Tipping Lyft/Uber

[clifffaith]

We have used neither, having just bought smart phones two weeks ago. But Mom was forced into learning to use Lyft last month, because thank goodness the day before my dad went into the hospital when they traded their old phone in for a smartphone, the AT&T guy set Lyft up for them. Mom tells me she is tipping drivers for 10 minute rides to the hospital. I thought "the price was the price", and at least at one point remember reading drivers weren't happy they couldn't accept tips. So is tipping done, or not? We have decided to use Lyft for the first time upon our return to LAX after two weeks in Hawaii. Shuttle to airport is always fine, but lately we've been waiting 40-60min for pre-scheduled Super Shuttle rides home, and I hate standing in the cold, breathing fumes and listening to the roar of the lower level traffic. So would an airport pickup, which presumably is already charged as a pricier ride (we are 40 min from airport), require a tip? Just want to go with the norm, and not end up being a tightwad or an over payer.

 

[Luanne]

I still haven't used either so I don't know the etiquette. But in checking it looks like they do accept tips, either through the app or in cash.

 

[b2bailey]

I am a frequent user of both Uber and Lyft. I feel no need to tip. Unless... I really want to.

We have used neither, having just bought smart phones two weeks ago. But Mom was forced into learning to use Lyft last month, because thank goodness the day before my dad went into the hospital when they traded their old phone in for a smartphone, the AT&T guy set Lyft up for them. Mom tells me she is tipping drivers for 10 minute rides to the hospital. I thought "the price was the price", and at least at one point remember reading drivers weren't happy they couldn't accept tips. So is tipping done, or not? We have decided to use Lyft for the first time upon our return to LAX after two weeks in Hawaii. Shuttle to airport is always fine, but lately we've been waiting 40-60min for pre-scheduled Super Shuttle rides home, and I hate standing in the cold, breathing fumes and listening to the roar of the lower level traffic. So would an airport pickup, which presumably is already charged as a pricier ride (we are 40 min from airport), require a tip? Just want to go with the norm, and not end up being a tightwad or an over payer.

 

[b2bailey]

Oh, and you would always be at your destination, out of the car when you are making that decision.

I am a frequent user of both Uber and Lyft. I feel no need to tip. Unless... I really want to.

 

[Passepartout]

We use both when we travel. They arrive on time. You can see where they are. The cars are clean, the drivers friendly. No waiting in the cold. You can add a tip after the ride if you want. I usually do because they charge less and the service is far better than any taxi we have used.

Jim

 

[clifffaith]

Oh, and you would always be at your destination, out of the car when you are making that decision.

Right at the bottom of Mom's hill, left on the main boulevard 3 minutes down the street, left into hospital parking lot 5-8 minutes later. A very simple, straight forward ride. And she has drivers that go up her hill then right over to right on another street then back left, then in behind the hospital where she says NO, this is not the main entrance. Those rides shouldn't be tipped, IMHO. It's like, where the heck are these drivers coming from?? In her residential neighborhood, I'd have assumed they know the area since she never waits longer than 3-5 minutes. I think she needs to get settled in the car and then tell them the shortest route.

 

[Panina]

I use Uber and always tip. You can add it on the app before or after the ride. I never give it on the app. I give a cash tip.

 

[Eli Mairs]

I always tip on the app after the ride.
The price is reasonable, the service very good.
They arrive within a few minutes. I like watching the car driving towards our location, with the driver’s photo, licence plate number and make of car.
I usually give the drivers a good rating as well, which is important to them.

 

[VacationForever]

We don't use Uber and Lyft because we don't believe in it. Their so-called background check is submitted by the applicant and with no validation that the drivers are who they say they are. However we use airport Super Shuttle service regularly and pre-pay a 20% tip when we book online.

 

[Passepartout]

We don't use Uber and Lyft because we don't believe in it. Their so-called background check is submitted by the applicant and with no validation that the drivers are who they say they are. However we use airport Super Shuttle service regularly and pre-pay a 20% tip when we book online.

