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Is It OK To Not Tip Your Dasher
Not a great idea
Unlike what you’d expect, I’m going to address this question from the perspective of how stiffing a working stiff might affect the service rather than considering the ethics of not offering that service person a gratuity. Whether to tip or not would depend on how quickly you want to get your food and when you’re ordering.
The operative difference between a waiter at a restaurant and a dasher is that the dasher sees his or her tip in front. The waiter does not! So right off, you shouldn’t expect good service when your server knows you’re a cheapskate. Now add on that dashers aren’t required to take delivery offers that ping on their phones. Bad combination.
Back to the waiter. Imagine a phone app lets you know how much a party that just sat down is going to tip you before they even order — and you do have the option of serving them or not. Getting the picture? With Doordash, you might want to order before you’re hungry — and have a microwave to reheat your food when it finally arrives — if you choose not to tip.
Fortunately for the skinflint, dashers do earn some money even if you stiff them. And I’ve taken “no tip” trips on occasion. Why would I do that?
Sometimes, DoorDash can get so slow I’ll take almost anything they offer when I’ve been idle for 30 to 60…