Photo: Mike Jones / Pexels & Reddit
For once a tip leaves a worker crying in a good way.
By John Sundholm — Last updated on Oct 15, 2023
Working in the gig economy and food service is not for the faint of heart — just ask anyone who's done it. And workers' reliance on tips to make a living only makes these jobs harder, especially as rising inflation rates and pay cuts by gig companies cut into workers' base wages.
Meanwhile, social media is full of tales from waiters, bartenders and delivery drivers for apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub who have been stiffed by customers who refuse to tip.
So it's no surprise that when one driver for DoorDash got a $100 tip on Christmas Eve, they were downright shocked—so much so they sent a letter to the customer. The customer, Vivica, posted the heartfelt letter she received from the DoorDash driver to the "r/MadeMeSmile" subReddit, and it's pulling on many Redditors' heartstrings.
The DoorDasher left a note sharing their gratitude for the generous tip.
The DoorDash driver said they were so "baffled" by Vivica's generous tip they cried their entire way home. The driver wrote they had just begun driving for DoorDash following a job loss, and in a testament to how hard things can get after losing a job, the driver decided to work on Christmas Eve in order to "pay for a tank of gas."
Photo Credit: Reddit
Vivica was their last order of the night, and her generosity — a $100 tip on an order that only totaled $60 — left the Dasher "baffled" and exceedingly grateful.
A much-quoted 2018 Federal Reserve study revealed some 40% of Americans are so strapped they'd be unable to afford a $400 surprise expense—and that was before the pandemic's economic upheavals. For all too many people $100 really can make all the difference, and accordingly, the DoorDash driver was blown away by Vivica's kindness. They wrote, "I must admit I cried the entire way home and held my three children very close that night."
The driver used the tip as a lesson to their children about the importance of kindness and generosity.
They told their kids about Vivica and her generosity, and explained the importance of gratitude and appreciation for others' kindness. The Dasher went on to say they "told them how important it is to be kind to others and generous when you can; that doing so could make someone's day."
"We are so very grateful for you and your kindness," they went on to write. "Thank you from the bottom of our hearts."
Many people were deeply moved by the letter, and it inspired them to be more generous in their own lives.
"This is the kinda stuff that feeds my soul," one user wrote. "We can all be each others angels if we want — doesn’t take much." One user who'd grown up without much money empathized with the DoorDasher, writing that the letter "made my eyes well-up because I grew up watching my parents trying to make ends meet."
Another said Vivica's gesture inspired them to do the same — "The next time I have some extra money to spare, I’m absolutely pulling this move."
Others responded with calls for restaurant and gig economy workers to be paid more fairly and treated with more respect.
One person called out the way "people in the service industry are [treated poorly] more often than not" and frequently "people forget to be kind to the people who handle one’s food." Another wrote, "Society shouldn't function on hope and charity," while another lamented that "dashers have to depend on tips and kindness instead of a decent wage." Perhaps the most instructive comment, though, came from a fellow DoorDash driver who gave a glimpse into the reality of the gig economy for all too many workers.
After thanking Vivica, they wrote, "Most of the time we’re stiffed so you’re what we call a unicorn. Someone very special."
Tipping is far from a perfect system, but it's the one we have. Here's hoping posts like Vivica's inspire others to make generosity the norm, rather than a surprise.
John Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer who covers pop culture, social justice and human interest topics.