• Tipping habits among ride-hailing customers vary; some Uber and Lyft riders consistently tip 20%, while others rarely tip.
• A dozen Uber and Lyft riders share why they do and don't tip, citing rising prices and customer service.
• Gridwise data shows only 28% of ride-hailing trips get tips, compared to 87% for food delivery.

Valerie takes Lyft rides between two and six times a week for work — but she only sometimes leaves a tip.

Some ride-hailing drivers have been unprofessional, she told Business Insider. Others haven't greeted her or picked her up far from where she requested. Even when a driver provides decent service, she said the increasing fares for her commute have led her to tip less frequently.

"The over-charging, high prices, cancellation from drivers, and Lyft making me late for work didn't permit me to leave a tip for some," Valerie said.

Other riders have a different philosophy about tipping. Ron, a 76-year-old based in California, always leaves his ride-hailing driver a 20% tip unless they are a "complete jerk," he told BI.

He has prior work experience in the service industry and sometimes receives tips at his current job, which he said has shaped his perspective on tipping. He doesn't understand why people wouldn't tip their drivers.

"Rides are a service," he said. "Taxis have always been a tipped service, so why wouldn't people do the same for ride-hailing?"

The question of how often and how much one should tip for a service has often been a topic of debate. While tipping waitstaff at a sit-down restaurant, for example, has long been a common practice for many Americans, the rise of the gig economy in recent years has led to the formation of new tipping habits.

When it comes to ride-hailing, the battle over whether or not to tip is far from settled. BI spoke with a dozen rideshare passengers and drivers about their tipping practices, most of whom requested partial anonymity for privacy concerns. Many drivers say they provide a comparable service to waiters at a restaurant and that riders should tip accordingly. While some Americans agree, others told BI that poor service and expensive ride fares are among the top factors weighing down their tips.

Should Uber and Lyft drivers always get tips?

Rob Schlegel, a journalist turned real-estate agent in Las Vegas, tries to always tip his Uber or Lyft driver the highest suggested amount for each ride. However, sometimes, doing so is cumbersome and confusing.

Sometimes, he said the rating and tip pages get lost in the clutter of the Uber app's many advertisements. Other times, he's had drivers run red lights, have their cars smell like smoke, have trash everywhere, or have their seats so far reclined there isn't room for the passenger. At airports, he often gets frustrated by how long it takes to find his driver, which he knows isn't the driver's fault.

Still, he tries to tip for every ride because he believes the drivers deserve tips. He said he's had "mostly positive results with Uber," but "the apps are making bucks but killing the drivers and frustrating the riders."

The reasons people do or don't tip their Uber and Lyft drivers can be complicated.

Kellie Smith, who takes multiple Ubers a week and always tips, said she knows many people who tip less frequently than food delivery. She thinks it's as simple as food being an "enjoyable" expense, whereas paying for a ride to work is not.

"The demographic of people taking Ubers are people without vehicles anyway. They probably don't have money to spare," Smith said. "I have never had the same driver, so it's also tempting for people to not tip when the chances they will see that person again are low."

Carla Bevins, an associate professor of business management at Carnegie Mellon University, thinks food delivery drivers are more likely to get tips than ride-hailing drivers because tipping for food-related services has "long been a part of American culture," she previously told BI.

"In contrast, rideshare services, though equally valuable, do not have the same historical tipping expectation and are often viewed as more transactional," Bevins said. For both ride-hailing and food delivery, she said the digital tipping process via phone reduces the social pressure to tip.

Some drivers and passengers pointed fingers at the companies, noting that as ride prices increase, passengers may be less likely to leave an additional tip. Some also noted that the tipping interface for apps like DoorDash is easier to use — DoorDash has warned customers that if they don't tip, their food may take longer to arrive.

"The best perk of all was the affordability: You received better service, and the cost was economically affordable, so this meant that you could afford to tip and felt good about doing so," Lillian, a frequent rider with Lyft and Uber, said. "Nowadays, the drivers extend less effort with service but want us riders to reward their lackluster performance with a tip."

