Uber to Introduce Built-In Tipping Feature for Drivers in NYC?

Uber drivers have long complained about the money they lose due to the fact that tipping a driver is not a part of the user experience. But things look like they're about to change, at least in New York City.

Thanks to a petition started by the Independent Drivers Guild, the company might soon be adding an easy-to-use tipping feature. "Uber has been stubbornly unwilling to give our riders an easy option to tip," the petition reads. "As a result, New York's working drivers are losing thousands of dollars we need for vehicle upkeep and supporting our families in one of the most expensive cities in America. Uber makes the problem worse by misleading riders by telling them that 'tips are not expected.'"

Uber drivers have long wanted this feature — if you're a driver, you know — arguing that one of the main reasons they don't get tips is because of confusion.

Officials are now moving to require a tipping option in the app. "This rule proposal will be an important first step to improve earning potential in the for-hire vehicle industry, but it is just one piece of a more comprehensive effort to improve the economic well-being of drivers," Meera Joshi, the city's taxi commissioner, said in a statement.

The change would mean a more feasible living wage for all the drivers out there — especially when you consider that a large percentage of what a driver makes per ride is syphoned off to the company.

This whole story just goes to show how important tipping is in the service industry. If you're the one doing the service job, you definitely already knew that.