In a bit of lecturing that is not just smug and annoying but also, uh, telling on his company a bit, Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said Tuesday that (shockingly) the secret to getting a better passenger rating was “aggressive” tipping.
Here’s his full quote, according to CNBC:
“You should tip more,” Khosrowshahi said. “I am a very aggressive tipper right now. I pick the highest tip every time. Somehow my rating is getting better. I’m not sure if it’s aggressive tipping. Everybody, tip aggressively.”
Now, it goes without saying that Uber drivers undoubtedly deserve the money. But you know what else they deserve? A living wage that doesn’t necessitate that a not-small part of their income is dependent on the whims of passengers and an arbitrary ratings system devised by a company that until recently was led by a confirmed dope.
How much do Uber drivers actually make? Around $7 an hour after expenses and everything else, according to some estimates. That’s trash!
This is all not to mention that, for passengers, it’s insane that Khosrowshahi is presenting “aggressive” tipping as a necessity—the real fare is not what you see on the app but, indeed, 25 or 30 percent more on top of that. If you want a good passenger rating, at least.
In short: We’re all living in a hell panopticon where we are all constantly observed and rated, a system controlled by Silicon Valley doofuses with the gumption to scold their own customers, who are mere pawns in a system that also deprives workers of a wage that they can not live on. Everything’s great.