Lillian said her drivers rarely say hello, only occasionally help with luggage or opening doors, provide few amenities like water or games, and never ask for her music selection. Caroline, a rider in Washington who always tips 15%, said she's noticed the norm around airports is for drivers to not assist with bags, which she said could rub passengers the wrong way.

The perception of gig driver pay, driven by various factors such as media coverage, could also impact how much people tip, Bevins said. The more people think drivers are reliant on tips, the more generous they might be likely to be.

One driver, who goes by the name Dee Dee, said when she tells passengers how much she makes — sometimes 40% of what the customer pays — they are much more inclined to tip.

The stakes are high for Uber and Lyft drivers

Many drivers have told BI that it's become harder to make money in recent years — some say customer tipping is worse than it used to be. For many drivers who don't have a guaranteed minimum pay to fall back on, tips have become an important part of their ride-hailing incomes.

An analysis of over 500,000 US gig drivers provided to BI by Gridwise, a data-analytics company that helps drivers track their earnings, found that roughly 28% of Uber and Lyft ride-hailing trips get tips, compared to 87% of food-delivery trips and 74% of grocery trips. The analysis was based on US tipping data between January 1 and June 6.

Tips can be especially important for people who drive full-time and, therefore, are more reliant on their ride-hailing incomes. According to Gridwise data, roughly 30% of US Uber drivers drove at least 25 hours a week in the first quarter of 2024.

An Uber spokesperson said that across the US, drivers are "earning more than $30 an hour while engaged on the app." In a statement, Uber told BI that over the last four years, ride-hailing tipping frequency and the average tip size have both roughly doubled — adding that the average ride-hailing tip amount rose nearly 10% over the past six months.

In the second half of 2023, Lyft said the median US driver earned about $31 per hour of engaged time — when they were en route to pick up a passenger or had one in their vehicle. The company said these earnings included a median tip of $2.41 per engaged hour.

Carrie, a five-star rideshare driver since 2015, said she's driven in a handful of states but has never made above $30 an hour. A few weeks ago, she drove 90 trips and only got tipped for six of them, which was just $38.52. She said she's had drivers tell her they wish they could tip her but didn't have the funds at the moment.

"I am looking for a job because I can no longer survive as a rideshare driver," Carrie said. "It's also hard to get back into the corporate market when you have been a full-time rideshare driver."

Because of this, Bryan, an Uber driver in Hampton Roads, Virginia, said he doesn't rely on tips, considering it "in bad taste to expect anyone to shell out extras." Because most of his passengers are going to and from work, he views himself as somewhat of a public transit service.

Instead of expecting tips, he has an hourly quota he tries to hit through various strategies, such as being selective about taking longer rides that pay more.

"I was once a passenger struggling with a dead-end job, so much so that my weekly Uber bill defeated the purpose of going to work," Bryan said. "I sympathize with passengers because I have been on that side of the fence before."

Are you a gig driver who is struggling to make ends meet? Are you driving into your retirement years? Reach out to these reporters at nsheidlower@businessinsider.com or jzinkula@businessinsider.com.

• A Google strategy manager says the best contributors at work are those who are team players. 
• Herng Lee said people gravitate toward those who go out of their way to help others.
• These are the five things Lee recommends you should do to become more of a team player. 

Herng Lee has seen a lot of top performers in his nearly nine years working on Google's strategy team.

But the employees who really stand out are those who are team players, the Google manager said in his weekly newsletter for high-performing tech professionals. Lee said mastering that part of the job is the hard part.

Lee said in his post that these kinds of workers "create a wide halo around them," and he considers them the "the gold standard." Not only are they good at their job, but they actively make others better.

The Googler told BI that by lifting your coworkers, you create a stronger team that can solve more complex problems. It also strengthens your own position because when people see the kind of value you create in the workplace, they'll gravitate toward you, Lee added.

So what does being a team player entail? Lee said these are the five things you can do consistently to be more like one.

Don't gatekeep knowledge

Lee said you should make sure knowledge doesn't live and die with you, and you don't have to do it in a loud way. Rather, it should be a reflex.

Lee said he once had a colleague who was great at his job, but he was the only one with access to his reasoning and sources. As a result, no one felt comfortable applying his work to other places, he said.

