've had quite a few pax who are mortified to learn they haven't been tipping.
> To me, this setting a tip for uberTaxi (a service not even available here) is deliberately misleading -


This is a common misconception. As an Uber Taxi driver, I do get my tip through the application. As an UberX driver, I never get a tip from anyone who lives here. Most of the people who tip me on UberX are younger black and Spanish speaking women who do not live here.


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## There’s no need to tip (Dec 19, 2015)

When I started using Uber I knew that the gratuity was for UberTaxi because I actually pay attention to things that involve my money. That being said, I never understood Uber's explanation as to "tip is included" to mean they were giving an extra percentage to the driver nor did I particularly care. What I did understand it to mean was when I get out of that car, and the money is charged to my card, everyone is in agreement with what they are receiving/paying. As a passenger, that is all that really mattered to me.


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## Davetripd (Dec 14, 2015)

Hunt to Eat said:


> This notion of people thinking they were tipping on Uber doesn't carry any water with me. I appreciate that it's a convenient excuse, but anyone with a fourth-grade understanding of mathematics can easily figure out that at 90 cents per mile and 16 cents per minute there is NO tip in the fee charged.


Of course if you do the math you can figure it out but when I take an Uber I've usually been drinking and I'm chatting with whoever I'm with. You don't pay attention to the odometer. You get there, see that it costs 10 bucks, shrug your shoulders and move on.


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## There’s no need to tip (Dec 19, 2015)

Davetripd said:


> Of course if you do the math you can figure it out but when I take an Uber I've usually been drinking and I'm chatting with whoever I'm with. You don't pay attention to the odometer. You get there, see that it costs 10 bucks, shrug your shoulders and move on.


My position is, I don't care how things are broken up and it shouldn't really matter to the passenger. For example, let's assume instead of doing things as Uber has been, the drivers REALLY were getting 20% (or whatever) tip at the end of the ride and Uber the rest. Now let's assume Uber charged a lower rate because of it. That would mean the passenger saw the final number, assumed 20% was going to the driver, and moved on but the amount the driver was getting was the same in both scenarios. The point is, the passenger doesn't care how the money is broken down.


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## sellkatsell44 (Oct 25, 2015)

I never got the option to select 20% when I signed up for uber and I think I'd remember because I tend to pay attention like that.

Recently, I had no wallet on me (of course) and was waiting for an appt but had time to kill + raining, went to Starbucks to seek shelter. I always feel guilty to stay inside an establishment without being a customer so I downloaded the Starbucks app and than loaded it with my paypal account. If Starbucks accepted Apple Pay it would have been a hellvalot easier.

I paid for it and bam! That's it. Easy peasy.

Fast forward to today.

I noticed an option to tip!

Imagine that.

After my purchase I got a pop up, I clicked okay and than it brought me to the top screen--after my selection, you see the below.










There's enough Starbucks for all y'all? And they have benefits for even part time and often pay above minimum wage


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## There’s no need to tip (Dec 19, 2015)

sellkatsell44 said:


> I never got the option to select 20% when I signed up for uber and I think I'd remember because I tend to pay attention like that.
> 
> Recently, I had no wallet on me (of course) and was waiting for an appt but had time to kill + raining, went to Starbucks to seek shelter. I always feel guilty to stay inside an establishment without being a customer so I downloaded the Starbucks app and than loaded it with my paypal account. If Starbucks accepted Apple Pay it would have been a hellvalot easier.
> 
> ...


I'm not sure if Uber mentioned the UberTaxi tip option when signing up or if you had to go into the account manually after but I'm pretty sure it was part of the sign up process. As for the Starbucks scenario, I agree. There are many lower wage, less skill related positions out there for the taking if people wanted them.


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