PM says tipping should be built into wages, after Uber adds new option

February 28, 2019

From today, Uber users can tip their drivers for good service.

Tipping is now an option for Uber riders, added to give an "easy and meaningful way to say 'ka pai'". 

However, the Prime Minister says in her opinion, New Zealand does not have a culture based on tipping due to the expectation it should be built into an employee's wages and salaries. 

Lucas Groeneveld of Uber Australia & New Zealand released a statement today saying that users of Uber and UberEats "want to do more to say thanks to driver and delivery partners who go above and beyond". 

"Driver and delivery partners often go the extra mile to offer exceptional service, but until now there wasn’t an option for riders and eaters to reward this other than providing a five-star rating with compliments."

"This a small step we're taking to help riders and eaters celebrate the driver partners and delivery partners who go the extra mile in their own special ways," he said. 

Users are given the option after rating the driver. 

Ms Ardern was asked today about if she thought New Zealand was moving towards becoming a tipping nation, in light of the addition of tipping on Uber. 

"It's certainly my personal opinion that we haven't been a culture that has been based on tipping and I think that New Zealanders are fair-minded," she said.

"We generally have an expectation that people shouldn't have to rely on tipping to have decent wages.

"It should be built into their wages and salaries."

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