OT: What do you usually tip the pizza guy?

Submitted by aaamichfan on

So I haven't been on the board much lately, and figured this would be an interesting question for the MGoMasses on a Friday night. I just ordered a pizza for delivery(first time in probably 9 months), and ended up tipping the guy $1.75. He gave me a look like, "Geeze buddy, thanks for being such a cheap bastard."

I figure, $1.75 seems like an adequate amount for a pizza driver, especially when everyone is already charging $2.50-$3 for delivery nowadays.

Am I being a cheap bastard by tipping $1.75? What is your standard tip for delivery? What is your standard tip at a restaurant?

rob6reid

August 3rd, 2012 at 11:17 PM ^

Im a delivery driver at Pizza Hut until i leave for Michigan in a couple of weeks. It is a great summer job because of tips. What I can tell you is this: Pizza Hut charges $2 per delivery. Drivers get $1.50 out of that per delivery, and if you take 3 deliveries at once because they're near each other, you make $4.50 and so on. On top of that, we get paid minum wage, so no its not a tip job per se. However, with the cost of gas these days, and when you factor in the vehical maintenance, you really come out close to even with that. The average tip I get, or what I would call a fair tip, is about $3. anything less is considered stingy. Its a hard job to get because the pay with tips can average out to over $14 an hour, $20/ hour on busy days. So maybe you dont need to tip that much, but I sure apreciate it. And so do delivery drivers everywhere. 

JDW

August 3rd, 2012 at 11:24 PM ^

For papajohns and we get $4 an hour for driving and $7:40 for instore working .We get $1.35 for each delivery. In Dec. I had a drunk driver run into me and had a slight  concussion and had to go to the Dr ... PJ's paid  so that is where the delivery charge probably pays for the workers comp . A friend looked online somwhere and it said that 10% is minimum for delivery drivers so we always appreciate anything more generous then that . Busy nights  and

generous people I have made over $20 an hour. But  a slow night and a couple no tips and its doesn't even pay for gas and repairs and ins . 

Wendyk5

August 3rd, 2012 at 11:26 PM ^

I can't believe this thread has three pages of responses. I'm impressed. I usually tip $2 - $3. 20% seems high. Compared to a waiter, a pizza delivery guy is doing one task, once. A waiter or waitress is tending to your table for an hour or more. Plus, they split their tips with the bussers. But I do get the paying for their own gas thing. 

 

Here's a related question: when you go to a place like Homemade Pizza where you get a raw pizza to bake at home, and you're picking it up yourself, how much do you tip? It's awkward if you pay with a credit card and leave the tip line blank, but if you're picking it up and baking it yourself, do you need to leave a tip? 

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

August 4th, 2012 at 9:39 AM ^

If I go pick it up myself, get out of my car and go into the store to get it?  Zero tip.  I mean, that would be basically the same as tipping the cashier at the grocery store.

The only time I've ever tipped at the counter was at a place that accepted cash-only at the counter and only accepted cards if it was a call-in order.....and I ordered and then forgot I had no cash so the guy let me pay with the card rather than walk a few blocks to the closest ATM.  Course he probably just didn't want to risk I'd just leave and leave them with a wasted order, but still.

uminks

August 3rd, 2012 at 11:28 PM ^

If you're in school money is tight, I would just give a buck!  Most of us should give about 15 percent tip. Most of the delivery driver wages are based off tips...and most pizza companies do not pay for gas. If you're loaded why not slip a $20!

Maizenblueball

August 4th, 2012 at 12:00 AM ^

depending on how far away I live from the place.  I think 5 is standard....6 or 7 bucks if I live pretty far from the pizza place, or if it's raining/snowing.

