How much do you tip Grab/Food Panda drivers?

[toxictotoro]

For those of us who tip Grab/FP drivers (I realize some don't for various reasons, but I'm not interested in that), how much do you give?

 

As an example, let's say on an order for 250 baht with a relatively short/not long driving time of about 15 min or under.

 

If I have 3 one hundred baht bills I'd probably say to keep the change. 

 

Just curious how others approach it.

 

 

 

 

[faraday]

20 - 50 baht depending on order price.

 

 

[Jingthing]

My orders are generally between 200 and 400 baht, sometimes 500 baht. I don't tip based on price. That's an American thing. They schlep the same distance regardless. I can see tipping more if they're bringing a massive amount of food because that is more work done. I have them "trained" now to come to my condo room which is good. So anyway, generally 25 to 40 baht, probably most often 35. As I pay cash it's often a round up type thing. 

 

I used Grab, Panda, Hungry Now, and Lineman. 

 

I might tip less for Lineman orders when they charge a lot for delivery. I've paid as much 80 baht for a trip that didn't seem very far to me. I'm assuming the drivers are getting a cut of those high delivery charges. If you know differently, please inform. 

 

Edited September 5, 2020 by Jingthing

[OneeyedJohn]

I never tip Lazada or the Post Office when they deliver, why tip Grab or Panda?

 

I had a letter today from the UK, it was dated ( not postmarked ) 31st March 2020.

 

My bike was cleaned today by a business in my village some 2 Kms away at the end of my road. They pick up the bike , clean it, and return it.

Cost 80 baht, I give them 100 baht.

The bike is pristine, I couldn't be happier.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 5, 2020 by OneeyedJohn

[faraday]

Panda drivers get around 24 baht per delivery.

Grab get 30 baht, I think, & they have to buy their jacket, & pay for gasoline.

 

They drive in all conditions, & I find them to polite & most speak a little English.

 

I tip them, because giving them 20 or so baht, helps them a little.

[Sheryl]

I usually just round up unless the bill is already even or almost even  in which case I add in 20 - 40.

 

i round up a little on Line and Shoppee deliveries also if the amount isn't already round, because it seems churlish to ask for very small change back fro ma delivery person.

 

 

[how241]

I tip 20-30 baht, always rounding up the bill to avoid the 1 baht coins.  I do the same at the post office and most other places.  It feels good to get a big smile and 'wai', especially when I have only rounded up a bill for an extra 5-9 baht. They seem to really appreciate it. 

[Jingthing]

4 hours ago, OneeyedJohn said:

I never tip Lazada or the Post Office when they deliver, why tip Grab or Panda?

 

I had a letter today from the UK, it was dated ( not postmarked ) 31st March 2020.

 

My bike was cleaned today by a business in my village some 2 Kms away at the end of my road. They pick up the bike , clean it, and return it.

Cost 80 baht, I give them 100 baht.

The bike is pristine, I couldn't be happier.

 

 

 

 

I don't tip Lazada either except sometimes some random small roundups. I can't really explain it but I see them as a different class of service than restaurant delivery.  But its a fair question. 

 

Also I could be wrong but my impression is that food driver are expecting tips much more than Lazada drivers. 

Edited September 5, 2020 by Jingthing

[smutcakes]

Very much depends on the mood, but have been tipping more over the Covid period, they really did provide a great service. Normally i would round up to the nearest 100 THB, so sometimes not much and sometimes probably 80 or 90 THB. You win some and you lose some.

[faraday]

I know a Grab & a Panda driver, they really do appreciate a tip, but don't appreciate 5 baht.

 

After driving maybe 8/9 & sometimes, 12 hours in a day, they are knackered.

 

 

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, faraday said:

I know a Grab & a Panda driver, they really do appreciate a tip, but don't appreciate 5 baht.

 

After driving maybe 8/9 & sometimes, 12 hours in a day, they are knackered.

 

 

Yeah almost better to tip nothing rather than 5 baht but I assume most if those are rounding tips from people that don't intend to tip. It isn't required. This isn't the US. 

 

I'd be curious to hear reports from those drivers on their experience with tips.

 

Like what percentage tip at all and any patterns they notice with different types of customers. 

[faraday]

I'll ask them about their 'tip experience' when I next see them.

Yup, I know tipping isn't required, I just want to help them a little. ????

We have much more disposal income, by a long way, & 20 baht.... isn't gonna break the bank: yet! ????

