A hot potato: Online food ordering and delivery service Doordash is the latest company to face criticism over a "tip-nudging" feature that lets customers increase their tip for a driver up to 30 days after an order has been delivered. Those who don't tip will be sent notifications suggesting they show their appreciation.
The subject of tipping has become more controversial than ever in recent times. With the cost of living so high, workers who rely on tips say they need them more than ever, but many customers claim they can't afford to pay extra for goods and services.
As reported by Insider, DoorDash introduced the ability to edit tips after a delivery was complete in June. Company execs said at the time it was a way to reward drivers who offer above-and-beyond service. However, confirmation that customers who don't tip will receive new nudges and reminders to encourage them to do so didn't go down too well, though it's something Uber Eats, Instacart, and Starbucks also do.
DoorDash has confirmed that only customers who have not tipped anything will receive the nudges, and there will be a maximum of one nudge per order.
The subject of tipping is becoming increasingly controversial. Last month brought news of customers who were being shamed for not leaving large enough tips. One person received a text from their DoorDash driver that read: "Nice house. Thanks for the $5 for 20 min ride." Another driver said something similar to a customer in-person and then swore at her. He was fired for his behavior.
Tipping culture has been the subject of many heated debates this year. One of the most shocking reports came in May when we heard that self-checkout machines were requesting that customers tip even though they'd had little to no interaction with human workers. There was also a report that unionized Apple store employees were asking that customers be allowed to tip them.
The obvious answer might be for companies to pay workers better wages and put less focus on ways of making customers tip more. DoorDash said its drivers' pay ranges from as little as $2 per order to $10.