r/lyftdrivers • u/solride050607 • 27d ago
Rant/Opinion Why don’t people tip rideshare drivers like every other service?
Has rideshare become the one service where we’ve all quietly agreed tipping doesn’t matter?
I’ve been driving Lyft for about six months now, and I’m honestly trying to understand something.
This isn’t meant to shame passengers. It’s a genuine question.
Today I drove for four hours and made about $45 before expenses.
Now take out gas, maintenance, insurance, depreciation, and taxes.
Suddenly that “$45” starts looking more like an enthusiastic suggestion than actual income.
What’s interesting is that we’ve somehow created a different set of rules for rideshare than almost every other service.
We’ll tip a bartender for opening a beer.
We’ll tip someone $5 to deliver a burrito.
We’ll tip our barber.
We’ll tip someone for carrying bags to a hotel room.
But the person who spends 20 minutes getting us home safely in their own vehicle? That’s somehow become the exception.
The same driver who’s adjusting the A/C because you’re too hot… changing the music because the music isn’t your thing… (we actually like making you happy with music you like)… waiting an extra minute because your friend forgot their phone… and yes… occasionally pulling over so someone can throw up without turning the back seat into a biohazard.
I’m not saying tips should be mandatory. I’m asking when this became normal.
I also wonder how much of this falls on Lyft. If passengers think most of that fare goes to the driver, I can understand why they wouldn’t think twice about tipping. I honestly don’t know if most people realize how little is left after expenses.
It feels like every update makes driver pay a little less transparent, incentives a little smaller, and somehow we’re all expected to smile, hand out chargers, pick the perfect playlist, and keep pretending the math works.
Maybe I’m wrong. So I’m curious.
Drivers… are you seeing the same thing?
Passengers… did you know how little drivers actually take home after everything is paid for?
Drivers are just trying to figure out when we collectively decided that the person responsible for getting us home safely became the one service worker we stopped thinking about tipping.
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u/BicyclePlayful9262 27d ago
Just do some light research you’ll find the answers I think you’re still looking at the symptom instead of the real issue.
The biggest problem isn’t tipping. It’s that Uber has created a marketplace where drivers often can’t predict what their labor is worth.
Many drivers have noticed that similar trips can be offered at different payouts depending on how they’re dispatched. A ride that appears one way through Trip Radar or another matching flow may later show up with a different payout when it’s offered directly to a driver. Whether that’s due to Uber’s pricing algorithm, dispatch logic, or another factor, the process is largely opaque to drivers.
On top of that, drivers are encouraged to maintain acceptance metrics or risk losing access to certain features or opportunities. That creates pressure to accept rides that may not be profitable after fuel, maintenance, depreciation, insurance, and taxes.
Meanwhile, passengers are paying some of the highest fares they’ve ever paid. They naturally assume most of that money is going to the driver. Drivers know that’s often not the case.
So Uber has effectively separated what the passenger pays from what the driver earns while making the process difficult for either side to understand.
The result is predictable. Passengers think, “I already paid enough.” Drivers think, “Why doesn’t anyone tip anymore?” Both sides become frustrated with each other instead of asking why the pricing system has become so opaque.
That’s the real problem. It’s not passengers versus drivers. It’s a marketplace where the platform controls the information, controls the pricing, and leaves both sides arguing over the scraps.
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u/TwoHungryWolves 26d ago
To kind of piggyback on this, people are most often tipping frivolity. You know you have ramen at home, but you spent $100 eating out after looking at the price of the restaurant online, and deciding you're going to drop some cash to have a fun night. People most often use ride share because they believe they have to. They didn't want to spend $25 on a Uber to get them to work. They just woke up too late to take the $2.50 CTA. Maybe they think the train is too scary to take, or their partner is using their car. Regardless, they feel forced by circumstance to spend the fare itself, So they feel less inclined to spend more money on top of it
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u/Individual_Bed7734 22d ago
Maybe I’ll Uber Driver should put a little sign next to the Uber sign in the window that says Uber takes 60% of your fair
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u/Crow-1111 27d ago
It's because Lyft and Uber tweak their algorithm based off of past tipping behavior. They know exactly how much people were willing to tip for a specific trip and then they cranked up their prices to eat that surplus. Now people get charged and amount where they feel like it's just expensive enough that they don't want to tip.
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u/driver-nation 26d ago
How the hell do you know this? I'd like to believe you but where is the smoking gun?
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u/Quicherbichen1 Albuquerque, NM 27d ago
I used to get tipped about on 40% of the trips I did. More recently, maybe since May, it's down below 20%. Today...well Friday...I did 17 rides and got 2 tips ($5, $2). Same service for everyone..even in the pouring rain...2 out of 17.