"So while his work was great, it did not qualify as institutional knowledge," Lee said in the post. "No one could really update, replicate, or polish his analysis."

Lee said good work involves documenting your framework, sharing with others how you achieved results, and creating replicable playbooks so others can build on your work.

Focus on "why," and not just "what"

Lee said some of his best mentors at Google didn't officially coach him, but offered the same value by consistently sharing the "why."

They did so by providing context, thinking out loud, and setting guiding principles while allowing space for him to figure out his own approach.

Doing all these things may take time and effort, and could mean sacrificing a bit of efficiency in the moment. But in the end, Lee said it helps others and gives you more value as a team member.

Don't play nice

Lee said many of us have been conditioned to play nice at work, and that can result in people holding back insight or providing overly harsh criticism.

Instead, you should treat feedback as a way to help others, Lee said.

To do so, you should provide constructive feedback early and act as a sounding board for others. Lee said you should voice unpopular opinions and respectfully challenge leaders when you feel passionately about a topic.

Lee said early in his career, he preferred getting feedback from nice people because of the "psychological safety and confidence boost" it gave him. Now, he turns to people who offer genuine feedback. He said it's sometimes uncomfortable — but much more useful.

Connect the dots for others

Lee said you should offer insight to coworkers even when they don't know they're looking for it. That means actively thinking about what other teams are working on, instead of solely focusing on your own tasks, Lee said.

For example, if someone's working on a project that you're not a part of, you should offer up useful information and resources or connect them with people who might know more about the topic they're working on.

Save others time

Everyone is busy, so people consider themselves lucky when someone sacrifices their own efficiency to save time for others, Lee said.

These can be little things that are part of your daily routine, Lee said, like writing clear emails so people don't spend time trying to figure out what you meant or keeping track of your meetings effectively.

You should try to save others time even in cases when you don't receive credit for it, Lee said.

Check out Lee's full post here.

Are you a Googler with advice to others? We want to hear from you. Email the reporter from a non-work email at aaltchek@insider.com.

• Tesla offers a range of accessories to enhance its five vehicle models, including the Cybertruck.
• Standard add-ons like floor mats and sun shades are available, alongside unique additions.
• Notable accessories include illuminated door sills and CyberTents for portable camping.

Owning a Tesla can already feel like an upgrade over your average car, but you can jazz it up even more with the company's slew of additional accessories and kits.

The EV maker currently offers five vehicles: the Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, and, most recently, the Cybertruck. While the main attachments in the Tesla shop include standard add-ons like floor mats and sun shades, with quirky cars come some unique potential additions — if you're willing to pay.

From door sills that illuminate your model's name to CyberTents for going on a portable camping experience, we rounded up the most interesting accessories to add to your Tesla experience.

• The CDC and National Weather Service launched a map to forecast heat-related impacts across the US.
• It uses a five-tier color-numeric scale to indicate potential heat risks in your area.
• The Midwest to Northeast will face record-breaking heat, possibly the longest in decades.

With temperatures rising alongside your electric bills, the CDC and National Weather Service launched a HeatRisk map to help you determine whether you can handle the heat.

By plugging in your ZIP code, you can find out just how scorching your area will be for the next seven days — and the possible risks. The map, which we first spotted thanks to The Verge, presents a seven-day forecast of the potential threat of heat-related impacts across the US.

The heat index follows a five-tier color-numeric scale from green (little to no risk) to magenta (extreme). Without adequate cooling and hydration, anyone can be impacted at the level of magenta or red (major), the CDC and NWS said.

Along with possible elevated risks for heat complications, HeatRisk also takes into consideration the duration of the heat and how unusual it is for that time of year and area.

If you remember last summer's record-breaking heat, be prepared for some déjà vu in the next few months.

The NWS reported that much of the Midwest to Northeast is set to see "the hottest temperatures of the summer," with possible daily and monthly high-temperature records for June. The heat wave's duration is "potentially the longest experienced in decades for some locations," the agency said.

Heat waves aren't just annoying — they can sometimes be deadly.

Last year, there were an estimated 2,300 heat-related deaths in the US, with many suffering from a lack of access to air conditioning. To avoid heat illnesses such as heat stroke and exhaustion, the NWS suggests people drink plenty of water even if they don't feel thirsty and wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothing.

