tipping delivery people

[Eulogy]

Originally Posted by DeviousJ

Eulogy says so

And I don't think I've ever ordered from a place that didn't add a delivery charge, or at least require a large minimum order for free delivery. If these drivers are just happy little volunteer elves who give their time and use of their car to the company for free, why is the company charging money for a service they're not providing?

$1.85 per delivery. not enough for anyone to take the job.

[Eulogy]

Originally Posted by MADpeace

WOW. You don't read this shit for a weekend and look what happens!

Well, I started it, so maybe I'll wrap it up. Here's what I think based on all of your thoughts.

Eulogy is a terrible drunk with an anger problem, and I think you define a generation who seems to say less the more you speak.

As for tipping...it's just inherently difficult to gage a delivery person's service compared to a waiter's service. If a waiter is like the one at Denny's, funny and helpful, great big tip. If not, then small tip, if any (though I personally always tip). But a delivery person, who knows.

Honesty is something lacking in this industry. If these people only work off of tips, then maybe make that known to customers. OR, if delivery people are desparate about it, they can not yell at people at me for tipping them less than THEY expect, but they can complain to their bosses and tell them to inform customers, or add a delivery charge for them.

In the end, it's clear that guy was totally wrong at being upset with me. To answer some questions that were brought up...this place is about four blocks away but I was high and didn't feel like shlepping it, but it certainly didn't take up too much business for the driver.

Until the insitution "crumbles" (haha, ooooh eulogy), just tip based on service and your own previous beliefs. I agree with the sentiment that in other jobs I've done alot of shitty stuff that, in essense, cost me money for things like gas. Just don't take it out on the customers.

i never defended the actions of the douchebag who delivered to you. can you actually address anything i said in the thread instead of attacking me in vague generalities?

[KrazeeStacee]

Originally Posted by Eulogy

you. are. missing. my. point. entirely. i know what is expected of me. and the people i delivered to knew that if i did what was expected, they should tip me. yes it is an absurd concept, but that is unfortunately how it works. you understand this, so i don't know why you keep telling me to quit if i don't like it. my only point is that if everyone were glassgowkiss, then i would be forced to quit, which seems kind of unfair.

No, earlier you specifically mentioned my name. So obviously you just had no idea what I was talking about or you were too drunk and angry to care.

[Eulogy]

Originally Posted by KrazeeStacee

No, earlier you specifically mentioned my name. So obviously you just had no idea what I was talking about or you were too drunk and angry to care.

oh that is a definite possibility. but i stand by anything i said after that first night.

[KrazeeStacee]

Originally Posted by flavin

If no one tipped, then delivery people would almost surely quit, which would force places to raise their food prices or add a delivery fee to pay those people, so non-tippers wouldn't really be saving any money.


Just wondering, do you think this is impossible from a delivery person, because you don't have a conversation/etc with them? (Or because it's too short an interaction to tell?)

Didn't I just say if they got my food here in say, 25 mins instead of 30, that's exceptional service and I'll tip more. Just like if a server gives me exceptional service. If they're polite to me instead of just shoving my food in my face and telling me my total, that's exceptional service. That's going beyond what is expected of you and that would deserve something more...but if you're just doing your job then good for you, here's 10% which is what I think is fair. Just like if a server just does his/her job and nothing more, they get the usual 15-20%.

[KrazeeStacee]

Originally Posted by Eulogy

oh that is a definite possibility. but i stand by anything i said after that first night.

Well if you're going to go on a drunken rage posting spree then don't expect others not to take offense to what you're saying, and don't expect to be totally confused the next day as to what you're even discussing.

[Eulogy]

Originally Posted by KrazeeStacee

Didn't I just say if they got my food here in say, 25 mins instead of 30, that's exceptional service and I'll tip more.

this isn't necessarily true either. you're either rewarding or punishing delivery people for things beyond their control. drivers will always make deliveries as fast as possible because it is a way for them to make more deliveries and make more money.

[DeviousJ]

Originally Posted by Eulogy

$1.85 per delivery. not enough for anyone to take the job.

So how much are customers charged for a delivery?

[Eulogy]

Originally Posted by DeviousJ

So how much are customers charged for a delivery?

$1.85.

...i'm pretty sure at least. it could have been like $2 or something, but I got $1.85 per delivery.

[DeviousJ]

Originally Posted by Eulogy

$1.85.

...i'm pretty sure at least. it could have been like $2 or something, but I got $1.85 per delivery.

How many orders did you deliver on each run, and how long did a run take on average?

Because you were talking earlier about drivers waiting for a bunch of orders to be ready, so they could all be taken at once. So if each order is bringing in $1.85 and you're delivering multiple orders in one run, you could make quite a bit in an hour without tips, right?

[Eulogy]

Originally Posted by DeviousJ

How many orders did you deliver on each run, and how long did a run take on average?

Because you were talking earlier about drivers waiting for a bunch of orders to be ready, so they could all be taken at once. So if each order is bringing in $1.85 and you're delivering multiple orders in one run, you could make quite a bit in an hour without tips, right?

it is dependent on a lot of different things. most commonly i would deliver one order at a time. by far that was the most common situation. i would take two maybe once on a weekday, but i only took more than two on weekends, and i don't remember if i ever took more than 3. i think i took four once. but it's not like drivers sit around and wait for 6 orders so they can shove them all in their cars. the only time you would wait is if it was going to be less than 5 minutes and no other drivers were around and you knew they wouldn't be back for a while.

so in a word, no.

[Eulogy]

runs can take up to 30 minutes, and sometimes a little longer, if you're delivering for a suburban, non-chain place that has a wide delivery range.

