I don't know. Maybe Uber should just pay you more and we can not encourage the antiquated custom of tipping.
they can't advertise higher rates than Lyft or they'll lose the price war
I'll happily give a bartender, server or a driver an extra buck or two when they make the experience pleasant/informative/friendly because, far too many people treat their jobs not as a privileged but a chore.
Without tipping far too many would take your money for granted and the quality of service would decline across the board because there is zero incentive to provide anything better.
I don't mean to sound flippant but, have you ever been to Europe? I've traveled to Germany, Ireland, Finland, and Iceland multiple times. None of those countries has a tipping culture and the service I receive, even at your basic fast food restaurant, is the same or better than in the States.
I must ask, why do you believe your statement to be true?
In a capitalism steeped melting pot, it does seem like things that might be more commonly 'seen'/appreciated in other cultures - pride in one's work, common standards of politeness, sense of serving/interacting with 'your community' rather than just 'anonymous strangers from other communities' - that could be non-financial motivators for good service elsewhere that are simply missing or too few & far between here.
I've seen you guys use this one for healthcare, too.
I assure you that Australia and Europe are also capitalism-steeped melting ppls.
http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2015/10/psychological-case-agai...
In other cases, I just want a ride home. I don't care about being regaled with tales, or how hyperoptimized the route is, or fake friendliness, or even refreshments. I just want to know, unambiguously, what it takes to satisfy my obligation for this specific service, and reasonably expect that the provider is on the same page.
Uber wanted to create a special zone for exactly this, and make expectations as clear as possible for everyone going in, and yet that still isn't good enough for many people.
(Though, FWIW, I think they also abused their position by driving rates insanely low.)
I've eaten out hundreds of times in my life, never left a tip, and never thought I needed an incentive system directly between me and the waiter. Same with taxis.
There are only so many ways to screw up bringing food to a table. I've never once though "wow that waiter really brought my plate to me badly".
Why not apply your logic to everything? Why not change hairdressing to a tip system? Why not surgery? Why not painting and building? You'll get better service, right?
Yeah, it's crazy and dumb and not changing drastically any time soon.
It's so arbitrary though, order a Pepsi from McDonald's no tip, order a Pepsi from a pub, $1 tip minimum. Tip the person who hands you a bottle of beer but not the person who makes your sandwich.
(Self serve soda machines are common now in fast food, but when I worked at McDonald's we poured the soda, no machines, and no tips)
As an outsider, it's all quite insane especially when the baseline isn't 0% but more like 15% for default service in many situations. Or a $1 tip for something ridiculously basic at a bar like getting post-mix soda or uncapping a bottle of beer as you said.
Though I usually do tip at fast food or fast casual (if there's a tip jar or a spot on the CC receipt), and always tip at a coffee shop.
But the others, yeah... spot on.
The beverage pouring thing is especially insane; I'd never thought about that before. At a bar I'll usually tip 20% for a cocktail, but only 10% or so if I'm poured a beer or soft drink. But even that 10% is crazy when you wouldn't tip a fast-food cashier for pouring you a soda.
To compare apples to apples, in a sandwich/coffee place in the US you're still expected to tip the standard amount, even if your change from a cash payment falls short. And not tipping at all in those situations is considered bad form.
I'd say the European system is far preferable, but I like Japan the best: a taxi driver would be nearly offended if you tried to tip them. I had one get out of the car and nearly chase me down because I got out before taking my 30 yen in change.
Just charge what it costs to provide a living wage and don't require or expect a tip, ever. Remove the social stigma associated with being cheap for not tipping. In the US, eliminate the comically-low minimum wage for tipped staff, and make them pay the regular minimum wage. To ease the transition, reduce payroll taxes for such businesses (tips aren't subject to payroll taxes) so they don't have to jack up prices 30+% to compensate. I know this will never happen here, but I can hope...
To be honest sometimes I'm anxious when my bill ends up some number that's hard to tip from; but if I don't tip, nothing will happen.
No, good service and hospitality are literally what your base wage should cover.
If your service job doesn't pay well enough to for you to provide good service and/or be a decent human being, perhaps you should seek out a less service-oriented job.