[Jingthing]

14 hours ago, faraday said:

I'll ask them about their 'tip experience' when I next see them.

Yup, I know tipping isn't required, I just want to help them a little. ????

We have much more disposal income, by a long way, & 20 baht.... isn't gonna break the bank: yet! ????

I agree that they should be tipped especially in these times.

Well almost all of them.

A small minority are A holes.

I had one unusually old driver take my money and rudely complain no tip.

But there was a tip.

Wish I could have taken it back.

Some are totally incompetent and can't find my easy to find place.

But at least they're trying so I even tip such drivers that hand over cold food after going to other wrong places first.

Overall 80 to 90.percent really do a good job.

For the apps that ask a rating anything under the full 5 stars really hurts them so for the bad experiences I just don't rate at all.

[Andyfez]

I only tip if they have to wait an unusually long time for the food.

Or if I need to pay for their parking.

I despise introducing strange foreign customs to this Asian Country.

[DaftToPutRealName]

I tip if it's raining, incredibly hot or they've managed to be insanely quick. If they're just average then they don't get anything extra, but I'm trying to be less strict with what I consider "good" these days as nobody starts out life wanting to be a grab driver.

On that note, my neighbor's restaurant failed due to COVID and so grab is his only way of getting any sort of income going, but seems like everyone else is doing the same which is why grab has everyone by the balls with regards to fair pricing. He is putting his daughter through english classes and they have a very humble life, so I just try to remember that that situation is probably common, and ordering overpriced food puts me in a lucky bracket where 20 baht is nothing.

If I also get a surprise discount coupon then I'll just tip it back up to what I was originally going to pay.

[recom273]

The difference between Lazada drivers and panda/grab driver is that there is a time element - I don’t use food delivery that often and pay online, but I drop them 20B, as I know they are busting their nut to get food out on time. 
 

I think the food delivery business is great, it shows the young guys That they have an alternative to standing at the end of the isle in big c or homepro. It shows them if they can get up and grind out the jobs then they can make 20-30K a month.

[Nanaplaza666]

On 9/5/2020 at 4:06 PM, OneeyedJohn said:

I never tip Lazada or the Post Office when they deliver, why tip Grab or Panda?

 

I had a letter today from the UK, it was dated ( not postmarked ) 31st March 2020.

 

My bike was cleaned today by a business in my village some 2 Kms away at the end of my road. They pick up the bike , clean it, and return it.

Cost 80 baht, I give them 100 baht.

The bike is pristine, I couldn't be happier.

 

 

 

 

They pick up your bike and bring it back and it's pristine and you couldn't be happier and the price is only 80 baht and you give them only 100baht !!!  You must be one of those guys sitting up front in an ago go touching girls all over and then giving them 20 baht because you couldn't be happier ???????????? cheaper then charlie !!! Sorry don't mean to offend but that's my honest opinion and not only to this post but to all those charlies on here . Those people are all working hard and those motorbikes are risking their lives even in thai traffic to get you your food in time . They are living on tips ,they get a salary and don't profit from the delivery companies high pricing . 

[fak119]

Nothing, as long as they drive like crazy on their motorbikes. Means probably never...

Edited September 8, 2020 by fak119
Mistakenly cancelled

[Don Mega]

26 minutes ago, fak119 said:

Nothing, as long as they drive like crazy on their motorbikes. Means probably never...

My tip to them is making an effort to avoid  running over them in traffic..... crazy mofo's they are.

 

In saying that every sunday morning I order breakfast from Mcdonalds and the deliver lady is very cute and has a great set of who who's.... I sling her a 50.

[Caldera]

I don't pay cash anymore, so rounding up which I used to do doesn't work anymore. Nowadays I just hand them a 20 baht note. Those who annoy me, which rarely happens, get nothing. Those who go beyond in some way get 40 baht. I don't use the app's tip facility; I get the impression that handing them some cash right there is appreciated.

[robblok]

15 minutes ago, Caldera said:

I don't pay cash anymore, so rounding up which I used to do doesn't work anymore. Nowadays I just hand them a 20 baht note. Those who annoy me, which rarely happens, get nothing. Those who go beyond in some way get 40 baht. I don't use the app's tip facility; I get the impression that handing them some cash right there is appreciated.

There is a way to tip in the app, you can either tip before so they see they get something or after. No need to hand extra cash.

[2 is 1]

Have never use Panda! I can get my own food or make myself/ wife !

