Via iStockphoto / @teeshhx3 TikTok
A woman DoorDashed Insomnia Cookies and gave the delivery driver a 20% tip, which he believes was not enough.
DoorDash has become an easy way for consumers to get most restaurants delivered right to their door. This has also been a good opportunity for people to earn extra cash or make a full career delivering food on their own terms. However, one DoorDash driver was upset to see a woman tipped him 20% for driving nearly 20 miles to complete a delivery.
In a TikTok photo series with over 137,000 views, Lê (@teeshhx3) reveals that the DoorDash driver requested money after completing the delivery.
The first photo showcases the Insomnia Cookies delivery placed outside of the woman’s door.
“TikTok how do we feel about this text from a Dasher?” the onscreen text reads.
What Did The DoorDash Driver Tell Her?
Moments after the order was delivered, Lê received a message from the DoorDash driver.
“I am here. I used my car to drive 18 miles to get here and back for $6.00,” the text message reads.
Lê is conflicted on what to do in this situation.
“Do I tip him more because he seems to really need it or should I take offense?” the on-screen text reads.
Lê reveals she didn’t know how far away the store was from her location.
“I’m genuinely torn! I had no idea the store was that far,” the caption posts.
One commenter called her out for not tipping more, but Lê shares she did tip 20% already.
“Why would you not tip him more for an order clearly so far away? I’d have no problem getting $6 for a 2 or 3 mile order as a dasher but what he’s saying sounds fair,” one TikTok commenter wrote.
“1- I didn’t know it was that far 2- I used the insomnia website not DoorDash app 3- his tip was already 20%,” Lê clapped back.
Some People Are On Her Side
More viewers chimed in the comments section, informing Lê that DoorDash drivers will know the payout before accepting.
“Nah, don’t tip more. I’m a dasher and I see how much I’m going to get and how many miles total. He took this so he can be mad at himself,” one TikTok commenter wrote.
“That’s not your problem. He can see the distance when accepting the order,” another added.
“I do DoorDash for spare cash. He can choose to decline orders. That’s on him. You only need to maintain 75% acceptance to keep platinum. The only time it sucks is when the same order pops up 2-3 times in a row. Not on you,” one shared.
“Don’t tip more to people who feel entitled enough to talk to you like that. And don’t let nobody else talk to you like that tf. There’s a way to talk to people when they feel there’s a problem, and guilt tripping/manipulation is not one of them,” one commented.
“Girl, thank you! He was waiting out there for a minute waiting to see if I would come out. I’m like is this really happening right now,” Lê replied.
While other viewers believed the tip should be removed and reported to corporate for trying to guilt the customer into tipping more.
“I would call support and remove the tip. It’s their choice to take an order or not,” one suggested.
“He’s acting like he was forced to take it, I’d report him even if not ordered from DoorDash email insomnia or whatever,” one wrote.
Did She Report The Driver To DoorDash?
In a conversation with BroBible via email, Lê shares that she was not able to report the driver.
“Unfortunately, since I placed my order directly through the Insomnia Cookies app rather than DoorDash, I wasn’t able to find an option to increase my tip or report the incident through DoorDash,” she said.
Lê addressed the commenters on the post.
“I did receive quite a bit of feedback after sharing my experience on TikTok,” she continued. “Most people agreed that the driver’s message was inappropriate, regardless of the tip amount. However, I also learned that some delivery drivers recommend tipping approximately $1 per mile, which sparked quite a bit of debate in the comments.”
She wanted to emphasize that she understands drivers rely heavily on tips to make a living, but she doesn’t feel it’s right to pressure people into tipping extra.
Overall, this negative experience has put a damper on using DoorDash will go without it.
“I rarely order food for delivery, and unfortunately, this experience has made me even less inclined to do so in the future,” she concludes.
How Much Does DoorDash Pay Its Drivers?
Driving for DoorDash has become an easy and effective way to earn extra cash or even make a career. The gig-economy company lets drivers work as little or as much as they want.
According to NerdWallet, the estimated pay per hour is between $18 and $25, and half of the earnings come from tips. However, DoorDash does not offer a single hourly wage rate nationally. DoorDash offers drivers two different payout structures and can choose to either “earn per offer” or “earn by time.”
“Earn per Offer” will be paid out for each completed order that is delivered. The payout will be listed before the driver accepts the order and will be dependent on the location, time, distance, and desirability. The base pay for each offer ranges from $2 to $10+.
“Earn by Time” is an option that offers a guaranteed hourly rate when actively delivering. The hourly rate only counts for when deliveries are taking place.
The company’s pay structure is a combination of base pay, customer tips, and extra incentives or promotions such as peak pay. The total earning potential will be dependent on the driver’s location, completed trips, hours worked, and tip payout. Drivers do get to keep 100% of the customers’ tips.
HowStuffWorks reveals one thing to consider is the natural wear and tear on your vehicle from completing DoorDash orders. Not to mention fuel costs, vehicle maintenance, parking, and vehicle depreciation as the miles rack up.
BroBible has contacted DoorDash via email.