Delivery apps are a blessing to those who are too preoccupied to pick up the food they want to eat. For a fee, you can have a driver bring the item to your doorstep. However, ordering through DoorDash might be a different story, as you might get your craving a little later than expected if you don't tip.
DoorDash Drivers Appreciate Tips
Tipping workers in the food industry is a common practice in many countries including the US. That goes for delivery drivers as well, but unlike restaurants where waiters get the tip at the end of the service, DoorDash drivers can choose which pending order they can take up based on the tip.
Drivers can see how much they are tipped since customers are asked to enter an amount on the DoorDash app while placing their order. With that said, the company has placed a warning regarding the matter to urge customers to enter a reasonable amount.
The alert states that "Orders with no tip might take longer to get delivered," and will ask the customer if they want to continue. The message continues by saying that Dashers can pick and choose which orders they want to do, as reported by The Verge.
In that case, food that has already been prepared by the merchant may get cold as a result of slow delivery. DoorDash spokesperson Jenn Rosenberg says that it's "something that we're currently testing to help create the best possible experience for all members of our community."
"As independent contractors, Dashers have full freedom to accept or reject offers based on what they view as valuable and rewarding. While the vast majority of customers do leave a tip, offers that don't include a tip can be seen as less desirable," Rosenberg continues.
In a way, you can provide a nudge for drivers to prioritize your order if you leave a bigger tip since Dashers will rush to get that order before other drivers do. "Every day, Dashers go the extra mile," the DoorDash spokesperson said, and that they encourage tipping to show appreciation.
Don't Worry, The Driver Gets 100% of the Tip
Back in 2019, DoorDash faced criticism from people whether they were customers or not after learning that they keep tips for themselves. The company was using it to subsidize its payments to Dashers. It wasn't until late July that the company finally caved and changed the policy.
Previously, it was used to offset DoorDash's guarantee that drivers would get minimum payment for a delivery. If the company guarantees an amount but the customer payment does not meet it, then DoorDash will still pay the difference.
Since the change, that's no longer the case. As mentioned in The New York Times, "the new model will ensure that Dashers' earnings will increase by the exact amount a customer tips on every order," DoorDash CEO Tony Xu expressed.
Some drivers were worried that the company would simply lower the guaranteed rate to make it appear like they were giving tips to Dashers. It looks the the concern is no longer an issue since it has been the practice until today.