The most vulnerable groups to heat include young children and infants since their bodies are less adaptable to heat, and older adults, especially those who take certain medications that can interfere with body temperature regulation. Other high-risk individuals include people with chronic medical conditions and pregnant women.

Extreme heat levels can also impact infrastructure, including transportation, utilities, and agriculture. It can strain electrical grids, water resources, and certain aircraft operational limits. A 2021 study indicated that high heat in the US could result in an estimated $100 billion in reduced productivity annually.

Following the launch of its initial prototype for California only in 2013, HeatRisk is now the first variation to include information from the CDC about the health impacts of heat. HeatRisk is still an "experimental product," and the NWS is accepting public feedback via survey through September 30.

• Jessica Hall started working as a night nanny while she trained as an occupational therapist.
• She told Business Insider some days she worked night shifts after a full day's work.
• Hall said the job is challenging, but helping parents get some sleep and respite was worth it.

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Jessica Hall, a night nanny and occupational therapist in Chicago. It has been edited for length and clarity.

When I was younger, I wanted to become a doctor. I moved from Arizona to Chicago and took some pre-med college classes in 2011. I realized it wasn't what I wanted to do. Then, I came across occupational therapy.

I started interning in a clinic in 2012.

I've been at the same clinic ever since and became a certified occupational therapist in 2019. I'm now the clinic lead and oversee physical therapy, social work, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. I specialize in working with children with autism.

I started working as a night nanny on the side

I was working in occupational therapy and nannying on the side when, in 2020, I came across Let Mommy Sleep, a night nanny service for parents.

Lots of clients reach out because they need assistance with their kids at night; perhaps their child isn't sleeping through the night, and they're back at work, or they need help with sleep training. Many parents need help at night when they have to go back to work.

I needed to know about pediatrics and child development for my occupational therapy training. Seeing how they interact with their family at night is helpful for my day job. I started taking on cases as a night nurse with Let Mommy Sleep in 2022.

I worked as a night nurse on top of my day job

I love being busy. I worked in my day job from 10 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. When I got home, I'd have dinner and speak to friends and family. Then, I'd go to sleep for two hours before my shift as a night nanny. I did night nanny shifts two or three times a week, though sometimes I did it five times a week.

Most of my cases were between 30 minutes to an hour away. My shifts were from 10 p.m. to 6 or 7 a.m. I'd take care of the dishes and laundry, make sure the babies were fed, and check on the parents.

Then I'd go home, sleep for two hours, and head to work again. I'd have to be very structured with my time to make it work. Sometimes, I'd have to turn down fun things to make sure I was getting enough sleep in my week.

I'd get paid between $22 and $26 an hour as a night nanny.

It's a challenge, but it's worth it

I worked with a lot of moms who felt they didn't have the time to look after themselves or that their own care was trivial. It was important for me to make sure they did things that helped them feel good about their day, such as taking a shower, getting out of bed and being able to hold their baby, or any daily activities they did before they had kids.

It was a privilege to see babies learn to roll over, crawl, or walk. Even at night, I got to know them and their personalities.

I worked with one family for a year. They had two babies, and they already had two children. Both of the parents sometimes worked night shifts. Both of the babies would vomit up their milk and cry through the night. Some of those nights were very long. Their mom would want to help out, and I'd have to encourage her to take a nap. She'd have to get up at 5 a.m. to get her other kids ready for school.

After we got the babies sleep-trained, their mom was so excited that she could get a couple of hours of sleep.

It was hard but rewarding. I decided to take a break this year. Now, I take on clients on a case-by-case basis.

I started my own business

I decided to start my own in-home service, Sensory Sitters, to help families with children with special needs.

In Illinois, respite is expensive, and there's a long waiting list for state-subsidized vouchers.

A lot of families have caregiver burnout. I'm there to give parents a break. Right now, it's just me, but I'm looking to expand my business.

• Miru Wong, 33, grew up with her grandparents in Hong Kong and helped out at the family shoemaking shop.
• For her final year project in college, she worked on a rebrand for the family business.
• She's now the third-generation owner, determined to keep a dying trade alive.