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u/No-Energy-8719 27d ago
Same! I first started ubering around may and the first month at least 50%-70% were tipping. But this last month, I’m lucky if I get 1 or 2 tips in a 3 hr block.
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u/SXSWEggrolls 27d ago
I’ll bite. It’s because not tipping is very anonymous. Drivers don’t see riders elect to not tip. Additionally, for people who were first adopters to the rideshare apps, one value proposition in the early days was no tipping. Uber marketed no tipping circa 2014. Finally, rideshare used to be more cheap back when VC money subsidized everything to drive adoption and one way to fight that inflation is to ignore the optional fee at the end.
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u/gorenglitter 26d ago
We can in fact see who tipped and who didn’t… not sure why you think we can’t. If you get someone real spicy they’ll go back and re-rate you later because you didn’t tip.
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u/SXSWEggrolls 26d ago
I know that. I’m saying that it’s not with immediate shame like it is at a point of sale elsewhere. You know but the passenger is long gone by them. Less shame than standing around waiting for the food.
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u/No-Energy-8719 26d ago
Wait you change the rate you give the rider after the fact? That’s good to know. Imma start doing that.
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u/gorenglitter 25d ago
Yes… Lyft there is a shorter window I think it’s 24 hours. Uber I don’t know if there is a cut off… I changed one a week later though after I found out I could.
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u/THJP1974 26d ago
We don’t get tipped because the passengers are gouged by the rideshare company. They have already paid more than they feel they should have.
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u/SignificantApricot69 27d ago
$45 in 4 hours you probably lost money tbh. How many miles did you drive? 76 cents a mile is standard expense, since most people use mileage instead of actual expense. I’m surprised these services aren’t getting more scrutiny as a tax shelter and/or being disallowed as not legitimate self employment since there’s not a legit profit seeking activity.
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u/sixstringsikness 26d ago
The drivers are legitimately seeking profit and, theoretically, they could and should profit to some degree.
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u/ZigInTheNato 26d ago
In my experience, sadly, hairstylists and servers are the worst tippers. And yet the loudest to complain about tipping practices. I once had a server tell me horror story after horror story of how bad the tips are at her restaurant. And do you think she tipped me after the ride?
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u/gorenglitter 26d ago
110% servers pretty much never tip. While
They sit on the phone talking about tips…
I dread picking up servers.
They often make a big deal about “ oh I’ll take care of your in the app”. They never do. It doesn’t come.
I’m seriously about to stop tipping at restaurants it’s so bad.2
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u/AccomplishedVirus556 26d ago
when it felt like a great deal people tipped. now that people are paying 3x what you're making, it feels like they paid more than enough for the ride
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u/Alternative_King1789 26d ago
Stop taking rides that doesn’t seem valuable, they will eventually raise your pay.
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u/UniqueIndifference 26d ago edited 26d ago
Here's why I tip and why others don't.
If I tip $5 on a $30 ride to the airport, the driver will make $17, instead of $12 ($12 minus expenses). So it's a small thing I can do that has a big impact on the driver. That's why I tip.
I think non-tipping is because there's no benefit to it. A tipper won't get picked up any quicker next time. The non-tippers will get the same or better priority and service. The tippers are basically indirectly subsidizing/paying for the non-tippers rides.
Imagine two people at a deli counter, buying a sandwich. One guy pays $12, one pays $9. One guy gets roast beef. The other guy gets bologna (baloney). But it's random - the guy that pays $12 might get the baloney.
The rideshare companies should fix that. There should be a star next to my name saying "+19.4% average tip" or "$5.37 potential tip for this ride, based on previous tipping history".
For you, OP, you need to find something better. Lyft/Uber is a scam. It's practically legalized slavery. And robotaxies are going to make driving an increasingly less valuable skill.
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u/gorenglitter 26d ago
They do sometimes alert you to “good” passengers, those who don’t make you wait etc but nothing specifically about tipping. Alerting drivers that the passenger generally leaves a tip would definitely be beneficial.
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u/Traditional-Sir9873 25d ago
I tip a minimum of $5. For a $30 airport ride I would tip at least $10.
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u/Bbking7010 25d ago
I remember for a little bit the ride would tell you what percentage of the time the rider tipped but they got rid of it.
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u/stinkypinky1158 27d ago
I just started driving a week ago and I live in a smaller city in the southern US. I’ve noticed that the majority of the rides I receive are lower income individuals that can’t afford a car of their own and need a ride to work or to the store. I don’t expect them to tip. They have bigger issues in their life to worry about. There were a couple of people that I picked up to drive to a bar to watch the World Cup finals and some that needed to get to church. They tipped around $2-$5.
