Tipping is one of those customs that many people take part in begrudgingly. While tipping at a restaurant has become a customary practice around the world, tipping things like bellhops, parking and petrol attendants or even our taxi drivers is a less common thing that many people, hard up for cash as it is, don’t always do.
The big thing with tipping is just how you should it. Different countries have different cultures on what they consider an acceptable tip while many people feel that the cost of a service should be included in a bill and tipping should only be offered if said service is exceptional.
As someone who has worked in the service industry before I eventually got my feet into more stable salaried employment, I know the value of a tip and always attempt to tip, because I know that those doing often menial service tasks aren’t paid well and yet they do work hard. When it comes to tipping our Uber drivers though it turns out the world is not all that generous as new research by the National Bureau of Economic Research in the US suggests that only one percent of Uber customers always tip, while nearly 60 percent never do. Besides this frightening statistic, the average tip is 50 cents a ride, but for those who do often tip, the average is more like $3. Men are more likely to tip than women, but female drivers get tipped more than male ones.
Now this research was only done over a four-week period and only in the US, but I think it represents a wider microcosm of the tipping practices of Uber drivers and I would say that in South Africa, tipping (at least from locals) could be an even rarer feat. It’s also not clear exactly how the different Uber fares for countries stack up against each other regarding liveability, though I would think most Uber drivers, who often work long hours, don’t earn bucket loads of money after fuel, maintenance and other costs all add up.
So, what do you think of tipping an Uber or Taxify driver? Is it something you always try to do, or do you feel the fee you pay is enough not to warrant one?
Last Updated: October 23, 2019
Pariah
October 23, 2019 at 15:22
Uber is already crazy expensive. Now we must also tip over and above that?
Yozzie
October 23, 2019 at 15:43
And as far as I know Uber Eats also ups the base price of food plus delivery. So obviously people are just not going to tip to make up for the price bollocks.
Admiral Chief
October 23, 2019 at 15:53
Agreed
Pariah
October 23, 2019 at 15:53
Uber Eats and MrD both do that. Often by up to 15%. Plus delivery. And then you must tip. Sometimes the restaurants absorb that extra surcharge, but a lot of them don’t.
Pariah
October 23, 2019 at 15:53
Also I should be clear here, I tip those bike delivery guys from the food delivery services. But not when I’m being chaperoned around by Uber.
Yozzie
October 23, 2019 at 15:53
I think I have used a food delivery service 4 times in the last two years. I am so anti social I don’t even want food delivered to my house by another human xD
Pariah
October 23, 2019 at 16:05
I don’t order any more for health reasons. I eat healthy and cook at home now. But I used to get delivery a lot.
Yozzie
October 23, 2019 at 18:18
Yea my cooking skillz have gone through the roof in the last few years. I would much rather spend the time in my kitchen with a Twitch stream on than wait for someone else to handle a once off expensive meal that’s going to make me feel sick later anyway.
Pariah
October 23, 2019 at 21:33
100% this.
Admiral Chief
October 23, 2019 at 21:33
My wife does most of the cooking, so I can highly recommend getting one
Pariah
October 23, 2019 at 21:44
My ex insisted on doing all the cooking. I didn’t realise how much I missed it until we broke up. I love cooking. I won’t relinquish those duties again.
Pariah
October 23, 2019 at 21:44
My ex insisted on doing all the cooking. I didn’t realise how much I missed it until we broke up. I love cooking. I won’t relinquish those duties again.
Yozzie
October 23, 2019 at 21:44
Joey doesn’t share food!
Admiral Chief
October 23, 2019 at 16:06
ROOOOFL
HvR
October 24, 2019 at 09:53
They actually do not do that (when they were Mr Delivery they did add 12%), they do take a cut a percentage cut of the full sale so to compensate the most restaurant owners up their price on the food delivery services to still make it profitable. But you actually do get a few that don’t.
Raptor Rants
October 23, 2019 at 15:32
If I have to spare I’ll tip. I rarely use Uber because it’s uber expensive (hurhur) but a small tip goes a long way
Yozzie
October 23, 2019 at 17:52
Don’t look directly into the sun.
Raptor Rants
October 23, 2019 at 21:06
also, open the pokestop ahead of time and just start spinning. When you get in range it will register, even though are traveling fast.
Yozzie
October 23, 2019 at 21:19
My POGO plus does that automatically.
Raptor Rants
October 23, 2019 at 22:32
Do I look rich to you?
Pariah
October 24, 2019 at 04:47
You tip Uber drivers. Yes.
Raptor Rants
October 24, 2019 at 04:58
Only if I have the money to spare
Pariah
October 24, 2019 at 05:20
*You use Uber and sometimes have money to spare. Yes.
Guz
October 23, 2019 at 15:53
Confession time, I don’t tip car guards as most of them are useless and just get in my way when I try reverse. Also I believe they serve no purpose as a deterrent for someone stealing my car. Lastly I didn’t ask for my car to be guarded,
I do tip in restaurants and other places were I’m getting a service that I specifically asked for
Yozzie
October 23, 2019 at 16:06
Agreed. I pay a metric fookton of money for house and car insurance in case my car gets stolen, so tipping some sod with a stick for being close to my car is not gonna happen.
Yozzie
October 23, 2019 at 16:05
Agreed. I pay a metric fookton of money for house and car insurance in case my car gets stolen, so tipping some sod with a stick for being close to my car is not gonna happen.
HvR
October 24, 2019 at 09:53
Same, stopped tipping car guards a long time ago; also by tipping them you are actually breaking the PSIR Act. I will give a small tip for the official trolley collectors if they assist me and I need it.
HvR
October 24, 2019 at 09:54
Mine is purely service based, if it was one of those idiots that first do 2 drop offs before picking me up then he can get his tip in the sea.
Or worse a new trend is he accepts the ride and then phones you to hear where you are going and how much you are going to tip him and then if he does not like the answer demands that you cancel the trip.
HvR
October 24, 2019 at 09:54
Mine is purely service based, if it was one of those idiots that first do 2 drop offs before picking me up then he can get his tip in the sea.
Or worse a new trend is he accepts the ride and then phones you to hear where you are going and how much you are going to tip him and then if he does not like the answer demands that you cancel the trip.
HvR
October 24, 2019 at 09:53
Mine is purely service based, if it was one of those idiots that first do 2 drop offs before picking me up then he can get his tip in the sea.
Or worse a new trend is he accepts the ride and then phones you to hear where you are going and how much you are going to tip him and then if he does not like the answer demands that you cancel the trip.