Are You Supposed to Tip Grubhub Drivers?
There is no requirement to tip your Grubhub delivery person when you order from Grubhub, but it is encouraged. Although the drivers receive base pay from Grubhub, tips make up the bulk of their income.
Grubhub’s Tipping Policy Explained
As a food delivery company, Grubhub has a customer-centered tipping policy. It emphasizes the importance of tipping to guarantee the quality of the service by motivating employees.
The company states that tipping is voluntary and not by any means mandatory. But it’s highly encouraged.
Grubhub’s website explains that delivery fees aren’t considered part of the tipping process, and the drivers don’t receive any of them. Yet, the tips will be directly given to your driver, since they’re not part of the cost of Grubhub.
The company facilitates the process of adding the tip during the checkout process. At the same time, users have the option to pay the tip after the delivery of their food and assess the quality of the delivery experience.
Users can either use the tipping tiers predetermined by the company, or they can determine their tip as a percentage of their overall order, paying it at checkout. Grubhub users can also pay a fixed dollar amount, regardless of the order’s value.
How Much to Tip Grubhub Drivers?
Determining how much to tip your Grubhub driver is a personal choice, yet the company sets some rules to facilitate the process. As a user, you can consider these factors when you tip your driver.
1. Percentage of the Order’s Value
Generally speaking, a tip of 10% to 20% is common on delivery orders. The company suggests that users pay 20% of the order’s value at checkout or when they receive their order.
2. Flat Amount
Some orders don’t cost much, so a 20% tip would be insignificant. The company advises users to pay a flat amount of at least $5. However, some users prefer to pay a tip of $2 or $3 for small orders.
3. Delivery Conditions
It’s crucial to consider when and how your food is delivered before deciding on the tip. For example, if you’re ordering 20 pizzas for an office party, you’d naturally pay a higher tip for the hassle the driver faced.
If you live on the fifth floor, you should consider adding a higher tip for the driver who has to climb the stairs. The same applies when the driver delivers food in bad weather.
4. Order Status
As someone who orders food through Grubhub, you care about how your food arrives. Proper handling, especially in challenging conditions, means that your driver went above and beyond to deliver your food on time and in good condition.
So, if you notice that your food was properly handled, you should consider adding a higher tip.
5. Post Delivery Adjustment
Although the app allows you to determine the tip value before you get your delivery as part of your checkout process, you can adjust it after receiving it. This allows you to evaluate the delivery process and determine an adequate tip during the rating process.
Why Tipping Grubhub Drivers is Important
Tipping your Grubhub drivers isn’t just an act of kindness. It’s a critical component of motivating drivers and impacting their livelihood by enhancing each Grubhub driver pay.
Drivers receive basic compensation from the company. Still, it doesn’t cover the challenges they face as they navigate through different neighborhoods, endure bad weather conditions, and go from one delivery location to another, ensuring that your food remains safe.
As a matter of fact, the tips Grubhub drivers receive usually represent a significant portion of their earnings and subsequently affect their living standards. So, as a customer, recognizing the impact of your tip will allow you to view it in the light of social obligation.
But that’s not all. Tipping serves as an incentive that encourages people to focus on delivery quality. Motivated drivers will go the extra mile to do their job as they should, knowing they will receive a lucrative tip in return.
Tipped drivers won’t mind waiting in line to get your food, ensure that it’s well-handled, and will do their best to ensure your food delivery experience is as smooth as possible.
Moreover, if you’re a regular Grubhub user and make several orders a month, drivers might recognize you as a generous tipper, so they will handle your orders carefully.
The Impact of Tipping on Delivery Service
Tipping has always had a profound impact on delivery services. As a matter of fact, statistics show that almost 95% of people tip at least sometimes, while 76% report that they often tip service providers.
It influences various aspects of the delivery experience, including the speed, quality, and driver’s satisfaction, directly motivating them to do their job. Motivated drivers will go the extra mile, knowing they’re well-appreciated.
Understanding how tipping works will encourage more users to tip their Grubhub drivers.
- Regularly tipped drivers don’t waste their time and prioritize their orders. They strive for a timely, high-quality service, directly impacting customer satisfaction.
- Motivated drivers are more likely to handle food with care, guaranteeing that it reaches clients’ hands in a perfect state.
- When users tip drivers for a high-quality service, those drivers will verify orders’ and revise everything to avoid mistakes.
