We had a panhandler tonight. A woman came in around closing time and asked if anyone could give her a couple dollars for gas. Manager Nick told her he was sorry but there was nothing he could do. She went back out and got in her car and drove away!
This sort of thing happens every now and then. People know that we have some money and they hope we'll give it to them. I work for my money and I don't give it away for free.
Tonight was a pretty slow night but tips were mostly generous. Of my 8 deliveries, 5 of them tipped $3 or more and everybody gave at least $1. All of them were single runs, and 6 of them were what I would consider "far away." Total miles was 39 and total tips for the night was $25 in 5 hours work.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Interesting Discussion On Tipping
In checking out the searches some of my viewers use to get here, I came across this interesting discussion on why America has tipping as a part of employee compensation more than most other countries.
Pizza is mentioned specifically a few times, including the question "why tip the pizza guy and not the UPS guy?", an explanation that tipping rewards good service (and increases the probability of future good service), and a description of how the pizza driver is taking on a significant portion of the business risk, by driving his own car.
Pizza is mentioned specifically a few times, including the question "why tip the pizza guy and not the UPS guy?", an explanation that tipping rewards good service (and increases the probability of future good service), and a description of how the pizza driver is taking on a significant portion of the business risk, by driving his own car.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Two Nights In One
I felt like I had 2 different nights tonight. For my first 7 deliveries, I had 4 tips under $2 and my highest tip was $2.43.
For my last 11 deliveries, I had 1 tip under $2 and my highest tip was $4.
Totals for the night were 18 deliveries, 64 miles, $41 in tips, and 7.5 hours. Nothing to complain about.
Our new manager closed by herself (sort of) tonight and she did pretty good (I think). The other closing driver was Mike who is also a part-time manager so he was available to help if she got stuck, but she's really showing some ambition to learn as much as she can!
For my last 11 deliveries, I had 1 tip under $2 and my highest tip was $4.
Totals for the night were 18 deliveries, 64 miles, $41 in tips, and 7.5 hours. Nothing to complain about.
Our new manager closed by herself (sort of) tonight and she did pretty good (I think). The other closing driver was Mike who is also a part-time manager so he was available to help if she got stuck, but she's really showing some ambition to learn as much as she can!
Friday, July 27, 2007
Make Money Blogging?
Not me.
Now my blog is not the most popular website by far. In fact, according to Alexa, it is not even in the top 6 1/2 million, coming in at 6,506,239. Still, it does get a few regular visitors. I've been tracking unique visitors since March:
As you may have noticed, I am set up for Google Adsense. Adsense pays for advertising impressions and pays much more for ad-clicks. Now, Adsense has been running longer, since January. Adsense shows 11,381 page impressions, or slightly over 50 per day. In those 7 months, my ads have been clicked on a grand total of 27 times, and Google owes me $7.63. When my balance gets over $100 they will cut me a check!
I also have an Amazon Associates link. So far, since February, there have been 30 clicks on my Amazon link. I'll get a 4% commission if anybody ever buys anything, but so far, nobody has.
I also have a PayPerPost account, but so far, there haven't been any topics that really apply to my blog. Basically, I'm not posting what they're paying for. I did see that they are paying $5 to write about SiteMighty, an affiliate site for credit cards, but by the time I checked it out, that opportunity was gone. The good news is, now if you need a credit card, I can help!
In summary, I'm making about $1.50 per month on average. If I keep it up for 5 years I may actually hit $100 and get paid! But on a per-hour basis, it's definitely not a profitable use of my time.
Now my blog is not the most popular website by far. In fact, according to Alexa, it is not even in the top 6 1/2 million, coming in at 6,506,239. Still, it does get a few regular visitors. I've been tracking unique visitors since March:
- March 2007 - 1642
- April 2007 - 1069
- May 2007 - 745
- June 2007 - 556
- July 2007 - 924
As you may have noticed, I am set up for Google Adsense. Adsense pays for advertising impressions and pays much more for ad-clicks. Now, Adsense has been running longer, since January. Adsense shows 11,381 page impressions, or slightly over 50 per day. In those 7 months, my ads have been clicked on a grand total of 27 times, and Google owes me $7.63. When my balance gets over $100 they will cut me a check!