Hmmm. And you feel that Super Shuttle screens their drivers better? My observation is that in the cities where we have used both taxis and shared services (I'm not fond of sharing vans with others), the UBER/Lyft drivers were more attentive, the cars cleaner, newer. I could see the screen of their phone with the route clearly marked. We have stood in the cold waiting for a taxi, wondering if he would show up, with all his remodeling tools in the car and no room for our luggage except the seat. NEVER again. I'm a convert.

Use whatever service you like. And until further notice, I'm using UBER/Lyft.

Jim

 

[VacationForever]

Hmmm. And you feel that Super Shuttle screens their drivers better? My observation is that in the cities where we have used both taxis and shared services (I'm not fond of sharing vans with others), the UBER/Lyft drivers were more attentive, the cars cleaner, newer. I could see the screen of their phone with the route clearly marked. We have stood in the cold waiting for a taxi, wondering if he would show up, with all his remodeling tools in the car and no room for our luggage except the seat. NEVER again. I'm a convert.

Use whatever service you like. And until further notice, I'm using UBER/Lyft.

Jim

We don't booked shared service. We book dedicated Super Shuttle vans. Yes, the drivers are employees of Super Shuttle.

 

[Ken555]

I always tip via the app after the ride, and provide feedback. I’ve had many good drivers to and from LAX and in many other cities.


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[Passepartout]

Just took an UBER. It saved a 100 yard walk in the cold. The car was a new Buick SUV. The card was $6-$9 less than a taxi. I knew the driver's name, license plate # car description and exact location. He was friendly. UBER is his second job to make some $$, meet people, work on his English. He is immigrant from Singapore. I have him 5 stars and a buck via the app.

Jim

 

[Brett]

I use Uber and tip after the ride and provide feedback
I'm also a convert, no more taxis. With Uber and Lyft you can track the driver in 'real time' and the price is upfront

 

[Phydeaux]

We don't use Uber and Lyft because we don't believe in it. Their so-called background check is submitted by the applicant and with no validation that the drivers are who they say they are. However we use airport Super Shuttle service regularly and pre-pay a 20% tip when we book online.

Perhaps you feel this way because the news is always filled with examples of Uber/Lyft drivers crashing or ripping off their fares, huh?

But they're not.

I’m guessing if you tried them, you’d feel differently.

 

[presley]

I have used Lyft a couple times and tipped in the 10-15% range and gave both drivers rave reviews. I have looked at the pay schedule and they barely get paid for what they do.

 

[Passepartout]

Only one thing disturbs me (well, on THIS subject). Son in Law prefers Lyft to Uber. Says it's a 'preference of the corporate culture' thing. Like not eating veal. Or choosing 'sustainable' seafood. Or the whole Hobby Lobby or Chic-Fil-A deal.

Maybe this is the 'I don't believe in it' explanation. I don't know. Maybe I should get the Lyft app too and ask the drivers I meet for a while. Until then, I'm open minded. Anyone here have this (so far to me) unexplained concern?o

Jim

 

[controller1]

Only one thing disturbs me (well, on THIS subject). Son in Law prefers Lyft to Uber. Says it's a 'preference of the corporate culture' thing. Like not eating veal. Or choosing 'sustainable' seafood. Or the whole Hobby Lobby or Chic-Fil-A deal.

Maybe this is the 'I don't believe in it' explanation. I don't know. Maybe I should get the Lyft app too and ask the drivers I meet for a while. Until then, I'm open minded. Anyone here have this (so far to me) unexplained concern?o

Jim

Many of the drivers drive for both Lyft and Uber.

 

[controller1]

We regularly use Uber on our travels and use them several times a year locally when we go to restaurants where me might enjoy an adult beverage or two or ..... I always tip on the app and I always leave feedback.

When traveling I use taxis as a last resort. The drivers are usually rude, the cars are usually dirty and the fares are usually excessive. Additionally, when in an unfamiliar location I don't like feeling the driver is taking a circuitous route to further pad the fare.

