Pizza Delivery....a Rant

[Jack Ryan]

If I forget your 2 liter, instead of going all the way back to the store, I'll run to the closest shop and buy you one.

I'm suppose to tip you for taking responsibility and fixing your own mistake?

 

[SavageEagle]

Wow, man I know how you feel. I delivered for about 5 years. Avon was the best of all the places I worked. Plainfield was ok, but A LOT of what you described happened. And By God, if you deliver in Indy, I'm SO sorry. Between having to knock out teeth with a maglite and watching someone get shot, I'm SOOOO glad I don't deliver anymore. I wish Noble Romans was still open. I'd still be working there!

 

[SavageEagle]

I'm suppose to tip you for taking responsibility and fixing your own mistake?

If it doesn't show up on the ticket..... Yea.

 

[MyGlockRocks19]

I'm suppose to tip you for taking responsibility and fixing your own mistake?

Proper procedure is to go back to the store and get one....sounds like you'd be the guy waiting on his, eh?

 

[MyGlockRocks19]

Wow, is pizza delivery an indentured servant position or are you free to quit at any time?

Nope, just a crappy job I work to make ends meet, that is occasionally made crappier by guys with attitudes like yours.

 

[Indecision]

That's actually a good question, because I've been in the habit of factoring the "delivery charge" into my tipping, as I assumed this automatically goes to the driver.

Only a portion (if any) of this goes to the driver.

I was a driver for Donatos for a few years, then an AGM of the Donatos at 116th/Allisonville, 10th/Arlington, and 62nd/Keystone at one point or another.

If you tip less than $3 dollars regardless of your total, you are cheap. Think about WHY you have it delivered to begin with, cuz you don't feel like getting up and drive a few miles, wasting your gas (this was a HUGE deal when it was $4 a gallon), time, and just generally taking away from whatever TV program you are indulging in. If the convenience is not worth $3 to you, drive to get it. Oh and if you get a catering order, tip accordingly. a $5 tip is not sufficient for $120 in pizza and 2 liters.

And to the OP, if they ask for change, don't carry it. I never did, my management said they would stand behind it, and I stood behind my guys as such. I was only hassled about it once in 4 years. Just round, it works itself out in the end. And the avg person tells you to keep the coin anyway.

 

[Indecision]

Learn something new every day. I would have assumed that you guys have coins to make change. Not a reflection on you, but of your company. Why in the world would the send you out without the resources to complete the job? I'll have to keep this in mind though.....

You can get change, but it's more hastle than it's worth. He could just get 2 x 5s, 9x1, and a dollar in change for his $20 bank, (we carried only $20). But I never bothered with it. Most people aren't like you. You are in the minority. As previoiusly stated, 4 years and 1 person ever hastled me about it.

Hands down, the best way to handle a delivery driver, hand them the cash and as you're passing it say "Just give me $XX back." It expedites the procss greatly, he isn't hesitantly counting back money hoping you'll say it. You aren't getting irritated he's taking so long. Plus, you'll get less bills in change back. If your change is roughly $7, i'm giving you 7 $1s so I can get more then $2 back without you feeling you HAVE to tip $5 to not be cheap. Then you revert to being cheap, cuz it's not worth $5. But you can give me $3 or $4 in opposed to it having to be $2 or $5.

 

[firstrock]

Not quite the same but..... I delivered a weekly business paper in and around Marion co for a few years. deliveries were mostly made to grocery/drug stores. My route (1 of 3) had about 80 stops and I delivered upwards of 1000 papers in my route (read 2 trips to the printers!). I feel your pain on the dipwad drivers driving too slow or turning without signaling.

Something else that irked me was that when i delivered to a store I would leave the car running and park in the fire lane, flashers flashing and placards on all sides of the car announcing that the car was a delivery vehice. I would exit the car with papers in hand and every time some old lady or mom with kids would give me a dirty look for "being lazy" by parking in the fire zone! Hello, can't you see that I'm NOT shopping but delivering a product? Or the time IMPD gave me a $75 ticket for "parking" in a fire lane!

Like you I had to provide my own car, gas, tires, insurance etc. The most profit I showed for a Friday delivery (10 hrs work) was about $80!!

Also, like someone already said, the write off for miles really isn't worth it but I could deduct a portion of my internet, cell phone and meals.

John

 

[stilllearning09]

This thread is going to change my tipping habits. I thought the driver got some of the delivery charge.

I agree. I thought the delivery charge went directly to the driver. This has been an eye opening thread.

 

[Indecision]

Not quite the same but..... I delivered a weekly business paper in and around Marion co for a few years. deliveries were mostly made to grocery/drug stores. My route (1 of 3) had about 80 stops and I delivered upwards of 1000 papers in my route (read 2 trips to the printers!). I feel your pain on the dipwad drivers driving too slow or turning without signaling.

