Two Reddit posts related to a specific incident about tipping on the food delivery app Zomato have recently taken social media by storm. They have prompted fresh discussion about customer behaviour and the realities of gig work. It all began when a woman took to Reddit to share a post titled, "Weird request from Zomato delivery man at 12:00 am." She stated that she had ordered a cold coffee via the delivery platform at 11.30 pm. Her husband (whose number was added on the app) received a call sometime later from the delivery agent to confirm the address. When the delivery rider called 5 minutes later, the woman said she picked up the call and told him to leave the drink with the building's security guard outside.
She explained, "He obliged but then asked for something which I couldn't hear because the audio was cracking. He repeated it but still was not able to hear. I cut the call and he called again." The woman was concerned because the delivery was done and she wondered why the agent was again trying to get in touch with her. When she picked up the call, she claimed the rider asked him to give him a Rs 5 tip as he wanted to drink chai and had no digital money.
The woman alleged, "He said this again before I could respond, and not in a requesting way but as a matter of fact... it felt as if he regularly does this." She added, "I'm confused if he genuinely required it or was he trying to scam me or just collecting good points from zomato after receiving a tip although minimal. How can he have zero balance? Not even Rs 5? Is Zomato treating them so badly? I don't mind tipping him even if it is Rs 100 and he is in genuine need. But something felt off in the manner he asked me to tip him."
Weird request from Zomato delivery man at 12:00 am
byu/Zuko_Zukiii inZomato
Around two days later, a post was allegedly shared by the delivery agent on Reddit (In it, he mentions an incident with striking similarity to the previous post). It grabbed many eyeballs online, not only because of its content but also its tone. The post is sarcastically titled, 'Today I almost destabilized the Indian economy.' The user explained that he completed the cold coffee delivery at night "after climbing 4 floors, fighting one security guard, two locked gates, and Google Maps' creative writing." After his work was done, he stated that he felt like having chai but had no money in his account. He narrates, "So I called and said, very politely: 'Madam, can you give me a Rs 5 tip? I'll do 5+5 and drink chai.' She went silent.'
The user sarcastically theorised that she was "probably informing Zomato HQ/RBI/CBI/Reddit moderators" about his request. He declared, "In 5 minutes, my Rs 5 request became: A possible scam/A social experiment/A psychological thriller/A 900-word Reddit post." He claimed that he didn't ask her for a larger sum.
He concluded by stating, "This was actually to show that lady who had posted about the 5 rs tip being a scam. Just wanted to say that people are ready to pay Rs 5 as surge fee or when it rains but put on detective hats when a fellow human asks for Rs 5." Check out the full post below:
Today I almost destabilized the Indian economy.
byu/Any_Possibility3650 inZomato
Disclaimer: NDTV does not vouch for the claims by the Reddit users.
Both posts have got people talking online about whether anyone should ever hesitate to give a tip as small as Rs 5. Many people sided with the Zomato agent and didn't feel that the customers were truly valid. Others responded differently. Read some of the reactions from Reddit below.
"If it's just Rs 5, it's fine. Maybe someone genuinely needed that much only. And Yes , zomato payout is not something like you pay online and the rider gets in the bank. It runs in some cycles of days. So, it would be ideal for him to get a tip , that way to pay for tea. It's fine as long as the person doesn't start asking for 50-100 as a tip and force for pay or ratings. If it was a polite request, you can give it if you think it's fine."
"You made us read this long post on the account of 5 rupees. I mean he didn't ask for 50 rupees."
"On a serious note, I had given water, chai, juice (whatever was available at that moment) etc to zomato boys on multiple occasions. They show up with stuff and sometimes just ask - can I have something to drink. There was no awkwardness on either side ever. May be it's just common in the city I lived in (Chennai) at that time."
"Zomato doesn't pay them instantly. If someone is asking for like exactly 5 rupees then I wouldn't doubt him. No one would lie for like 5 rupees and if they do they must be really in need of it. Try and help if the money is really small amount for you and if you feel it will help him."
"Sometimes I read posts like these and really wonder if these are genuine or ragebait. I only hope these are ragebaits, otherwise imagine the humanity one possesses to whine about 5 rupees, when happily ordering a cold coffee at midnight."
"I'm saying this as a delivery driver.... PLEASE DO NOT PAY anything to these drivers. It's Rs 5 today, Rs 10 tomorrow and a percentage of your bill a while later. Don't make it the norm. Also, you can withdraw money from Zomato everyday. The limit is once a day, but you can withdraw it. Don't shame this woman for asking a sane question. She's not bothered about the 5 rs. It's the entitlement of the guy calling them repeatedly and not stating it as a request, making it look more like owed money. This will make the companies pay lower and put the burden on the receiver to make up for tips. Yes, this could start with Rs 5."
Click here to read another recent viral story about a Zomato agent.