To the OP, aaamichfan, tipping the guy $1.75?...you might as well just have kicked him in the balls and banged his girlfriend right in front of him....or right in front of him and on top of the pizza he just delivered to you.

straight-gangs…

August 4th, 2012 at 12:04 AM ^

I would have gone with a $16, or $17 even.  Not sure why, but I typically tip ~20% in house, and for some reason lean towards a bit more for front door service.  I guess it's the thought that someone has to drive, get in/out of a car, and bring the food to my door.  When you combine that with the reality that a large percentage of delivery orders will most likely bring minimal tips (I guess that's my belief), I feel that's sufficient.

M-Wolverine

August 4th, 2012 at 12:40 AM ^

I'm so close to so many places I pick it up because I won't pay a delivery fee, because I know you're getting bent over. If it was actually going to the driver I'd be all for it. Make it another buck even and say don't worry about a tip. And I don't tip for picking up a pizza (what, do you tip the chef at a restaurant?). Getting off my ass I find not only do you get the pizza faster, but you don't get some half cold mess that was sitting waiting for a driver or got to me after eight other deliveries. (How can the pizza place be less than 2 minutes away and it's not piping hot, especially with those bags?) Plus if I'm getting 26+ miles to the gallon city, it's not killing me.

Places that actually don't fee you I'll gladly tip. Depends on the order, but it's never to waitress level. See above. Though I can't believe how much everyone is paying for pizzas in this thread. You either need to get their coupons, or hell, just ask what they're running, because most of the time they'll just give you the price. $15 for a pizza is crazy. I can get a good Chicago Stuffed for a couple of bucks more. That's worth that much, but not a round couple of toppings. Get the cheaper rates....give the extra cash to your driver.

BlueDragon

August 4th, 2012 at 12:50 AM ^

You can bring a huge amount of joy into someone's life by giving them $5 instead of $3 on a $20 order. That said, a $1.50 tip is significantly better than zero if you live on a budget.

brandanomano

August 4th, 2012 at 1:40 AM ^

I can't believe there's been 150 comments and not one reference to the Trident Layers commercials, while about 1/3 of them are attempting to make fun of other schools' alumni.

BrayBray1

August 4th, 2012 at 4:55 AM ^

There are lots of variables that factor into this, such as: Size of order, location/distance, quality of service/food..many things. But if you're just ordering a pizza and some sticks, 1.75 should be sufficent if the place is only a mile away. On a Friday, that kid should be makin 60+ bucks a night in tips alone.

UofM-I-Hart

August 4th, 2012 at 8:33 AM ^

First off, know that most of the "delivery fee" does NOT go to the driver at all. So it doesnt matter how much theyre charging for that in relation the the delivery guy.



Second, take into account how mich gas prices are right now, and if your house was 5-10 miles away from the pizza place, were goin to assume that this delivery guy has a shitty car with shitty fuel efficiency. So with that being said, there is a good chance this guy paid nearly $4 or more to delivee you this pizza, and with getting a $1.75 tip and probably $1.50 or so from his employer per delivery (pretty standard), there is a good chance that this guy LOST money delivering you this pizza.



If you're going to get a pizza delivered you have to plan to spend AT LEAST $3 in tip depending on the distance of your house no matter your size order or quality of food (what does that have to do with the driver). Stop being a cheap-skate

aaamichfan

August 4th, 2012 at 8:42 AM ^

I said earlier in the thread that I live 1.25 miles away. Even with a car getting 15 miles to the gallon(crappy), that is going to cost .50 cents in fuel. If pizza delivery is such a money losing venture, I'm surprised there are so many people still willing to do it.

UofM-I-Hart

August 4th, 2012 at 9:47 AM ^

Why dont you get in your car and pick it up? Lol but sorry i didn't see that part about how close you live. If you'd have just given him an even $2 he should have no reason to complain IF its like a 5 minute or less drive.



Either way, i'm not saying delivering pizzas is a money losing venture, you can make great money as a delivery guy IF people tip decent. It's when you have those days that NOBODYYY is tipping well if at all, those are the days where you just want to quit.

