How Not to Expidite Your Pizza Delivery

[reimero]

PLEASE PLEASE do not penelize the driver if you pizza is "late". Sorry but the delivery time is an estimate not a firm unbreakable time. 99% of the time it is NOT the drivers fault.

I'm not that much of a SC, honestly. Very rarely will I stiff on a tip (actually, very rarely will I order delivery pizza, but I digress), and if I scale back on a tip, it's because the pizza is late. And by late, I mean unreasonably late. Part of this is that I have a pretty good idea how long things take, and we do take circumstances into account. So if we're told 45-60 minutes and it's been 75-90 and the pizza place says the driver left 20 minutes ago... yeah. There's an issue. (If the pizza place says there was a problem and they had to re-make the pizza or they forgot to do it the first time, then I won't penalize the driver.)

Basically, if the pizza is old by the time I get it, it's on the driver.

[Demonoid Phenomenon]

A couple of weeks ago we got nailed on a customer survey. the SC got their food and liked it but the delivery ETA was quoted at 45 minutes and they got their pizza in 35. they stated to the surveyor that they did not get their order PROMPTLY. ruined our long streak of 100% customer surverys

I would say, "You're kidding", but I know you're not. And corporate saw this as a bad thing?

[mattm04]

I knew someone who "knew how to beat the system" when calling a large company call center. They would hang up and call back, butting them at the end of the line.

They were about as smart as the first SC.

[BaristaTrav]

SC: Couldn't you just speed a little?

Yes, of course. And if in the event our driver gets ticketed for speeding I'm sure you'll pony up the fines.

Sure.. and ask Domino's how many millions they had to dish out in lawsuits from their drivers causing accidents (sometimes fatal ones) when they had their "30 mins or it's free" policy.

[Dreamstalker]

I would agree that trying to "work with the driver directly" is a poor practice...you don't know what's going on in or outside of the store that would affect delivery time (also, it seems that practice could encourage unsafe driving/speeding in order to get to someone "first"...is a pizza more important than a person?).

We try to call the local place for delivery during non-peak times, but if I do misjudge and get them during a rush it's no big deal. Yeah there's a bit of a longer wait than normal, but the pizza is worth it and it always arrives hot. I think this address is "known" in the neighborhood for very good tips (mom used to wait tables and knows that servers/drivers don't generally get paid well)

[Racket_Man]

Morons.

If you want your pizza fast, you don't negotiate with the person taking the order. If you need it right now, opt for pickup. But in my experience, for fastest delivery, you work with the driver directly. If the pizza arrives faster than anticipated, big tip. If it arrives on time, decent tip. If it's late by 10+ minutes, small tip. Now, this doesn't work as a one-time deal, but for repeat customers, if the driver knows getting to you early gets a nice little bonus, you'll get hot, fresh pizza pretty quickly.

PLEASE PLEASE do not penelize the driver if you pizza is "late". Sorry but the delivery time is an estimate not a firm unbreakable time. 99% of the time it is NOT the drivers fault. YES tipping well does insure you will be routed first on a multi-run delivery but most times things happen inside the restaurant ie sudden rush or outside the store ie slow train, student truck drivers, bad traffic light timing, heavy football traffic. unless you can reasonably "prove" the driver made your pizza "late" do not "negotiate" with the driver they are doing the best they can in most circumstances.

I hate customers that demand "fast" deliveries. I am sorry the 30 minute Domino's delivery went bye bye 15 years ago. these are EW's and act real surprized when delivery times are somewhat high. sorry we are busy but there are other "good customers" who also want our services too.

/sarcasm on
again if you want "fast" get your obese behind off of that couch, use your own gas, risk your own life, pay for the wear and tear on your own car and waddle down to the pizza place and pick it up yourself
/sarcasm off

A couple of weeks ago we got nailed on a customer survey. the SC got their food and liked it but the delivery ETA was quoted at 45 minutes and they got their pizza in 35. they stated to the surveyor that they did not get their order PROMPTLY. ruined our long streak of 100% customer surverys

[Emrld]

How about if you want your Pizza faster at a known rush time . . .you get your bottom up off the couch and go pick it up yourself.
Sorry, but the way I was raised . . .if they are at a rush time . . .you call in the order and go pick it up yourself . . .or you wait nicely . . .and remember the drivers are doing the best that they can.

[reimero]

Morons.

If you want your pizza fast, you don't negotiate with the person taking the order. If you need it right now, opt for pickup. But in my experience, for fastest delivery, you work with the driver directly. If the pizza arrives faster than anticipated, big tip. If it arrives on time, decent tip. If it's late by 10+ minutes, small tip. Now, this doesn't work as a one-time deal, but for repeat customers, if the driver knows getting to you early gets a nice little bonus, you'll get hot, fresh pizza pretty quickly.

[zigcat]

ME: And we're in the middle of our Friday night dinner rush so our delivery time, right now, is running between about forty to sixty minutes.
SC (obligatory GASP): THAT long?!
ME: Yes. We are extremely busy right now.
SC: So what's it going to be closer to, forty or sixty?
ME: Somewhere in between.
SC: That's not what I asked.
ME: We're getting stuff out as quick as we can.
SC: I don't know if I want to order if it's going to take an hour.
ME: I can completely understand that. If you'd like to cancel...
SC: Is there anyway you can guarantee me the forty minute time?
ME: I don't know about guarantee but I can probably increase your chances.
SC: How?
ME: The sooner I put your order in, the sooner you'll get it.

I've had people who take forever to order and then bitch at me when I quote the delivery time. The longer I'm on the phone with you, especially if I'm running the store by myself and my driver's out on a delivery, the less chances are of you getting your pizza any quicker.

Another few gems

SC: The quicker the driver gets here the better the tip.

How about the better the tip the better the pizza? Seriously it's not like we're sitting on our hands waiting til the very last minute to get to your pizza. I find comments like that to be very manipulative. Don't threaten to penalize the driver by basing his tip on how fast he gets there especially if we're busy.

SC: Couldn't you just speed a little?

Yes, of course. And if in the event our driver gets ticketed for speeding I'm sure you'll pony up the fines.