Gig Workers Track ‘Tip-Baiters’ on Google Maps. Are You There? | Entrepreneur
Gig workers rely on tips to supplement their income, and some customers are taking advantage of it. So-called “tip-baiters” place their orders with generous tips on apps like DoorDash or Instacart — then lower or reduce them to nothing after the delivery’s been made.
But some of them are facing the consequences. Gig workers are tracking “tip-baiter” addresses on Google Maps privately and publicly, Insider reported.
Related: Starbucks Customers Are Furious Over New Digital Tipping System
Tipping in general has become more contentious in recent years. According to Bankrate’s annual tipping survey, 66% of U.S. adults have a negative view of tipping, and 41% believe businesses should pay employees more rather than rely on customers for tips.
Although “it was not hard to find” houses with the “tip-baiter” designation on Google Maps, the outlet noted that several points vanished after it contacted Google for comment on the story.
One Minnesota-based Instacart shopper told Insider anonymously that she first marks tip-baiters on a private map; then, if she finds out another shopper experienced the same treatment, she’ll create a publicly visible landmark on Google Maps.
Related: Tipping Culture Has Americans Fuming. Follow These 3 Rules.
Does your address have the “tip-baiter” stamp of shame? If you’ve never lowered a tip post-delivery, you should be in the clear. And if you have, well, you might want to take a look at your house on Google Maps.
