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Comment by who-knows95 | Hacker News Reader

Living in the UK i always wonder if i should tip the takeout driver.

I don't tip, I think they should be paid a fair wage to begin with.

That said, if it's not directly from the eatery, I now try to skip UberEats/Deliveroo. Saves me money and I don't contribute to the gig-economy that is keeping down wages.

Tipping is subjective, and when people start to get an expectation of a tip (automatically added on service charges included) then it's no longer gratuity. We're doing the companies job for them.

You realize restaurants that directly employ the delivery persons have most of the same pitfalls as tipping using an app service right? If you don’t know how to understand how restaurant service persons are typically paid, it is better to not use the service at all than it is to not tip. You are still possibly supporting a very shitty business model unless you know that those delivery people are paid well without tips (most work on a tips basis for a big chunk of their wages).

Except the app service is taking close to a 30% cut on your order..

There was a complaint about feeling guilt-tripped into tipping to make up for the poor wages. That problem doesn't really improve much at all under the "now my delivery person doesn't work for an app." The tipping norms are still mostly the same, where the tip still accounts for a large portion of their takehome pay--basically everything above minimum wage, which is really low and many use their own vehicles, gas, insurance, etc. Not tipping would still be an issue... just as not tipping has been an issue 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 years ago (and possibly longer for food delivery).

The point that most people are missing is: if you don't agree with the business model of expecting customers to pitch in extra for tips, you should not patronize those restaurants and not tip. Just don't order from those restaurants. The issue is not the lowly delivery person, but the business. That does nothing to solve the issue except you are very likely lowering one delivery person's paycheck. The business doesn't think gee, I should change the way I pay people because they still get their delivery order revenue.

I believe the tipping system is shit mostly, but I'm not about to order a delivery service that is completely voluntary (I don't need it to live) and plan on not tipping the person that works for tips. I would tip them or just don't order that delivery.

There is no tipping service for places that deliver food in the UK as part of their food business e.g. Dominoes pizza. Drivers are hired like regular employees and are paid a wage, they are not paid based on order numbers. Tips are at your own discretion (if you chose to pay by cash).

This is in contrast to these delivery apps where Ubereats for example does not even class them as employees and they are paid per order basis.

Nobody tips a Mcdonalds worker or most other fast food workers. I don't tip the person that delivers my packages from Amazon. These are examples of why tipping culture is so bizarre and subjective, once a good will gesture and now taken advantage of by businesses.

If the wages are bare minimum I'll stop using their service, but I won't tip so the business continue their model.

Yer, that is a strange thing, if i order direct from the eatery i don't tip, but if i order through deliveroo i do tip.

I will admit, working in a bar or restraint, having automatic gratuity is something i used to encourage, pretty much asking the table if they would like to tip the standard % is easier than digging out change.

No, why should you?

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