DoorDash, along with UberEats and InstaCart, has implemented a new “nudging” feature to encourage tipping. If a person does not add a tip to their DoorDash order, a “friendly” reminder will pop up. The message says that orders without tips may take longer to get delivered, as drivers can see who tips and who doesn’t beforehand. Underneath this message are two buttons, one highlighted that says “add a tip” and the other greyed-out button that says “continue without tip.” Such a message is seen as intrusive by some people and to others they think tipping is a common courtesy.
The elephant in the room is the beast that tipping culture has become in the United States. Nearly every place has an option and/or expectation of tipping. The usual suspects i.e. restaurants are always going to expect tips, and that is totally fine for most Americans. However, people begin to get uneasy when carryout places ask for tips on the infamous “kiosk” that a cashier may spin around to the customer. The most egregious form of tip-farming comes from 100% self-checkout places such as a grocery store. Why should a person tip the kiosk if they procured the food items from shelves and rang everything up without the interaction of any other human being? Such is life in the USA in regards to how ubiquitous tipping has become.
SOURCES:
Tipping at self-checkout machines: where does the money go? – CBS News
DoorDash nudges users who don’t leave tips | Mashable
