Walmart+ delivery driver tipping? Really??

[Sojourner]

DW and I decided to do a one-month free trial of Walmart+. So far, our experience hasn't been great. Every delivery so far (out of 3 total) has had missing/undelivered items. Once it was because an entire bag wasn't delivered (overlooked by the driver, left in the truck), and twice because items I had placed in the order were actually out of stock, despite showing in-stock when I ordered them.

But the most galling thing about the service, IMHO, is that it asks you to tip the delivery driver when you're going through the checkout process. The default tip is $5, but you can select any amount you want, including $0. Despite my reservations, I've given $4 each time, but the more I think about it the more it just seems absurd. Amazon doesn't ask me to tip its delivery drivers when I'm checking out. Nor does any other delivery service I can think of, other than Uber Eats. Selecting $0 or "no tip" makes me feel cheap, so I usually succumb to the pressure when asked to add a tip to anything these days. But this Walmart+ delivery driver tipping seems like a bridge too far, for some reason. What do you think? Would you tip a Walmart+ delivery driver? Happily, or begrudgingly?

 

[MarieIG]

I don't know anything about how much the drivers make. I don't do Uber Eats.
Basically I prefer to tip cash. I do not like to add a tip to a bill.

When I received flowers for my birthday, the drivers both left the flowers and ran so I did not get a chance to tip them (which I would have). Amazon and UPS just leave the package and go.

 

[cathy63]

Is Walmart+ a grocery delivery service? I don't shop there (no stores nearby), so I'm not familiar with it.

Amazon Fresh does ask for a $5 tip for delivery drivers. Vons grocery delivery asks for a 5% tip. So if your Walmart+ order is mostly for groceries, they're actually right in line with what other services do.

If it's just generic Walmart merch and the retailer is choosing the shipping and delivery method as with a normal amazon.com order, then I agree that the tip request is off.

 

[ownyourfuture]

DW and I decided to do a one-month free trial of Walmart+. So far, our experience hasn't been great.

There's your answer

 

[braumeister]

it asks you to tip the delivery driver when you're going through the checkout process.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't understand that. I will happily tip any delivery person when they make the delivery, but tipping before they have done anything just seems backward to me. There is no way to tell if your delivery will be great (large tip) or terrible (no tip).

 

[Sojourner]

I don't know anything about how much the drivers make.

Neither do I, but I presume it's a least $15/hour, given today's hiring and job-recruitment climate. I would actually be surprised if these W+ delivery drivers are making less than $20/hour.

Amazon and UPS just leave the package and go.

Exactly the same with W+. They deliver the stuff to your doorstep, don't ring the doorbell or knock, and immediately go back to the truck. You get a notification from the Walmart app a few minutes later that the stuff was delivered.

I suppose I feel like a tip might be called for in cases where the driver goes out of his way to ensure the best possible delivery experience. But, honestly, from what I've seen, these folks are just quickly dropping off the stuff and hustling back to their truck. I haven't seen any signs of extra care or attention to detail, etc. So what exactly is the tip supposed to be for?

 

[Sojourner]

Is Walmart+ a grocery delivery service? I don't shop there (no stores nearby), so I'm not familiar with it.

It's primarily groceries, but orders can also contain more generic Walmart merch. We've used it for groceries, so far.

Amazon Fresh does ask for a $5 tip for delivery drivers. Vons grocery delivery asks for a 5% tip. So if your Walmart+ order is mostly for groceries, they're actually right in line with what other services do.

Interesting. Did not realize that.

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

I’ve been a Walmart + member since January 2021.
I do a grocery delivery order at least once a week.
The delivery driver for groceries in my area is from door dash not Walmart. I tip typically $10. You have 24 hours to adjust the tip amount.

Missed items are typically the responsibility of Walmart employees. The driver just delivers them.
One time Walmart put the wrong ID on someone else’s order and I got both mine and theirs. They can’t come back and collect it.

You also can make substitutions for items out of stock. You can accept or decline the substitution available.
My biggest issue has been with getting expired milk. I just submit a return online so I’m not charged but it’s annoying. Again this would be the Walmart person shopping not the delivery driver.

Shipping items is completely different and you are not asked to leave any tip for those. They are processed separately.

