‘On what planet is a 50% plus tip a standard tip?’: UberEats customer leaves $4 tip on $17 order, and a driver still won’t pick it up

A customer says that she tipped $4 on a $17 UberEats order and couldn't get a driver to pick it up in a now-viral TikTok, sparking debate about tipping expectations on delivery apps.

In the video posted by TikToker Syd (@stillpoorandhungry) on Oct. 10, she references the viral "table of shame" of UberEats orders that never get picked up due to a low or missing tip.

"I ordered my food a really long time ago, and it still doesn't have a driver, so I'm worried that it will end up on that shelf of bad tippers," she says in the clip.

She continues that her order total "with fees and taxes" was $17, saying that she even "rounded up" the tip to $4.

"I'm gathering on this app that that is a bad tip. The app was even suggesting that I tip $8 to $10," she says. "I was a server for like ten years. On what planet is a 50% plus tip like a standard tip? Why would I tip almost the equal cost of the entire meal?"

Um....signaling what your tip will be is effectively tipping before the service is rendered no matter when the actual payment is processed.

My stepson does this and was having trouble making good money at first. I was between gigs, so I did it with him for a week to help him do better, so I know how it works. With that being said....

Just for starters, it's wrong to equate an Uber tip with the tip you give to a server in a restaurant or bar because quality of service isn't nearly as variable. In a restaurant or bar, you are evaluating the server for how pleasant they are, how often they come back to check on drinks, replace dropped silverware, check on dessert orders, whether they get your order right, etc.. There is a huge difference between a good server and a bad one.

Uber delivery in't like that, and is much more black and white. You either delivered the food to the right place at the right time, or you didn't. Most of the time, you don't even talk to anybody. You drop it off on the doorstep, ring the doorbell, and leave. That's not the type of variation in quality of service where a purely discretionary tip makes a lot of sense. What makes more sense is a fully agreed upon price at the outset, with the customer still having the option to reduce the payment if the delivery is unsatisfactory.

I'll also say that there are some customers that gain that system. They promise a huge tip up front so the driver will pick up the order, but then even if the driver delivers the order perfectly on time they'll delete the tip and the driver gets paid offlten less than half the agreed-upon price. And I will just say there are certain cultures and certain neighborhoods in which that is far more common, which is why drivers often won't deliver there. Uber probably calls them "tips" for tax purposes, but what they really are is bids for some driver's time and effort.

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