Tip the pizza delivery driver!

[brennan]

Most do. Others throw tantrums because they don't believe it's fair to pay for services.

Show me where that happened.

 

[brainpan]

If I honestly thought you weren't aware, I would bother.

 

[warpus]

By the way, how the heck do they prove verbal contract in a court? I mean do Pizza places record all the phone orders or something?

Who would take somebody to court over a pizza?

You're right - you don't have to pay for a pizza that you ordered, and can turn the driver away at your door.. I've seen it happen myself.. but it is likely that you'll get blacklisted from ever ordering there again - unless you move and/or change your phone number.

Most do. Others throw tantrums because they don't believe it's fair to pay for services.

That's not exactly what a tip is - if it was, it wouldn't be optional.

So I have a question. I like to order from Swiss Chalet - they have a 45 minute or free policy. Now, if the food takes longer than 45-47 minutes (2 mins late, I still pay, longer than that, I consider it free), I don't tip, at all.

Should I?

 

[Bamspeedy]

Who would take somebody to court over a pizza?

You're right - you don't have to pay for a pizza that you ordered, and can turn the driver away at your door.. I've seen it happen myself.. but it is likely that you'll get blacklisted from ever ordering there again - unless you move and/or change your phone number.



That's not exactly what a tip is - if it was, it wouldn't be optional.

So I have a question. I like to order from Swiss Chalet - they have a 45 minute or free policy. Now, if the food takes longer than 45-47 minutes (2 mins late, I still pay, longer than that, I consider it free), I don't tip, at all.

Should I?

Depends if the food is hot. Sometimes it is so busy that the food just came out of the oven, but because of so many orders the cook had to make before hand there simply wasn't room in the oven to cook it right away. It wasn't the driver's fault, he did his end of the bargain by bringing you the pizza as fast as he could. The business takes the hit by not getting any money and paying the driver's wage for the time he took it to your house.

Really, if someone is so cheap that can't give the driver a buck or two for getting free food (if the food was hot), I wouldn't want them as a customer. And someone griping because food was 3 minutes late, is just ********.

The Dominos in my town used to have a 30 minutes or free policy. Then two Domino drivers got into an accident at the intersection in front of the store so they dropped that policy.

But when I worked in a smaller clothes store down the high street I got to persuade the customers to buy more and generally just give a good service. I might not have been tipped, but I sure was noticed by my boss and given bonuses and "awards" every quarter.

Yes, big difference if you are trying to get promoted or have the possibility of raises. Some places that just isn't going to happen. I don't think you would want at a cashier at a gas station encouraging customers to need to buy more gas.

Incentive?

YOU'RE FIRED.

Have a nice day.

Fine, then I would have been replaced by someone who doesn't show up half the time. But, hey at least they smile!

 

[brennan]

Fine, then I would have been replaced by someone who doesn't show up half the time. But, hey at least they smile!

they're fired too then. Maybe I should hire a European, you Yanks are damn lazy.

 

[warpus]

Really, if someone is so cheap that can't give the driver a buck or two for getting free food (if the food was hot), I wouldn't want them as a customer. And someone griping because food was 3 minutes late, is just ********.

Griping? It's their policy.

I never used to tip in situations like that, because 15% of $0 is $0. I suppose that's a technicality, but I really wasn't sure of proper etiquette in such situations. Besides, it's late, so I don't think the driver deserves a gratuity.

I might have to rethink my tipping strategy in such cases though.

 

[brennan]

Griping? It's their policy.

I'd pay anyway. It's only going to take a minute in the microwave to put it right. And hey, i'd feel like a thief if I didn't pay. But then i'm a communist so I eat babies too.

 

[LucyDuke]

I'll ask you straight: Does it strike you as dishonest for a pizza delivery company to advertise delivery as 'free' when it isn't?

Yes. Most sales tactics strike me as dishonest on some level.

Does it also strike you as unreasonable for me to expect that when I order food it arrives hot enough that I don't need to (re)cook it myself?

Why shouldn't you expect that?

It only strikes me as unreasonable that you expect a service for free. If we had no tipping culture, the menu prices would rise for delivery orders. Whether it's paid for with tips or higher menu prices, no service is truly free.

Because in a cut-throat business providing that service helps you sell more pizzas? I would have thought that was obvious.

I'm talking about the driver, not the house. The driver does it to make money. His money comes in tips.

Yes I pay him. I pay him whatever it said it had to on the menu, because that is the legal contract I entered into with his business when I ordered. If it's pissing down with rain i'll probably give him a couple of quid extra as well.

Well I can't speak to a couple of quid, because we obviously do things differently here and there. Just understand that over here, when you give the driver the amount listed on the menu, you're paying the house. Not him. He's getting paid minimum by the house, and the rest of his pay comes from you.

Sorry. Employing a rhetorical device. I was aware that you were not a deliverer of pizzas.

I just don't want my comments applied to pizza people. I'm not sure that it would be accurate.

So then what am I tipping for?

People appear to me to be tipping because they feel obliged to do so to get satisfactory service, not out of a desire to receive their pizza in ten seconds flat.

