Tipping question...quick answer, pizza will be here in 39 minutes

In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)
#21

For the OP, tipping even when they have a small delivery charge is always nice to tip, imho.

There is a similar question I’ve been wondering about:

At work, one of the nearby sandwich shop’s contracts a delivery service. The delivery service charges a $15 flat fee for the delivery.

I pay the sandwich shop by credit card - they pay the delivery service. I can’t sign the credit card statement with an extra tip for the delivery person (as I usually do) when they arrive as it’s already been finalized, at the restaurant itself - NOT the delivery service.

I’ve been wondering what to do about that. My instinct is to tip, but they’ve made it hard to do it the normal way and this is a work lunch, not a personal lunch so tipping in cash without a receipt will not get me reimbursed by the company.

#22

Never had to deal with a delivery charge, so I always tip.

I always overtip the first couple of times I am new to an area (like 25%). I have always found this gets me my food as fast as possible. (After the first couple of times, I tip around 15-20%.) From what I can tell, the delivery people usually get a couple of deliveries at a time; if they know someone is willing to pay for prompt service, they will go there first.

And, if I have to pay by credit card, I try my damnedest to have cash for the tip. Makes life better for the driver.

#23

My normal pizza order is about $20, with something like $1.50 delivery charge. I still tip 4 bucks every time, and my pizza is almost always piping hot - noticeably, it’s always piping hot when I recognize a delivery person. It’s only the new guys who bring me a cold pizza. (And who once came back and said he couldn’t find my house. Grr.)

#24

Good response, dnooman. I just wanted to add/emphasize: The truth of the matter is that you’re tipping to show appreciation for the service. There’s more factors in the delivery process than just the gas prices. There’s the exponential increase in idiots who can’t walk and chew gum at the same time, let alone drive. There’s the inclement weather sometimes. There’s the customers that get their jollies out of being obnoxious just to scam free stuff. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I know what you’re thinking, s/he could always try a different career. That’s true, but chances are if s/he did, your food would just get to you a little later. Bottom line is, if you’re feeling too lazy to use your own stove or pack a lunch, you should be appreciative.

#25

As someone who worked at Domino’s for two years, part of that time as a delivery driver, I’ll give ya’ll these tips (PUN):

  • If your pizza is made wrong or not on time, generally it’s not the driver’s fault, unless they got lost (which is really unlikely, most drivers carry maps in their car and memorize their delivery area). Usually your pizza is late before it leaves the store.

  • A delivery charge is not a tip. Your delivery guy (or girl) does not get any of that delivery charge, except maybe a small percentage towards gas. The store gets the delivery charge. It’s greedy, it’s fucked up, but it’s the way the world works.

  • If it’s raining or snowing, you are NOT going to get your pizza on time, even if you live a block away from the pizza place, because everyone and their brother is calling that pizza place to get pizza cuz they don’t wanna go outside and get soaked. And your delivery driver is going to get soaked anyway. It’s always nice when someone appreciates your effort and slips you a decent tip.

  • If you don’t have the money to tip, take the $15 you would have spent on pizza, walk yourself down to the grocery store, and buy a week’s worth of dinners off it. It’s what I do.

  • I ALWAYS tip the delivery guy, unless they’re rude to me. Like I said, if it’s late or not made right, that’s not their fault, it’s the insider’s fault at the pizza store. And if you’re super nice about a mess-up, the delivery person might just take out their cell phone and take care of it then and there (as I have before…guy was so nice I got them to give him three free pizzas in the future).

Any other questions, I made a delivery driver’s manifesto that could send a few people chuckling. Anyone wants the URL, ask.

~Tasha

#26

I despise delivery charges from places which don’t even have an eat in area. I can understand a restaurant adding on a charge like this if they do a substantial amount of business from eat in customers who are buying drinks and etc. However a delivery charge from a chain pizza place in a strip mall without any seating is a bit annoying, especially if they don’t have a walk in clientele.

I don’t order a lot of pizza. But, I try to tip well when I do. Usually 2 to 5 dollars depending on the number of pizzas I order. I live in a gated apt complex and the driver usually has to follow someone in plus hike up a flight of stairs.

#27

I add 15-20% to the price of my order, and give that in addition to the pizza cost. Normally, that’s about $2-3 per pizza. If the restaurant wants to call $1 of that a “delivery charge,” they can go right ahead. I’m not going to pay the restaurant to deliver my food and pay the delivery guy to deliver my food just because the restauranteur figured that he could guilt people into an extra dollar per order.

#28

I was. :slight_smile: I stole it from a story about Connie Mack. I would have left it the A’s (as in the original cabdriver story), but since the Rockies are still going to come back, I took a dig at the OP’s other localish team.

#29

Drugs kill, Frank. :smiley:

#30

Hit me.

#31

Papa John’s in my neighborhood started to do the delivery charge. The rare times I order from them, I do the standard tip ($20 order+$5 tip).

Unfortunately, there are 2 pizza delivery joints in town with laaaaaazy drivers. I’ll get a call from the driver letting me know that he’s pulling up to my apartment building and to meet him outside to get my pizza. Those drivers get no tip.