# What do you tip delivery people? {Not a thread for debating or ranting about tipping} **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 30, 2023, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-tip-delivery-people-not-a-thread-for-debating-or-ranting-about-tipping/990912 "2023-09-30T15:07:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Galactus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galactus/32/3581_2.png) [@Galactus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galactus)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-tip-delivery-people-not-a-thread-for-debating-or-ranting-about-tipping/990912/42 "2023-10-10T18:44:00Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > For any plumber, electrician, or whatever doing work inside my house, $20. Plumbers and electricians make insanely high hourly wages. You are way more generous than me if you tip those guys. To me, that would be like tipping your doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-tip-delivery-people-not-a-thread-for-debating-or-ranting-about-tipping/990912/43 "2023-10-11T13:53:56Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Lol! Yes, card, not automobile. For a minute there I thought you were Oprah. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2023, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-tip-delivery-people-not-a-thread-for-debating-or-ranting-about-tipping/990912/44 "2023-10-12T13:35:31Z")
On hot days I’ll leave out cold bottles of water and small snacks. I know a lot of delivery trucks don’t have A/C. The UPS guy _loves_ me. He’ll stop by even if he’s not delivering anything. It’s fine. I understand. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2023, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-tip-delivery-people-not-a-thread-for-debating-or-ranting-about-tipping/990912/45 "2023-10-15T09:57:21Z")
> [@Galactus](#): > > Plumbers and electricians make insanely high hourly wages. Plus, they’re usually self-employed. You’re supposed to tip employees, not the boss. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2023, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-tip-delivery-people-not-a-thread-for-debating-or-ranting-about-tipping/990912/46 "2023-10-16T23:56:45Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Plus, they’re usually self-employed. You’re supposed to tip employees, not the boss. from OP to mods Please don’t think I’m telling you your job, but I consider this point highly relevant, and not a rant, or debating tipping in general. It’s actually what my mother taught me (50 years ago), but it seems to be in flux right now-- if one tips all the barbers in a shop other than the one who owns the shop, one is likely to be looked at a little funny. And you always tip a cab driver. You don’t enquirer whether he happens to be one of the few who owns his own cab and drives when he wants to (if that still exists since the advent of Ubers. But how much to tip such people vs. their employees-- or whether the fact that they HAVE employees is not where the line is drawn, I think are all relevant to my original topic. Respectfully posted, ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-tip-delivery-people-not-a-thread-for-debating-or-ranting-about-tipping/990912/47 "2023-10-17T10:50:34Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > It’s actually what my mother taught me (50 years ago), but it seems to be in flux right now-- if one tips all the barbers in a shop other than the one who owns the shop, one is likely to be looked at a little funny. > > And you always tip a cab driver. You don’t enquirer whether he happens to be one of the few who owns his own cab and drives when he wants to (if that still exists since the advent of Ubers. Heh - my dad taught me the same thing 40 years ago, also at a barber shop. These days, I always tip the heavily tattooed young woman who washes my hair and trims my beard, but I don’t tip her boss, who cuts my hair. I can’t remember the last time I went to a place that had more than one actual barber, so the issue never comes up. As for taxis, we don’t tip them here. It’s just not the custom. I always have to remind myself to do it when travelling abroad. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-tip-delivery-people-not-a-thread-for-debating-or-ranting-about-tipping/990912/48 "2023-10-20T00:27:48Z")
Yeah-- I tipped them there because I couldn’t not do it, but it would be just a couple of shekels-- they would not accept more. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-tip-delivery-people-not-a-thread-for-debating-or-ranting-about-tipping/990912/49 "2023-10-20T01:24:47Z")
> [@Galactus](#): > > To me, that would be like tipping your doctor. Hold on thar, are you tellin’ me we’re not sposeta tip doctors? ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-tip-delivery-people-not-a-thread-for-debating-or-ranting-about-tipping/990912/50 "2023-10-20T18:31:16Z")
jest the ones in the clinics thet you won’t be a-seeing agin-- then, a bushel a apples, or some eggs, or if he really did some good, maybe a fryer, if you keep lotsa chikins ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-tip-delivery-people-not-a-thread-for-debating-or-ranting-about-tipping/990912/51 "2023-10-20T18:58:56Z")
I remember some politician who objected to Obamacare saying how you could pay your doctor with a chicken if you didn’t have insurance. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-tip-delivery-people-not-a-thread-for-debating-or-ranting-about-tipping/990912/52 "2023-10-20T19:02:53Z")
Who? Laura Ingalls? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-tip-delivery-people-not-a-thread-for-debating-or-ranting-about-tipping/990912/53 "2023-10-20T19:48:36Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > On hot days I’ll leave out cold bottles of water and small snacks. I know a lot of delivery trucks don’t have A/C. The UPS guy _loves_ me. He’ll stop by even if he’s not delivering anything. It’s fine. I understand. We do the same. And they get a christmas card with a gift card inside. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-tip-delivery-people-not-a-thread-for-debating-or-ranting-about-tipping/990912/54 "2023-10-20T20:02:07Z")
> **[Sue Lowden Stands by Chicken Health Care Barter Plan](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sue-lowden-stands-by-chicken-health-care-barter-plan/)** > > Candidate Says Bartering for Medical Care is Longtime Tradition, Points to Doctor Who Exchanged Care for Bathtub ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-tip-delivery-people-not-a-thread-for-debating-or-ranting-about-tipping/990912/55 "2023-11-02T18:06:38Z")
DoorDash testing Mafia-like messages on their app - “[That’s some nice _hot_ food you’re ordering there; it would be a real shame if it was delivered to you COLD](https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/01/business/doordash-tip-warning/)” > [@CNN](#): > > If you try to place an order through the DoorDash app without leaving a tip, you may get this pop-up: “Orders with no tip might take longer to get delivered — are you sure you want to continue?” The note goes on: “Dashers can pick and choose which orders they want to do. Orders that take longer to be accepted by Dashers tend to result in a slower delivery.” > > In other words, tip your drivers, or prepare to wait a long time for a cold meal. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-tip-delivery-people-not-a-thread-for-debating-or-ranting-about-tipping/990912/56 "2023-11-03T04:35:40Z")
I applaud this message. No matter what you think of tipping, it’s built into the delivery driver’s pay structure, and omitting it doesn’t “send a message” to the company, it just screws the driver over. ---
**Author:** ![martyg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@martyg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/martyg)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-tip-delivery-people-not-a-thread-for-debating-or-ranting-about-tipping/990912/57 "2023-11-03T04:55:24Z")
I tip 20% usually but I’m really crabby about it sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-tip-delivery-people-not-a-thread-for-debating-or-ranting-about-tipping/990912/58 "2023-11-03T20:08:37Z")
Except that it’s coming from the people who built it into the drivers’ pay, and who could choose to pay them more. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-tip-delivery-people-not-a-thread-for-debating-or-ranting-about-tipping/990912/59 "2023-11-04T04:23:05Z")
That’s an excellent point, and I hope the publicity about this moves the national conversation towards holding employers accountable. Until then, though, I’m in favor of people not stiffing their servers (including food delivery people). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-tip-delivery-people-not-a-thread-for-debating-or-ranting-about-tipping/990912.md?page=2)