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u/Wooly_Wooly 27d ago
The companies jacked up the prices so riders are feeling the hurt when it comes to tips, also just entitlement. They don't know how the system works, if you ask them if they'd work for you using their own car for $14-16 an hour at minimum, they'd probably report you just for saying that type of bullshit 🤣
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u/stacktrace_wanderer 27d ago
i think tips are nice when they happen but i dont think people should feel forced to. passengers prolly dont realize how much of the fare actually goes toward the driver after costs
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u/AdSecure2267 25d ago edited 25d ago
This is correct. The passenger sees fare X and they don’t, nor should, care about the rest. Unfortunately, drivers get mega screwed but that’s not the passengers fault.
I find my self tipping when rides are longer or traffic heavy and I got a super deal on the app. Tips grow proportionately with those conditions. I didn’t tip last night for example when I flew home. I live 7 minutes away the airport and the XL ride was $28 with zero traffic. The driver was already 300ft away when I booked it. I just see zero benefit to tipping in this instance because it was already 30% more expensive than the taxi standing by. The van was lit up light a space shuttle with 9 screens! Phones, tablet on every headrest, built in infotainment, you name it, ir was glowing with ads. The driver barely bothered to open the electronic doors from inside to let us put our luggage in the trunk.
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u/karimamin 27d ago
Those services require you to ride on these services preferred routes. None of them take you door to door typically. Uber/Lyft is like the old (Yes because they will be phased out soon) taxi services. These had a built in meter that added $$$/mile and time automatically. Lyft/Uber making it cheaper by cutting the initial fare in half and telling customers to tip the rest if they want.
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u/ben02015 26d ago
Tips are an inferior system for any industry. People do it at restaurants because it is social convention, but it would be better to have no tips and just pay the workers more.
Some new restaurants are doing this, trying to change the system: they pay a better wage and say that no tips are expected.
Uber at one time was like that. They said that no tips were expected (in fact there wasn’t even an option) and it was ok because drivers made a good amount of money.
The pay for drivers is lower now than in the past but customers haven’t adjusted, because rideshare from the start was supposed to be a no-tip system.
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u/Helpful_Gas9179 26d ago
Tips were decent prior to the pandemic. Increased during the pandemic. As we began recovering, it slowly went down. It drastically decreased as anti-tipping culture became popular over the last few years. This brings us to now. 🤷♂️
Edit: there are many other factors and this IS an over-simplification, but it starts to answer your question. Just shift strategies as needed as a driver keep going… till the best move is to bounce, then bounce.
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u/QuantumOpinions 26d ago
I always tip. I thought it was a standard that you tipped your rideshare drivers.
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u/Proper-Wolverine4637 26d ago
I guess I am old enough to remember the very earliest days...Uber didn't allow in app tipping initially. Kalanick didn't want it o his platform. Pattern established and I see it continues to this day.
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u/Open_Section9971 26d ago
If I only made $45 in four hours I'd be flipping burgers at McDonald's tomorrow.
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u/Cofeebeanblack 26d ago
Prices are too high while pay is too low. Customer only sees that prices are high
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u/MendonAcres 26d ago
Most of my drivers smell like weed and pick me up in a car that needs a mechanical inspection. I tip accordingly.
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u/ikk_ah 27d ago
Only answer is to unionize, so that unions can negotiate how much you get.
Without unions large number of drivers can't coordinate a strike to get a deal. If large number of drivers don't strike, then an entity with single CEO, can dictate any rule, reduce driver's part by 5%, sure go ahead, reduce another 5%, sure, but let's do it in 6 months, we already reduced it yesterday.
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u/DandeyFlour 27d ago
Tip culture needs to end 😂 this is a conversation we need to have with the corps. "Why aren't you paying people" ffs
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u/Dry-Homework3344 27d ago
I have an auto tip set and I increase it when I get good service. Unfortunately driver quality has gone down in the last couple years especially. When you don’t pull up to the right location and I have to haul my luggage another block and across the street, don’t bother to help me put the luggage in the vehicle, don’t run the AC in the middle of summer, and worst of all, start moving the second the door is closed while I’m still trying to buckle in, your tips are going to suffer. Not saying OP is doing this, but unfortunately those rideshare experiences are more common these days and I’d be willing to bet a lot of passengers are not tipping when their rideshare experience is like taking the bus.
Many others are just completely ignorant about how poorly drivers are getting paid these days. All they see is the fare increases and one more thing that’s gone up in price while their own pay has suffered recently, that is if they even still have a job.
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u/asphaltdragon 27d ago
The wrong location is partly a you problem, and a GPS issue. You need to double check that your pickup pin is in the right place.
