why it pays to tip...

[Sarlon]

I'm an infrequent buyer of pizza or just any food that gets delivered to my door, but after having worked delivery for 2 summers in college I never order unless i have the money to tip.

Well its starting to show in the times i do order....I understand that if I'm stupid enough to call on a friday evening during school (big college town), I'm gonna expected at least an hour wait if not more.

The place I order from is on the other side of town (maybe 3 miles to my house), and is much closer to the college campus.

I'd been quoted a 1 hour wait time on delivery one night, but who was i to argue?

30 minutes later theres a knock on my door, with my pipping hot pizza, and cheesey bread sticks I'd ordered! I said I was suprised on the promptness, and the guy mentioned indirectly that they remember the tippers, this is as I'm putting the tip on the credit card reciept.

[Jester]

"We remember the good customers" is usually code for "we remember those who tip well." As there are few "good customers" who are bad tippers. There are, however, plenty of bad customers who are good tippers. Weird how that works.

[Antares]

I delivered pizza for a couple of years. That is true. It is also true that drivers remember those who don't tip.

I was walking out the door to make a delivery to a regular customer once when a coworker walked in. I stopped and talked to him for 10 minutes or so before heading out the door. I was pushing the 30 minute deadline and was probably over it when I arrived. Given the fact that she ordered the same thing every Wednesday, and always paid with 2 one dollar bills and 3 something in change, I wasn't inclined to give her any breaks.

On the other hand, if someone tipped well, even if their pie was the last to come out of the oven, they'd be the first to be delivered to.

There was a time when a customer called up and chewed out the person on the phone because the order was wrong. She was new and was in tears. Our biggest driver said he'd take the new pie back. He left the store, went around the corner, pulled it from the hot box, put it on the roof of his car and drove the 5 miles to their house holding it there, putting it back in the bag at the corner before their place. It was the middle of winter and the box was no longer hot when he got there. He said his delivery of the pizza made it clear that this pizza was their only resolution to the complaint.

[Peppergirl]

This is very true. We don't order often from my house, but when we do it usually arrives in half the quoted estimate.

Now, if only the non-tipping assholes of the world realized this. The world would be a happier place!

[Andara Bledin]

Our pizzas always arrive quickly.

As far as I can tell, the only time our delivery takes as long as quoted is when the quote is only slightly longer than it takes to make a pizza or when they have to wait on other pizzas before they can get to ours, but that's fairly rare.

Even in crappy weather, our pizza gets here fast.

Perhaps because they know that slow service for someone who doesn't tip isn't going to lose them anything.

^-.-^

[Akasa]

I live like 2 blocks away from the pizza joint. I always tip $3. I know they use less than that in gas to get to me.

[Lyse]

Amen! The Chinese place always quotes a 30-45 minute wait for delivery, I've had it to my house in a 10 minute period (20 is the average, though) absolutely piping hot!

[Sarlon]

when I did delivery, I had a small notebook in my car with addresses of customers and how much (if any) they tipped. I had some of the best delivery times for the store, and some of the best tips

[Racket_Man]

"We remember the good customers" is usually code for "we remember those who tip well." As there are few "good customers" who are bad tippers. There are, however, plenty of bad customers who are good tippers. Weird how that works.

We delivery drivers espcially if we have been in the biz for a while (8 years for me) have memories like the peverbial elephant. AND those who are naughty OR nice, their information is passed between us and shared. BUT since we all work enough shifts we know just by address who is naughty or nice.

when I did delivery, I had a small notebook in my car with addresses of customers and how much (if any) they tipped. I had some of the best delivery times for the store, and some of the best tips

After doing this for long enough it becomes ingrained or imprinted in your memory who is naughty or nice.

[Jester]

...we know just by address who is naughty or nice.

That brings up what to me is an obvious question: Have you ever gotten a delivery for a "naughty" address only to arrive and find out that the old residents had moved and been replaced by new residents, who were not as horrible as the old ones? Or the other way around?

Just wondering.

[Sarlon]

oh yeah, things were adjusted.

I remember one family that NO ONE wanted to ever deliver to. always ordered like $50+ worth of food and drinks, and had a check for EXACT change, nice ritzy rich part of town, minutes from the store.

I got a .45 tip once because they didn't tell anyone to bring change for $100, and had to pay with a $50, and said keep the change.

[Ellain]

My pizzas always seem to arrive earlier than expected. I wonder why? *grin*

[Racket_Man]

That brings up what to me is an obvious question: Have you ever gotten a delivery for a "naughty" address only to arrive and find out that the old residents had moved and been replaced by new residents, who were not as horrible as the old ones? Or the other way around?

Just wondering.

It does happen on occasion (meaning naughty turning into nice and visa versa) BUT most of the naughty type houses are apartments that tend to be cursed. Cursed in this case means that no matter WHO moves in to a particular rental house or apartment the residences will be naughty.

[csquared]

Tipping: It is not an obligation. It is an investment.