I also have an Amazon Associates link. So far, since February, there have been 30 clicks on my Amazon link. I'll get a 4% commission if anybody ever buys anything, but so far, nobody has.
I also have a PayPerPost account, but so far, there haven't been any topics that really apply to my blog. Basically, I'm not posting what they're paying for. I did see that they are paying $5 to write about SiteMighty, an affiliate site for credit cards, but by the time I checked it out, that opportunity was gone. The good news is, now if you need a credit card, I can help!
In summary, I'm making about $1.50 per month on average. If I keep it up for 5 years I may actually hit $100 and get paid! But on a per-hour basis, it's definitely not a profitable use of my time.
Three Men Indicted in Pizza Shop Murder
Three men were indicted yesterday, accused of shooting a pizzeria owner in his shop in Lorain. Based on the article, it seems that they were targeting local businesses that were open late at night, as they also face charges related to a robbery & shooting at a bar.
I'm glad they solved this one, and glad it didn't spread to other pizza shops.
I'm glad they solved this one, and glad it didn't spread to other pizza shops.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Check Me Out!
I got an email from "Martin" last week, asking for help reconciling his money. First of all, I commend Martin on wanting to understand his cash-out process. Most drivers don't understand it and many are losing money because of it.
Not knowing how every POS (Point Of Sale) system works, I wasn't sure I could answer the question perfectly but I can certainly was willing to help dig into it.
First, it's very helpful for me to log each and every delivery. I have a notepad, each day I write my starting and ending mileage. Also, for every delivery, I write the address and ticket amount as soon as I get in the car to start the delivery. After I make the delivery, I write the tip amount. I also circle the amount if it is a credit card, and I circle credit card tips (but not cash tips on credit card payments).
It may also be helpful to write down the "ticket number", but I don't do this.
Now, our check out sheet has several totals on it.
1) Total amount sold, includes cash AND credit receipts. This is interesting but it is not used to calculate the amount I owe.
2) Total cash sales. This is the starting amount that I owe. This should equal the sum of all of the non-circled ticket amounts from my notepad.
3) Total credit card tips. This is the amount of credit card tips I am due. This is subtracted from the total cash sales in line 2.
4) Total mileage reimbursement. We currently get $1.10 per run. This amount goes up and down by the price of gas. If I take 10 runs the total would be $11.00. This is also subtracted from the total cash sales in line 2.
5) Initial Bank. We are given a starting bank of $15, which of course we have to give back at the end of the night. This is added to the total cash sales in line 2.
The computer does NOT give the manager the final total, he has to do the math himself.
Most drivers will have some line items that are similar if not exactly like this above. If drivers are writing down ticket amounts and tips, they should be able to calculate both the amount they owe and the amount they get to keep!
Some things to look for:
1) Is the total amount pre-coupon? In other words, is it the regular price or is it the amount the driver actually collects? It should be the amount collected.
2) Our system sometimes messes up "free orders" and tries to charge me for them. If our manager does a "customer satisfaction" mark down, these are the line items that often show up as the full amount, not the discounted amount that I actually collected.
3) Previously paid credit card tips. When an order is entered, the computer assigns it to the ID number of the person who took the phone order. When the order is dispatched, it gets assigned to the driver but it does NOT get removed from the phone girl (waitress). If the waitress gets checked out before me, she might have the tip show up on her check-out. The manager should be aware and be able to catch this, and not give her the tips. But when this happens, it shows up as "previously paid" on my ticket.
The store owes you for all credit card tips, whether or not they actually gave them to someone else already. It was THEIR mistake, and if someone is going to be short, or have to track down a waitress and ask for money back, it is going to be THEM, not me. Insist on this.
