DoorDash Tells Customers, You Don't tIp, You Wait!

[Tiberius]

As a former pizza delivery person I can tell you we knew the orders that didn't tip and we tried being away, busy or invisible when that order came up. Nice to see Dashers have the power to reject a delivery, Power to the people baby! 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2023/11/03/doordash-delivery-tips-wait-time/

 

Tipping can be confusing these days, with various added service charges and fees. But sometimes, it comes down to a simple proposition: Not tipping at all can be a bad thing.

That’s what DoorDash is telling its customers via a pilot program that it started testing this year in which customers who enter an order and choose no tip for the delivery person might have to wait longer to get their food. The company offered details this week about how the feature works, after warning messages started showing up in consumers’ apps. Some people who choose the option of a zero tip were met with a screen letting them know: “Orders with no tip might take longer to get delivered — are you sure you want to continue?” They are then given the choice to add a tip or continue without one — at their peril.

Never ask what’s for dinner again. Get one quick recipe in your inbox Monday through Thursday to inspire delicious meals.

The company explained that the system, which is being tested in random locations around the U.S. and Canada, is intended to create incentives against cheapskates.

 

“As independent contractors,” the delivery workers, called Dashers, “have full freedom to accept or reject offers based on what they view as valuable and rewarding,” DoorDash spokeswoman Jenn Rosenberg said in a statement. “While the vast majority of customers do leave a tip, offers that don’t include a tip can be seen as less desirable — this impacts our entire community, leading to longer wait times for customers, orders sitting longer at merchants, and less value for Dashers.”

[Bill from NYC]

What would happen to customers who tip in cash?  I'm going to assume for the sake of this conversation that drivers would have to pay tax on credit card tips, and would prefer cash tips.

Am I missing something?

[dorquemada]

Eh, i delivered pizza in HS and college, and I guess I understand the point here but tipping culture is out of control.  At least half of the places I go now and pay by credit card expect a tip, even for takeout.  I've actually started to avoid places that have ipad checkout kiosks because they are inevitably the ones who pivot it around "it's just going to ask you a question"

[EmotionallyUnstable]

Capitalism at its worst.

 

Big business passing off raising wages to the consumer. 
 

Cool. 

[LeviF]

6 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

What would happen to customers who tip in cash?  I'm going to assume for the sake of this conversation that drivers would have to pay tax on credit card tips, and would prefer cash tips.

Am I missing something?

 

If people really want to support delivery drivers and the like they'll avoid apps like DoorDash, which charge ridiculous "delivery fees" that deliverers see very little of in their check.

[Not at the table Karlos]

Orders with no tips are like $2 or $2.50 sometimes going across the city taking close to an hour at times because you have to go back to your zone to get more orders. Drivers would be stupid to take no tip orders. After gas and wear and tear on your car you’re losing money at that point. 

22 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

What would happen to customers who tip in cash?  I'm going to assume for the sake of this conversation that drivers would have to pay tax on credit card tips, and would prefer cash tips.

Am I missing something?

They would sit because it’ll show a low amount when the driver gets the request. Cash tips are rare. 
 

im sure drivers would prefer it but who’s taking the chance on making $3 an hour and still have to pay for gas. 

Edited November 3, 2023 by Not at the table Karlos

[dorquemada]

13 minutes ago, EmotionallyUnstable said:

Capitalism at its worst.

 

Big business passing off raising wages to the consumer. 
 

Cool. 

 

Capitalism is what allows us choices.  Nobody is forcing you to use DoorDash, or order from a particular restaurant. 

 

You would know this if you had ever been to a communist country.  The people who complain the most about capitalism are the ones who have never experienced the alternative

4 minutes ago, Not at the table Karlos said:

Orders with no tips are like $2 or $2.50 sometimes going across the city taking close to an hour at times because you have to go back to your zone to get more orders. Drivers would be stupid to take no tip orders. After gas and wear and tear on your car you’re losing money at that point. 