Miru Wong was working on her final year project at the Polytechnic University in Hong Kong when she realized what she wanted to be when she grew up.

She was enrolled in a visual communication design course and, for the project, created a proposal for rebranding her family's shoemaking shop, Sindart. Her grandfather had opened the shop in 1958 to make and sell traditional hand-embroidered slippers.

"My plan was to rebrand the shop, by improving the old patterns and functionality of the products, adding new designs, and promoting the knowledge and heritage craftsmanship of embroidered shoes," she told Business Insider.

Her plan included increasing the product range, organizing workshops, and promoting the brand. She said she had sadly been watching the craft become one of Hong Kong's disappearing trades.

"Initially, I hadn't thought about joining the family business, but after I made the business plan, I knew I wanted to pursue it," she said.

She graduated at 22 with a bachelor's degree and got started at the shop. Remaining true to her grandfather's vision of providing affordable options, Wong has kept prices reasonable. The cheapest pair is made without embroidery and costs 99 Hong Kong dollars, or $12. For more detailed shoes, prices go up to around HK$300, or $38.

Wong says most of the materials — including nylon, silk, satin, and brocade — are sourced from Hong Kong, Japan, and Europe. She says the store sells 80 to 100 pairs of shoes a week.

But as the shop's third-generation owner, Wong, now 33, has had to make changes. Here's what she's been focusing on over the past decade to keep the store running.

In with the new

"It's important to continuously improve the product design, functionality, and aesthetics to stay relevant and appealing to consumers while preserving the core traditional techniques," she said.

After she took the helm, she said she focused on infusing fresh energy into the business. Introducing new designs, such as the crowd-favorite panda in various colors, she aimed to captivate a younger audience. She also honored her late grandfather's legacy by preserving many of his timeless, original designs.

"Back in the old days, my grandfather made the slippers for indoor use only," she said. "So after I graduated, I wanted to create more outdoor designs while also expanding the collection to offer wedding styles and casual, everyday options." She now has around 300 designs, including that of her grandfather's.

Passing down the skills

Wong said that her workshops, demonstrations, and exhibitions help spread the word and she's been noticing a resurgence of interest in artisanal and bespoke products across Hong Kong.

Others feel that more can be done in order to pass down the skills in Hong Kong. "We should encourage the transfer of skills from experienced shoemakers to younger generations through apprenticeship programs," Erin Cho, Ph.D., a professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University's School of Fashion and Textiles told BI. "Educational institutions could offer courses in shoemaking and footwear design to spark interest in the craft."

Gaining a wider reach

Social media has played a large part in promoting Wong's business. With 26,000 followers on Instagram, Wong engages her audience by offering styling advice for her shoes and sharing behind-the-scenes videos showcasing the intricate process of crafting each delicate piece.

"My customers love to know how to dress up with the shoes and how to match them with their outfits," she said.

Passion is key

Training and mentoring are needed to safeguard the traditional craft's long-term sustainability. "It's a very special industry because it's a combination of two crafts — handmade Chinese embroidery and shoemaking," Wong said. "I want to promote the craft because it's a very valuable Hong Kong tradition and people can learn about the significance behind the designs."

But it's not easy. "Rising labor costs in Hong Kong also make it difficult for traditional shoemakers to maintain profitability," Cho said. The professor went on to say that there may be a lack of younger craftsmen taking up this profession.

Lindsay Varty, the author of Sunset Survivors, a book about keeping Hong Kong's traditional industries alive, told BI that the high cost of rent combined with the modern technology being used to replace these industries make it difficult.

"But I think the main reason many of these old trades are disappearing is because of a complete lack of willing successors; in the past, you followed your family into whatever trade they were in, but now, no one with a school or university education wants to become a knife sharpener, face threader, or shoemaker when they could get a job with better hours and better pay," Varty said.

Luckily for Wong's family, this wasn't the case.

Regarding the continuation of the business into its fourth generation, Wong is presently unmarried with no kids. She said she'll have to see if any future children share her level of interest in the business. "I'll see if they ask me to teach them because I think you have to be very interested in this craftsmanship," she said. "And if you really take over this business, you have to be very in love with it, like I am."