I've recently learned, painfully, that most private car services sending limos and private “black tie” transportation such as Escalades, Continentals, etc (the nice black cars w/ decals on front and rear beginning with “TCP”) are scrambling to hire / retain good drivers these days. As such, they routinely subcontract out to other companies (often individuals on a 1099) for drivers.
AND STEALING THEIR TIPS.
I've just started with a small subcontractor in Los Angeles. Here, the company you originally booked through will give part of what they charge, maybe 40%, to the subcontractor, keeping the rest and ALL OF THE TIP you put on the invoice.
PLEASE say you are uncomfortable tipping before the ride / on the bill, and will hire a car from another company if you can't tip the driver directly, AFTER the ride (plenty of competition). They won't risk losing a job.
The latest scam is they say it's “compulsory” to tip 20% ahead of time, but this does NOT mean “mandatory”. Again, please just say you're not comfortable tipping before the ride / on the bill.
The subcontracted driver will NEVER get your tips unless you tip “in person”, meaning separate from the bill for your booking. We all have Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, etc, and can usually give change for anything $100 or smaller. I say tip at the end of the ride because that's common sense. This is the only way to be sure they definitely get your tips.
Asking around, it seems some companies have always done this, but due to COVID / gas increases, it's becoming more common in most major US markets.
If you REALLY wanna help us out, ask them to knock this shit off entirely. A lot of times drivers are driving a car they pay for, on gas they pay for, only making about $20 an hour for rather grueling work. Your tips easily make the difference between poverty wages and a living income. The company I work for provides the cars, gas, and covers expenses (like car washes), and pays $20/hr. Min wage in LA is $17 for a reason, $20/hr doesn't go far here.
I didn't know this when I started at the company that I'm with now, after being laid off from my last job. I was scared, last job was fighting all unemployment claims from those laid off and I need a flexible job, close to home, as I have elderly I care for.
I've held a lot of different driving jobs in the past such as Uber, Bird, multiple catering companies, and delivery jobs for small places, and never had an experience like this. At a conservative estimate I'm losing at least $120 a day because of this.
Yes, I'm looking for other work. It can't be far from home, nor a normal 9-5 schedule. Not easy to find. I can't afford a car of my own to do Uber or delivery jobs any more with gas costing what it does now.
No, I don't want to work directly for the unscrupulous other companies we subcontract from.
TLDR: about 30% of drivers for “black tie” / limo car services are booked through a subcontractor. The company you booked almost definitely is NOT giving tips you put on the bill to those drivers, often not to their own drivers. Tip in cash, Venmo, etc, IN PERSON, AFTER the ride.