What's an acceptable tip for a driver who delivers a $20 pizza?
A TikTok video purporting to show a DoorDash delivery driver in Texas swearing at a customer over the $5 tip she gave him has gone viral, sparking fresh online debate over tipping culture in the U.S.
"I just want to say it's a nice house for a $5 tip," the driver can be heard saying as he walks away from a home in the door camera video posted to TikTok earlier this week by a user under the name Lacey Purciful.
"You're welcome!" the resident says, appearing surprised by the remark. "F*** you," the driver responds before walking away.
A spokesperson for DoorDash said a delivery driver had been removed from their platform in connection with the incident.
As a pizza deliver driver once (in the era before GPS when it was usually cash or a check), the nice houses often were the worse for paying a tip, if anything. The apartments and run down areas seemed to get the point of you doing them a service, and would find change they probably needed to make a tip. That being said, tipping in the US is yet another example of corporate power shifting responsibility and blame onto the consumer rather than take direct action on a problem. The modern example is putting in more and more systems to encourage higher tipping, rather than raise wages.
Yes! I never know how to feel about being prompted for a tip when I get carry out. Normally the tip is for table or delivery service. I don't think I should be obligated to compensate someone's wage for running my credit card and handing me a bag.
It is is 100% the case that establishments know customers will feel obligated to tip in any scenario they are prompted.
Hell, how do I even know that such a tip goes to the service staff who are paid less than minimum wage?
Frequently, it doesn’t. Or more frequently, not all of it. It’s acruelly illegal (a form of wage theft.) but because there’s a sense that the person working the shit job needs that shit job… complaining about it doesn’t help.
In any case… I’m of the opinion that I shouldn’t have to tip. If that pisses of service workers, they can (and should,) go find another job. That said I do tip for typical things- I just do t think I should have to. And if the service is terrible….
In any case, there are waitstaff that make relatively large paychecks from tipping as well. (Particularly in bars.)