 

Very few of these type of jobs are net positive.  I travel a lot for work and speak to a ton of Uber and Lyft drivers.  The honest ones admit in the long term they lose money but are chasing last months credit card bill. 

[EmotionallyUnstable]

3 minutes ago, dorquemada said:

 

Capitalism is what allows us choices.  Nobody is forcing you to use DoorDash, or order from a particular restaurant. 

 

You would know this if you had ever been to a communist country.  The people who complain the most about capitalism are the ones who have never experienced the alternative

 

Very few of these type of jobs are net positive.  I travel a lot for work and speak to a ton of Uber and Lyft drivers.  The honest ones admit in the long term they lose money but are chasing last months credit card bill. 

The alternative would be just to take a smaller cut of profits and pay your workers better 🤷‍♂️ 

[dorquemada]

7 minutes ago, EmotionallyUnstable said:

The alternative would be just to take a smaller cut of profits and pay your workers better 🤷‍♂️ 

 

You know what's even cooler about capitalism?  You and your revolutionary idea can go get seed funding and start your own worker-cooperative based doordash competitor and watch the world beat a path to your door!  Hell you can even set minimums on delivery (like every pizza place on the planet before 5 years ago) so your workers don't have to take unprofitable trips!

[Augie]

46 minutes ago, Not at the table Karlos said:

Orders with no tips are like $2 or $2.50 sometimes going across the city taking close to an hour at times because you have to go back to your zone to get more orders. Drivers would be stupid to take no tip orders. After gas and wear and tear on your car you’re losing money at that point. 

They would sit because it’ll show a low amount when the driver gets the request. Cash tips are rare. 
 

im sure drivers would prefer it but who’s taking the chance on making $3 an hour and still have to pay for gas. 

 

The only thing we have delivered is pizza, usually from the same place. If they don’t ask about adding a tip at the order, I’m kinda relieved to just hand the driver cash, as I suspect they would prefer. Unfortunately, I use so little cash since Covid these days about the only thing I ever have is the same twenties from the ATM some time ago.  That’s a bit steep for the 2 mile drive straight up the road so we make sure nobody gets stiffed. Life is too short for that kind of bad karma. Tip people fairly. 

 

On a related note, I always try to tip in cash when I take an Uber. The drivers seem to appreciate cash for a variety of reasons, and sometimes the app messes up and doesn’t give me a chance to tip for days, if at all. I have been rated by the driver by then. I want to KNOW they got tipped properly. Possibly as a result, I needed an Uber late one night trying to get to my hotel (in a seedy area) after bar time following an NCAA tournament day in Orlando. The driver said he was about to go home, but he saw that I was a 5.0 rider at the time. I did not know riders get a rating! I think the 5.0 rating was due to my generous cash tipping, because I don’t think any of the drivers found me as funny as I found myself after hours of drinking!  They appreciate cash over comedy from a friendly drunk guy.   😂 

[Bill from NYC]

3 hours ago, Not at the table Karlos said:

Orders with no tips are like $2 or $2.50 sometimes going across the city taking close to an hour at times because you have to go back to your zone to get more orders. Drivers would be stupid to take no tip orders. After gas and wear and tear on your car you’re losing money at that point. 

They would sit because it’ll show a low amount when the driver gets the request. Cash tips are rare. 
 

im sure drivers would prefer it but who’s taking the chance on making $3 an hour and still have to pay for gas. 

This makes sense.

[EmotionallyUnstable]

3 hours ago, dorquemada said:

 

You know what's even cooler about capitalism?  You and your revolutionary idea can go get seed funding and start your own worker-cooperative based doordash competitor and watch the world beat a path to your door!  Hell you can even set minimums on delivery (like every pizza place on the planet before 5 years ago) so your workers don't have to take unprofitable trips!

