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Prime Now users: do you tip?

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Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
No. I wouldn't use the service if I needed to pay $5+ each per order. Any extra fee completely kills the allure of it to me. If I'm ever adversely affected by not tipping then I'll just stop using it and go back to normal Same-Day shipping or the base Two-Day shipping.

It's depressing how people don't understand how little the workers in this service economy are paid.

There are people working for around $4 an hour delivering with Postmates and other services because people who don't want to leave their house don't want to tip. You folks are garbage.

When you pay $5-8 for a delivery that takes a person an hour to get to you, how much do you think they are getting paid hourly?

https://www.amazon.com/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Between $18 and $25 per hour according to this site.

And, no, putting the burden of paying employees on the purchase/customer is just a ridiculous concept that really needs to die.
 
I tipped, but because it was based on delivery value and it was a pricey item they "suggested" a $20 tip. But it was a lightweight item and SF is densely packed, so I lowered the tip down. If that's gauche, I'm probably not going to use Prime Now much at all. It took 5 hours to get here anyway, about the time Google Shopping Express takes (okay, maybe they're more like 6-8 hours) and that's just a straight up $5 delivery fee. If this system needs $20-per-delivery tips to stay afloat, I'm kinda thinking it isn't going to work out. I'm ordering shit, not taking an Uber. Pay your workers, Amazon.
 
Never heard of tipping for postal delivery until now. Don't think that's really a thing in Canada.

Its not postal delivery. They probably dont have it up in Canada yet but basically a courier service where they deliver merch/food within an hour or two. They are just every day people driving stuff to you.

Not tipping would be like not tipping for pizza delivery or a bicycle courier.
 
Its not postal delivery. They probably dont have it up in Canada yet but basically a courier service where they deliver merch/food within an hour or two. They are just every day people driving stuff to you.

Not tipping would be like not tipping for pizza delivery or a bicycle courier.
Plenty of people just don't tip period. I get that in other lucky countries tipping isn't a things, but in the US it is.
 
I tip every time, even if it's not a lot (usually 2 dollars).

If they ever get this in Georgia, I'll tip them. They're never getting this in Georgia.

The Atlanta area has this. I live in Dekalb county, over near Redan/Hairston crossing and they deliver over here.
 

FluxWaveZ

Member
Its not postal delivery. They probably dont have it up in Canada yet but basically a courier service where they deliver merch/food within an hour or two. They are just every day people driving stuff to you.

Not tipping would be like not tipping for pizza delivery or a bicycle courier.

Ah, I see. Yeah, that's different.
 
No. I wouldn't use the service if I needed to pay $5+ each per order. Any extra fee completely kills the allure of it to me. If I'm ever adversely affected by not tipping then I'll just stop using it and go back to normal Same-Day shipping or the base Two-Day shipping.



https://www.amazon.com/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Between $18 and $25 per hour according to this site.

And, no, putting the burden of paying employees on the purchase/customer is just a ridiculous concept that really needs to die.
That $18-25 assumes a tip.

Postmates advertises on Craigslist in all of their cities that people can make $20-$25 an hour, but most people are barely making $10, and that's before the annual taxing of ICs that takes 40% away from them.
 
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Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
That $18-25 assumes a tip.

Postmates advertises on Craigslist in all of their cities that people can make $20-$25 an hour, but most people are barely making $10, and that's before the annual taxing of ICs that takes 40% away from them.

Then Amazon must be lying:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/9/29/1425873/-Amazon-begins-the-Uber-ization-of-its-employees

The company will typically pay between $18 and $20 an hour to drivers, said Mr. Clark. Drivers can make more if they deliver more packages quickly because many customers also pay tips.
 

Keri

Member
When I used Prime Now, there was no delivery charge. I got my packages within 2 hours and the only extra money I paid for this service was the $5 dollar suggested tip, that goes straight into the driver's pocket. Sounds fair to me.
 

Liamc723

Member
This shouldnt even be a thread wtf is wrong with you? They even suggested a tip and still you question??? Maybe lower the tip if they only had to drive a couple blocks otherwise keep it there.

So because the option is there, you're a terrible human being if you don't tip? Bullshit.

You shouldn't be tipping delivery drivers.
 
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Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
This shouldnt even be a thread wtf is wrong with you? They even suggested a tip and still you question??? Maybe lower the tip if they only had to drive a couple blocks otherwise keep it there.

So now I'm supposed to keep an eye on the driver and see how far they drove to determine the tip they might deserve? Fuck that noise.

