samson801

If you charge $100 and hope to get a $30 tip, why don’t you just charge $30? I would happily pay $130. I would not be happy if I planned to pay $100, and then felt llike I was guilted into paying another $30. It’s probably b/c FIverr made it an option so they could get more money themselves.

This is what the review system is for! If someone provides exceptional service, they get exceptional reviews, and thus more business. If the service sucks, they get bad reviews, and less business. When you add arbitrary tipping into the mix, you start an unnecessary guessing game. THe buyer is thinking, “I’ll charge $500, but I hope to get a $100 tip.” The buyer thinks, “I budgeted $500 and got the great service I expected … now I’m being guilted into paying another $100.” ONe of two things is almost inevitible: The buyer feels fleeced, or the seller feels fleeced. Just charge $600 and be done with it.

So this is a great point. And is precisely why the concept of tipping freelancers on Fiverr is unwise. Just let people charge what they charge. Adding tipping just makes the process more convoluted, leaving people to wonder, “what should I do,” “what’s proper?” And leaving a bad taste in people’s mouths b/c they feel they were bilked for more of their money. I’m happy to pay for a service. I’m not happy on the backend when asked to give more for that service when it is not customary, and feeling guilty if I decline. The other issue is, adding a tip charges your card a second time. Just tell me what to pay, and if I think it’s worth it, I’lll pay. If it is exceptional service, that’s great. That is what I expect. If it’s shitty service, then I’ll leave a bad review.

I agree. Let’s suppose Fiverr instead handled it this way: When the buyer places the order: “After you receive the order, you will have an opportunity to review the seller and have an option of tipping if you feel you received exceptional service that warrants it.” This would alert the buyer to factor that tip into the budget. (I spent $500 recently, so it would have been nice to plan to expect to pay another $100.) Then, after the order, a simple two questions: 1.) “How satisfied were you with the service?” 2.) “Would you like to leave a tip for the seller?”

Ya, that’s way different than AMerica where the server is paid by the employer a very low wage b/c it is customary for servers to receive tips; and they do receive tips when they are good. We don’t view it as intrusive when the server refills drinks and comes back to make sure the food was prepared to our liking. (Good servers do not “constantly” check on their tables, for that would not be good service.) The bigger issue is that Fiverr charges an additional fee when one tips.

Fair point. I feel our culture (in the U.S.) has gotten too tip-happy. When I go out to eat and the server brings my food, refills my drinks, checks on me, they deserve a tip. When I go out to eat and go up to the counter to order my food, get my own soft drink, and bus my own table, I find it annoying when they have a tip jar at the counter. In my opinion, Fiverr is like the latter example (charging a fee on the tip).

A pizza delivery person does not set his/her own compensation. A freelancer does. A freelancer determines what the job is worth to him/her and can charge accordingly. The buyer expects the job to be well-done.

Tipping is not customary, nor is charging a service fee on top of the tip The “It’s customary to leave a tip” page that comes up after your purchase needs to go. First of all, sellers are freelancers, and it is not customary to tip freelancers. So the statement “it’s customary to leave a tip” is untrue. Secondly, the buyer already agreed on the price, and since it is not customary to tip freelancers, this page gives the sense of trying to “guilt” you into tipping. I would not have as much of an issue if a page simply came up asking “Do you wish to leave a tip?” Although I still think that is tacky, it would be better than the current wording. As a freelancer myself, I never expect a tip b/c I set my own price, and I assume the reviews speak to my ability, so I charge what i feel I am worth. People express their appreciating by 1.) hiring me, and 2.) by thanking me, and 3.) sometimes by referring me. Finally, you’ll notice Fiverr conveniently assesses a “Service Fee” on the tip. So what this seems to be is just another way for Fiverr to make money by guilting you into paying more. Even when tips are customary, it is not customary for the employer to charge more on top of the tip! (Ex: At a restaurant, you pay taxes on the bill, and when you leave a tip, you do not pay additional taxes on the tip.) So Fiverr should either eliminate this page OR at the very least change the wording and do away with the service fee.