Seed money? I spent it all tipping 

3 hours ago, Augie said:

 

The only thing we have delivered is pizza, usually from the same place. If they don’t ask about adding a tip at the order, I’m kinda relieved to just hand the driver cash, as I suspect they would prefer. Unfortunately, I use so little cash since Covid these days about the only thing I ever have is the same twenties from the ATM some time ago.  That’s a bit steep for the 2 mile drive straight up the road so we make sure nobody gets stiffed. Life is too short for that kind of bad karma. Tip people fairly. 

 

On a related note, I always try to tip in cash when I take an Uber. The drivers seem to appreciate cash for a variety of reasons, and sometimes the app messes up and doesn’t give me a chance to tip for days, if at all. I have been rated by the driver by then. I want to KNOW they got tipped properly. Possibly as a result, I needed an Uber late one night trying to get to my hotel (in a seedy area) after bar time following an NCAA tournament day in Orlando. The driver said he was about to go home, but he saw that I was a 5.0 rider at the time. I did not know riders get a rating! I think the 5.0 rating was due to my generous cash tipping, because I don’t think any of the drivers found me as funny as I found myself after hours of drinking!  They appreciate cash over comedy from a friendly drunk guy.   😂 

Always. Honestly doesn’t matter to me the service. A lot of people rely on those to survive. It often isn’t a direct error by a delivery person that results in delays, mistakes etc so whenever I’m tipping, it’s  respectable. 
 

Im not happy about it, but it’s the right thing to do. 

[dorquemada]

24 minutes ago, EmotionallyUnstable said:

Seed money? I spent it all tipping 

 

 

Someone who throws terms like CAPITALISM around should know that seed money comes from other people.

[Mark Vader]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4sTSIYzDIk&t=80s

Edited November 4, 2023 by Mark Vader

[EmotionallyUnstable]

1 hour ago, dorquemada said:

 

Someone who throws terms like CAPITALISM around should know that seed money comes from other people.

Are you offering me a loan? 

[dorquemada]

27 minutes ago, EmotionallyUnstable said:

Are you offering me a loan? 

 

Eh, you don't seem like someone who can handle money

[Just Jack]

About 15 years ago I lived in a location that I had three pizza places all within a mile.  They all offered online ordering.  So I would place my order, and try to get it just about $15, so when the driver arrived, I could hand them a $20 and tell them to keep the change. No matter how long the online order would say my order would take, eventually all three places would get me my food within 30 minutes.  

 

 

7 hours ago, LeviF said:

 

If people really want to support delivery drivers and the like they'll avoid apps like DoorDash, which charge ridiculous "delivery fees" that deliverers see very little of in their check.

 

I got their Dash Pass free for a year through my Chase credit card, so there is no delivery fee.  Here's the interesting thing about it.  My year was just about up, so I went to cancel, and Door Dash offered me another three months free, so I kept it. Now, about a month later, my credit card had an attempted charge on it, so Chase sent me a new card/number.  When I went to enter that number in Door Dash, their system seeing a "new" Chase card, gave me a new offer of a year free of Dash Pass.  Makes me wonder how many other services I could get renewed for free just by changing my CC number. 

Edited November 4, 2023 by Just Jack

[reddogblitz]

If their tablet asks for a tip and it not something that I think a is a tip thing like when I ordered a cake, I just click no tip.

 

I also wonder on these things how much the waiter or driver is really getting.  

[ExiledInIllinois]

Stop the BS of having tipped workers make less than minimum wage. 

 

Everyone should get at least minimum, tips or not. 

 

 

Hey:

 

T = To

I = Insure

P = Promptness

 

 

9 hours ago, Bill from NYC said:

What would happen to customers who tip in cash?  I'm going to assume for the sake of this conversation that drivers would have to pay tax on credit card tips, and would prefer cash tips.

Am I missing something?

 

Or find a nice driver and text them on the side. 

 

Is that against these apps policy. LoL... You bet it is! 

[ExiledInIllinois]

That's the thing. I guess if people knew how much service staff was making, it would make things easier. Make it minimum or above... And make sure management isn't tip stealing...