Hopefully this can help any driver (or manager) to better understand their check-out procedure.
Not knowing how every POS (Point Of Sale) system works, I wasn't sure I could answer the question perfectly but I can certainly was willing to help dig into it.
First, it's very helpful for me to log each and every delivery. I have a notepad, each day I write my starting and ending mileage. Also, for every delivery, I write the address and ticket amount as soon as I get in the car to start the delivery. After I make the delivery, I write the tip amount. I also circle the amount if it is a credit card, and I circle credit card tips (but not cash tips on credit card payments).
It may also be helpful to write down the "ticket number", but I don't do this.
Now, our check out sheet has several totals on it.
1) Total amount sold, includes cash AND credit receipts. This is interesting but it is not used to calculate the amount I owe.
2) Total cash sales. This is the starting amount that I owe. This should equal the sum of all of the non-circled ticket amounts from my notepad.
3) Total credit card tips. This is the amount of credit card tips I am due. This is subtracted from the total cash sales in line 2.
4) Total mileage reimbursement. We currently get $1.10 per run. This amount goes up and down by the price of gas. If I take 10 runs the total would be $11.00. This is also subtracted from the total cash sales in line 2.
5) Initial Bank. We are given a starting bank of $15, which of course we have to give back at the end of the night. This is added to the total cash sales in line 2.
The computer does NOT give the manager the final total, he has to do the math himself.
Most drivers will have some line items that are similar if not exactly like this above. If drivers are writing down ticket amounts and tips, they should be able to calculate both the amount they owe and the amount they get to keep!
Some things to look for:
1) Is the total amount pre-coupon? In other words, is it the regular price or is it the amount the driver actually collects? It should be the amount collected.
2) Our system sometimes messes up "free orders" and tries to charge me for them. If our manager does a "customer satisfaction" mark down, these are the line items that often show up as the full amount, not the discounted amount that I actually collected.
3) Previously paid credit card tips. When an order is entered, the computer assigns it to the ID number of the person who took the phone order. When the order is dispatched, it gets assigned to the driver but it does NOT get removed from the phone girl (waitress). If the waitress gets checked out before me, she might have the tip show up on her check-out. The manager should be aware and be able to catch this, and not give her the tips. But when this happens, it shows up as "previously paid" on my ticket.
The store owes you for all credit card tips, whether or not they actually gave them to someone else already. It was THEIR mistake, and if someone is going to be short, or have to track down a waitress and ask for money back, it is going to be THEM, not me. Insist on this.
Hopefully this can help any driver (or manager) to better understand their check-out procedure.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Home Early, Part 2
I went home early again tonight. We had 3 drivers and business was pretty slow. I took 2 deliveries right when I got in at 6 PM but then I only took 2 more by 8 PM. I was scheduled to be off at 10 but my boys were at football camp until 8:30 so I asked to leave at 8 so I could pick them up.
I took 4 deliveries in 2 hours, drove 19 miles, and made $10 in tips. I got lucky in that my 3rd delivery was a $5 tip, on a credit card.
My first order was to a convenience / lottery store. As I was going in there was a girl coming out. She asked if I thought my pizzeria would allow her to put out a donations box for Brandon Glass, the Speedway employee who drowned last week. I didn't recognize her at first but it was Pearl, a friend of John's. John is another Speedway cashier and a good friend.
I told her I wasn't sure but I hoped that we could put out a donations box. She said how the family couldn't afford the funeral but his mom was terrified of fire and didn't want to have to have her son cremated.
I took 4 deliveries in 2 hours, drove 19 miles, and made $10 in tips. I got lucky in that my 3rd delivery was a $5 tip, on a credit card.
