Here’s the paradox of tipping coming to Uber: I now tip far more generously than before, but my rating is dropping.
Honestly, I care much more about any secret comments on my Hyatt or United profile than what my Uber rating is. At the same time, I find it hard to believe that my rating has fallen from 4.95 to 4.79 in the last few months.
I know, 4.79 out of 5 is still a 96%. And perhaps it was just one driver that did not like that I was going to LAX or that I sat in the backseat instead of the front seat and gave me zero stars. Maybe the driver just punched the wrong score by mistake…it’s easy to do that on the Uber app.
But my hunch is that drivers often want a better drip.
My brother’s score and business partner’s score have also dropped lately. And we all tip. Generously, at least in my mind. But I wonder if 15-20% is deemed “unreasonable” by some and automatic grounds for four stars instead of five?
Back in pre-tipping days, Uber drivers would routinely comment on this blog that they would retaliate against customers who failed to tip with low scores. Have you found that is the case in your own travels?
> Read More: A Disappointing Relief: Tipping Officially Comes to Uber
CONCLUSION
I still don’t like tipping on Uber. But stories like being ditched miles from LAX, demonstrate that the current fare structure is simply not working for many ride-sharing drivers. To compensate for the fact that Uber X is still routinely less than half the price of a taxi, I believe tipping is a necessary evil. At the same time, if a driver thinks s/he can give a low rating for what they deem an insufficient tip, they should check that entitlement at the door.
What do you think? Do you tip generously on Uber and Lyft?
Obviously, the easiest solution is to drop tipping and raise the rates. But that won’t work for numerous reasons, so tipping is probably here to stay. The next best is to make it impossible for the Uber driver to see the tip they received before giving you a rating. It’s an easy fix and would completely mitigate this issue.
I thought the driver rated the pax without noting whether they’d tipped?
+1
I think showing pax their rating is the stupidest biz decision ever! I actively avoid using Uber and part of that is I don’t want to feel judged. It’s like a daily/monthly/whatever performance eval!
Tipping on UBER and those services is not part of the deal. Poor that we’re back to a tipping economy, why I left yellow cabs a long time ago.
@ Matthew, don’t sweat it. I used to be a Uber driver (still am on occasion) but now am a passenger. My rating is 4.82 and I both chat with drivers (to let them know, there pay is bad and I know because I used to do what they do) and tip almost every time unless the car is dirty or the driver is downright awful. Still my rating is not a perfect 5.0.
There should be the rating first, then the tip shows after. I’ve also noticed a drop in my rating.
Better question – who cares about Uber ratings?
I am a terrible passenger by these standards: sit in the back unless told otherwise by a driver, never tip (unless service is truly, and I mean truly, exceptional and from the heart), and I’ a difficult customer with my visual impairment. In fact, I always ask the drivers name, and where the driver is going, and never respond when they ask for mine first, making me even more difficult than most. My rating has not dropped, in fact its gone up, it is now 4.94.
The times I lose stars, its almost always for one of two reasons: because I showed up late to the car, or because the driver is having a bad day and I’m a little too cheery or energetic for their liking. I’m rarely late, and the latter has only happened once. Perhaps you do something else in an uber car that is a red flag? Tipping is a nice thing to do but is not required. The flip side, though, is that it won’t really mitigate other poor behaviors that much. Drivers don’t make that mistake, they can change it easily enough (at least we can for them). Perhaps, do you give too many directions? Drivers hate that. Do you eat in an uber car? My policy is never eat in an uber car, unless the ride is insanely long and I have explicit permission from the driver that is unsolicited by me. I’ll eat in a taxicab, I’m paying loads of money for a contracted service that frankly is a load of crap. Uber drivers, the environment feels different to me and its more like a friend picking you up rather than a taxicab.
If you do one of those things, perhaps change your policy, and maybe you’ll see a change in your rating. J
Tipping has nothing to do with your rating unless you’re handing them cash at the end of the ride
Something you may not have considered: wait time. The app says explicitly that this can affect your rating. Do you make your driver wait while you come downstairs?
Personally, I think Uber should start charging for wait time as soon as the car arrives, so long as the car has arrived in the time promised. It would be fair to the driver and would not add much to the fare.
