The latest development in the ever-changing landscape of food delivery apps is a new DoorDash notification that alerts customers that their order may arrive later if they don’t tip. The new alert was created in response to the trend of customers not tipping delivery drivers. It pops up right before the final order confirmation and says: “Orders with no tip might take longer to get delivered — are you sure you want to continue?” DoorDash explained that while the vast majority of customers do leave a tip, orders that don’t include a tip can be seen as less desirable and won’t be picked up by drivers as quickly as orders that do include a tip. Of course, the question arises about whether the move is truly based on low tipping, or whether it’s actually due to the low wages paid the delivery workers. A new minimum wage was established in New York earlier this year, which was subsequently challenged by UberEATS, GrubHub, and DoorDash. Drivers, of course, point out that they use their own vehicles and pay for their own gas, so wages are extremely important to them. Contrary to popular belief, at DoorDash the service fees and tips are separate, and whether or not someone tips doesn’t affect the fees. Of course, DoorDash already has an image problem, with numerous stories surfacing of drivers stealing food from the orders of customers who either don’t tip or don’t tip enough. Customers who encounter this problem are encouraged to contact DoorDash support immediately and ask for a refund.