 

[SmithOp]

Right at the bottom of Mom's hill, left on the main boulevard 3 minutes down the street, left into hospital parking lot 5-8 minutes later. A very simple, straight forward ride. And she has drivers that go up her hill then right over to right on another street then back left, then in behind the hospital where she says NO, this is not the main entrance. Those rides shouldn't be tipped, IMHO. It's like, where the heck are these drivers coming from?? In her residential neighborhood, I'd have assumed they know the area since she never waits longer than 3-5 minutes. I think she needs to get settled in the car and then tell them the shortest route.

The driver may not live in the area and be familiar with the correct route. They are also using the app and it chooses the route for them. The issue is with the map software not the driver.


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[controller1]

The driver may not live in the area and be familiar with the correct route. They are also using the app and it chooses the route for them. The issue is with the map software not the driver.


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Exactly! It appears the Uber app on the driver side uses Google Maps. Google Maps has a one block section of our street mis-named and therefore will direct the Uber drivers to turn and go several blocks out of the way to get to our house when it is really a straight shot with no turns. Only drivers familiar with our subdivision or who have picked us up before realize this.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

We use Uber and Lyft. While the reported corporate culture for Uber bothers me. but I still like the convenience so continue to use them. I do usually tip for a good ride. The drivers don't make that much as Uber takes 25% of the fare as their take.

 

[klpca]

We tip when we use either service. It's faster and more convenient than a cab, and you can track them as they arrive. The cab services need to step up their game with technology if they are going to survive. Shared shuttles are my least favorite. Because of where we live, we are consistently the first ones picked up and the last ones dropped off. One time it took almost two hours to get home (30 min drive time). That was our last shared shuttle.

Uber's corporate culture is well documented. Hopefully things have gotten better since the CEO was forced out, but a lot of the younger people I know also actively support Lyft. Most of the time our drivers seem to work for both companies though, so by choosing Lyft over Uber, you aren't hurting the driver.

One interesting (and clever) Lyft antidote - my daughter has a friend who "drives" for Lyft. All she does though, is pick someone up on her way to work and take someone home on her way home. She's done this for a few years to pay off her student loans.

 

[isisdave]

Right at the bottom of Mom's hill, left on the main boulevard 3 minutes down the street, left into hospital parking lot 5-8 minutes later. A very simple, straight forward ride. And she has drivers that go up her hill then right over to right on another street then back left, then in behind the hospital where she says NO, this is not the main entrance. Those rides shouldn't be tipped, IMHO. It's like, where the heck are these drivers coming from?? In her residential neighborhood, I'd have assumed they know the area since she never waits longer than 3-5 minutes. I think she needs to get settled in the car and then tell them the shortest route.

Faith, some drivers in LA come from as far as Palmdale, so they don't know the neighborhood. They have an app, and some use Google or Waze or another app, and it tells them where to go. Your Mom could say "the entrance on X ave at Y street" before starting out. These guys DON'T extend the ride, because they don't make much from doing so.

Regarding tipping: The minimum ride is about $5 and even if they get half of that, how the heck can they make any money? I tip, just a dollar or two, on short rides; always if they handle my bags (although one driver was older than me, and I had to help HIM!). I try to tip in cash; you can add it via the app, but they won't wee it while you're with them, if that matters.

I don't know about a longer ride; we've never taken one like that. I'd think about the likelihood of the driver getting another fare back to where he wants to be -- not too likely. Afte r your dropoff at home, he'ls likely to get a bunch of local rides, not one back to LAX.

 

[Icc5]

We've used Uber several times on trips. I usually get to know the driver and have always had good ones. I ask them if they want to talk when we first get in. Towards the end I ask if they would rather be tipped in cash or on the app. I tip as I do in a restaurant. Good service gets a good tip. So far never have had what I would consider not good service. We have been happy so far.
I know several people that drive for both. Most say they enjoy doing this and are either between jobs or need the extra money they make. We've listened to some interesting stories from people with many different accents. For us it is always nice to learn about someone else's life.
Bart