An Uber Eats driver claims a customer purposely set out to sabotage her so their tip would be refunded.
Emma Gerard (@emmagerard) called out the customer’s behavior on TikTok, asking in the caption, “Why did you do that?”
Uber drivers often receive specific instructions. And following these instructions can be the reason they get a higher or lower tip. But sometimes, the requests get a little weird, or go too far like for one Instacart shopper who says a customer asked him to break the law so that they wouldn’t have to come downstairs.
A strange delivery request
Gerard has been working as an Uber Eats driver to save up money for an apartment. She says she recently picked up an order from Subway with specific delivery instructions.
When she arrived at the address to drop off the delivery, she says the delivery note for the delivery driver read: “Please be super quiet when delivering this food.”
Gerard claims the delivery note also specified that the driver should not bring the food up to the door. Instead, and this is where the instructions became unusual, the customer requested that the driver “leave it on the curb where [they] would park the car.”
“So tell me why I do that, send a picture, and then they take away my tip because I left it on the curb,” the frustrated Uber Eats driver asks.
She adds that she spent around 40 minutes on the order and only made $1.
“I know that they were probably like, ‘Whatever, they’ll still get paid for it. I just won’t tip them.’ But yeah, my pay was $1,” she says.
Viewers were on the driver’s side
The delivery driver’s video received 14,200 views. Many commenters seemed to think this was a ploy by the Uber Eats customer to get their tip refunded.
“They added the tip just so you would deliver the order. they never planned on tipping you,” said one person.
“Customers make crazy requests so they can complain that you didn’t do it right and then feel justified to remove your tip,” explained another.
@emmagerard no because WHY DID YOU DO THAT?? #uber #ubereats #delivery #storytime #rant #peoplesuck #wtf #fml #job #jobs #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #viral ♬ original sound – Emma Gerard
Many TikTokers also blamed Uber for not taking further steps to safeguard their workers when customers rescind tips, and for not paying drivers fairly to begin with.
“Uber eats made like at least $15-$20 off that order. They’re so wrong for not paying their people,” pointed out one user.
“@UberEats $1??????? Need to reevaluate your base pays because what the hell,” said another, directly tagging the company.
“1. They were never going to tip. 2. never wait that long for an order. 3. Uber should NOT allow anybody to lower their tip. If they have a problem, uber needs to do their job and talk to the customer,” wrote a third.
The Daily Dot reached out to Gerard and Uber Eats via email for further updates.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