[DeviousJ]

It sounds a little weird that a place would only charge $1.85 for delivery over a wide radius. Plus other people in here have disagreed and said the drivers were actually paid more. I'm not convinced to be honest, are you definitely saying this is standard for all delivery drivers?

[flavin]

Originally Posted by KrazeeStacee

Didn't I just say if they got my food here in say, 25 mins instead of 30, that's exceptional service and I'll tip more. Just like if a server gives me exceptional service. If they're polite to me instead of just shoving my food in my face and telling me my total, that's exceptional service. That's going beyond what is expected of you and that would deserve something more...but if you're just doing your job then good for you, here's 10% which is what I think is fair. Just like if a server just does his/her job and nothing more, they get the usual 15-20%.

Ah, I see, sorry, must have missed that. Just wondering of course, because there's a lot less opportunity for interaction, and I saw that's one reason why you tipped additionally for the server, so I thought you might base all tips on that.

I've never been a delivery person, so I wonder how much control they themselves actually have over the speed of delivery (them taking their time versus the food preparation process/etc). Of course I have had some pizza guys get lost & drive to the same street in a different township on several occasions, so I know how frustrating an extremely long waiting time can be, and I know that really makes me want to reward a quick delivery.

[Eulogy]

Originally Posted by DeviousJ

It sounds a little weird that a place would only charge $1.85 for delivery over a wide radius. Plus other people in here have disagreed and said the drivers were actually paid more. I'm not convinced to be honest, are you definitely saying this is standard for all delivery drivers?

no, i don't think it's standard, but i'd imagine it doesn't vary all that much. i already said earlier that i got into a conversation with a customer who worked somewhere that gave $2 per pizza. which would have made me a lot more money. maybe the place i worked for had exceptionally low charges, but i don't think so.

[Eulogy]

Originally Posted by flavin

I've never been a delivery person, so I wonder how much control they themselves actually have over the speed of delivery

you know instead of just wondering you could read my posts that say they have very, very little to do with it. drivers do not take their time because it means less deliveries for them which means less money.

[smurfing]

how is it that this thread is so long. it's really best to always leave the nicest tip you can

[KrazeeStacee]

Originally Posted by DeviousJ

It sounds a little weird that a place would only charge $1.85 for delivery over a wide radius. Plus other people in here have disagreed and said the drivers were actually paid more. I'm not convinced to be honest, are you definitely saying this is standard for all delivery drivers?

It's not, because most things he described are not how things work here in the city. The delivery charge is generally more, the radius of delivery is smaller and they can take a bunch of orders if necessary and still keep the food hot because more people are concentrated in these little areas. Like say for example, if they were doing just one delivery, it'd probably take them no more than 5 minutes to get to the person's house from where the restaurant is located. Plus things are very fast paced in Chicago and it's expected to be fast service - therefore the places of business that can't do that generally don't stay open for very long.

So hey, maybe that's where our confusion lies, who knows.

[KrazeeStacee]

Originally Posted by flavin

Ah, I see, sorry, must have missed that. Just wondering of course, because there's a lot less opportunity for interaction, and I saw that's one reason why you tipped additionally for the server, so I thought you might base all tips on that.

We had a delivery guy where we used to live that would ask how our day was, he'd tell a joke or something while we were filling out the credit card slip. He was always friendly, he always brought our food up to our door (it was a hotel style apartment building) if we had a big order, he'd wait for us to get it all in. I've had guys come and shove like 4 boxes and 2 bags and a liter of pop in my face and take the money and leave.

[Mo]

We just tipped the pizza guy $6 - just because of this thread.

[flavin]

Originally Posted by Eulogy

you know instead of just wondering you could read my posts that say they have very, very little to do with it. drivers do not take their time because it means less deliveries for them which means less money.

Yeah, I did read your post, the one about only running in and out, that's what caused me to think about it it in the first place. Seems delivery people have a rough spot in that one, because where as a server can tell a table/apologize for a slow kitchen and the table can recognize that it's not the server's fault, it would be a lot tougher for the delivery person to convey that.

But yeah, didn't mean to act ignorant there, since I knew they have little control, but I was just thinking more about little things, like deciding how much time to commit to spending at each house, for example. I'm sure they have to find out if committing to interacting longer with a customer would get a bigger tip vs. just showing up and getting out of there quicker to get a tip for getting somewhere else faster.

[Eulogy]

well i never want to have a conversation with a delivery person, so i never really went very far.

i'd say 'hello, how are you, have a good night, blahblah,' and if something else presented itself naturally i would follow it, but i'm not going to start conversations about politics or the weather with people who probably just want to get their food and start eating it.

[pale_princess]

eulogy do u need a hug?

[Sepiae]

This thread makes me really happy about the proximity of the pizza and Chinese food places to my apartment.

[Eulogy]

Originally Posted by pale_princess

eulogy do u need a hug?

no. i need it to be friday.

sorry if i've been more irritable than usual guys. WORK OVERLOAD.

[pale_princess]

aww.

*hugs eulogy anyway*

[bardy]

in college we used to smoke up delivery guys and give them shots of alcohol

[Eulogy]

Originally Posted by bardy

in college we used to smoke up delivery guys and give them shots of alcohol

yeah apparently that's pretty common on college campuses.

although i don't think i would take shots while on the job as a delivery driver.

[bardy]

in hindsight I cant believe they did either, but apparently (from this threaD) their jobs suck pretty hard

[Eulogy]

Originally Posted by bardy

in hindsight I cant believe they did either, but apparently (from this threaD) their jobs suck pretty hard

it doesn't suck that bad!