One of the worst things a delivery driver can encounter is tip baiting, according to one TikToker who went viral for explaining what the term means.
TikTok user @owenlindstrom1 explained that on food delivery apps, customers have the option to reduce or increase their tip to the delivery person after they drop the food off. Tip baiting occurs when customers add a large tip before getting their order in hopes of getting it faster. Then, they remove or reduce the tip after receiving the food.
The TikTok video received 4.7 million views as of Wednesday. The TikToker has nearly 89,000 followers on the app and usually posts about what it’s like to be a food delivery person.
“While it’s good to protect the customer from having bad service by holding the tip over your head, it leaves a big opportunity to screw over the driver with tip baiting,” the TikToker said.
But unfortunately, there’s not much delivery drivers can do to stop tip baiting, he said. His best advice is to find an area that doesn’t seem prone to tip baiting and stick to delivering there.
Viewers were divided on whether tip baiting was that big of an issue, causing a debate in the comments. Some believed that customers should always tip, while others said it wasn’t reasonable.
“If you can’t afford to tip the delivery driver then you have no business of ordering out. Drivers use their own cars, gas and wear and tear,” one viewer commented.
Another viewer partially agreed, “you should always tip, but these apps that add a $8 delivery fee encourage people to not tip. it’s ridiculous.”
One user said workers shouldn’t have to rely on tips in the first place: “Normalize companies paying their employees enough instead of relying on tips.”
Some viewers suggested that delivery drivers find a way to track the customers who tip bait so they can avoid them.
“They should add a feature so drivers can comment on the buyer for other drivers,” one user wrote. Another said, “The drivers need to get together and start a website of all the addresses that do tip baiting.”
User @owenlindstrom1 did not immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment.
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