My first order was to a convenience / lottery store. As I was going in there was a girl coming out. She asked if I thought my pizzeria would allow her to put out a donations box for Brandon Glass, the Speedway employee who drowned last week. I didn't recognize her at first but it was Pearl, a friend of John's. John is another Speedway cashier and a good friend.
I told her I wasn't sure but I hoped that we could put out a donations box. She said how the family couldn't afford the funeral but his mom was terrified of fire and didn't want to have to have her son cremated.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Any Friend Of Steve's Is A Friend Of Mine
I took 19 deliveries tonight in 7 1/2 hours. I drove 60 miles and made $61 in tips.
I had 2 interesting deliveries, both on the same run. The first one I had taken the order for. The guy said he was calling from out of state. He ordered a pizza and cinnamon sticks and had them delivered to someone else. The woman was on the phone with the man when I arrived and had just found out she was getting pizza.
She told me she had already ate. I'm not sure if he was trying to impress her or what, but whatever his plan, he tipped me $5 so I hope it worked!
Next was a delivery to a good friend of ex-driver Steve. I've delivered there before and remembered that they usually like a side of banana peppers, but about half the time they forget to ask for them. I grabbed a cup anyways.
The guy was happy and impressed that I remembered, he tipped $4 on the credit card and another $4 cash!
We were pretty busy from 8-11 PM but then slowed down after that, enough so that I was able to sweep and mop the floors and leave around 12:30, with driver Mike having just a few loads of dishes to finish up.
I had 2 interesting deliveries, both on the same run. The first one I had taken the order for. The guy said he was calling from out of state. He ordered a pizza and cinnamon sticks and had them delivered to someone else. The woman was on the phone with the man when I arrived and had just found out she was getting pizza.
She told me she had already ate. I'm not sure if he was trying to impress her or what, but whatever his plan, he tipped me $5 so I hope it worked!
Next was a delivery to a good friend of ex-driver Steve. I've delivered there before and remembered that they usually like a side of banana peppers, but about half the time they forget to ask for them. I grabbed a cup anyways.
The guy was happy and impressed that I remembered, he tipped $4 on the credit card and another $4 cash!
We were pretty busy from 8-11 PM but then slowed down after that, enough so that I was able to sweep and mop the floors and leave around 12:30, with driver Mike having just a few loads of dishes to finish up.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Home Early
I don't have much to write tonight as it was a very slow night! I started at 6 PM and by 9:30 I only had taken 5 deliveries. Due to a scheduling mix-up I wasn't actually on the schedule tonight so I went home early. I made $11 in tips in my 3.5 hours, driving 19 miles.
Sad news of the night was that one of the kids who worked across the street at Speedway drowned last night. I didn't know him well but it's still very depressing news.
Sad news of the night was that one of the kids who worked across the street at Speedway drowned last night. I didn't know him well but it's still very depressing news.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Not Quite A $10,000 Tip . . .
. . . but $20 sure was good! The delivery was on Indiana (again), the same place I had previously gotten $35 and $18, two of my four best tips ever! This time I actually met the woman of the house (who signs the generous credit card tips). She was sitting on her porch talking on the phone. She didn't even stop her conversation, which is kind of rude, but can certainly be overlooked in this case!
I've delivered to this house 3 times now, and have a total of $73 in tips, or $24.33 average tip. I would need to keep up this pace for 408 more deliveries before their total tips would add up to the $10,000 tip earned by Pizza Hut waitress Jessica Osborne a few weeks ago.
Now it has become apparent to me that some members of our company's management team may be reading this blog. (Well I know why, I told our District Manager about it.) Because of this, I feel I need to put out an explanation / disclaimer.
Writing this blog is fun for me. I like my co-workers and generally get along with everyone. Most of what I write here is positive. But, like any other job, sometimes my co-workers get on my nerves. Usually because I'm a hard worker and have higher than average expectations of others.
I really don't want anyone to get in trouble because of anything I write here. But at the same time I don't want to have to change my writing style or filter my stories. I have close to 100 readers daily because I write the truth.
