Dasher Diary: Why I Don’t Believe You When You Say You’ll Tip Later

I hate to be that pessimist when I am out delivering in Amarillo. Maybe the fact is that I have been doing this so long that I have become more of a realist. I know that there are some people who are just jerks that I deliver to.

I get there are some people who are just not going to tip. Those people may or may not get their food delivered in a timely manner. That is on them. If you don't want to tip, that’s your prerogative, but it also means you might be waiting a lot longer for your order.

When you’re delivering on an hourly guarantee, you're essentially earning a base wage, but those tips are what actually cover the gas and make the trip worth the wear and tear.  If the delivery doesn't take an hour, most don't, then you get a portion of that hourly wage. The tips are appreciated and make the delivery worthwhile, given the price of gas.

Read More: Dasher Diary: Safety is My Number One Priority When Dashing

Recently, I had a double-stacked order. Which means I pick up and drop off for two different customers. Usually, when that happens, one of the orders is not one worth doing, but DoorDash teams it up with a decent customer so they both get their food.

I had to pick up from both Rosa's Cafe and It's a Punjabi Affair. I had to drive a decent way to drop off the first order. I got that done, and then it started raining as I was headed to my second drop-off.

When I got there, the rain broke for a little bit, and I was walking to the front door. The customer happened to be outside talking to a neighbor. I hate that because it was supposed to be one that I just left at the door with no customer interaction.

The "Tip-In-App" Lie: Why Drivers Know Better

I was on the phone with my mom, the phone was muted, but she could hear the interaction. I handed him his food, and kind of on the quiet side, he said he was going to go inside and get on the app and tip me. Yeah, ok.

I didn't buy it for a second. Once I got back to my car and unmuted my mom, she confirmed she’d heard the whole thing—and she had the same reaction: she knew he was lying. Why lie? Why have that interaction with me?

Honesty Beats Awkwardness Every Time

My guess is he thought I already knew he didn't tip. I didn't. When you deliver with an hourly rate, you have no idea until you complete the delivery. My thought is he knew he was a jerk, and he wanted to make the interaction less awkward by making me think he was going to be decent and tip.

He didn't, and I was not surprised. I was ending my time delivering after that order and got off the phone with my mom so I could head home. I told her I would text her if this customer decided to do the decent thing and not lie to me.

Setting Boundaries: How to Manage Your Own Blacklist

That text was never sent, and neither was that supposed tip. If you are not going to tip, then just own it. Don't lie to me, so the interaction is less awkward. That address is officially on my 'do not deliver' list. I’ll leave the pleasure of his company and his empty promises to someone else.