Uber announced Tuesday it would include tipping function to its app, the first of a series of changes that the ride-hailing company has initiated to make amends with its drivers.
In the latest version of the Uber app, riders will be asked whether they would like to leave a tip when rating their drivers at the end of a trip. They can either choose the pre-determined amounts of one, three or five U.S. dollars, or select a custom amount.
This is considered a remarkable turnaround for Uber, which has been standing steadfast against the idea of adding tip feature to its app, citing the reason that "tipping would introduce a measure of 'uncertainty' to the price of a ride."
Allowing drivers to receive tips is just one of the eight changes that Uber is making in June to kick off an initiative called "180 Days of Change." Most of the changes are considered to favor the drivers, like paid wait-times and driver injury protection insurance.
Uber has been tangled in multiple scandals in recent months, ranging from sexual harassment allegations in the workplace to the use of spy software on its rivals.
In an online post titled "Uber's path forward," Uber cofounder and chairman Garrett Camp wrote: "A friend recently asked me, 'What went wrong?' and the answer is that we had not listened well enough to those who got us here... our team and especially our drivers."
Also on Tuesday, Uber's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Travis Kalanick agreed to step down from the top position. He was forced out by a shareholder revolt, launched by five of the company's major investors, according to a New York Times report.