[SinceThe70s]

 

'Tipping at your peril', lol.  I'm a 20%+ tipper when I go out (I don't do delivery) but tipping at my peril sounds entitled. If it's an expectation make it part of the price, not discretionary.

[Ralonzo]

On 11/3/2023 at 3:19 PM, dorquemada said:

Eh, i delivered pizza in HS and college, and I guess I understand the point here but tipping culture is out of control.  At least half of the places I go now and pay by credit card expect a tip, even for takeout.  I've actually started to avoid places that have ipad checkout kiosks because they are inevitably the ones who pivot it around "it's just going to ask you a question"

 

 

Asking for tips at a gas pump is the Rubicon.

Edited November 5, 2023 by Ralonzo

[EasternOHBillsFan]

Why should I tip BEFORE the service is rendered? It's utterly ridiculous to have to do that. I've always been a generous tipper but sometimes one of these delivery drivers don't deserve the generosity because of their DGAF attitude... rare but it happens.

[Fetou]

Tipping before a service is rendered is a silly expectation. It's really a bid for service through a middle man the way they have it set up now, and not actually a tip in the traditional sense.

 

I understand why they want to incrementally increase the cost as the customer proceeds, so they have already invested time in selecting items etc. If they charged a reasonable fee for the delivery instead of the "tip" and presented all the costs up front it would ward off a lot of business.

 

By the time everyone is paid a fair wage and the middle man gets their fee, that's a very large bill to wait an hour for some ultimately cold food thrown together poorly in styrofoam or plastic containers. Restaurants and takeout are already deteriorating in value proposition with increasing cost of labor and declining quality standards/portions since COVID. Best to cook everything yourself these days other than special occasions.

Edited November 5, 2023 by Fetou

[ExiledInIllinois]

1 hour ago, SinceThe70s said:

 

'Tipping at your peril', lol.  I'm a 20%+ tipper when I go out (I don't do delivery) but tipping at my peril sounds entitled. If it's an expectation make it part of the price, not discretionary.

Yeah... But you have to realize they may be making lower than minimum.  It's not entitled. It's necessity. 

1 hour ago, Ralonzo said:

 

 

Asking for tips at a gas pump is the Rubicon.

😆... Who's getting a tip there???

[SinceThe70s]

43 minutes ago, Fetou said:

Tipping before a service is rendered is a silly expectation. It's really a bid for service through a middle man the way they have it set up now, and not actually a tip in the traditional sense.

 

I understand why they want to incrementally increase the cost as the customer proceeds, so they have already invested time in selecting items etc. If they charged a reasonable fee for the delivery instead of the "tip" and presented all the costs up front it would ward off a lot of business.

 

By the time everyone is paid a fair wage and the middle man gets their fee, that's a very large bill to wait an hour for some ultimately cold food thrown together poorly in styrofoam or plastic containers. Restaurants and takeout are already deteriorating in value proposition with increasing cost of labor and declining quality standards/portions since COVID. Best to cook everything yourself these days other than special occasions.

 

WRT the bolded - in-person tipping ahead of service can be classy and effective in person. Saw that first hand many years ago at a crowded comedy club when a friend insisted we tip the server up front (also tipped when we closed out). Server took care of us and we took care of her. 

 

Tipping ahead of time for delivery is not the traditional sense IMO - and stupid and entitled..

Edited November 5, 2023 by SinceThe70s

[Beck Water]

On 11/3/2023 at 1:47 PM, Tiberius said:

As a former pizza delivery person I can tell you we knew the orders that didn't tip and we tried being away, busy or invisible when that order came up. Nice to see Dashers have the power to reject a delivery, Power to the people baby! 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2023/11/03/doordash-delivery-tips-wait-time/

 

Tipping can be confusing these days, with various added service charges and fees. But sometimes, it comes down to a simple proposition: Not tipping at all can be a bad thing.

