Tipping Uber drivers in Australia

[Ekka]

So you tip out of local custom, rather than on service provided?.

Of course. This is Australia. We don't tip.

 

[Ausbt]

I had the most rubbish Uber driver the other week. Appalling driving. He’s not alone in that - recently horrified by a work colleague’s efforts too. Anyhoo, screw this tipping in AU. For the past month stateside sure I’ve flicked ‘em 10% unless surge pricing is above 1.0

 

[fairhsa]

What a bloody awful idea. I resent American companies trying to foist their bad practises on us.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

What a bloody awful idea. I resent American companies trying to foist their bad practises on us.

Vote with your feet - download DiDi if available in your area and use them - they are coming to every city.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Of course. This is Australia. We don't tip.

Or rather we tip as for what it is meant for. When we believe that something exceptional has occurred.

And not the USA practice where tips are really you are effectively paying a large chunk of the wage of the employee because of the slave wage ingrained practices over there.


With UBER. The rating system is there to encourage good practices and to reward good drivers with more work.


The introduction of tipping in this way smacks of UBER trying to cover up their huge cut.

 

[odysseus]

I think it’ll be inevitable that drivers will give negative ratings if a tip is not provided. Already I have experienced negative ratings if the trip is deemed too short: as one none too subtly complained to me, ‘it’s only $8 and I have to pay Uber 6 of that, so it’s not worth my effort’.

Uber should trim its admin overheads and provide more return to drivers, rather than expecting its passengers to top up driver revenue.

As NoName said, that’s incorrect. The uber cut is a percentage, not a fixed amount, so it scales as the fare goes higher.

Sounds like he was angling for a sympathy tip – hope you didn’t give one.

 

[samh004]

What a bloody awful idea. I resent American companies trying to foist their bad practises on us.

I'm lead to believe that cash tipping is already common, perhaps only among international users of the service, but it does happen. This is just extending the digital model to that component.

With UBER. The rating system is there to encourage good practices and to reward good drivers with more work.

But how does it do that? I honestly don't know so am asking the question here, but are higher-rated drivers given more work by the system? Do they get preference over lower-rated drivers? If this doesn't happen, the only logical way higher-rated drivers could get more work is if the passenger was able to pick who they wanted to be picked up by, and that doesn't happen.

 

[DC3]

... This is Australia. We don't tip.

... unless we choose to tip

 

[ozflier]

I have been impressed by Uber up to now but this tipping idea is a real loser!

 

[DC3]

I'm yet to use an uber, but I rarely need a taxi anyway. I don't see how the uber tipping thing is an issue, as most commenting do not tip anyway (for anything).

I've missed something, I know.

 

[Lynda2475]

Today was my first Uber trip since the tipping update, as I was out sick most of last week so less work trips. I did not tip, and did not find it onerous to skip this, just one more tap after not selecting any amount.

I note that my employers domestic expense policy (i don't get to travel internationally in my current role, so haven't read the international one) specifically excludes reimbursement coverage for tips given in Australia as its not usual custom. So if I were to tip when using my Uber for Business account I would have to have it deducted from my pay - and that means lodging more paperwork - so i wont be tipping on work trips no matter how excellent the driver is.

Also cant imagine tipping on personal trips either, unless the driver found some super quick alternate route which saved me heaps of time over what the trip estimated.

 

[DC3]

… The USA is a joke with mandatory 20% tips and underpaid workers.

Stop it. Now I'm really missing the USA.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I'm yet to use an uber, but I rarely need a taxi anyway. I don't see how the uber tipping thing is an issue, as most commenting do not tip anyway (for anything).

I've missed something, I know.

I don’t think it is Uber per se, more a concern that this is the start of a Yankee imperialist attack on our way of life.

I tip extravagantly overseas - I just prefer the way we have it here. People should get paid a fair wage not have to rely on being nice to people in order to afford to live.

 

[Moody]

... unless we choose to tip

No, no DC3. I'm sure Ekka has never in their life tipped in Oz. When they've handed over $30 for a $29.90 taxi fare, they've waited patiently for the driver to find the 10 cents. And when someone at the team dinner says "It comes to $45 each with a tip", Ekka insists on paying the exact amount.

But seriously - is there anybody on this forum who has never tipped a taxi driver?

 

[justinbrett]

The tipping thing is complex. It has its pros and cons. For the most part, you do get much better customer service in the US.

The trouble with Australia is you don't get the same level of service and yet they ask for a tip.

Mind you - there's plenty of people in the US that don't tip uber drivers. It wasn't even possible until a few years ago, and people formed habits of not tipping for uber. It's not mandatory, and if I have rubbish rides in the US I don't tip (which is rare).

I have tipped Australian uber drivers cash, but it was exceptional - like taking me through the Maccas drive through at 2am and we've waited 10 minutes in the queue. But ordinarily I don't and won't tip.

Perhaps they need an Aussie "round up to the nearest $5" tip function? That's what I used to do with cabs.

 

[kpc]

2 years ago, I caught an Uber from Ewr to downtown Manhattan...not knowing any better, I tipped the driver a few dollars (cash into his hand!) and the look of surprise on his face suggested he was not expecting it at all. I didn't tip on Uber for the rest of the trip. Just stating what i did and not needing any +ve or -ve responses

 

[Bellthorpe]

"Previously, tipping was only encouraged by Uber in the United States ... "

Here in France one is prompted for a tip. It's been that way for the few years I've been using Uber.

 

[Forg]

The tipping thing is complex. It has its pros and cons. For the most part, you do get much better customer service in the US.

It makes for very artificial “good service”, a cheerful grimace & a spit in your coffee, because it only has to “appear” like good serivce.

I'm yet to use an uber, but I rarely need a taxi anyway. I don't see how the uber tipping thing is an issue, as most commenting do not tip anyway (for anything).

I've missed something, I know.

As a customer, you get rated by the driver.
Don’t tip, eg. because driver was bad or even because they were just doing what you agreed to pay them to do, and as passenger you get a bad rating.
Then next time you want a ride, nobody wants to pick you up.

 

[aggie57]

It makes for very artificial “good service”, a cheerful grimace & a spit in your coffee, because it only has to “appear” like good serivce.

Better that than the endless grumps and groans that pass for ‘service’ so often in Australia.

 

[justinbrett]

It makes for very artificial “good service”, a cheerful grimace & a spit in your coffee, because it only has to “appear” like good serivce.

It gets the job done, and my drinks topped up (and in free pour states, in generous amounts). I'm just after someone to bring me my food without the attitude, I'm not looking for a deep and meaningful relationship. Shallow is fine.

Unlike Australia where you wait 30 minutes just to be served. Australia, by and large, has terrible customer service (and overpriced restaurants now I mention it).

Just as much chance they'll spit in your coffee in Australia. Which is almost zero on both counts - what the hell would motivate someone to do that? Not good for business.