[Jack Hna]

We have about 5000 baht in 5 baht and less that we dip in to tip with.

 

Not a big fan of the delivery apps to be honest but of prefer my Mrs use them than venture out a lot with our child. So they are useful and my tip is normally 15 baht.

 

Recent tip at a restaurant was 5 baht but only to make a point of the awful service received. Normally leave 100 if the waitress is top notch. No male waiters at that place but if was good would be the same.

[1FinickyOne]

On 9/5/2020 at 8:27 PM, Jingthing said:

Also I could be wrong but my impression is that food driver are expecting tips much more than Lazada drivers. 

I think pretty much like back home - you didn't tip the ups driver because he was probably making more than you - but you tipped the pizza delivery kid because he was barely covering his gas expenses... 

[OneMoreFarang]

On 9/5/2020 at 8:27 PM, Jingthing said:

I don't tip Lazada either except sometimes some random small roundups. I can't really explain it but I see them as a different class of service than restaurant delivery.  But its a fair question. 

 

Also I could be wrong but my impression is that food driver are expecting tips much more than Lazada drivers. 

I agree with that.

 

In my mind the idea of tips is to give extra money for good service. I give tip for almost all my restaurant visits. I spend there at least an hour and get good service for that time. Let's make them happy and give them a tip. Next time they will be nice again. If the service is bad, which happens very seldom, then I don't tip.

 

I live in the middle of Bangkok and if I order food delivery the rider has to go for maybe 5 or max 10 minutes, and he get paid for that. Why should I give him an extra tip for his usual 5 minutes work? If people live somewhere remotely and/or in difficult to find locations, then I understand if they tip. But in the middle of the city?

 

And who else should we tip? Gasoline service to fill up the tank? Maybe the person who collects our money for parking? The security guard who uses his whistle too much? The postman? The receptionists who collects money for our bills? All of them? 

[sirocco]

OneMore

 

for me, you are right.
Anyway, it's a habit of our continents and not Asian.
But yes, if we are satisfied, we thank in our own way, and whatever the amount.
2 packs of water bottles, at home, I give a ticket and leave the change. I have the boy's smile.
Ditto in shopping centers, when I pay cash.
My postman has an envelope, cakes and candy for Christmas.
We rarely have mail, but the hello when he meets us in the street is pleasant.

[jackdd]

Never thought about tipping them, never felt like they expect a tip, and i also never saw anybody else tipping them.

If everybody would tip them 20-50THB, as many posters here write, the riders would probably make 30k per month

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Never thought about tipping them, never felt like they expect a tip, and i also never saw anybody else tipping them.

If everybody would tip them 20-50THB, as many posters here write, the riders would probably make 30k per month

Why shouldn't they make 30k a month? They are busting their asses to quickly bring us fresh meals risking their lives in traffic, helping restaurants stay in business, and making it easier for more people to avoid eating in restaurants which is still considered a higher risk activity in these times. 

[jackdd]

16 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Why shouldn't they make 30k a month? They are busting their asses to quickly bring us fresh meals risking their lives in traffic, helping restaurants stay in business, and making it easier for more people to avoid eating in restaurants which is still considered a higher risk activity in these times. 

I didn't say they shouldn't. But that's not how most (including Thai) economies in this world work. If somebody does a job which nearly everybody can do, the income will be quite low.

As other people said already, if you tip the food delivery guy, do you also tip the Kerry delivery guy? Why should he not also have 30k per month?

Should we also tip the 7/11 clerk or the security guard? Nobody should have to live from 350THB per day.

 

Let's say everybody tips them, and they make a bunch of money. Once other people become aware of this they also sign up.

Now for example Foodpanda will have many more riders than they actually need to deliver their orders.

Guess what happens? Foodpanda reduces what they pay to the riders, because they don't need so many.

In short term your tips boost the income of the riders. In the long term your tips go into the pockets of the owner of Foodpanda.

One way or the other the salary of these guys will be somewhere in the 10-15k range.

Edited September 10, 2020 by jackdd

[tgw]

3 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Nobody should have to live from 350THB per day.

it's not that easy.

Western socialists are fans of "minimum income" or "minimum wage", but his doesn't take into account individual situations. some people do not pay rent and have cheap sources for food (such as their own field) and use a bicycle to go to work, others pay rent, buy their food from vendors and pay for transportation. For some, 350 baht per day is enough to go by, for others it's far from enough.