It's not the riders problem. Period. End of sentence.
I disagree, but I do understand your opinion.
Uber is a tip free service, and it should stay that way.
"Tip free" is not correct. That is
not what Uber says. Riders assume that. When Uber came to Orlando they said the tip was included. That was when they charged $1.50/mile. They backed off of that once they lowered their rates.
The fact that they originally said that the tip was included is proof that tips were part of their business model. You should also consider that Lyft currently has a tip button on their app.
Here is what Uber now says on their Orlando cities page (
https://www.uber.com/cities/orlando): *Uber is not a transportation provider.
No need to tip. Flat rates apply to direct trips between specified locations. Additional stops may result in a higher fare. Applicable tolls and surcharges may be added to your fare. At times of intense demand, our rates change over time to keep vehicles available.
In this case I think the word "need" is subjective. Uber does not say you shouldn't tip, and Uber does not say you can't tip. Uber only says "no need to tip." How nice that a 50 billion dollar company thinks a driver making around $10/hour doesn't need a tip, considering that shuttle drivers, limo drivers and taxi drivers are routinely tipped.
Let me be perfectly clear about this. No Uber driver does this expecting to get tipped. If they do, they won't last long. I just think riders need to completely understand all of the issues involved. If you think I am begging for tips then you are refusing to understand what I'm writing. All I am saying is that you CAN tip if you want, and riders need to stop hiding behind a false premise as a reason not to tip.
Here is what should happen. If you receive service that is worthy of a tip then you should consider giving one. You should never think you are being forced to give a tip, and you should never think the driver expects a tip. However, you should also stop using twisted logic based on a false premise as a reason to justify not giving a tip. That is what is happening now.
For the record, when I say "you" I don't mean you personally. I am referring to people in the most general sense possible.