[Dropking]

Lyft employees almost never identify themselves. But on the many occasions I've picked up or dropped off passengers at Lyft facilities, I always ask them if they are employees. They usually come clean but seem embarrassed about it. I think that most of Lyft's employees know how drivers get dicked around by the decisions of their bosses. Perhaps they do not feel good about working for a company whose social conscience is so un-Woke.

One time I had a Lyft executive in my car who I was taking to Lyft headquarters from a mansion in Atherton. I asked him if he was an employee and this embarrassed fella ducked. But he did allow that his "best friend" is a Lyft executive and that he was all ears to hear what he can pass on. So we talked about Lyft's poor implementation of Scheduled Pickups and how it hurts passengers (and drivers).

Now to the topic of this post. On Monday, I took a Lyft employee from Lyft HQ in SF way across the bridges to the deep East Bay in Hayward. Like all passengers who regularly go that direction, he understood that this trip to a low earning zone would cost me at least $50 in earnings for the rest of the day. Almost all other passengers going from SF to East Bay understand what their trip does to drivers. Most of them tip, some quite a lot. Not this passenger.

Which got me thinking about Lyft employees generally. About one-third of my passengers tip. I do not believe that I've ever driven a Lyft employee who tipped.

 

[BSki]

I have. She apologized for me having to sit in so much traffic. 10 mile ride took an hour, she tipped $10

 

[Brunch]

I drove a Lyft engineer to work and in addition to not tipping, he took a Line.

 

[Veju]

Picking that Lyft executive up from his mansion built off the backs of Lyft ants. Truly perfect.

 

[Gwoae]

Lyft employees get free rides up to $15 when going tonand from work. Not sure if they get credit for the tip or if they have to pay for that. Have had only 1 tip and he was scamming lyft.

Picked him up and there were 2 destinations. We get to the first one and he said. I am getting out here but can you continue driving to the next location. I saw the address and laughed and busted him on the scam. He looked dazed, but in said don't worry I got ya. I did go to his location but look the longest possible way. He ended up tipping 5.

 

[Dropking]

Interesting. It appears that the driver community is confirming that, except for rare occassions, Lyft employees do not tip their drivers.

 

[Trafficat]

I had a Lyft employee give me a $50 gift card.

 

[freddieman]

Lyft employees get free rides up to $15 when going tonand from work. Not sure if they get credit for the tip or if they have to pay for that. Have had only 1 tip and he was scamming lyft.

Picked him up and there were 2 destinations. We get to the first one and he said. I am getting out here but can you continue driving to the next location. I saw the address and laughed and busted him on the scam. He looked dazed, but in said don't worry I got ya. I did go to his location but look the longest possible way. He ended up tipping 5.

What was the scam?

 

[ROTA]

they get free rides isnt it?

 

[Dropking]

Yes free rides, and their employees wont even tip the hard working drivers. Go figure.

 

[Lyfted13]

I have taken several Lyft employees to and from work. One woman when asked what she did, told me she worked for a startup. When we got closer to the building (back when they were still on Harrison) I recognized it as Lyft HQ and she came clean as we both had a laugh about it. I know the address, so I always know when I have an employee with the exception of non work hours not going to or from the building. It’s not that they are embarrassed to say, almost all of them from my experience love working for Lyft. They don’t want to say because then they get a barrage of questions from drivers like you that most of them have nothing to do with. Most employees dont work in the department that deals with drivers and don’t deal with driver issues and can’t really help one way or another anyway....honestly I don’t blame them, they just want to get to their destination and not have to deal with work stuff during their off hours. As for tipping, I don’t really look at every ride, so I am not sure about that, but not everyone tips anyway so it’s probably the same percentage of normal riders. I don’t think just because you drive a Lyft employee around you automatically deserve a tip just because they work for Lyft. That’s not how things work

 

[Dropking]

I have taken several Lyft employees to and from work. One woman when asked what she did, told me she worked for a startup. When we got closer to the building (back when they were still on Harrison) I recognized it as Lyft HQ and she came clean as we both had a laugh about it. I know the address, so I always know when I have an employee with the exception of non work hours not going to or from the building. It's not that they are embarrassed to say, almost all of them from my experience love working for Lyft. They don't want to say because then they get a barrage of questions from drivers like you that most of them have nothing to do with. Most employees dont work in the department that deals with drivers and don't deal with driver issues and can't really help one way or another anyway....honestly I don't blame them, they just want to get to their destination and not have to deal with work stuff during their off hours. As for tipping, I don't really look at every ride, so I am not sure about that, but not everyone tips anyway so it's probably the same percentage of normal riders. I don't think just because you drive a Lyft employee around you automatically deserve a tip just because they work for Lyft. That's not how things work

Nah. People who are proud of their companies like to talk about their jobs. Those who are embarrassed don't. My experience in SF is that tech folks love talking about their companies. Facebook, Google, Tesla employees, the VC startups, etc. The exception is Lyft (and Uber) employees. What kind of an employee would not want to take advantage of an exceptional opportunity to learn from drivers about what their companies are doing well and how they might improve? The lack of curiosity and interest shows you the caliber of employee that Lyft and Uber seem to attract.

But that's not really what this post is about. This post is about the fact that Lyft employees do not tip their drivers.

 

[Lyfted13]

Nah. People who are proud of their companies like to talk about their jobs. Those who are embarrassed don't. My experience in SF is that tech folks love talking about their companies. Facebook, Google, Tesla employees, the VC startups, etc. The exception is Lyft (and Uber) employees. What kind of an employee would not want to take advantage of an exceptional opportunity to learn from drivers about what their companies are doing well and how they might improve? The lack of curiosity and interest shows you the caliber of employee that Lyft and Uber seem to attract.

But that's not really what this post is about. This post is about the fact that Lyft employees do not tip their drivers.

Agree to disagree. Who wants to talk about work off the clock....? The exception is that you (driver taking them to and from work) are a contractor and associated to the company they work for which makes it a different scenario than your normal Google, Facebook or any other tech employee. That's apples and oranges. If I am a receptionist for LYFT, why would I want to hear about driver complaints on my way to work? There are plenty of places for drivers to vent and give feedback to Lyft, a commute to and from work is not the time or place.

 

[Dropking]

Geepers. Its not to hear driver "complaints" but to interract with subject experts, drivers, which they dont get to do at Berry Street.

In contrast, I dont see Google employees hunker down because they dont want to talk about Search. Google employees are curious people, proud of their company. Your comment, if true, is a scathing rebuke of typical Lyft employees.