It should never be on the customer to evaluate performance of the worker.
 
I can't find people talking anywhere about how much they're really making with Amazon doing this, which is a red flag, but this was enlightening about the work itself: http://www.geekwire.com/2015/life-a...er-steep-hills-and-even-steeper-expectations/

No, I wouldn't. I also don't tip my mailman or a courier who might deliver a package. Don't see any difference with this.
Do you even know what this is? This isn't daily delivery. This is getting something you just ordered to you in under an hour.
 

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
I don't feel that should be my problem. I already pay Amazon for Prime and it's a part of that $99/year.

No problem tipping at most other services I don't already pay a subscription to (valets, restaurants, pizza delivery, etc), but I don't feel that a method of delivery they are offering as part of my membership (which keeps incrasing in price, btw) should require a tip.

Prime NOW isn't the same service. And the dude you're stiffing is kind of relying on tips to make it worthwhile. I am not a fan of tipping culture. It leads to employee abuse at an institutional level. I wish it would go away. But it's here, and you're screwing that dude whether you intend to or not.

No, I wouldn't. I also don't tip my mailman or a courier who might deliver a package. Don't see any difference with this.

Will your mailman bring you a laptop and a bottle of Tequila on demand? And does your mailman get a salary?
 

Tenck

Member
Maybe Amazon should pay these people and not the customer.

It's a service that offers even speedier service than what regular prime shipping guarantees. A lot of places have same day delivery or next day delivery. If you don't want to tip use another shipping speed.
 
I always find it hilarious that people who hate tipping and want it gone still use the damn services. They just stiff the worker instead of the company. What is wrong with people?
 
They're using there own car and probably gas

Will your mailman bring you a laptop and a bottle of Tequila on demand? And does your mailman get a salary?

Tell me who delivers your mail in two hours or less when you ask for it.
If a company sent me something through a courier service, it will be there within a few hours. But that is business related, not for myself. But I don't tip those people, I figure they get a regular salary.

Mailman gets a salary now. They used to be paid per package, but new regulations were put in place recently because they were getting screwed over with that. And honestly, that's how it should be, let the company doing the delivery pay for it and fight that stuff out with its employees, regulators and possible unions. What do I as a customer have to do with that?

But well, that's Europe. Tipping culture is different in America. I wouldn't tip here anyway.

This service was literally just invented. It's blowing my mind that there are people who already feel entitled to have it for free. I think the $5.00 tip that Amazon suggested (which, again, was the only delivery "fee" I paid for) is pretty reasonable.
Why not just have that $5 be mandatory by Amazon for the service then and have them pay it to their delivery people? Seems like a better way to handle this.
 

Keri

Member
This service was literally just invented. It's blowing my mind that there are people who already feel entitled to have it for free. I think the $5.00 tip that Amazon suggested (which, again, was the only delivery "fee" I paid for) is pretty reasonable.
 

Carl

Member
Our regular postman gets a box of chocolates at christmas. I wouldn't tip the DPD/FedEx/Yodel/Whatever guy though, not a chance. I pay for the delivery and then they get paid by their employer.
 
I wouldn't. I don't have Amazon Prime. It's not my responsibility to give them more than the asking price. That responsibility is on who employed them.
 
This service was literally just invented. It's blowing my mind that there are people who already feel entitled to have it for free. I think the $5.00 tip that Amazon suggested (which, again, was the only delivery "fee" I paid for) is pretty reasonable.

The service isn't for free though.
 
They delivered an HDMI cable and a pack of batteries to my lazy ass in an hour and a half on a Sunday afternoon, yes I'll spot that dude five bucks.
 

DeaviL

Banned
When i read about tips, people describing them are seemingly describing blackmail or a threat.
Tip if you want decent service, tip if you want people to handle your package with care.

I'm surprised i've seen no "delivery guy throws box.gif" with a "If you don't want this to happen..." comment.

Living in a country where you don't tip, tipping culture seems like it took a wrong turn a long time ago.


Also, blaming the customer for not liking tipping, not the company for not providing a decent wage.
 

moggio

Banned
It's a service that offers even speedier service than what regular prime shipping guarantees. A lot of places have same day delivery or next day delivery. If you don't want to tip use another shipping speed.

Or don't tip.

lol @ your hilarious tipping nonsense. Sort it out.
 
