# Rebuttal to anti tipping article first appearing in Bloomberg



## Chuck Morris (Oct 15, 2015)

My name is Chuck Morris, I am a rideshare partner for the largest rideshare company (Uber) and I am writing a couple thoughts today about the topic of tipping your rideshare driver. I am writing this after reading an article in the NY Post where an opinion article was published that if you tip your driver you're doing a disservice to the Uber they love with its seamless efficient system where no tip is required. My answer for those who want the drivers not to request tips, lobby Uber to raise your rate at least 80 percent so you begin to pay the VALUE this convenient service brings you.
Not interested in that? Better start reaching for your wallet.
I began driving Uber in March in the Connecticut market. At the time the rate was $1.65 a mile and .25 cents a minute. At those rates, I didn't even consider tips. I was being paid a lot less then when I drove black car service due to the cost of using my own vehicle but still was meeting financial needs of my family (both my wife and I work) I was now for the first time in years 100 percent in control of my working hours and began to participate in a lot more of our family activities. I’ll gladly give up some income for that and did.
The rates were then lowered in the Hartford market first, to $1.10 a mile and .18 a minute. Though I lived in that market, it didn't affect me much because I was traveling to Fairfield County (our busiest market).
The rates were then lowered for the rest of the state of CT and here begins the issue.
Before the rate drop, I would use up 180 miles a day of dead miles at around .32 a mile and net around .85 a mile on any given day. The reduction of 27 and a half percent lowered the best days to .75 a mile. An average day fell to around .55 cents a mile.
The cost to run my vehicles ( I drive a Ford Fusion Hybrid for UberX and a Chrysler Town and Country for UberXL) is .32 cents a mile, (came up with these numbers using a fuel mileage calculator)
So, after a few lean months and a terrible January, I made the decision to focus on gratuity. I have been pretty good at collecting tips as a chauffeur and began to formulate how to get tips on this platform. In the world I came from (usually black car service) this wasn't necessary .It was customary to tip. The strongest nudging I ever gave in that world was conversations like “tip is included” which I would reply “anything above that would be appreciated”.
So the best technique I found with Uber was educating the passenger on the fact that Uber did not include tips, a myth made by the company to ensure the growth of their business at the expense of driver’s profitability. Uber claims drivers pay goes up when the lower the rates and uses numbers (affectionately known as Uber math by us partners) to show the gains. One problem; the cost of driving my vehicle did not change. So even if I did one more trip an hour, in my market of Connecticut the ride wasn't any CLOSER and often made me less PROFITABLE that hour. 
As I had these conversations and began to receive tips more regularly I learned a lot about Uber clientele. Most did not carry cash any more. So I added a device called Tripcam to my platform to collect tips through cards and also record each ride for the security of the vehicle.
A few thoughts for those who would chose not to tip us:
You're getting the product way too cheap. Many customers have expressed to me I would gladly pay so much more for this ride. Well, then do that pay around double of the fare you were charged since the convenience and quality of the ride warrants it.
To passengers who hail a ride from more than 7 minutes away, pay up. You don't like the word tip, call it a service charge if you’re not going to, you should be ignored.

If the compensation isn’t made remember the product suffers. You’ll be seeing substandard cars and drivers. Quality for cheap seems to be good to be true and is.
Sent from my iPhone


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## 14gIV (Dec 12, 2015)

See more on Know Your Meme


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## chi1cabby (May 28, 2014)

You can email your post to Virginia Postrel at *[email protected]*
Or you can tweet to her under this tweet:
*

 https://twitter.com/i/web/status/727514591635345408*


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## chi1cabby (May 28, 2014)

Only a dedicated troll puts in the extra effort of downloading & posting a meme, instead of posting TL; DR or just simply moving along.


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## 14gIV (Dec 12, 2015)

chi1cabby said:


> Only a dedicated troll puts in the extra effort of downloading & posting a meme, instead of posting TL; DR or just simply moving along.


her tweet says she wants uber to add a tipping option in the app lol


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

chi1cabby said:


> a dedicated troll


*THIS*


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## Chuck Morris (Oct 15, 2015)

naplestom75 said:


> It's not rideshare


That's the definition in this state and every other one.


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## Chuck Morris (Oct 15, 2015)

Her article sats


14gIV said:


> her tweet says she wants uber to add a tipping option in the app lol


http://nypost.com/2016/05/04/ubers-terrible-idea-for-tipping-drivers/
Where did you read in this article she wanted tips through the app?