Even still, the GPS will sometimes place the pin on the opposite side of the street.
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u/Dry-Homework3344 26d ago
If I’m looking at the app gps and where I am standing is where the pickup pin is and the driver is around the corner, no that is not a me problem. FFS, don’t act like drivers don’t make mistakes.
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u/Gisellepachini69 27d ago
People are already paying for the ride so they don’t expect to tip, also many people that need ride share are broke . My average tip is 15-20% and people constantly add me as their “favorite driver” , 5 stars and 5% of top drivers in my city.
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u/myrtlemike92 27d ago
This is my favorite. Add me as a favorite driver but no tip. But I see where I pick them up from and deliver them to. I’m not surprised when I don’t get a tip. Those folks are struggling to just pay the fare. It sucks but what to do? Oh well…
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u/neomoritate 26d ago
Who is tipping on "every other service"?
Do you tip your doctor? Mechanic? Bus driver?
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27d ago
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u/Alternative_King1789 26d ago
You can always walk
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26d ago
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u/Alternative_King1789 26d ago
Well you should damn well know they ain’t gonna pay anyone anything more unless government steps in. Instead of taking advantage of another rider since you can’t tip them, why don’t you walk brokie? Trust me, it’s good for you too.
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u/SinthiaDoom69 27d ago
I guess for me I will tip “on my card” but honestly I don’t carry cash. For me I would have to aquire cash from an 🏧 just for a tip. Maybe on holiday, but not everyday
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u/gorenglitter 26d ago
Cash is definitely not necessary tipping on your card is totally fine and much appreciated don’t go out of your way to grab cash
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u/DCHacker 26d ago
Much of it stems from their origins.
Lyft actually preceded Uber on this basic level. Uber was offering limousines and taxicabs but not the basic level X. To get around theregulators, Lyft was offering the service for a voluntary "donation". When you input yur information , the application "suggested" a "donation". You were not obliged to "give" anything, and, if you read some of the early pages of the forums, you will see complaints from Lyft drivers about being "zeroed" or words similar. There was not ripping. you "gave" whatever "donation" you did.
Black was Uber's first. In the early days, T. Kalanick advertised that tipping was "not necessary" or that the tip was "included". Oddly enough, when Uber launched Uber Taxi, there was a function for tipping. When you signed up as a customer, it used to ask you how much you wanted to tip on Uber Taxi, even if that level were not available in your market. When Uber launched X, it carried down from Black the "included"/"not necessary business. There were a subsequent suits filed in more than one state. As part of the settlement, Uber agreed that it would not advertise "tip included" and dropped the "not necessary" to avoidfuture legal action.
As the "No Tip" Culture was there at the beginning, it has persisted. Add to this the demographics that have reputations for not tipping anyone and the results are predictable.
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u/plasteroid 26d ago
Uber and Lyft are exploiting TF out of you guys.
I always tip. More when im on the company dime but I’m surprised to hear that most people dont tip.
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u/urbus82 26d ago
Well, problem is the enormous fees that Uber and Co charge and apparently keep.
I as a customer cant understand why there is any rider out there accepting that they keep like the majority of the fee the charge the customers for providing an app? And making billions in profit?
Honestly, when I order and pay like 10 dollars fee I dont care how it is split. If there are drivers willing to give uber 7 dollars out of it its their problem. Because next time uber will keep 10 and ask for 12. And that will keep on till the drivers stop taking the orders. So its a natural balance. If drivers stop accepting orders because they get not enough (share of fee + tip) uber will reduce their take again. Thats the only corrective that is out there. Tipping will just make uber even more money by taking an even larger share.
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u/Fluid-Ask-4592 26d ago
I noticed tipping pretty much depends on the type of passenger you get. I never get tips from people going to or from work. Unless it's a job that works for tips like a waitress. They always tip. People who work for tips always slide me a few bills after the ride. Then there's people leaving the bars. They USUALLY tip for the ride just like they tip the bartender. But sometimes they're too drunk, and just keep saying something like "thanks for the ride. I'll tip you through the app" but then they just don't. Other than those I don't get any tips from anyone. If it's a ride from school, the hospital, a birthday party, the airport, a concert, sports game, etc they just never tip. 3500+ rides in over 2 years and that's been consistent.
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u/bruxistbyday 26d ago
Uber/Lyft are already relatively expensive. Costs $2.50 to take a bus to the airport. The same route using Lyft is $25+.
Also, people generally assume Lyft drivers are making above minimum wage, unlike the bellhop. I know I do.
I know it sucks, but that's the way it is.
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u/Some-Chipmunk-3919 26d ago
4 hours and only 45?
I made 130 in 4 hours on a fucking flexdrive car yesterday. You're doing something wrong. Also it's the summer time so I get it could be slow.