I’ve actually found it to be a worthwhile service. I get groceries for my house and my mom.
Now that I’m not working I usually do pick up. I’ll see how that goes over the next few months to determine if I renew but that’s the way I’m leaning.

 

[youbet]

We used Amazon Fresh for grocery deliveries early in COVID. They did OK. But, I was annoyed that they asked for the tip during checkout, as you say Walmart+ does. Since we were worriers about COVID, we went with them for a few months but then dropped it.

We often use curbside pickup at Walmart and Jewel. They're both pretty good as far as accuracy goes. But we don't use delivery. Just too expensive if you go with the suggested $5 tip. And I think the $5 is justified if they're going to make that business model work.

If the driver is making $20/hr (as you suggested) and can make 4 deliveries/hr, that's $5/delivery. I don't think margins on groceries are adequate to cover that kind of expense. Plus, picking, packing and staging the order at the store.

What does work is ordering dry goods, canned goods, paper goods and other non-perishables from Walmart or Sam's to be shipped free. Those warehouses are set up for cheap.efficient order picking and processing.

 

[Sojourner]

Considering the prevalence of undelivered items in our orders (so far) and the delivery driver tipping, we are definitely not going to continue with W+ after the free trial. Our local store is only a 9-10 minute drive, and there is a Kroger even closer, so unlimited, "no-fee" delivery is not all that valuable to us. Besides, at $98/year, deliveries are hardly free (or even cheap!), especially when you factor in the delivery driver tips they pressure you into giving. I might consider if it Walmart were the only game in town for groceries and the store was a 20+ minute drive from my house.

 

[Chuckanut]

The real question is:

Why can't Walmart pay the drivers a proper wage?

I am not sure I would sign up for a service that made me feel guilty.

 

[youbet]

The real question is:

Why can't Walmart pay the drivers a proper wage?

I am not sure I would sign up for a service that made me feel guilty.

Where did you see that they weren't paying them a "proper" wage? In this thread, the consensus seems to be that we don't know exactly what their compensation scheme is. Hourly? Per delivery? Miles driven (I think they use their own vehicles)? Some combination? I'm not even sure they're full time Walmart employees with benefits. And you'd have to compare their situation to Door Dash, Uber, the guy driving for the local strip mall Chinese take-out, etc.

Edit: See my post #18 below for a fairly comprehensive answer to the mystery of Walmart driver compensation.

 

[Closet_Gamer]

The real question is:

Why can't Walmart pay the drivers a proper wage?

I am not sure I would sign up for a service that made me feel guilty.

This.

I'm more than fine tipping people ... but when companies start making it part of their built in process it ludicrous. Start to feel like "fuel surchages" when you fly.

Uh, flying involves fuel.
Put it in the price.

Same thing here.

 

[TrvlBug]

This.

I'm more than fine tipping people ... but when companies start making it part of their built in process it ludicrous. Start to feel like "fuel surchages" when you fly.

Uh, flying involves fuel.
Put it in the price.

Same thing here.

We ran into this yesterday for the first time. Our local 'The Counter' build your own burger place, had closed during Covid. The nearest location is in an area we don't frequent regularly, but were down there yesterday so had lunch. Your bill now includes a "20% service charge in lieu of a tip" so they can "pay a living wage". Once you receive your cc slip, in not to be missed type it encourages you to tip if "you're feeling it" or some similar sentiment. I did tip extra because the service was beyond excellent.

 

[aaronc879]

Where did you see that they weren't paying them a "proper" wage? In this thread, the consensus seems to be that we don't know exactly what their compensation scheme is. Hourly? Per delivery? Miles driven (I think they use their own vehicles)? Some combination? I'm not even sure they're full time Walmart employees with benefits. And you'd have to compare their situation to Door Dash, Uber, the guy driving for the local strip mall Chinese take-out, etc.

A Google search seems to indicate that the drivers are actually working for Door Dash or Spark depending on location. They are paid per delivery as independent contractors. They get paid very little if not given tips. Doesn't mean you have to tip them it just means they are not paid appropriately unless they get tips.

 

[jazz4cash]

Is the Walmart + a subscription service and are there per delivery fees? I think I prefer a service like instacart that can shop a variety of stores. I haven’t used them for awhile but I was paying a monthly fee ($10?) and no delivery charge if I placed a $40 order. The default tip was $2 and I usually put in $10. Apparently that tip was a huge incentive for one of their independent contractors to claim the order and I always received my order in 1-2 hrs. That was at the height of the pandemic when there were lines just to go into the store. I think you could adjust the tip within 24 hrs or so but I never had a problem that warranted a reduction. Honestly I’m not sure the shoppers were making any money by the time you consider wear and tear on their car.

