Friday, December 18th, 2009

If a restaurant charges a delivery free, are you still supposed to tip the driver?


Yes, you are. Most (pizza) drivers only work 3-4 hours a night because there’s really only a few hours where a lot of people order. (About 6-9PM or so.)

DRIVERS D O LIVE ON TIPS. Sure, they might get full min. wage, but it doesn’t add up at all. In fact, paychecks are really just an after-thought, maybe enough to pay the cell phone bill (cell phones are also required to do the job, since some company policies require a call-back before delivery, or the customer notes: "Please call when at front door!").

Also, if your pizza is "late", most of the time it is NOT the driver’s fault. It’s manager’s failure to schedule, it’s 6 deliveries ordered at the same time with only 2 drivers, it’s the online system that the store has no control over telling you the wrong delivery times, it’s the pizza-maker’s fault for making the wrong pizza and having to remake it after the mistake was baked for 8 minutes….

Basically, I’m saying: Please tip the driver. Unless they’re rude, disrespectful in some way, completely "drugged out", or stomping on your garden gnomes. Drivers rely on tips just as much as a waiter does.

And they’re not just "driving your food over". They map out your location (manually, usually), figure out short-cuts, memorize your gate codes, avoid high-traffic routes according to the time of day (they could EASILY sit in traffic on the way to your house and chill with stereo, but they don’t) ….

Plus, if you tip well, they’re likely to remember you, and probably will make a mental note next time you order to include some extra cheese packets or maybe even push your order to the front of the line… (;

This entry was posted on Friday, December 18th, 2009 at 1:23 pm and is filed under restaurant delivery. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

12 Responses to “If a restaurant charges a delivery free, are you still supposed to tip the driver?”

iwannaknow Says:
December 18th, 2009 at 7:03 pm

I’d say you are "supposed to tip" if you got excellent service (okay, "should" not suppose to). Is tipping mandatory? I’d say no, courteous: yes
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Eich SHR Says:
December 18th, 2009 at 7:48 pm

Yes, you should tip the driver if you want to. The "delivery fee" goes to the restaurant and does not in anyway go to the driver. The driver incurs all his / her personal costs i.e. gas for vehicle, wear and tear on car, oil, insurance……

Usually $2 to $5.00 depending on what you have ordered and it you receive your meal in a timely manner is greatly appreciated by the driver.
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TanaysiaRenee Says:
December 18th, 2009 at 8:22 pm

NO.
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snairagarcia1 Says:
December 18th, 2009 at 8:59 pm

You’re not "suppose" to but it would be nice if you got good service.
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Brad Says:
December 18th, 2009 at 9:32 pm

please tip well gas aint cheap and even if the driver gets a "cut" it’s still not enough. Delivery drivers deserve Big Tips there are no "rules" so tip as if the dellivery driver needed it to live on. which they do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ex-driver….
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Jamie Says:
December 18th, 2009 at 9:38 pm

yes tip him
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Samantha Says:
December 18th, 2009 at 10:01 pm

yes. the delivery fee probably doesn’t even go to the driver, and even if it does, it covers gas and then they’re left with nothing!
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Daksha Says:
December 18th, 2009 at 10:33 pm

I would it’d be nice
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cle cle Says:
December 18th, 2009 at 10:53 pm

I say it depends on the delivery fee and if the driver was on time and was the food hot and was the order correct and was the driver friendly or not. All these things play a part in any type of tipping as far as im concerned.
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Erin Says:
December 18th, 2009 at 11:19 pm

Yes, like $3 minimum. The delivery fee does not go to the driver. The delivery guy most likely has to pay his own gas, insurance and the maintenance on his personal vehicle. Also you tip out of convenience, how convenient was it not to have to go pick it up your self.

In this case I don’t believe in the 20% rule because they don’t live off tips, they make at least minimum wage. 10-15% is acceptable in this case. I’m a bartender and have lived off tips for 9 years now, made $2.13-$4 an hour. We tip delivery drivers because of the convenience and he took care of your food and got it to you hot and fresh.
References :
9 years serving and bartending

animallover Says:
December 18th, 2009 at 11:59 pm

Yes. I had to deliver food to people. I used my own car, had to pay my own insurance, had to get the directions, etc etc. I was not reimbersed for anything. It is customary to tip $1 for each item you get. So say you order 2 pizzas, 1 order of bread sticks, and 2 sodas. You are supposed to tip $5. The people who drive your food out to your house are doing you a service. They are saving you gas and time so you should definitely tip them. It’s their job. They live off of tips. How would you like to go to work, do your job, and not get paid? You wouldn’t.
References :

Lesleyyy Says:
December 19th, 2009 at 12:15 am

Yes, you are. Most (pizza) drivers only work 3-4 hours a night because there’s really only a few hours where a lot of people order. (About 6-9PM or so.)

DRIVERS D O LIVE ON TIPS. Sure, they might get full min. wage, but it doesn’t add up at all. In fact, paychecks are really just an after-thought, maybe enough to pay the cell phone bill (cell phones are also required to do the job, since some company policies require a call-back before delivery, or the customer notes: "Please call when at front door!").

Also, if your pizza is "late", most of the time it is NOT the driver’s fault. It’s manager’s failure to schedule, it’s 6 deliveries ordered at the same time with only 2 drivers, it’s the online system that the store has no control over telling you the wrong delivery times, it’s the pizza-maker’s fault for making the wrong pizza and having to remake it after the mistake was baked for 8 minutes….

Basically, I’m saying: Please tip the driver. Unless they’re rude, disrespectful in some way, completely "drugged out", or stomping on your garden gnomes. Drivers rely on tips just as much as a waiter does.

And they’re not just "driving your food over". They map out your location (manually, usually), figure out short-cuts, memorize your gate codes, avoid high-traffic routes according to the time of day (they could EASILY sit in traffic on the way to your house and chill with stereo, but they don’t) ….

Plus, if you tip well, they’re likely to remember you, and probably will make a mental note next time you order to include some extra cheese packets or maybe even push your order to the front of the line… (;
References :
Ex-pizza driver.

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