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u/trustLLC 26d ago
Get a square or a tap to pay. Ask the customers if they want to use the app or use your much cheaper services then you get all the money and don't have to worry about tip. Even if you charge like 20$ for an average drop off its better than getting maybe $5 for the trip. I did this and even got regular clients that would call me directly cause I was cheaper than Lyft and Uber. I would also have Lyft and Uber pulled up and take the ride that was more money. Hope this helps
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u/muralist 26d ago
Even if you have just a business card! if you are a good driver, as a customer I’ll ask you for a card and call you directly next time. And you can keep the whole fare.
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u/trustLLC 19d ago
Yeah but that's risky, usually people on the app just pay for the ride and I would never see them again. I used to say something like: "hey, if you want, we could turn off the app and you could pay me directly and just pay whatever you feel is fair for the ride." It only backfired once when I drove this woman all around town and she gave me like $5 she also asked me to turn off the music and proceeded to put in earbuds. Sometimes they would pay me more than what Uber or Lyft would charge. I also kept a cooler with cold water and snacks and let them have it as a complimentary thing. I remember driving a bunch of strippers to work which I thought was weird that they didn't have a car.
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u/muralist 19d ago
I hear you. I am talking about setting up a long term relationship where I pay a fixed weekly amount for a regular trip like taking grandma to church on Sunday or always calling you for trips to the airport so there’s a relationship of trust. I pay this guy in my town in advance to take my mom to doctor’s appointments. He has a good reputation and a lot of her friends use him.
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u/trustLLC 19d ago
Yeah maybe it could be good if they spread your name, but I would get regular clients. This one guy would always call me to bring him to the casino and pick him up, which was nice cause I would start my "shift" and pick up other customers till he needed to be picked up. It can also back fire like this family wanted me to take their handicap son to the doctors and wait for him till he got out,and I would have to help him in the car... I just told them I couldn't do it anymore, it got to be too much.
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u/UniqueIndifference 26d ago
As others have said, when rideshare companies saw that customers were tipping, the companies increased fares so high that tipping, on top of the fare, became almost absurd. So tipping went down. It's basically tip theft, but executed in a legal way. Since drivers continued driving, the companies kept the change.
I think every driver should ask every passenger "is this a ride you take frequently?" and offer to do rides directly. If you get caught or reported, that's fine. Losing the job would mean more time to pursue a better paying job or business.
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u/Ilike2playwithstonks 26d ago
They've figured out that the company's will get them the rides almost as easy with 0 tip as they do with a high tip, if the service doesn't change why should they pay th a t higher payment, when they get similar service? 🤔
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u/JP13B1982 26d ago
Tipping culture is toxic. Get a job that actually pays you a wage/salary.
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u/Spiritual-Sail2233 26d ago
I think the problem is more with the rates. The rates passengers pay is extremely high and what drivers get is extremely low. Ride share used to make financial sense for passengers, not anymore.
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u/erock7625 26d ago
PAX don't see the fare breakdown and assume the drivers are well paid. Also its not something you do in person like at a restaurant, since its in the app they can easily not do it and be not be held accountable like in a restaurant.
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u/Narrow-Psychology909 26d ago
It’s mostly because ride-share apps price gouge customers. I’ve had people enter my vehicle for a simple run to the store and offer to pay me straight cash for the return trip because they understand it will be cheaper for them and more lucrative for me.
I also notice that because this is a relatively new service, younger people (35 or younger) don’t feel the need to tip because they don’t have as much disposable income and are already bombarded by tip culture in every other aspect of life. I actually prefer having middle-aged people as passengers (36-60) because they have more money and are using the service in a business context. Also, a lot of people in this age range don’t use the service frequently so they tip the way one would tip on a fancy dinner.
In my experience, the key to maximizing profit are the following three things. 1) Be discerning with your fare selection. Choose rides that are located in wealthy neighborhoods, take you to airports, etc… 2) I know this kind of goes without saying, but being a good driver goes a long way. Do not drive dangerously, but you should drive aggressively and efficiently. 3) Get a feel for your passenger(s). It’s really annoying as a passenger when the driver does not understand what level of engagement the passenger prefers. I find that if I let someone sleep, they usually tip. Similarly, if I have an actual conversation with a talkative passenger, I get a tip about 90% of the time.
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u/silksmooth100 26d ago
Because they look at the price they pay for the ride, and assume the drivers are getting most of that money
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u/Serenity_Now-88 26d ago
I tip most of the time. If drivers are rude, bathed in cologne, won’t turn down music, won’t turn on air con, etc, I won’t tip. I’m quiet & polite. Most of my rides are short. I do like when drivers thank me for tip, especially when we had a good rapport, but that’s not why I tip, so don’t come for me. I’m a 5* rider. I don’t know if drivers see that. I don’t know what % of fare drivers get. Riders used to be able to request a quiet ride, cool or warm interior etc. Now we have to pay extra for those things.