 

[iloveyoga]

I have used the Walmart delivery service for a couple of years now. I really enjoy it and try to get everything I can through my online Walmart order. I usually do a fairly standard tip and then you can add on if the service was extra good. I’m just so happy not to go to the grocery store. It was never one of my favorite tasks.

 

[youbet]

A Google search seems to indicate that the drivers are actually working for Door Dash or Spark depending on location. They are paid per delivery as independent contractors. They get paid very little if not given tips. Doesn't mean you have to tip them it just means they are not paid appropriately unless they get tips.

Thanks.

I also Googled and found some conflicting data but this was the best article I ran across. It's by Spark, the employer the Walmart drivers apparently work for. It's an interesting read and answers all/most of the questions about Walmart driver compensation.

https://getcircuit.com/route-planner/blog/how-much-do-walmart-delivery-drivers-make

 

[Sojourner]

https://getcircuit.com/route-planner/blog/how-much-do-walmart-delivery-drivers-make

Wow, very interesting read. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Midpack]

Just do what you think is right? If you feel guilty not tipping, that’s your issue.

We’ve been fortunate like most here, and at least half our population works for low wages, so I’m fine tipping a couple bucks - the OP is complaining about $5.

It’s not easy for individual businesses to just raise wages and forego tips, as customers will give their business to those who don’t and appear to have lower prices. Some/many who complain are the first to seek out lower prices without stopping to think what makes that possible - lower wages among other factors. Individual businesses can’t change our long established tipping conventions easily.

 

[travelover]

The real question is:

Why can't Walmart pay the drivers a proper wage?
.......

If they pay too much , the employees won't qualify for SNAP, plus the Walton family needs the money.

 

[youbet]

If they pay too much , the employees won't qualify for SNAP, plus the Walton family needs the money.

It appears that Walmart doesn't pay the drivers. See the link in post #18.

 

[purplesky]

DW and I decided to do a one-month free trial of Walmart+. So far, our experience hasn't been great. Every delivery so far (out of 3 total) has had missing/undelivered items. Once it was because an entire bag wasn't delivered (overlooked by the driver, left in the truck), and twice because items I had placed in the order were actually out of stock, despite showing in-stock when I ordered them.

But the most galling thing about the service, IMHO, is that it asks you to tip the delivery driver when you're going through the checkout process. The default tip is $5, but you can select any amount you want, including $0. Despite my reservations, I've given $4 each time, but the more I think about it the more it just seems absurd. Amazon doesn't ask me to tip its delivery drivers when I'm checking out. Nor does any other delivery service I can think of, other than Uber Eats. Selecting $0 or "no tip" makes me feel cheap, so I usually succumb to the pressure when asked to add a tip to anything these days. But this Walmart+ delivery driver tipping seems like a bridge too far, for some reason. What do you think? Would you tip a Walmart+ delivery driver? Happily, or begrudgingly?

Do not tip Walmart or Amazon delivery drivers.
Let Walmart and Amazon and their contract delivery providers pay a living wage to their delivery driver workforce on their own.

Ups drivers make over 100K with overtime so no tip needed.

Corporate America is now trying to raise wages using digital tipping and digital begging at time of purchase.
Do not be scammed and shamed into leaving a tip for a multi- billion dollar corporation like Walmart.

Before we know it the airlines will be digital begging for the pilots to get a digital tip when we buy an airline ticket.

 

[youbet]

Do not tip Walmart or Amazon delivery drivers.

Why did you call out Walmart and Amazon delivery drivers? The others are different? Should we ever tip at all?

 

[purplesky]

Why did you call out Walmart and Amazon delivery drivers? The others are different? Should we ever tip at all?

I am calling out multi-billion dollar companies that are now using software at time of purchase to digital beg to pay their employees.

It is pretty sickening when you think about.

It's just good old fashioned Corporate greed.

The thread is about Walmart so I guess they are the main focus.

If you fall for the digital begging scam it will just allow the Walmart family to gobble up more billion dollar sports teams and charge $15 for a warm beer.