Just as I was considering going back to driving after soccer season ended, we had a family tragedy and I still have not started back to my 2nd job. However, my wife just lost 2 of her day-care kids (their mom lost her job) so I may pick up a night or 2 in the near future.
Meanwhile, here are a few pizza-related links I have found lately. First, a video from CNN about a pizza guy (and EMT) who arrived just in time to give CPR and save a life! What a great story!
The other link is not so great. It is an article about a local pizza guy getting set up and robbed. Come on guys, make your call-backs and never go towards an unlit house!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Wierd Story
Here is a wierd story, sent to me by a reader, about a mix-up in the order, and a strange way the pizza shop chose to resolve the order.
As a driver, I highly doubt any shop would "reuse" (re-sell or even eat) the returned food in any way. More likely they just didn't want the customer getting something for nothing.
As a driver, I highly doubt any shop would "reuse" (re-sell or even eat) the returned food in any way. More likely they just didn't want the customer getting something for nothing.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
April Madness
Tonight was the NCAA basketball championship game, but I didn't really expect much extra business. Getting a gang together to watch the big game and having pizza delivered seems to have gone out of fashion, I did deliver to 1 party of guys getting ready for the game though.
Two of my first 4 deliveries were free re-takes of things that were not delivered properly the first time. Breadsticks & cheesesticks. No tip either time, which is the rule. But the original driver should have had to take the remakes, not me!
After 6 deliveries I was up to just $7. That was around 8 P.M. and it was just 2 drivers, Thomas & I. Then business picked up. I don't think it was the game though. Of my last 9 deliveries, 2 were to nurses at work (hospital & nursing home) and 3 were to women with small children.
Twice I returned to the store to find that Thomas had skipped the oldest run. Now, being creative and routing yourself with doubles & triples is expected late at night when we are down to just a couple drivers. But you must take the oldest run! If you skip it to take a better order, I can skip it too, and it just gets later and later.
The first "skipped run" that I took was over an hour old. The girl actually put her finger in the pasta to see if it was still warm. It was! She also actually put $1 back in her pocket that she had clearly intended to tip me.
I'll be off for the next several weeks, probably until late May, due to coaching and refereeing youth soccer. In the meantime, I highly recommend Diary Of A Pizza Girl! I may post a news article or some other curiosity now and then.
Totals for the night: 5 hours driving, 15 runs, $34 in tips, 48 miles.
Two of my first 4 deliveries were free re-takes of things that were not delivered properly the first time. Breadsticks & cheesesticks. No tip either time, which is the rule. But the original driver should have had to take the remakes, not me!
After 6 deliveries I was up to just $7. That was around 8 P.M. and it was just 2 drivers, Thomas & I. Then business picked up. I don't think it was the game though. Of my last 9 deliveries, 2 were to nurses at work (hospital & nursing home) and 3 were to women with small children.
Twice I returned to the store to find that Thomas had skipped the oldest run. Now, being creative and routing yourself with doubles & triples is expected late at night when we are down to just a couple drivers. But you must take the oldest run! If you skip it to take a better order, I can skip it too, and it just gets later and later.
The first "skipped run" that I took was over an hour old. The girl actually put her finger in the pasta to see if it was still warm. It was! She also actually put $1 back in her pocket that she had clearly intended to tip me.
I'll be off for the next several weeks, probably until late May, due to coaching and refereeing youth soccer. In the meantime, I highly recommend Diary Of A Pizza Girl! I may post a news article or some other curiosity now and then.
Totals for the night: 5 hours driving, 15 runs, $34 in tips, 48 miles.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Hi-Miler
Tonight was a wierd night. Just 2 drivers, Joel and I until around 8 when Joel left and Thomas arrived.
I started off with a triple, including a single pizza to a 3M factory where I watched them packaging sponges, before getting stiffed. Total for the triple was 2 stiffs and 1 $2 tip.
Next was a double with 2 credit card orders. Each one added $1 as a tip. So after 5 deliveries I had made $4 in tips.
Next came another triple. Finally some tips, made $9 combined, including $5 on a $20 order.
Next were 2 single runs where I made $2 each.
After that I took a double to south Elyria and Grafton. Stiffed on 11th St. (after waiting for about 5 minutes while the customer scrounged up the last dollar. "Mom can I borrow 90 cents?", and made $5 in Grafton.
Came back and found another double to almost the same 2 neighborhoods. Made $2 in Colonial Oaks trailer park and $3 in Grafton. This was actually a triple as I had to re-run some garlic sauces.
Totals for the night were 15 deliveries, $27 in tips, 5 hours working, and 71 miles. That's the wierd number, almost 5 miles per delivery. I usually average a little under 4 miles.
I started off with a triple, including a single pizza to a 3M factory where I watched them packaging sponges, before getting stiffed. Total for the triple was 2 stiffs and 1 $2 tip.
Next was a double with 2 credit card orders. Each one added $1 as a tip. So after 5 deliveries I had made $4 in tips.
Next came another triple. Finally some tips, made $9 combined, including $5 on a $20 order.