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## 14gIV (Dec 12, 2015)

Chuck Morris said:


> Her article sats
> http://nypost.com/2016/05/04/ubers-terrible-idea-for-tipping-drivers/
> Where did you read in this article she wanted tips through the app?


I said her *TWEET* says she wants to be able to tip via the app

*

 https://twitter.com/i/web/status/727514591635345408*


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

Chuck Morris said:


> My name is Chuck Morris, I am a rideshare partner for the largest rideshare company (Uber) and I am writing a couple thoughts today about the topic of tipping your rideshare driver. I am writing this after reading an article in the NY Post where an opinion article was published that if you tip your driver you're doing a disservice to the Uber they love with its seamless efficient system where no tip is required. My answer for those who want the drivers not to request tips, lobby Uber to raise your rate at least 80 percent so you begin to pay the VALUE this convenient service brings you.
> Not interested in that? Better start reaching for your wallet.
> I began driving Uber in March in the Connecticut market. At the time the rate was $1.65 a mile and .25 cents a minute. At those rates, I didn't even consider tips. I was being paid a lot less then when I drove black car service due to the cost of using my own vehicle but still was meeting financial needs of my family (both my wife and I work) I was now for the first time in years 100 percent in control of my working hours and began to participate in a lot more of our family activities. I'll gladly give up some income for that and did.
> The rates were then lowered in the Hartford market first, to $1.10 a mile and .18 a minute. Though I lived in that market, it didn't affect me much because I was traveling to Fairfield County (our busiest market).
> ...


I would define "dead miles" for pax who won't figure it out.

Also, math example: I get $100, cost is $30, I make $70, vs I get $80, cost is still $30, I lost even more than 20% less eve. though YOU paid only 20% less because it all comes out of my profit.


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## naplestom75 (May 3, 2015)

Chuck Morris said:


> That's the definition in this state and every other one.


No it isn't. Look any any legal document and not something lazy written by a newspaper and you will see that term is not used.


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

naplestom75 said:


> No it isn't. Look any any legal document and not something lazy written by a newspaper and you will see that term is not used.


 The Houston ordinance SPECIFICALLY says that TNC is NOT rideshare. They define it as vehicles for hire.

I imagine any city where Uber is actually legal and has been addressed there is language somewhere to say this.

From the ordinance:

"Ridesharing, when describing conduct, means the travelling of two or more persons by any mode of private passenger vehicle, including, but not limited to , carpooling, vanpooling, buspooling, to any location incidental to another purpose of the driver, for which compensation is not accepted, collected, encouraged, promoted, or requested."

"Vehicle for Hire, when describing a class of vehicles, means a taxicab, pedicab, sightseeing and charter vehicle, chauffeured limousine, school vehicle, jitney, low-speed shuttle, or transportation network vehicle used for the provision of transportation services for hire to the general public. The term expressly excludes vehicles operated or regulated by other government entities."


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## Chuck Morris (Oct 15, 2015)

Fuzzyelvis said:


> The Houston ordinance SPECIFICALLY says that TNC is NOT rideshare. They define it as vehicles for hire.
> 
> I imagine any city where Uber is actually legal and has been addressed there is language somewhere to say this.
> 
> ...


The state had an insurance bill to DEFINE Rideshare insurance. They never got to it and we have another year of unregulated mayhem ahead . The bill didn't reach in our pockets( drivers) sure this won't be the case next year.


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## naplestom75 (May 3, 2015)

Fuzzyelvis said:


> The Houston ordinance SPECIFICALLY says that TNC is NOT rideshare. They define it as vehicles for hire.
> 
> I imagine any city where Uber is actually legal and has been addressed there is language somewhere to say this.
> 
> ...


Thank you fuzzy elvis


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

Chuck Morris said:


> The state had an insurance bill to DEFINE Rideshare insurance. They never got to it and we have another year of unregulated mayhem ahead . The bill didn't reach in our pockets( drivers) sure this won't be the case next year.


What is your point? This is the CITY ORDINANCE. Since the state didn't get to it, that's beside the point.


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## Chuck Morris (Oct 15, 2015)

Fuzzyelvis said:


> What is your point? This is the CITY ORDINANCE. Since the state didn't get to it, that's beside the point.[/QUOTE
> i was responding to the fact both you and the other gentlemen seem to be hung up on our "legal" name. Our state referred to us as Rideshare partners or they would not have been defining Rideshare insurance
> Less fuzzy now?


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