Do you tip taxi drivers in Ireland?

Koptain Liverpool · 29-11-2014 03:25PM #1

Following on from a discussion on another thread - do you tip taxi drivers in Ireland?

I don't and neither do most people I know but apparently a lot of other folk do.

In Ireland the only place I generally tip is in a restaurant.
I'd hate it if Ireland became like the states where you're expected to tip everyone from barbers to delivery men and so on. Whatever about throwing someone a few quid for providing service above and beyond the usual but I hate the idea of an institutionalized system of tipping where it essentially becomes socially compulsory.

nxbyveromdwjpg · 29-11-2014 03:27PM

Yea, but only really up to the nearest euro or round figure. I'm not going to sit there with my hand out while he counts out 40 cent, etc.

allym · 29-11-2014 03:29PM

I'll throw them a couple of euro if they've been really nice. But even then only if my fare is say €28, I'll give them the €30. Mostly because I can't be arsed waiting for my change :pac:

Greenmachine · 29-11-2014 03:31PM

I will tip them if they are nice and don't take the piss.

Realt Dearg Sec · 29-11-2014 03:33PM

If they manage to get from town to my house without saying anything racist I'll give them a quid or two. Doesn't happen often to be fair.

Mister Vain · 29-11-2014 03:33PM

Well yeah if the fare is like 9.50 I'll just give him a tenner.

suicide_circus · 29-11-2014 03:34PM

When they start pulling the piss and taking ages to count my change in the hope that I'll get bored and just let them keep it, I wait and don't tip.

UCDVet · 29-11-2014 03:50PM

I look at the tipping situation differently for taxi drivers. It's not like most businesses where they can set their own prices and the free market will mostly work itself out. It's strictly regulated in all sorts of weird ways.

I've been in taxis that are incredibly nice. The inside looks brand new, it's spotlessly clean, the driver is knowledgeable and friendly. But the driver is forced to charge the decided upon rate. Other taxi's I've been in are absolute crap. Dirty, smelly, tape on the seats where they've been ripped. And that driver is going to charge me the same amount.

Anyway, I do tip taxi drivers whenever I think to myself, 'The next time I get a cab, I hope it's this one'.

So, when the driver is decent and the cab is in good condition I'm happy to throw a few extra euro in. It's not a big amount, but when you have a lot of customers throughout the day, it really does add up.

anncoates · 29-11-2014 04:03PM

Just round it up generally. A taxi from town to my place is usually between about 25 to 27 quid so I usually just give 30.

stimpson · 29-11-2014 04:07PM

UCDVet wrote: »

I look at the tipping situation differently for taxi drivers. It's not like most businesses where they can set their own prices and the free market will mostly work itself out. It's strictly regulated in all sorts of weird ways.

I've been in taxis that are incredibly nice. The inside looks brand new, it's spotlessly clean, the driver is knowledgeable and friendly. But the driver is forced to charge the decided upon rate. Other taxi's I've been in are absolute crap. Dirty, smelly, tape on the seats where they've been ripped. And that driver is going to charge me the same amount.

Anyway, I do tip taxi drivers whenever I think to myself, 'The next time I get a cab, I hope it's this one'.

So, when the driver is decent and the cab is in good condition I'm happy to throw a few extra euro in. It's not a big amount, but when you have a lot of customers throughout the day, it really does add up.

Taxis aren't forced to charge the going rate. The rate is capped. They are allowed to give a discount, but none ever do.

After the taxi protests a few years ago when they brought the city centre to a standstill I wouldn't give them a penny over the meter.

Mesrine65 · 29-11-2014 04:08PM

Hailo 10% tip

whatdoicare · 29-11-2014 04:26PM

I always give a tip, its a hard job with really,really, ****e aspects.
I think they deserve it.
Most taxi drivers I know are just family men killing themselves trying to earn enough to keep a roof over their family's heads and food in their belly.

I don't get this mentality of hatred towards taxi drivers, theyre just trying to do their job like everyone else.

Darkglasses · 29-11-2014 04:28PM

Only if they're nice, with a clean car, and don't do anything ridiculous like pick up another fare at the same time. So most of the time, yes I tip!

looksee · 29-11-2014 04:31PM

Well cow tipping was popular for a while, but I haven't seen much interest in tipping taxi drivers. They tend to get irritated.

UCDVet · 29-11-2014 04:34PM

stimpson wrote: »

Taxis aren't forced to charge the going rate. The rate is capped. They are allied to give a discount, but none ever do.

After the taxi protests a few years ago when they brought the city centre to a standstill I wouldn't give them a penny over the meter.

That's just splitting hairs....the rates they're allowed to charge are dictated by law, to be equal to, or less than, some predefined value. Very few other businesses are held to that standard.

If I were a painter, I could offer my services for any amount I want.
If I were a footballer, I could offer my services for any amount I want.
If I were a chief, I could offer my services for any amount I want.
If I were a software developer, I could offer my services for any amount I want.

But if I were a taxi driver, I couldn't. I could only charge certain amounts that the government says is fair.

This creates a system where there isn't much incentive to provide a higher quality of service, since you can't charge more for it.

McDonald's has good food, and it's relatively cheap. But if you're willing to pay more, you can get a better burger at a nicer restaurant. I'm happy to pay more for a better experience. But with Taxi's, you can't do that. Because the government has dictated a price cap, in advance. I can't pay extra to ensure a nicer cab, like I could in almost any other industry.

