A hot potato: Do you prefer not to tip a DoorDash delivery before your food has arrived? Then the company has a warning for you and anyone else who does the same: a lack of a tip will likely mean a longer wait for deliveries.
DoorDash is testing a new feature in the United States and Canada that incentivizes, or blackmails, users into leaving a tip. When placing an order, a customer has the option to type in a tip amount and proceed or click a button that reads, “Continue without tip.”
Picking the no-tip option results in a pop-up appearing that warns of the consequences of such an action. It states that orders with no tip “might” take longer to get delivered, and asks if the customer wants to rethink their decision.
“Dashers can pick and choose which orders they want to do,” the pop-up states. “Orders that take longer to be accepted by Dashers tend to result in slower delivery.”
DoorDash said it started piloting the reminder pop-ups earlier this year as a way to help “provide the best possible experience for Dashers, consumers and merchants.” The company also notes that as independent contractors, Dashers have full freedom to accept or reject offers based on what they view as valuable and rewarding. There has apparently been a meaningful decrease in the number of no-tip orders since DoorDash launched the test, though it never specified any figures.
The company emphasizes that customers still have the option not to tip if they don’t want to, and the test does not impact “DoorDash’s commitment to quality or how orders are fulfilled.”
DoorDash spokesperson Jenn Rosenberg told TechCrunch that the pilot is not location-specific, so not everyone will see it. The company is currently analyzing the results and feedback and plans to roll the warning out more broadly once it has proven successful.
Back in August, DoorDash faced criticism over a new “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 are sent notifications suggesting they show their appreciation.
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.
Tipping has become one of the most controversial topics of modern times. More workers are relying on them, but Americans are tipping service workers less and less. There’s been a pushback against the practice as extra services ask for tips, including self-checkout machines. Perhaps paying workers better wages rather than looking at ways of making customers tip more would be a better option; DoorDash said its drivers’ pay ranges from as little as $2 per order to $10.