Next were 2 single runs where I made $2 each.
After that I took a double to south Elyria and Grafton. Stiffed on 11th St. (after waiting for about 5 minutes while the customer scrounged up the last dollar. "Mom can I borrow 90 cents?", and made $5 in Grafton.
Came back and found another double to almost the same 2 neighborhoods. Made $2 in Colonial Oaks trailer park and $3 in Grafton. This was actually a triple as I had to re-run some garlic sauces.
Totals for the night were 15 deliveries, $27 in tips, 5 hours working, and 71 miles. That's the wierd number, almost 5 miles per delivery. I usually average a little under 4 miles.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Good Night!
Tonight was a pretty good night! I worked 5 hours, took 13 deliveries, drove 57 miles, and made $37 in tips.
Started off with a $5 tip on a $18.97 order (at a trailer park). Next was a free order (due to a mess-up on Friday) to the same trailer park. Usually a remake doesn't come with a tip, but these customers realize it wasn't my fault (I wasn't even working Friday!) and gave me $2.
My only stiff was to a public housing unit, and I got 2 more $5 tips. Also a $3.03 tip where the guy had to go back and get more money (Thanks!)
Started off with a $5 tip on a $18.97 order (at a trailer park). Next was a free order (due to a mess-up on Friday) to the same trailer park. Usually a remake doesn't come with a tip, but these customers realize it wasn't my fault (I wasn't even working Friday!) and gave me $2.
My only stiff was to a public housing unit, and I got 2 more $5 tips. Also a $3.03 tip where the guy had to go back and get more money (Thanks!)
Monday, March 15, 2010
Take Charge
And it's a good thing we do (take charge cards that is). Of my 8 deliveries tonight, 6 of them were credit cards. First tip was the best ($6.61 on a $36.39 order) but everybody tipped decent tonight.
Except the employee at the Life Care Nursing Home.
She signed the credit card slip but just carried the subtotal down to the total, ignoring the tip line. I handed over the pizza, turned, and left. Then her coworkers were trying to joke with me, "I'll trade jobs for tonight" and then I heard them saying "I don't think he heard you."
I heard them just fine, but my time is valuable and if you aren't going to tip me, you aren't getting any extra time.
Compare that to the guy, usually a $1 tipper, I asked how he was doing and he replied, "Every day above ground is a good day." I said, "I've heard that one before but you know, it's always true." He gave me $3, definitely the most I've ever gotten at that house!
Totals for the night were 3.5 hours driving, 8 deliveries, 29 miles, and $23 in tips. Pretty decent!
Except the employee at the Life Care Nursing Home.
She signed the credit card slip but just carried the subtotal down to the total, ignoring the tip line. I handed over the pizza, turned, and left. Then her coworkers were trying to joke with me, "I'll trade jobs for tonight" and then I heard them saying "I don't think he heard you."
I heard them just fine, but my time is valuable and if you aren't going to tip me, you aren't getting any extra time.
Compare that to the guy, usually a $1 tipper, I asked how he was doing and he replied, "Every day above ground is a good day." I said, "I've heard that one before but you know, it's always true." He gave me $3, definitely the most I've ever gotten at that house!
Totals for the night were 3.5 hours driving, 8 deliveries, 29 miles, and $23 in tips. Pretty decent!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Learning To Tip
I meant to write about this last night, but by the time I came home, showered, and sat down to blog, I must have forgotten.
It was my 2nd delivery. I had my bank of $15, and my $1 tip from my first delivery, a total of $16. The check was $21.99.
The customer had several $20 bills. He gave me one and asked the other guy in the house if he had a dollar. The other guy said he did not. They both dug in their pockets for a while. One asked if I took coins, and I replied, "Money is money."
The first guy handed me a 2nd $20 bill and asked if I could make change. I said that I had $16, which would leave me with a $2 tip. The guy looked confused.
I took both $20's and handed him back the $16. He asked again how much I owed him. I said, "I owe you $18. I gave you $16 so that leaves me with $2. Are we cool?"
The other guy came back from the other room with no more money. The first guy reached out and shook my hand. I guessed we were cool. I thanked him and went on my way. Probably the first time he ever tipped the pizza guy, but I hope it won't be his last!
It was my 2nd delivery. I had my bank of $15, and my $1 tip from my first delivery, a total of $16. The check was $21.99.
The customer had several $20 bills. He gave me one and asked the other guy in the house if he had a dollar. The other guy said he did not. They both dug in their pockets for a while. One asked if I took coins, and I replied, "Money is money."
The first guy handed me a 2nd $20 bill and asked if I could make change. I said that I had $16, which would leave me with a $2 tip. The guy looked confused.
I took both $20's and handed him back the $16. He asked again how much I owed him. I said, "I owe you $18. I gave you $16 so that leaves me with $2. Are we cool?"
The other guy came back from the other room with no more money. The first guy reached out and shook my hand. I guessed we were cool. I thanked him and went on my way. Probably the first time he ever tipped the pizza guy, but I hope it won't be his last!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