I am but don't punish people trying to do honest work to make a living

Unfortunately, you have it the wrong way around, the companies are punishing them by letting them work in a tip based environment. It is not the customers responsibility to ensure Amazon, Olive Garden, Star Bucks, etc workers are paid fairly. Saying people who don't tip are punishing workers is just guilt. This kind of thinking allows companies to continue to keep wages low because they've (with little effort) made the customers the bad guys and every one eats it up because if you don't tip you're an asshole, punishing workers, cheap, greedy, abusing the system, etc.
 

moggio

Banned
People lived without the service for years. I'm sure they'll survive using any of the other convenient speeds.

Or they could use this service and not tip.

Tipping is not an obligation.

It's not the customer's job to subsidise the wages of poorly paid employees. The company should be held accountable and pay their workers a living wage.
 

Keri

Member
The service isn't for free though.

When I purchased my Prime membership, this service didn't even exist. So, the cost of providing it couldn't have been included in my membership fee. And, as I've said a couple of times, there was no delivery fee when I used Prime Now, so as far as I'm concerned the service was free, with the sole exception being the $5.00 tip.
 
Unfortunately, you have it the wrong way around, the companies are punishing them by letting them work in a tip based environment. It is not the customers responsibility to ensure Amazon, Olive Garden, Star Bucks, etc workers are paid fairly. Saying people who don't tip are punishing workers is just guilt. This kind of thinking allows companies to continue to keep wages low because they've (without little effort) made the customers the bad guys and every one eats it up.
I'm not disagreeing with the companies being evil, but let me ask you a question, not rhetorical. If they paid the drivers a fair wage wouldn't they just jack up the delivery prices anyways leading to the customer paying more?
 
Of course the companies and America have to change.

But they won't, because people complain about the tips but still use the services anyway. The only people losing here are those who needed a job, got a job, and aren't getting paid because people's principles are broken to the point that they'll fuck their neighbor's life but not the company that's screwing them.
 
Tipping is a terrible practice that needs to go away. I shouldn't be obligate to tip becuase the company are to cheap to pay their employees.
If you know the company is doing this though, why not stop using that company's services? Why is the burden of your principles on the back of the underpaid independent contractor?
 

dc3k

Member
It's a service that offers even speedier service than what regular prime shipping guarantees. A lot of places have same day delivery or next day delivery. If you don't want to tip use another shipping speed.

If I don't want to tip, I won't, because tipping is optional. If it becomes "if you don't want to tip, don't use the service" it is no longer a tip. I think most places call those delivery fees.
 
When I purchased my Prime membership, this service didn't even exist. So, the cost of providing it couldn't have been included in my membership fee. And, as I've said a couple of times, there was no delivery fee when I used Prime Now, so as far as I'm concerned the service was free, with the sole exception being the $5.00 tip.

To be fair, they raised membership prices by quite a bit two(?) years ago and probably had services like this in mind.
 

Elitist1945

Member
Unrelated to Prime Now, but I don't really understand much about tipping and why everyone demands/expects people to tip for everything. I kind of feel like an asshole because of it.

Isn't the point of a tip to let you know your services were exceptional and went above and beyond? If I were to tip everyone, wouldn't that defeat the purpose?

Someone help and explain it to me please.
 
I'm not disagreeing with the companies being evil, but let me ask you a question, not rhetorical. If they paid the drivers a fair wage wouldn't they just jack up the delivery prices anyways leading to the customer paying more?

Prices would go up. Would that service end? No. There would be some flak but no one will truly care in the end if the sticker price goes up $5.00. The big thing for a lot of people is paying more than what it costs. If a couch costs $900.00 and in total with taxes it's $940.00 the customer will not care to pay that amount because it's already been allocated and spent mentally. If you add a tip to that (let's say 10%), that's an extra $94.00 spent that's not part of what you paid for. That $94.00 didn't go towards a better couch or better service. If the couch was an extra $100 that couch will still be bought regardless because people are able to mentally prepare and accept the sticker cost. You can attribute this logic to things like Starbucks as well.

Of course the companies and America have to change.

But they won't, because people complain about the tips but still use the services anyway. The only people losing here are those who needed a job, got a job, and aren't getting paid because people's principles only extend as far as fucking their neighbor's life instead of the scumbag company.

This is the rhetoric that makes tipping acceptable. You accept the companies are at fault but ultimately you still place blame on the customer. Not for any real reason but for a moral reason that, we, the consumer base needs to take care of people. This is never extended to companies in casual conversation because the immediate party is the customer so blame is attributed to them. Your rhetoric helps people forget the company's responsibility.
 
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