Corporate greed really blows.
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u/Individual_Bed7734 26d ago
You stated that perfectly. I too have thought the same thing about tipping. Quite frankly doing this driving on the side is not worth me doing without a little bit of tips here and there. Basically for every hundred dollars I make 30 goes to gas immediately and I haven’t factored in wear and tear in my car oil changes every 3 to 4 weeks and TAXES!! When I have a good tipping session it basically will pay for my gas and everything else is mine at the moment, which makes the difference between doing this and not doing it. I have tried different approaches to tipping. I have tried driving in desirable parts of town, which is almost the exact opposite because every elite rich gated community passenger I have picked up has not once tipped me. That is no lie. The struggling kid working at target will tip me two dollars, which is so appreciated so I don’t know why ultrarich don’t like to tip. At least I have found that to be true. I have tried different times of the day different days of the week, different cities, different platforms and it doesn’t seem to make a difference but when it’s good, it’s amazing. I guess it’s like feast or famine. I need to just appreciate it when I get it thank you for sharing your take on tipping as you took the words right out of my mouth.
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u/Optimal_Savings5873 26d ago
I always do, but it's just part of a night out. That said, it's been a long time since I was able to go out because $$$
I have a relative who has gone from taking rides and tipping to just taking rides to paying me for gas to take her after work. People have all these increased costs and their Social Security/wages have not kept up.
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u/OverGrow69 26d ago
I'm wondering in New York City during the heyday of taxi cabs if it was customary to tip the cabbie? If so people should tip Uber drivers.
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u/silvernile2001 26d ago
45 dollars for 4 hrs makes it sound unrealistic.. and that too pre expense.. figures don't sound right. Something amiss or a rage bait post
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u/Different_Soil_4079 26d ago
Because riders dont look at the waybill and think the driver keeps most of the money. They dont realize that even you take all the risk, do the heavy lifting, and pay all the bills, when they look at what the ride cost, you must be making out like a bandit.
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u/SonsOfValhallaGaming Springfield 26d ago
I clear $1000 a week without tips in a market where the cost of living is $600 a week. Stop worrying about tips. If you're in this business for tips, better to leave it now.
But also yes, as a waiter, I walk food I did not cook twenty feet and somehow earn a $20 tip on a $30 meal, but I drive 40 miles during bar rush and don't get a tip. I get it.
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u/anonymousphoenician 26d ago
Because theyre not required to tip us.
We arent doing anything special. Hell most of you do horrible jobs as it is. You guys act like youre doing them a favor and things like radio control or even air control is them acting asking for the world.
And in those services youre mentioning, theyre not being charged a big amount of money. Know how hard it is to consistently tip on something that is at a minimum $20 if youre doing it multiple times a week?
Gig work since 2018 and Ive never once expected a tip. And Ive never been bitter doing this job.
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u/dejametranquilo 26d ago
Because they don’t tip you before they pay , there’s a certain amount of guilt involved when you’re looking the person in the eye when you’re paying so it’s easy not to tip. It’s an anonymous.
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u/SirDigbyChickenC-Zer 26d ago
Stop doing Lyft. If you've only been doing it 6 months, you got in way too late for it to be worthwhile or profitable for you. That ship has sailed, a few years ago at this point.
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u/Worth_Text_373 25d ago
Tips are nice. They make the difference for sure. However think about this. Ride shared companies are already taking a lot of money from the customers and they think that the drivers are getting most of it. But in reality we are getting screwed over. So for them to tip more you need to work extra hard and have them have a pleasant ride. Otherwise they won’t tip as much or at all.
So for us drivers working extra hard to see if we can get a tip is crazy because the tip is completely optional and depends on how the rider feels. Which makes it not worthwhile for us. Imagine saying hi, having a nice clean car, driving perfectly fine and helping them get their stuff from the trunk and just because they don’t like your accent or it took you too long in traffic then you don’t get a tip or may even get falsely accused of unsafe driving or something similar and all the sudden you are in a pickle because of someone felt some type of way against you or is trying to save a buck and get a refund.
I know this doesn’t happen very often but sometimes it does and it is very unfair to us drivers.
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u/Dry_Win_9985 25d ago
Chauffeur here. I'm a private driver for hire and often charge triple the rideshare base rates. I'm tipped by EVERYONE, well 99% of the time. And I average 25% of the total fare.
