Tipping the Uber (or Lyft) Driver

[TonyDown]

Do you use Uber (or Lyft)?

Do you give a cash tip or use the App to tip the driver?   

Which method might the driver prefer?

 

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

4 hours ago, TonyDown said:

Do you use Uber (or Lyft)?

Do you give a cash tip or use the App to tip the driver?   

Which method might the driver prefer?

 

According to CBS, only 28% of ride share trips had gratuity.

How often do Lyft and Uber customers tip their drivers? Maybe less than you think.

WWW.CBSNEWS.COM

---

Tipping has become more important for rideshare drivers as inflation erodes their pay, data show.

When I ride in a taxi, I pay in cash.  I always give the driver a larger bill than required and tell him to keep the change. 

When a business does not accept cash, I do not leave anything extra.

 

Edited November 10, 2024 by Vegas_Millennial

[pubic_assistance]

7 hours ago, TonyDown said:

Do you use Uber (or Lyft)?

Do you give a cash tip or use the App to tip the driver?   

Which method might the driver prefer?

 

I always use the app to tip...

Cash is often prefrred as undeclared (and therefore untaxed) income.

Unfortunately (for them) the app is just too efficient to be fumbling for my wallet.

I do tend to tip in cash for exceptional.service of.many other kinds.

[Bokomaru]

I find that low percentage of riders who tip to be surprising. Suspiciously so.  Why would anyone not tip an Uber driver? They are almost always pleasant and efficient, and the app takes a sizable chunk of their income but calls them independent contractors so that they (drivers) get no benefits. 

Not long ago I gave a cash tip to an Uber driver. It was awkward. He was clearly not accustomed to receiving cash tips. 
pubicassistance is right, the app makes it so easy to tip, cash is just a hassle. 

[+ Travis69]

I use Uber a lot.   Always tip 50% in CASH!!! 

[rvwnsd]

I drove for Lyft in 2023 when I was not working full-time in my field. Most of my passengers tipped me, including the college students I shuttled on Sundays from campus to Target or Safeway and back (about three miles - I called it my money printing machine). I also had a 100% 5-star review rate. Here's why:

• My car was spotless and always smelled "like new." (Thanks, Target leather seat wipes!)
• The radio was tuned to Sirius XM Chill unless the passenger wanted to listen to something else. Likewise, the volume was low unless requested otherwise.
• The climate control was always set at 72 degrees, and I asked the passenger if they wanted me to adjust the temperature.
• I was always freshly showered and wore a collared short (polo in summer, long sleeve dress/casual in winter)
• I opened the door for the passenger (Thanks to having long arms, I can reach the rear passenger-side door)
• When passengers had luggage, I always got out of the car and offered to help with it. Same with groceries.
• I did not eat in the car, so it didn't smell from [insert name of pungent food here].
• I was nice to the passengers.
• I didn't turn down the afore-mentioned short rides to Target, Walmart, supermarkets, etc. I could get ten in an hour, which resulted in ~$3/ride and a $1 - $2 tip per ride.
• I didn't turn down long rides to far-out places, like Florence, AZ or Cave Creek, AZ. The fares were outstanding and the passengers always, without fail, tipped generously.

Waiting for rides in the airport holding lot and seeing the other cars and other drivers was eye opening. Dirty cars, poorly groomed drivers wearing t-shirts I wouldn't wear to do yard work, the list goes on. The Target cleaning wipes are $2.99/package. Walmart and Target sell decent polos for ~$20 for those who don't have "nicer" clothes. An unlimited car wash plan costs $20 in Arizona.

Lyft has real-life drivers do training videos on passenger service, car presentation, and how to present oneself to passengers. All of the drivers are average-looking people (for a reason, I am guessing) and they provide common-sense tips. Many drivers ignore them.

Certainly, there are a-hole passengers and passengers who don't tip regardless the level of service. That's life. I think the driers who put forth the small effort required to create a pleasant passenger experience are rewarded for doing so. The ones who don't aren't.

 

[+ azdr0710]

I always have small bills ready to tip a driver, or any typically-tipped service provider, in cash.....usually $3-10++ depending on trip length.......I'm grateful for door-to-door service, clean car, having a driver do the driving, chance to see things I wouldn't as a driver.......I believe I have a five-star rating...... 

[marylander1940]

15 hours ago, pubic_assistance said:

I always use the app to tip...

Cash is often prefrred as undeclared (and therefore untaxed) income.

Unfortunately (for them) the app is just too efficient to be fumbling for my wallet.

I do tend to tip in cash for exceptional.service of.many other kinds.

That's the New Yorker in you!

[Rudynate]

2 hours ago, rvwnsd said:

I drove for Lyft in 2023 when I was not working full-time in my field. Most of my passengers tipped me, including the college students I shuttled on Sundays from campus to Target or Safeway and back (about three miles - I called it my money printing machine). I also had a 100% 5-star review rate. Here's why:

• My car was spotless and always smelled "like new." (Thanks, Target leather seat wipes!)
• The radio was tuned to Sirius XM Chill unless the passenger wanted to listen to something else. Likewise, the volume was low unless requested otherwise.
• The climate control was always set at 72 degrees, and I asked the passenger if they wanted me to adjust the temperature.
• I was always freshly showered and wore a collared short (polo in summer, long sleeve dress/casual in winter)
• I opened the door for the passenger (Thanks to having long arms, I can reach the rear passenger-side door)
• When passengers had luggage, I always got out of the car and offered to help with it. Same with groceries.
• I did not eat in the car, so it didn't smell from [insert name of pungent food here].
• I was nice to the passengers.
• I didn't turn down the afore-mentioned short rides to Target, Walmart, supermarkets, etc. I could get ten in an hour, which resulted in ~$3/ride and a $1 - $2 tip per ride.
• I didn't turn down long rides to far-out places, like Florence, AZ or Cave Creek, AZ. The fares were outstanding and the passengers always, without fail, tipped generously.