A source of frustration for me is that, for instance, I will land at LAX and open the app. It will say that cars are 15 minutes away. So I order one when I am about 10 minutes from the curb. However more often than not I will get a notification within a minute or two that my car is waiting. I then am forced to keep my driver waiting.
I’ve never heard of a longer than about 7 minute wait time, ever, in a major city, to me thats just smart thinking. The app might say something different, but there are more cars around in those major hub cities than there are people.
4.63 rating here. I couldn’t care less. I am tired of Uber to be honest. I have had so many drivers cancelling trips on me lately and they are never penalized. I canceled one the other day and was charged $12 for that. I always nice, clean, treat the drivers really well and engage in a conversation if I feel they want to.
I have also seen mine dip from 4.97 to 4.75. I’m going to start to give Uber drivers bad ratings when **anything ** doesn’t goes according to plan. Also WTF is it with Uber drivers pulling up on the other side of the road in LA – I am not going to sprint across Wilshire or even Sepulveda, you have to come to the requested side.
I totally agree with this. I’m a loyal damn near daily Uber Rider who tips and generally gives 5 stars unless the driver is an absolute dick..even then because of how it is worded on the app I rarely give less than 5…I had a 4.92 have been above 4.87 for over a year. I moved 2 weeks ago and my rating is down to a 4.83…what in holy hell. I’m going to start up with Lyft if they keep it up.
If it’s the tipping that’s causing the drop in your rating, maybe it’s some odd psychological quirk, like domestic airlines making more money than at any time in history but still working hard to squeeze the customer at every turn.
The drop in ratings for me as a rider have influenced me to do the following:
– I do not rate drivers with 5 stars anymore, except they provide EXCEPTIONAL service (that is: free water, polite, very clean car, etc.). Reason: if I do not get 5 stars because a driver perceives me as tipping too less (subjective), I should hold them to the same standards.
– I don’t tip very often anymore. If the driver is slightly rude, seems stressed, the car is unclean, doesn’t greet, etc. I simply don’t tip AND rate the driver between 1 and 3 stars. Reason: previously, I used tipping as a way to give something extra for a good service. I gave almost almost everybody a 5 star rating, because they helped me to get from A to B. But now, it seems that they use the rating system as a way to pressure me into giving more tips. I don’t want to be pushed into paying extra for sub-standard service just to get a good rating: that would be a very one-sided transaction. Thus, I treat them the same they treat me!
Drivers don’t see anything till they rate, the most they can do is accept a new request but it goes right back to the rating screen. I’ve given less than five stars a handful of times because of downright nasty attitudes. If I know the attitude is because of a mistake I’ve made then I give five stars and expect to take the hit. Now as a rider my ratings are lower even though I have great rapport with drivers and tipped in money and valuable how-to info to help em in their work. But my guess is that its lower because I end the trips prematurely and walk the rest. As a driver I appreciate someone cutting me loose outside of gridlock but I guess they don’t like that. So bottom line, stop being jerks and thinking your tips are more valuable than your respect. Be there on time especially if it’s a busy street with no parking, ask to be excused to puke piss or fart, use deodorant and gum, don’t backseat drive unless asked for directions, and don’t act like mistakes don’t happen. Your driver has to navigate a fluid urban environment with an unreliable Uber navigation.
I live in Southampton UK, and use UBER to go to hospital, for regular checkups after recovering from leukemia. I always tip, don’t make drivers wait, but only had a rating of 4.51 after perhaps 30 trips.
After spending 5 weeks in Taipei, Taiwan, my rating shot up to 4.63, after just a few similarly short trips.
Back in the UK, I took just one ride, and my rating fell to 4.60.
I have decided to delete UBER because it’s system causes my local drivers to discriminate against short trips.
The easiest fix would be to let the driver rate before he knows how high the tip is.
I have never made an Uber wait for me, I never eat or drink in the car, I talk only if the driver wants to, and I never slam the door shut. I tip on pool rides but not on UberX because I feel that $8.86 for a 7 minute ride is sufficient. But my rating is still low at 4.85. I’ve contacted Uber and they are claiming it’s not the tipping although I can’t think of what else it could be. I’ve had a driver specifically tell me that in some cities like New York, if you don’t hand the driver cash, they will give you a 1-3 star rating. I refuse to be bullied into tipping. They can keep lowering my rating if they want, soon they’ll have no more passengers to pick up.