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Kerri-Ann Roper
Thanks to the miracle of doorbell cameras, we can now see the ins and outs of every doorstep squabble in less-than-high definition. There’s something moreish about the drama, isn’t there? That’s exactly what was served up by a DoorDash delivery driver when she realised she hadn’t been left a tip by a customer.
After a brief exchange and a long, awkward silence, the driver launched the food over the customer’s front lawn.
DoorDash, a US delivery service along the same lines as Deliveroo and Uber Eats, uses a similar payment-per-order system for its drivers.
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In a TikTok video posted by @dashdropfood, you can see the moment where a driver asks, "Are you supposed to pay me?"
The customer replies that they had “paid you in the app”, and the driver counters, “It says zero.”
After a brief pause that feels a lot longer, the customer asks, "Can I have my food?"
At this point the driver turns and hurls the delivery over the customer’s front lawn while the customer yells to her unseen partner in consternation.
So, what justification could someone have for doing that to a paying customer?
While it’s not exactly polite or mature behaviour, there’s a good reason why a DoorDash delivery driver will expect a tip from their customers.
According to NerdWallet, after expenses, a DoorDash delivery driver will earn around $10 an hour with their base pay, which accumulates with each delivery.
Living wages vary between states, but the World Population Review estimates the living wage in the US ranges between $15 and $20 per hour. In other words, if a DoorDash employee is going to make a living wage - the amount they need to pay rent and bills - they’re reliant on tips.
As any tourist to the US will know, the tipping culture over there is generally much more generous than it is in Europe, with the expectation being that servers earn their true wages by providing a good service and getting tipped accordingly.
In other words, not only is it a cultural norm, but it’s all but essential for serving staff to receive a tip. The customer will have known this, of course, but they’re under no obligation to leave a tip.
The customer captioned their video with “I don’t have to leave tip! End of story.”
It’s proven a contentious subject online, especially when there are similar stories of DoorDash delivery drivers haggling for higher tips on doorsteps. One driver found an $8 tip wasn’t sufficient, rousing outrage online.
This also isn’t the first time footage has been posted of a DoorDash delivery having a run-in with gravity.
Plenty have chimed in with their views on the DoorDash driver’s decision to serve their customer’s meal on their front lawn.
“Do they not understand they will lose their job?” said one person.
“Tipping isn’t a requirement,” added another.
Some noted that the customer would be entitled to “a refund and free food”, although we can’t confirm whether the customer in question received such from DoorDash.
If the free food in question has to be picked out from blades of grass, perhaps it’s not really a win.
Others have argued that the customer should have left a tip.
A former DoorDash employee said they didn’t take orders if there wasn’t a tip from the outset, while another said they couldn’t believe someone wouldn’t give a tip to someone who brought their food to them.
Considering food delivery is a luxury, some argued that a tip is the least a customer could do in these trying economic times.
We have approached DoorDash for comment.