Just to be clear, I'm absolutely not against tipping. In fact, I genuinely believe we should tip people for their hard work, and I personally do so almost every time, whether it's a food delivery rider or a ride-hailing service driver (I'd say 99% of the time, I pay extra). I'm not saying we shouldn't tip; I'm simply saying that there's a difference between giving someone a tip out of appreciation and being made to feel obligated to do so
A few months ago, Nida Yasir made a comment during her morning show about Foodpanda riders and how they sometimes don't return change, seemingly expecting customers to let them keep it as a tip. She received a lot of criticism for saying that, and many people disagreed with her.
I want to share my own experience because, honestly, I've started to understand where she was coming from.
Whenever a delivery rider comes to my house, whether they're delivering food or bringing a parcel, I generally try to give them a tip. I've always felt that these people work hard, often in difficult conditions, and a little extra money from my side might make their day a little better.
A few months ago, when my stomach issues weren't as bad as they are now, I used to order food from outside almost daily, mostly from XYZ Cafe. It was one of the few decent options available in my area late at night.
Eventually, I started seeing the same riders repeatedly. They became familiar with me, and I became familiar with them. Since I used to tip them regularly, I guess some of them started expecting it.
Sometimes, my orders were paid for online, and sometimes I paid in cash. Even when I didn't have change at home, I'd try to arrange some money from someone else because I genuinely wanted to give the rider something extra.
But over time, I started noticing something that made me uncomfortable.
For example, imagine your order costs Rs. 850 and you give the rider Rs. 1,000. Instead of returning the Rs. 150, the rider simply keeps the entire amount without asking you anything.
Now, if I willingly tell someone to keep the change, that's one thing. But shouldn't the decision be mine?
There were occasions when I didn't particularly feel like tipping, especially after experiencing this behaviour repeatedly. So I'd ask for my change, and sometimes the response would be, "Bhai, bilkul change nahi hai."
I understand that delivery riders might genuinely not have change sometimes. I'm not denying that. But when someone says they have absolutely no change, even though they're handling multiple deliveries and parcels, it does make you wonder whether they're being honest.
One incident that particularly stuck with me involved a rider who had delivered to my house several times before. I had tipped him on previous occasions, so we were already familiar with each other.
One day, he told me that someone had snatched his money.
I asked him, "Snatching hui? Aur tumhara phone nahi liya? Sirf paise le gaye?"
He said that they hadn't taken his phone.
I don't know what actually happened, and I'm not claiming that he was lying. But I remember feeling a little suspicious, especially because I had already tipped him multiple times before.
Then there's another side to this.
I do a lot of online shopping, so riders from XYZ Courier Company frequently come to my house with parcels. I generally try to tip them as well.
On one occasion, a rider handed me my parcel, and when I started counting the money, he stood right in front of me, almost as if he was waiting for me to hand him something.
And here's another incident.
A few months ago, a rider from XYZ Courier Company came to deliver a parcel. I had actually intended to tip him, but when I asked about the change, he immediately said that he didn't have any.
I told him that I didn't have change either. After a little while, I said, "Bhai, aap dekh lein, shayad aapke paas ho."
Then I told him to wait while I went inside to get some money.
Without saying anything further, he took out his own wallet and returned the change to me.
And guess what? I didn't give him a single rupee as a tip.
I had initially intended to tip him, but the way he handled the situation completely changed my mind. Had he simply returned my change and let me decide whether I wanted to tip him, I probably would have given him something.
Now, coming to what happened today.
For the first time in several months, I ordered food late at night. The order cost Rs. 700, and I paid the rider with a Rs. 1,000 note.
He told me he didn't have change.
I told him that I didn't have change either, so I suggested that he transfer the remaining Rs. 300 to my bank account.
He said he didn't have an Easypaisa account.
I suggested that he could use another option, but he kept saying that he couldn't do it. Eventually, I told him that if he couldn't return the money, he could take the order back.
At that point, I asked whether he could transfer the money to my bank account instead. He agreed, so I gave him my bank details, and he transferred the Rs. 300.
I took my food and went back to my room.
Then, a thought crossed my mind.
Wait a minute. Didn't he just tell me that he didn't have an Easypaisa account or any way to transfer the money? So how did he manage to transfer it to my bank account?
Now, to be fair, maybe I misunderstood him. Maybe he didn't have money in his account, or perhaps there was some other explanation. I'm not claiming that he was trying to cheat me. It's entirely possible that I'm overthinking the situation.
And the thing is, I don't want to stop tipping people. I know how difficult delivery work can be, and I genuinely believe that people who work hard deserve respect and kindness.
I've even had riders directly ask me for a little something extra, saying things like, "Bhai, thori bohat mohabbat kar dein."
I understand that they might be struggling financially, and I don't want to sound insensitive to their circumstances. But sometimes, even when you have the intention of helping someone, the way they ask for it makes you uncomfortable.
The point I'm trying to make is simple: there's a difference between appreciating a tip and expecting one as if it's your right.
If I give you Rs. 200 extra, that's my choice. If I decide not to give you anything, that should also be my choice. And if I give you Rs. 1,000 for an Rs. 700 order, I should receive my Rs. 300 back unless I explicitly tell you to keep it.
I'm not saying all delivery riders behave this way. I've met plenty of decent riders, and I know many of them are honest, hardworking people who deserve far more respect than they receive.