A restaurant displays a DoorDash logo in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. DoorDash Inc. is scheduled to release earnings figures on November 1. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images
DoorDash dropped a truth bomb on its customers this week! It appears that the delivery app‘s employees might favor orders with pre-tips.
Tech-based outlet The Verge confirmed an in-app message customers receive when placing an order with $0 entered in the tip amount.
“Orders with no tip might take longer to get delivered — are you sure you want to continue? Dashers can pick and choose which orders they want to do. Orders that take longer to be accepted by Dashers tend to result in slower delivery.”
At this point, customers can choose to continue placing their order without tipping or by adding a tip. Verge reports that the prompt isn’t live in every area DoorDash services. They cited the prompt availability in New Jersey but not in South Carolina.
DoorDash spokesperson Jenn Rosenberg told Verge the prompt is a test to provide customer clarity and improve the Dasher experience.
“Everyday, Dashers go the extra mile to help connect consumers with the best of their local communities. That’s why we encourage customers to show their appreciation by tipping. As independent contractors, Dashers have full freedom to accept or reject offers based on what they view as valuable and rewarding. While the vast majority of customers do leave a tip, offers that don’t include a tip can be seen as less desirable – this impacts our entire community, leading to longer wait times for customers, orders sitting longer at merchants, and less value for Dashers,” Rosenberg said.
Rosenberg added that the company looks forward to “analyzing the results and feedback.” The company reportedly updated its payment process for its couriers in 2019. DoorDash flipped from using a “tipped wage” method to establishing a pay base and giving delivery drivers 100% of added tips.
Meanwhile, over on social, folks have been discussing tipping on DoorDash and similar apps. While some relayed jokes about leaving no tip, others explained why customers should be offering tips.