That’s what DoorDash is telling its customers via a pilot program that it started testing this year in which customers who enter an order and choose no tip for the delivery person might have to wait longer to get their food. The company offered details this week about how the feature works, after warning messages started showing up in consumers’ apps. Some people who choose the option of a zero tip were met with a screen letting them know: “Orders with no tip might take longer to get delivered — are you sure you want to continue?” They are then given the choice to add a tip or continue without one — at their peril.

Never ask what’s for dinner again. Get one quick recipe in your inbox Monday through Thursday to inspire delicious meals.

The company explained that the system, which is being tested in random locations around the U.S. and Canada, is intended to create incentives against cheapskates.

 

“As independent contractors,” the delivery workers, called Dashers, “have full freedom to accept or reject offers based on what they view as valuable and rewarding,” DoorDash spokeswoman Jenn Rosenberg said in a statement. “While the vast majority of customers do leave a tip, offers that don’t include a tip can be seen as less desirable — this impacts our entire community, leading to longer wait times for customers, orders sitting longer at merchants, and less value for Dashers.”

 

Doesn’t this totally screw the restaurants, who can be left with a lot of orders they have prepared, but which aren’t being delivered and thus will result in either them not getting paid (since the customer can say “I never got it, I’m not paying”) or a dissatisfied customer who receives food that has been sitting under the heat lamps for hours (or else sitting around at room temp, becoming unsafe)?  And probably blames the restaurant, not the deliverer.

 

On 11/3/2023 at 2:26 PM, LeviF said:

 

If people really want to support delivery drivers and the like they'll avoid apps like DoorDash, which charge ridiculous "delivery fees" that deliverers see very little of in their check.

 

My understanding is Doordash really screws the restaurants as well

https://www.cpr.org/2021/05/19/restaurants-are-fed-up-with-grubhub-doordash-and-others-now-theyve-got-legislators-on-their-side/

 

We always call the restaurant directly or make sure we’re on their actual website and see if they have an order link, who they want to use

If there’s a local alternative for deliveries we use that.

Edited November 5, 2023 by Beck Water

[SinceThe70s]

17 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Yeah... But you have to realize they may be making lower than minimum.  It's not entitled. It's necessity. 

 

 

Another option would be to get a job that pays minimum or better and not rely on the tipping practices of the general public. Or perhaps the companies profiting from their aggrieved employees could increase cost of product and by extension employee wages/benefits. The former seems like a better strategy.

[Beck Water]

1 hour ago, Ralonzo said:

 

 

Asking for tips at a gas pump is the Rubicon.

 

I guess I’m dating myself, but when I was a kid, self-service gas pumps were a novel thing only just getting started.   Pull up to a pump, and someone would actually pump the gas for you, wipe your windshield while it filled, and maybe even check the oil and the air in your tires.

 

I’d tip for that, but it was actually just something the service stations offered in those days IIRC.  

Or maybe they did it for free for my mom?

Mom was a Brick House in those days.

[SinceThe70s]

3 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

I guess I’m dating myself, but when I was a kid, self-service gas pumps were a novel thing only just getting started.   Pull up to a pump, and someone would actually pump the gas for you, wipe your windshield while it filled, and maybe even check the oil and the air in your tires.

 

I’d tip for that, but it was actually just something the service stations offered in those days IIRC.  

Or maybe they did it for free for my mom?

Mom was a Brick House in those days.

 

She was mighty mighty.... (sorry lyrical response diversion  )

[ExiledInIllinois]

20 minutes ago, SinceThe70s said:

 

Another option would be to get a job that pays minimum or better and not rely on the tipping practices of the general public. Or perhaps the companies profiting from their aggrieved employees could increase cost of product and by extension employee wages/benefits. The former seems like a better strategy.

But these jobs do pay better. With tips and minimum... Why managers steal the tips.

 

I was at Subway once and the manager made my sub. He tried to discourage me from tipping him. What is that about. I tipped him 20%.