- When you tip drivers, you contribute to their overall job satisfaction and motivation. This means they will be more committed to doing their jobs.
- Regular tipping guarantees consistent service quality, which keeps drivers and users satisfied.
Tipping Etiquette for Various Scenarios
Statistics show that more than 30% of food eaten out of home is delivered. And since experts expect that the global food delivery market will grow in the coming years, understanding the tipping etiquette for various scenarios is crucial.
Generally speaking, people will tip 15% for average service and 20% for excellent service. In particularly challenging delivery conditions, users might add an additional 5% or even 10% to show their satisfaction with the food delivery service.
Other rules might apply in different scenarios.
Small Orders
Although a standard tipping amount is around 15% to 20%, this amount might be insignificant in smaller orders. In such situations, users should pay a flat rate of $3 to $5.
Big Orders
Delivering big orders requires more effort, and delivery drivers must ensure the accuracy of the order to avoid mistakes. For this reason, adding an additional 15% to the tip’s order is preferable. For substantial orders, you might add a tip of 20%.
Split Orders
Grubhub accepts cash and Venmo payments, and people can pay for the full amount after delivery.
If people are splitting an order together, the person paying in cash should add the tip amount to their receipt. If someone is paying using a credit card, they should add the tip amount based on the overall receipt, not the small portion they’re paying.
Catering Orders
If you’re ordering for a catering event, you know that this event involves a lot of effort to ensure proper handling. A tip on the higher end, between %20 and %25, is highly recommended.
Discounted Orders
When you have a promo code to order food for a discount, calculating the tipping amount based on the discounted value would be unfair to your driver. This is why the company urges users to pay a tip based on the order’s original value.
How to Add a Tip on the Grubhub App
Grubhub developers have gone a long way to guarantee that drivers receive their tips when they deliver food successfully. You can add a tip to your order before and after delivery.
Before Delivery
Here’s how to determine the tip during the checkout process.
- Start by opening the Grubhub app on your phone and select your restaurant. Available restaurants vary by location.
- Browse the menu and select your order, then head to checkout.
- The app will allow you to review your order, adding the delivery fees and total cost. Remember that the delivery fees won’t reach your driver and aren’t considered part of the tip.
- At the bottom of the screen, you’ll find preset options to add a tip of 10%, 15%, or 20% of your order’s total. There’s also a custom button that allows you to choose the tip you want to add.
- Complete your order by approving your delivery address and payment method.
After Delivery
You can add the tip when you receive your order, if you’re satisfied with the delivery experience.
- After receiving your order, revise it to make sure that you’ve received all the items. You’ll receive a notification on your phone that confirms your delivery order.
- Open your app, and select your order from Past Orders.
- Add a present tip amount or a custom tip, based on the quality of the delivery service. You can also choose to tip your driver in cash when they deliver your order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it Okay to Not Tip Grubhub?
Tipping isn’t a must on Grubhub, but the company encourages it. It recommends tipping its employees to help motivate them to do their job, especially when they go the extra mile to deliver your food in challenging situations.
What was the Grubhub Tipping Scandal?
In 2020, California passed Proposition 22, which governed benefits given to gig workers. After that, Grubhub removed its preset tipping options, leaving only an option to add a custom tip. It also added a benefit fee that only a few employees would be eligible for.
Can Grubhub Drivers Accept Cash Tips?
Yes, they can and it’s highly recommended since the driver will get the tip on the spot, if you haven’t already added it before checkout. Yet, if you don’t have extra cash, you can always add a tip to your past order through the app, which facilitates the process.
Do Grubhub Drivers See Tips Before Food Dropoff?
Drivers can view the customer’s tip before delivery, which is part of what they use to decide whether they’ll take the job. If a tip is low, maybe only 1% of the total bill, they may determine the order is not worth it and pass it up.
Although there is the potential for a cash tip, many food delivery drivers may not want to take that risk. In cases such as this, customers could end up waiting quite a while before a driver takes on their order.
Wrapping Up
Drivers who work for Grubhub handle a lot of work to make ends meet, and tipping your delivery person is a sure way to motivate them by showing appreciation. Although tipping isn’t mandatory, it’s highly recommended, and guarantees consistent high-quality services.
Ideally, you should add a tip of 10% to 20%, and the Grubhub app allows you to add it before and after the delivery of your order. You can also assess the situation depending on the conditions of the delivery and add a custom tip that can be higher.