I encourage what I consider to be 'nice' taxis by tipping them. Without an incentive, there isn't much reason for any taxi driver to provide more than the minimum standard of service, given that their rates are capped.

Gannicus · 29-11-2014 04:39PM

I don't tip a taxi driver ever. I get quite annoyed when they pull the whole fidget to make your change scam too.

In saying that I will ask for a card if they are sound and the car is clean and use them repeatedly. There's a gent of a guy who picked me up one day and stopped the meter while I ran in to the shop to get smokes. I use him nearly every time I need a taxi on north side of Dublin. I like the quasi professional rapport I have with him now.Plus he's always reliable and him and the car are clean

29-11-2014 04:47PM

I tip if they are Irish, because I know they probably pay for the NCT and service the car regularly, and therefore need the money.

I only started doing this after that Prime Time documentary.

smurfjed · 29-11-2014 05:23PM

I'm a driver of sorts, my passengers pay a huge amount for the use of our services and they usually tip us quite handsomely. So in return, i will tip a people who provide me with a service, regardless of the country that I'm in

Gannicus · 29-11-2014 06:00PM

smurfjed wrote: »

I'm a driver of sorts, my passengers pay a huge amount for the use of our services and they usually tip us quite handsomely. So in return, i will tip a people who provide me with a service, regardless of the country that I'm in

By this post I am assuming you work for a delivery firm or are a courier.

PizzamanIRL · 29-11-2014 06:02PM

Yeah. Just the tip.

Arbiter of Good Taste · 29-11-2014 06:06PM

Gannicus wrote: »

I don't tip a taxi driver ever. I get quite annoyed when they pull the whole fidget to make your change scam too.

In saying that I will ask for a card if they are sound and the car is clean and use them repeatedly. There's a gent of a guy who picked me up one day and stopped the meter while I ran in to the shop to get smokes. I use him nearly every time I need a taxi on north side of Dublin. I like the quasi professional rapport I have with him now.Plus he's always reliable and him and the car are clean

Surely you tipped him on that occasion?

smurfjed · 29-11-2014 06:13PM

By this post I am assuming you work for a delivery firm or are a courier.

Nope, I'm a corporate pilot

Gannicus · 29-11-2014 06:22PM

Arbiter of Good Taste wrote: »

Surely you tipped him on that occasion?

Ah yeah. Wouldn't be many taxi drivers like that. He'd have been well within his rights to leave the meter ticking over. I had one pull into the Topaz in Donneycarney one night. He went to get a bottle of coke (for himself). Sitting there while he stands in a queue and I realized he left the meter running. I said it to him thinking it was an honest mistake. He told me "ah its grand I was only there 2 minutes". So I got out and walked off. Was not paying a scam artist like him. Had he even apologised I wouldn't have minded.

hfallada · 29-11-2014 06:30PM

I tip depending on the driver. I have lived in Dublin my whole life and Ill often ask the driver the route he plans on going. If its the shortest I let them go that route, but I often have a taxi drivers deciding to take me on a non-official tour of Dublin.

Also it kills me when they cant tell im not interested in their rant, but still go on about the economy, as if they have a PhD in Economics from London School of Economics

stimpson · 29-11-2014 06:36PM

UCDVet wrote: »

That's just splitting hairs....the rates they're allowed to charge are dictated by law, to be equal to, or less than, some predefined value. Very few other businesses are held to that standard.

If I were a painter, I could offer my services for any amount I want.
If I were a footballer, I could offer my services for any amount I want.
If I were a chief, I could offer my services for any amount I want.
If I were a software developer, I could offer my services for any amount I want.

But if I were a taxi driver, I couldn't. I could only charge certain amounts that the government says is fair.

This creates a system where there isn't much incentive to provide a higher quality of service, since you can't charge more for it.

McDonald's has good food, and it's relatively cheap. But if you're willing to pay more, you can get a better burger at a nicer restaurant. I'm happy to pay more for a better experience. But with Taxi's, you can't do that. Because the government has dictated a price cap, in advance. I can't pay extra to ensure a nicer cab, like I could in almost any other industry.

I encourage what I consider to be 'nice' taxis by tipping them. Without an incentive, there isn't much reason for any taxi driver to provide more than the minimum standard of service, given that their rates are capped.

There are many business where costs are regulated. Energy for example. Taxi rates are generous, which you have shown as you can get quite nice taxis regardless of the capped rates. Ideally, the standard of taxis should be regulated, but what are you gonna do.

If you want a classier taxi you can use Uber or Hailo+ or HailoExec.

At the end of the day I couldn't give a toss about how hard taxi drivers have it. Lots of people have it hard and don't get tips. Do you tip a bus driver?

Arbiter of Good Taste · 29-11-2014 06:47PM

I generally tip, but that's probably down to white middle class guilt

Fighting Irish · 29-11-2014 07:10PM

after a night out, it costs me 6e for a lift home, i usually tip 1-3e

Realt Dearg Sec · 29-11-2014 07:20PM

Fighting Irish wrote: »

after a night out, it costs me 6e for a lift home, i usually tip 1-3e

You'd give a fifty per cent tip? That's just throwing money away.

branie2 · 29-11-2014 07:21PM

I just say "Keep the change"

mountsky · 29-11-2014 07:22PM

Defo,€2 tops,about all I'd have left at the end of the night mind you

looking_around · 29-11-2014 07:27PM

No never.
every cent counts for me

and charging a tenner to travel 2km is taking the p!ss

Do you tip taxi drivers in Ireland?

Do you tip taxi drivers in Ireland? 144 votes

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