In an age where food delivery services like DoorDash, UberEats, and Instacart have become household names, tipping has once again sparked heated debates.
A recent incident involving a DoorDash driver and an $8 tip has gone viral, causing a social media frenzy over what constitutes an "acceptable" tip for delivery services.
Captured by a customer's Ring doorbell camera, the video shows the DoorDash driver, visibly frustrated, refusing to leave the food at the customer’s doorstep. Uploaded to YouTube, the video has amassed over 1 million views and ignited discussions about tipping etiquette.
"Uh, no - I can speak to you, actually," the driver can be heard saying after the customer asked her to leave the order on his doorstep.
Check out the video:According to the driver, the trip, which saw her cover a distance of 12.5 miles from Commack, Long Island, to Smithtown, took around 40 minutes. "I think you need to adjust your tip to make it right," she stated, confronting the customer about his $8 tip.
The customer fired back, claiming that the drive should have taken her only 15-20 minutes. The driver then said, "I'm gonna bring the food back! I'm gonna bring the food back," as she began to walk away.
Although opinions were divided, many social media users found themselves siding with the customer. "This woman has never worked for tips before. Eight dollars is a Home Run," said one commenter.
Another YouTuber pointed out the self-defeating nature of the driver's behavior, stating, "She refused to give this guy’s his food and all she accomplished was reducing her tip from $8 to zero and the guy probably got a full refund PLUS extra credits for his inconvenience. He won and she lost."
Even a former DoorDash driver chimed in, asserting that the driver was informed beforehand of the tip and total pay for the order, which included a base pay that could vary depending on the location. "An $8 tip is quite generous in my opinion," the ex-driver added.
In response to the escalating situation, DoorDash released a statement emphasizing the importance of community safety. Per The Mirror, the statement reads: "We take the safety of our community extremely seriously, and such inappropriate behavior is never tolerated on the DoorDash platform.
"Any behavior that violates this zero-tolerance policy is grounds for deactivation, and the Dasher involved has been removed from our platform. We have been in touch with the customer to offer support, and sincerely regret that this incident fell short of the experience we strive to provide every day."
With delivery drivers often depending on tips to supplement their income, especially considering they often spend a significant amount of time completing each order, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing debate surrounding tipping.
As the gig economy continues to grow, these conversations will likely continue to surface, forcing both customers and service providers to reevaluate what's considered fair compensation.