Something else that irked me was that when i delivered to a store I would leave the car running and park in the fire lane, flashers flashing and placards on all sides of the car announcing that the car was a delivery vehice. I would exit the car with papers in hand and every time some old lady or mom with kids would give me a dirty look for "being lazy" by parking in the fire zone! Hello, can't you see that I'm NOT shopping but delivering a product? Or the time IMPD gave me a $75 ticket for "parking" in a fire lane!

Like you I had to provide my own car, gas, tires, insurance etc. The most profit I showed for a Friday delivery (10 hrs work) was about $80!!

Also, like someone already said, the write off for miles really isn't worth it but I could deduct a portion of my internet, cell phone and meals.

John

My record tip was something like $200, but I split it. $2000 orders take a lot of work to make.

 

[Scutter01]

You do know that if you keep a log of miles driven for the pizza job you can deduct I believe 41 cents a mile on you taxes, along with some maintenance cost.

You can't deduct the whole 41 cents. You can only deduct the difference between that and what you were paid for mileage. If you're paid 31 cents, then you can only deduct 10 cents/mile.

 

[femurphy77]

Understand all of your rants but one of your pet peeves is also one of mine but from the opposite side. I consider myself to be a better than average tipper but it doesn't matter if it's pizza delivery or sit down coat and tie dining; if the waiter/tress delivery person ASSUMES the coin change is his/hers to keep I'm o.k. with that! You just saved me the rest of your tip! You've suddenly gone from a $5 tip on a $10 order to 43 cents! When it comes to MY money don't ASSUME it's yours until I tell you or give it back to you!! One of my favorite lunch spots has several girls that make that mistake once and then one of the "old-timers" clue them in for the next visit. Those little orange shorts only go so far

 

[Scutter01]

IMHO, the coin change is part of a social contract. It's like deciding who pays the check on a first date. You both know who's paying for it, but the woman is still supposed to attempt to pay to give the man the chance to say he'll pay. The same with the coin change. We both know the pizza guy is getting it, but he's supposed to attempt to offer it back first.

The problem is that too many customers don't understand their side of the contract. They don't realize that when the delivery guy goes to offer the change, the customer is supposed to say "keep it". All of this, ideally, should happen before the delivery person has to actually try to make change to get you your 13 cents.

 

[hornadylnl]

What is equally annoying is when you are staying at a huge hotel on the main drag of Kissimmee only 1 mile from Disney's main gate and 3 or 4 pizza joints don't know how to find you. One of them was on the same road and couldn't have been more than 4 miles from my hotel. Isn't tourism one of their biggest customer bases? You'd think it would behoove them to know where every hotel and motel is.

 

[Indecision]

You can't deduct the whole 41 cents. You can only deduct the difference between that and what you were paid for mileage. If you're paid 31 cents, then you can only deduct 10 cents/mile.

I know people that delivered for almost every place you can name and I've yet to hear about anyone getting paid mileage for pizzas. I know the OP mentioned it, but it's the first time i have heard of it.

And you can complain about not getting coin offered to you all you want, I knew 1 driver who intentionally carried change. I'll eat the extra change from some dude that wants the rounded dollar back before I dump a pocket full of change onto my floorboards everytime that sits down. It's not worth the hastle for $.50 max.

 

[Jay]

Tips should be GIVEN based on services rendered, NOT on the expectations of the server, or delivery person. Having said that, I don't have pizza's delivered. I don't care for folks at my door, that I don't know.

 

[Indecision]

I don't disagree one bit. If they don't deserve, they don't desrve it. But if nothing is wrong, the person is courteous, and you're happy withe verything. $3 is is the standard. Much like %15 is at a restraunt.

 

[No Time to Shoot]

WOW I delivered Pizza in High School for a few yrs and only had a great time. Tiips where always great from, cash, to beer, to pot, to ummm yeah on occasion those adult mags do get a thing right from time to time. Sorry to hear people are treating you so poorly!

I delivered pizza in high school as well. I pretty much had the same experiences you did! It's amazing the things you see as a pizza delivery driver!

After being a pizza delivery driver I decided the next step up for me was being a pool boy!

 

[hotfarmboy1]

I used to deliver for a few months my senior year in high school, at a small privately owned pizza place in Alexandria. Our pay was 15% commission and tips. Good nights it wasn't too bad. But I had some slow nights where I didn't even walk out with $10. I know how you feel about all that stuff you mentioned. I felt the same way. Although I was lucky about the police in town there. If they knew you were a delivery guy for that pizza place and on the job, they generally left you alone unless you were really driving crazy, since the owner of the shop was a well known firefighter in town. I never used a GPS or anything, of course they werent really out then. But in that 6 month time, I went from not knowing the town, to knowing every inch of it, and knowing exactly where every regular customer lived. And what their preferences were. I've always tipped well whenever I can afford it. I didn't know the delivery charge didn't go to the driver either. Our delivery was free. So I'll be sure to remember that now.

 

[hotfarmboy1]

I delivered pizza in high school as well. I pretty much had the same experiences you did! It's amazing the things you see as a pizza delivery driver!

After being a pizza delivery driver I decided the next step up for me was being a pool boy!

I guess I never got as lucky as you and redneck. But then again my car was a POS as well.