[dheera]

On a related note, I don't understand the point of tips on UberEats.

(a) I thought the whole point of these apps was to simplify things for the user. I just want to know how much I pay in total, upfront, as I'm selecting food. Include taxes and delivery fees in a big fat "this is what you will pay" display on the screen and I'll be a 10X happier user. Delivery apps were a great opportunity to axe the complexities of tipping culture and they screwed it up IMO.

(b) They ask you for tips before they even dispatch your food, which makes zero sense to me. Tips are supposed to be "extra" based on the quality of service, so how are you supposed to blindly give 10% or 15% without even having received service? (I always put 0% when ordering and up it to 10-15% on delivery OR give cash tips, which is how things have always worked before the age of apps, but it's cumbersome to do that.)

[nlosti]

Just like in the restaurant industry, it's a way to offload costs onto the customer. Luckily in UberEats you don't have to confront someone if you don't tip them and aren't at risk of getting the side-eye which happens a lot, particularly in America.

[artoonie]

(b) you can change your tip afterward if your service was not as expected.

Just like in a restaurant: maybe your default tip is 25%, but great service bumps that up, and bad service bumps it down. You go in expecting to pay 25%.

[dheera]

> Just like in a restaurant

My expectation of apps is to get rid of these artifacts of the past. In most other parts of the world prices are given to you upfront, no tips necessary.

Not only that, but Uber asks you before you even check out if you want to give 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, or a custom amount. Considering I haven't gotten my food or service yet, how the hell am I supposed to know? I don't want to deal with this decision. You tell me how much I'm supposed to pay and just present me one number. I'll hit "buy" if it fits my budget.

Uber got rid of cab driver run-arounds, they can get rid of tips in the same way and just ask for a fair price upfront. As a customer I would find up-front, no-tip pricing a MUCH better UX.

[iso1631]

We bought a second car at the weekend, I phoned up my insurance company and asked them to put it on. They did so, and it was cheaper than the quote I'd got online - £180 for 9 months vs £290 for 12 months.

So I immediately tipped the person on the phone £45

How ridiculous does that seem?

[lotsofpulp]

I’ve even started asking my friends and family for tips anytime I do anything for them.

US culture of tipping is so ridiculous that I think people actually derive enjoyment from tipping by giving themselves an ego boost when they do, as some sort of charity or having role played as an extremely rich person being benevolent with their wealth.

[iso1631]

That's the point. There's a friend episode where Rachel and Ross go out for dinner with her Dad. He pays the bill ($200 or so - fancy resturant) and goes to the bathroom. Ross comments he'd 'only' tipped 4%, and leaves some cash.

Great putdown when the father comes back, sees the tip, rips up the credit card receipt and tells Ross to pay the whole bill if he wants to be the 'big man'

[cm2012]

"In boxing I can punch people in the face, but in baseball it got me disqualified! How is that fair?"

You're comparing apples and oranges. Tipping is just the way portions of the food service industry works.

[iso1631]

> Tipping is just the way portions of the food service industry works.

A number of industries (but which industries - how do I tip the person who takes my order at a mcdonalds drivethrough. Do I tip my builder who put in a new window? How about the binman?), in a small number of countries (do I tip in Mexico City? Quito? Brazzerville?)

The U.S. seems to have built an expectation of tipping into its economy and tries to export that expectation around the world.