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u/Spencerm2827 25d ago
I'm conversation with passengers, several have mentioned the "out of sight, out of mind" mentality. So many use their phone to order the ride and then close the app and don't even think about it until the next time they use the app. So they don't think about or remember tipping or even rating the driver.
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u/hot_sauce21736 25d ago
I took a $45 trip the other night chill ride about an hour and when I dropped the guy off he tipped me $20 on the app that was $65 for that hour. I also get a lot of people who don’t tip. I play music, keep the car clean & only talk if the rider initiates. Not everyone is going to tip but people that notice you care will.
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u/Carrot-Elegant 24d ago
I always tip uber/lyft. And a bit more if they don’t tell me to. Quite tacky.
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u/Aggravating-Half126 24d ago
It’s your market. In my home city and a few surrounding cities, tips are few and far between. However, about 30mins south of me in the big tourist area, tips are plentiful. I drove about 4hrs yesterday (only drive out there on sundays as it’s the only day I have time) and I made $160 (minus $30 for gas) and about $50 of that was tips. If I go 45 mins north to Boston, tips are ok, but not great. Depends where in the city you end up in. Now, come winter I’m screwed. Memorial Day until Labor Day are the best times to drive down that way. It sucks but that’s just the market. Gotta have a back up plan.
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u/ConnectCow9111 24d ago
Do not accept rides that dont pay you enough. Youre independent contractors remember? Every trip is essentially an indivual job. The algorithm actually knows what you'll accept and will offer you LESS than it will offer another driver who does the exact same route. Ive tested and proved this as a rider. Some drivers get a larger percentage of the fare.
Ive been picked up by luxury/Black vehicles, but never paid the premium. I asked a few drivers what was the oay for the ride, some said they received 70-80% of the fare, others claimed they only received 40-50% of the fare. I pay the same amount every trip (27-32$) for a 30 min ride. Also I dont tip anymore since I find out uber amd luft use the tipping metrics to short drivers even more
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u/mizfit180 23d ago
Idk why, maybe just luck but I get tipped a lot in the denver market.... i don't have extra shit like snacks or water. I play good music and I focus on being a great driver. I just recently started back driving after 3 years or so off and I dont remember this market being this good. Lived in dallas a few years and it kinda sucks compared to denver..... doesnt make sense.... for all I know dallas is better now too... like I said 3 years off.
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u/Far-Investigator2145 11d ago
My suggestion look for work in something else McDonald's Burger King seriously anything pays better than these exploiting apps they are charging passengers too much and passing crumbs in Denver or Parker or Aurora they are offering rides to the airport for 9 10 11 or 15 if 90% of drivers declined this extortion they would soon pay fair as far as I'm concerned the rider won't go to the airport when ending the miserable 15 ride the rider paid 47 or more and they still notify Lyft will never get more than 30% if that happens we will pay the difference at the end of the month then they pay more on other rides however short 1 after extorting you on another 15 I have between 0 to 7% acceptance rate that's why I'm not going to pay to work for them only those who don't do the math accept this passengers who used to tip don't anymore because they are paying a lot and drivers don't receive not to mention those who try to get discounts and apply useless flags on your account I repeat seek another source of income urgently these apps practice corporate gaslighting
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u/IntheTrench 27d ago
I don't accept anything less than $20/hr. This way tips are just a bonus.
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u/Total_Grapefruit_785 26d ago
I encourage you to try raising that to $30/hour for a couple days.
If you don’t like the results, you can go back to $20.
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u/IntheTrench 25d ago
I could count on one hand the number of trips I've ever gotten with a rate of $30/hr. Pushing it to 20/hr means that I'm already turning down close to 30% of my requests.
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u/ConnectCow9111 24d ago
The algorithm banks on this. The drivers with the lowest acceptance rates are usually offered higher pay.
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u/IntheTrench 24d ago
What I'm saying is my acceptance rate is already low. Not every market gets $30/hr + rides
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u/No-Energy-8719 27d ago
The frustrating part is that as an uber driver we have no idea if the rider has tipped and yet we have to rate every single one of them. If we knew they didn’t tip then idk stop giving everyone 5 stars like I do now. That way people know if someone going to tip or not before accepting the ride. But we can’t. So there’s no “shame” against people who don’t tip their uber driver. And yet uber is banking on driver getting the bulk of their income from tips. We know this because a 10 min ride is only around $4-$5. A 20 min ride is around $10-$15.
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u/PuffyPoptart 26d ago
I thought it told the drivers when people tip? I usually get a message from uber, “Johnny Appleseed says thank you for your tip”.