Waiting for rides in the airport holding lot and seeing the other cars and other drivers was eye opening. Dirty cars, poorly groomed drivers wearing t-shirts I wouldn't wear to do yard work, the list goes on. The Target cleaning wipes are $2.99/package. Walmart and Target sell decent polos for ~$20 for those who don't have "nicer" clothes. An unlimited car wash plan costs $20 in Arizona.

Lyft has real-life drivers do training videos on passenger service, car presentation, and how to present oneself to passengers. All of the drivers are average-looking people (for a reason, I am guessing) and they provide common-sense tips. Many drivers ignore them.

Certainly, there are a-hole passengers and passengers who don't tip regardless the level of service. That's life. I think the driers who put forth the small effort required to create a pleasant passenger experience are rewarded for doing so. The ones who don't aren't.

 

I admire the entrepreneurship of uber drivers - most do have nice cars that are spotlessly clean, they are friendly, have developed the skill of chatting on nearly any topic.  Every now and then, i encounter one with a dumpy car or slovenly appearance, but it isn't typical. 

[rvwnsd]

1 minute ago, Rudynate said:

I admire the entrepreneurship of uber drivers - most do have nice cars that are spotlessly clean, they are friendly, have developed the skill of chatting on nearly any topic.  Every now and then, i encounter one with a dumpy car or slovenly appearance, but it isn't typical. 

I think it is a regional thing. Here in Phoenix, my uber experience has been 50/50 and Lyft has been 70/30 nice, clean, personable vs the opposite. San Francisco is closer to 90/10 on both platforms, San Diego is same as Phoenix, and Los Angeles about 80/20 on both platforms. 

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

2 hours ago, rvwnsd said:

I drove for Lyft in 2023 when I was not working full-time in my field. Most of my passengers tipped me, including the college students I shuttled on Sundays from campus to Target or Safeway and back (about three miles - I called it my money printing machine). I also had a 100% 5-star review rate. Here's why:

• My car was spotless and always smelled "like new." (Thanks, Target leather seat wipes!)
• The radio was tuned to Sirius XM Chill unless the passenger wanted to listen to something else. Likewise, the volume was low unless requested otherwise.
• The climate control was always set at 72 degrees, and I asked the passenger if they wanted me to adjust the temperature.
• I was always freshly showered and wore a collared short (polo in summer, long sleeve dress/casual in winter)
• I opened the door for the passenger (Thanks to having long arms, I can reach the rear passenger-side door)
• When passengers had luggage, I always got out of the car and offered to help with it. Same with groceries.
• I did not eat in the car, so it didn't smell from [insert name of pungent food here].
• I was nice to the passengers.
• I didn't turn down the afore-mentioned short rides to Target, Walmart, supermarkets, etc. I could get ten in an hour, which resulted in ~$3/ride and a $1 - $2 tip per ride.
• I didn't turn down long rides to far-out places, like Florence, AZ or Cave Creek, AZ. The fares were outstanding and the passengers always, without fail, tipped generously.

Waiting for rides in the airport holding lot and seeing the other cars and other drivers was eye opening. Dirty cars, poorly groomed drivers wearing t-shirts I wouldn't wear to do yard work, the list goes on. The Target cleaning wipes are $2.99/package. Walmart and Target sell decent polos for ~$20 for those who don't have "nicer" clothes. An unlimited car wash plan costs $20 in Arizona.

Lyft has real-life drivers do training videos on passenger service, car presentation, and how to present oneself to passengers. All of the drivers are average-looking people (for a reason, I am guessing) and they provide common-sense tips. Many drivers ignore them.

Certainly, there are a-hole passengers and passengers who don't tip regardless the level of service. That's life. I think the driers who put forth the small effort required to create a pleasant passenger experience are rewarded for doing so. The ones who don't aren't.

 

This 💯 

I tip my ride share driver well if: 

1. He's presentable

2. He opens the trunk for me when I have luggage. 

3. The music is low, and is not rap or other sounds that give me a headache. 

4. He knows where he's going and how to navigate around local traffic conditions

5. He drives safely

 

Lately, it has been rare to find a driver with all of these qualities.  Many are talking on the phone to their spouse while driving, speeding, waiting in general propose lanes when carpool lanes are available, don't open the trunk when I have luggage, and have the radio too loud with obnoxious sounds

If the driver comes up to my hotel room and has sex with me, then I tip him even more, and in cash

[+ Jamie21]

I tip them on the app. It gives me a good rating and I think that helps when I’m looking to hire. I don’t wait long for someone to accept the booking. 

[+ DynamicUno]

I always tip my driver, and if it's a business expense I always use the app to tip so it shows on the receipt.

[+ JamesB]

I’ve always used the in-app option for tipping, with the amount depending on the cleanliness of the vehicle, the driver, and the quality of service provided.

[rvwnsd]

I thought getting tips through the app was perfectly fine. 

My best tipping experience was when I drove an exotic dancer from Sugar 44 on Phoenix's east side all the way out to the west side of Goodyear. It was 45 minutes in zero traffic. The club tipped me $25 and her dad, when he came out of the house to meet her, gave me a single bill, which I stuffed in my pocket. The next day I saw he gave me a $50 bill.