In reply to by UofM-I-Hart

aaamichfan

August 4th, 2012 at 10:30 AM ^

Like I said before, Pizza Delivery isn't a career. It's a good thing that the drivers occasionally think about quitting and exploring other job options.

UofM-I-Hart

August 6th, 2012 at 9:48 PM ^

consider dropping your ego for starters, this is a discussion board, not an "act snobby and like you are better than everyone else" board. 

And most pizza delivery guys are young people that are just trying to make money while getting through school, not fucking 30 year old fathers with families who plan on doing it their whole life. Get the dick out of your ass and quit being so judgemental.

M-Wolverine

August 4th, 2012 at 7:34 PM ^

Holy fuck, that's a gallon of gas right now. if my driver is getting 5-10 miles a gallon I'm not feeling sorry for him, because he's driving a Hummer.

Danwillhor

August 4th, 2012 at 9:00 AM ^

this may sound awful but despite being a large tipper in general, it depends on male or female (and not because of looks).

I was raised on tips along with my 4 siblings when my Dad decided to bolt one day. So, I always assume a woman is raising kids on her tips so I tip at a bar/restaurant about half my bill (no exaggeration). Also, I refuse to let a man wait on me unless no other option is given. In that case, its the usual 15% or so.

Could the man just as easily be a single Father? Yes. Likely? No, unlike the woman. Just the days we live in.

As for the pizza person, a guy gets about $3 per $15 spent compared to a woman's $5 or so. On a $20 bill, we're talking about $4 for a man and $5-10 for a woman.

(I mean no arrogance in this thread as Im not wealthy and quite frugal in most other senses. I save money more than spend. I just have a guilt/personal reason for tipping how I do)

Danwillhor

August 4th, 2012 at 11:18 AM ^

Never claimed it wasn't but it is from my personal experience of being one of 5 raised on tips so I side with caution and do what I do. Women are far more likely to be a single parent and the average waitress/bartender makes about $2.00 an hour without tips. Hence my view. Yet, as admitted, it is sexist.

As for Brazil, I did not know that. Odd in a culture so sexually open.

Danwillhor

August 4th, 2012 at 2:03 PM ^

Again, a very valid argument/point. To be more specific, I do not outright refuse a man as much as I will go out of my way to be served by a woman if possible to get her the tip. I've never once looked at a male waiter and said "GTFO", haha. I just prefer a woman get the tip as odds (and my personal experience) state that they are far more likely to be supporting a family on them than a man.

Also, I look for visual clues. Young douchey looking dude and a 30-ish year old woman behind the bar? Woman every time. Older man waiter when the table next to me has a 17 year old girl with a valley girl accent waiting on them? Not bothered. haha

Princetonwolverine

August 4th, 2012 at 9:14 AM ^

A lot of posts are mentioning "free delivery". When I lived in MoJo in the '70s there was a Dominoes across the athletic fields. They advertised "free deliver" and $1 off for pick up.

I thought that was somewhat clever marketing. Deceptive but clever.

DrFeelGood

August 4th, 2012 at 10:58 AM ^

The generally accepted tip for a pizza guy is a minimum of $3, more if you have a bigger order.  I know it sucks that the pizza place charges for delivery, but the driver get's none of that.  This is the info most pizza drivers have told me in the past.  Now granted if you're a struggling college student than maybe $2 is ok, but less than that is pretty cheap. 

TheThief

August 4th, 2012 at 12:21 PM ^

You were being cheap. I delivered pizza's for a summer in colllege, back in the late 90's early 2000's. My average tip was about $3 and keep in mind that was nearly 10 years ago. Yes pizza places charge a delivery fee, but the driver keeps $.50-.$75 of that money tops and like it was mentioned earlier, that barely covers gas, that money basically goes to the store/franchise. I would have given you the same look, had you given me that tip. I usually tip $5 to the pizza guy and 20%-25% when I go out to eat. In my opinion no one has to go out to eat, it is a luxury, if you can afford that luxury you can afford to tip well.