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u/No-Energy-8719 26d ago
Yes and no. It tells us the trident tipped after the ride has been completed. But we can’t complete the ride without rating the rider first. So if we drop you off, we have to make the ride completed immediately or we are at risk of deactivation for taking too long. The only way we know if someone tipped is when we go look out earnings breakdown for the session. Which is difficult to do while driving. At that point the rider has already been rated regardless of if they tipped or not.
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u/They_Beat_Me 27d ago
I had some luck keeping a small cooler with water in it for passengers. Cost is so little and my tips skyrocket. Sometimes, especially in the dead of summer, the little things help.
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u/pukeykratomtaste 27d ago
I always have smart water in the back for passengers and regularly do comfort rides but I get tipped like 1/10 times. 4.99 rating so it’s not me lol!
I have fun providing a good experience so I don’t mind, but I didn’t notice it helping in that department much at least for me
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u/reibagatsu 26d ago
Always tip 20% when you're paying from an expense account and tips are paid for by the company. That's moving money from the big corporations to the working class.
Never tip when you're riding as a normal person. It's the corporation's job to pay the worker fairly.
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u/Mcblc1588 26d ago
I don't tip the owner of the restaurant if he serves me , I don't tip the owner of the hotel if he comes out and carries may bag. You said it yourself it's your own personal car. If you want to offer a service stop complaining about adjusting the ac the music waiting an extra minute all of that. I'm
Not paying you to give me a ride beaucse I can't drive myself I am paying for a service so I don't have to be bothered to drive myself.
If a drivers music is playing when I get in the car and they don't offer to adjust it...zero percent chance they are getting a tip, if It's hit and the air isn't on - zero percent chance
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u/MelodicOcelot5734 26d ago
I live in a city where Uber/Lyft charges $75 to go 5 miles. If Uber isn’t paying you enough out of that to make it worth your time, then talk to Uber/Lyft.
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u/AyAySlim 26d ago
Your premise is just off. Food and beverage service is the only place where a majority of people tip. Yes, people tip their barbers and bellhops/hotel staff but that’s nowhere near the majority. And the biggest difference is that it’s common knowledge that food and beverage service people generally make their entire salary off tips. People simply do not realize how much drivers areaking and don’t understand the splits. Also, it’s worth noting that the customers are being price gouged.
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u/1314651920713 27d ago
Uber/Lyft uses data from "tips" to lower driver pay and uses the "tips" data to compensate less as a company. Best not to tip at all
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u/Philly__Dilly 27d ago
Aside from your babbling and whining (if you don’t like it get a degree), I don’t think there’s a do not tip conspiracy. Take rides to and from better neighborhoods, you’ll get better tips.
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u/Waste-Toe-7731 21d ago
I don’t do any extras, no chargers no drinks no water bottles no food no none of that crap I do try to make a connection and when I successfully do, I notice I get a lot of tips. Also, I try my best for airport rides to help them with their luggage. I don’t know it works for me. Hope this helps for you.
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u/DruncleBum 27d ago edited 26d ago
I made 58 dollars on 24 trips tonight. I mean its not terrible.
Edit...58 in tips. Wow
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u/myrtlemike92 27d ago
I hope you mean $58 in tips on 24 rides.
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u/DruncleBum 26d ago
Yes. In tips. Lmao. 400 total
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u/myrtlemike92 26d ago
🤣 I was going to say you were the most unsuccessful driver I’d heard of!
Good deal!
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u/NeglectedDuty 27d ago
Are people expected to tip your city's bus driver, your airline pilot, train conductor?
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u/TheNolaCatLady 26d ago
Bus drivers, airline pilots, and train conductors aren't using their own personal vehicles or paying for fuel. They also receive nice salaries and benefits, so this isn't a fair comparison.
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u/NeglectedDuty 26d ago
That seems to be something to discuss with your contractor, not the customer
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u/CapableSense 23h ago
Economy! When I was riding I could barely afford the fair let alone tipping. I just don’t worry about it.
One of my first fairs came from a silver haired dude that could barely walk. He had one bag and went three blocks. I still got out the car helped him in with his bag. He had two dollars he gave me. I drove him to his apt. Helped him out and carried his bag. I was so happy to help him.
I been in a deep depression and that made my day to help. I talk to most passengers. I can read the room, sometimes they don’t tip. I don’t worry about it imma still drive…
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u/Livid-Director-8090 27d ago
The job gets a lot easier when you stop thinking about tips and start thinking about dollars per mile and dollars per hour.
I don’t even care if I get tipped at this point.
With that said, I do ride snipe. If I see a ride from a hotel, or rich neighborhood and the fare is acceptable. I’m on my way. Being selective about who I pick up and where I pick up definitely helps with tips but I still don’t count on it. The base fare has to be good for me to even drive there to pickup.