Lyft customers are furious over a new test feature that tells drivers how often passengers tip before deciding whether to accept ride requests.
Drivers typically decide whether to accept a passenger based on how much the trip pays, the time and distance to the drop-off point, and the rider’s star rating.
But now a small banner toward the bottom of the screen shares the percentage of rides for which a passenger provided a tip, along with details about how often they’re ready and waiting for drivers at their pick-up point, according to screenshots shared by Lyft drivers on social media.
The revelation drew howls on social media, with some customers questioning the practice of tipping in the first place.
“Why should I or anyone else tip? Isn’t the job driving someone from point A to point B?” one outraged customer wrote on Reddit.
“Why should there be a tip involved? If the driver did something more than get me my destination, then maybe. Screw entitled drivers.”
Another wrote: “Lyft is violating customers privacy!”
“Guess Lyft is trying hard to lose business,” yet another disappointed customer wrote online.
Lyft, which controls about 30% of the US rideshare market, told news outlets it is testing the feature with a “limited number” of drivers.
The company plans to analyze data on the new feature before it decides on a broader roll-out, a Lyft spokesperson told Bloomberg and the Daily Mail.
Lyft did not immediately respond to noti.group’s request for comment.
Several customers complained online that there is too much pressure for passengers to tip.
Instead, they argued, ride-hail companies like Uber and Lyft need to pay their employees better.
“Just more mental manipulation. Just pay drivers better. Problem with drivers accepting or not canceling solved,” one Reddit writer opined.
Some passengers acknowledged that the new feature could help Lyft compete with rival Uber.
A driver who works for both companies, for example, might prefer accepting a ride with a known tipper on Lyft over taking their chances on Uber.
But others pointed out flaws in the test feature, questioning whether it has the ability to track tips made in cash.
“I have always been told drivers prefer cash tips so I always tip cash. Would the app have any way of knowing that I always tip if it’s not through the app?” a customer wrote on Reddit.
Another worried that the tip-tracking feature could backfire.
“Customers will now just tip 1 cent to bypass this feature,” the passenger wrote.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