Your tipping is paying the driver for delivering you your pizza. In our culture we understand that the customer will pay the driver directly. People are tipping because they understand that they are responsible for paying the driver.


I also need to correct myself. Earlier in the thread I quoted $2.13 as the minimum service wage. I was mistaken, at least, in Rhode Island the minimum service wage is $2.89. It could be this way nationally, but I'm not sure.

It might seem odd that I didn't know my own wage, but I hope that gives you some kind of impression about the importance of tips, at least to a bartender. My pay is what I walk home with in my pocket at the end of the night. Every two weeks I get a check for $60 or $70 for seven or eight nights of work. That check is my $2.89 hourly pay, minus taxes on that sum, minus taxes on my assumed tips. Now, I usually made more than the assumed amount, but even if I had a dead week and didn't make the assumed tips, those taxes are still deducted from my check. I never pay much attention to the breakdown, because the check is trivial compared to my pay - my tips. I don't need any of you turning this paragraph into a debate, I just wanted to share my experience.

 

[Tank_Guy#3]

There is a local pizza resturant that pays its delivery employees, but I tip them anyways.

You're doing me a favor by not making me have to drive my corpse all the way across town to get a pizza (though this pizza IS worth it). I think this movie line says it best: "You serve your master well, and you will be rewarded."

And a lot of the time they are college kids, and I know first hand how strapped for cash you can be sometimes, I help out a bit.

 

[Ansar]

If it's free delivery, how is that fake?

Delivery is free, or do they charge a hidden fee in the receipt?

 

[Bamspeedy]

If it's free delivery, how is that fake?

Delivery is free, or do they charge a hidden fee in the receipt?

Some people are making the argument that the tip is almost mandatory, therefore the delivery isn't free since they have to spend more money to pay for the tip.

 

[Lotus49]

The delivery is free, and the tip is not mandatory. However, if you don't cough up the cash, you will be blacklisted. Bad things will happen to you. It's sort of this police state intimidation thing they have going. See, I tried to be a freedom fighter, but was scorned. Typical. Now, next thing you know it will be mandatory. That's OK though, as I've traveled to the New World, where I live freely and eat Digiorno.

 

[LightFang]

"There is no such thing as a free lunch."

One of the key points of economics.

 

[Shylock]

The delivery is free, and the tip is not mandatory. However, if you don't cough up the cash, you will be blacklisted. Bad things will happen to you. It's sort of this police state intimidation thing they have going. See, I tried to be a freedom fighter, but was scorned. Typical. Now, next thing you know it will be mandatory. That's OK though, as I've traveled to the New World, where I live freely and eat Digiorno.

Hell, make your own pizza. It'll be better than anything and cheaper too.

 

[Lotus49]

"There is no such thing as a free lunch."

One of the key points of economics.

Some say diversification is the only free lunch. Oh wait, that's investing - not economics.

Hell, make your own pizza. It'll be better than anything and cheaper too.

Real men don't eat pizza. All that fat, grease, cheese, etc.... it's all anti-testosterone & masculinity. But, for those that do eat it, they get to lose their manliness even more by being pressured to give away money to some college kid, or big fat slob guy - whatever the case may be.

Now if you will excuse me, I've got a nice Harvest whole grain PowerBar awaiting my consumption.

 

[Ansar]

"There is no such thing as a free lunch."

One of the key points of economics.

I know the pizza isn't free, but if the delivery is, I don't see how I have any more reasons to tip.

(Btw, I DO know that that is one of the key points of economics )

 

[LightFang]

Some say diversification is the only free lunch. Oh wait, that's investing - not economics.

If that was supposed to be some clever joke deriding me or economics or something, it completely went over my head. There is no such thing as a free lunch!

 

[Japanrocks12]

If that was supposed to be some clever joke deriding me or economics or something, it completely went over my head. There is no such thing as a free lunch!

not deriding economics or you, but pointing out a debateable exception

 

[Shylock]

Some say diversification is the only free lunch. Oh wait, that's investing - not economics.



Real men don't eat pizza. All that fat, grease, cheese, etc.... it's all anti-testosterone & masculinity. But, for those that do eat it, they get to lose their manliness even more by being pressured to give away money to some college kid, or big fat slob guy - whatever the case may be.

Now if you will excuse me, I've got a nice Harvest whole grain PowerBar awaiting my consumption.

What do they eat? MREs and raw meat?

Pizza doesn't have to be delivered and therefore tip isn't necessary. You can pick it up there, eat it there (though it depends if there are waiters), reheat frozen pizza, buy pre-made pizza at a drive-thru, or make it yourself from stratch.

If eating pizza is not being a real man, then I'm a woman. Plus if I eat it frequently with no exercise I can have my own pair of boobs to play with.

 

[LightFang]

Diversifying still requires the expenditure of something.

There is no free lunch, still.

If eating pizza is not being a real man, then I'm a woman. Plus if I eat it frequently with no exercise I can have my own pair of boobs to play with.

No way, you've just like crossed gender boundaries and stuff. You're a deeply conflicted character =O