[Beck Water]

10 minutes ago, SinceThe70s said:

 

She was mighty mighty.... (sorry lyrical response diversion  )

 

Thirty-six, twenty-four, thirty-six oh what a winning hand

[Max Fischer]

On 11/3/2023 at 3:24 PM, EmotionallyUnstable said:

Capitalism at its worst.

 

Big business passing off raising wages to the consumer. 
 

Cool. 

 

You can choose not to use the service. That's Capitalism.  

[BuffaloBill]

On 11/3/2023 at 3:19 PM, dorquemada said:

Eh, i delivered pizza in HS and college, and I guess I understand the point here but tipping culture is out of control.  At least half of the places I go now and pay by credit card expect a tip, even for takeout.  I've actually started to avoid places that have ipad checkout kiosks because they are inevitably the ones who pivot it around "it's just going to ask you a question"

 

 

I agree, everyone has “tip jars” out. If not that, they automatically give you a screen that presumes you are tipping well above customary or norm amounts.  I consider myself to be a generous tipper as I do appreciate good service.  However, when it is considered “normal” to have to tip in a fast food or fast casual (mostly self serve) dining situation then it has gone too far.  

On 11/4/2023 at 10:21 PM, Ralonzo said:

 

 

Asking for tips at a gas pump is the Rubicon.

 

Are you tipping yourself?  

[Tiberius]

On 11/5/2023 at 12:06 AM, Beck Water said:

 

I guess I’m dating myself, but when I was a kid, self-service gas pumps were a novel thing only just getting started.   Pull up to a pump, and someone would actually pump the gas for you, wipe your windshield while it filled, and maybe even check the oil and the air in your tires.

 

I’d tip for that, but it was actually just something the service stations offered in those days IIRC.  

Or maybe they did it for free for my mom?

Mom was a Brick House in those days.

They have a full service gas station down on the Reservation in Onoville, NY and they give you a free joint with every gas purchase! 

[teef]

i love the free food from door dash.  they know who the winners are.

[Augie]

We moved into a new house and had at least one electrician at the house for weeks. They might do $1k-$2k of work a day, then hand you a screen that offers tip options of 15-25%. For the ELECTRICIAN. There was custom or no tip or something, but I was so stunned I tipped him….the first time. Then I studied a little harder for a better option the next time. We actually became buddies and he’s a good guy, but this was not a 20% tip on a $15 lunch. 

[sullim4]

My general views on tipping:

 

20% at a full service restaurant and Uber/lyft.

 

$5/day for hotel housekeeping. These guys bust their behinds cleaning up after you and need the money. It is unfortunate that many hotels have ceased daily housekeeping as I suspect that has put a dent in their employees’ wallets.

 

We rarely order food delivery, but when we do, I tip generously as we live well outside city limits on a gravel road, often a 15 minute drive away from where many restaurants are located. These drivers usually get $10 from us.

 

Takeout tipping on those square and clover kiosks annoys the hell out of me. Especially at a quick service location or coffee shop. “It will ask you a question” - the fact that they don’t even feel comfortable verbalizing what it is should say it all. These places often upcharge for credit card usage too, so it is like a double whammy. They get $0 from me.

[Punching Bag]

It is very irritating that restaurants place service charges and then they ask for tip on electronic form for bill.   

Then I noticed there was a service charge on the tax as well. 

 

I asked to see manager and explained that the calculated amount was included service charge on tax and he said that was explained on menu.  I told him that it said service charge on food but did not say food and tax.  He tried to say it was same thing and it is was obvious.  I said I will report to state agency.   I wrote on bill "in dispute".  I talked to credit card company American Express)and they said they will contact restaurant.  American Express credited me full service charge and I was told restaurant would change policy.

 

I have had same kind of issue with BJs.  They charge full sales tax on discounted items and I reported this to State of Virginia to see if they were keeping some of the taxes for itself.

 

[Simon]

51 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

American Express credited me full service charge ......

I have had same kind of issue with BJs

 

Buying or selling?