If a manager were to read about something here that they think is inappropriate, they should check it out for themself. Use my writing as a catalyst to investigate, to get to know more about the employees and their work habits. If the observations are similar to mine, then take action. But please don't use my writings as a basis to confront anyone about a specific incident. My blog, of course, can only tell one side of the story.
Ironically, today, I also got a few hits from an Eat'N Park's corporate ISP! Obviously someone found Monday's post. Now, I love Eat'N Park, especially the Smiley Cookies. I'm certainly not holding the action of 1 rogue employee against the entire restaurant chain, and I hope my readers don't either.
I drove 5 hours tonight and had 10 deliveries. I had 3 stiffs but of course the big tip more than made up for it and I ended the night with $38 in tips. All of my runs were singles and there is a road closed downtown, so my mileage was a little high at 49 miles!
The funniest delivery of the night was my very first. There was some confusion with the address so I called the customer as I was on my way. The conversation went something like this:
Pizza Guy: Hello, this is Kevin your pizza driver. I'm calling to confirm your address, do you live on 123 Main Street?
Customer: Yes.
Pizza Guy: And is this apartment number 13?
Customer: Yes. Do you need the phone number?
Pizza Guy: Well I just called you so I'm pretty sure we've got that taken care of.
Customer: Oh, that was a pretty stupid question huh!
Pizza Guy: Honestly, yeah, but I've heard worse. I'm on my way, I'll be there in about 7-8 minutes.
I've delivered to this house 3 times now, and have a total of $73 in tips, or $24.33 average tip. I would need to keep up this pace for 408 more deliveries before their total tips would add up to the $10,000 tip earned by Pizza Hut waitress Jessica Osborne a few weeks ago.
Now it has become apparent to me that some members of our company's management team may be reading this blog. (Well I know why, I told our District Manager about it.) Because of this, I feel I need to put out an explanation / disclaimer.
Writing this blog is fun for me. I like my co-workers and generally get along with everyone. Most of what I write here is positive. But, like any other job, sometimes my co-workers get on my nerves. Usually because I'm a hard worker and have higher than average expectations of others.
I really don't want anyone to get in trouble because of anything I write here. But at the same time I don't want to have to change my writing style or filter my stories. I have close to 100 readers daily because I write the truth.
If a manager were to read about something here that they think is inappropriate, they should check it out for themself. Use my writing as a catalyst to investigate, to get to know more about the employees and their work habits. If the observations are similar to mine, then take action. But please don't use my writings as a basis to confront anyone about a specific incident. My blog, of course, can only tell one side of the story.
Ironically, today, I also got a few hits from an Eat'N Park's corporate ISP! Obviously someone found Monday's post. Now, I love Eat'N Park, especially the Smiley Cookies. I'm certainly not holding the action of 1 rogue employee against the entire restaurant chain, and I hope my readers don't either.
I drove 5 hours tonight and had 10 deliveries. I had 3 stiffs but of course the big tip more than made up for it and I ended the night with $38 in tips. All of my runs were singles and there is a road closed downtown, so my mileage was a little high at 49 miles!
The funniest delivery of the night was my very first. There was some confusion with the address so I called the customer as I was on my way. The conversation went something like this:
Pizza Guy: Hello, this is Kevin your pizza driver. I'm calling to confirm your address, do you live on 123 Main Street?
Customer: Yes.
Pizza Guy: And is this apartment number 13?
Customer: Yes. Do you need the phone number?
Pizza Guy: Well I just called you so I'm pretty sure we've got that taken care of.
Customer: Oh, that was a pretty stupid question huh!
Pizza Guy: Honestly, yeah, but I've heard worse. I'm on my way, I'll be there in about 7-8 minutes.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Pizza Delivery Top 10 Most Dangerous Job - Minneapolis TV News Report
Check out this TV news report out of Minneapolis that describes how pizza delivery ranks as one of the 10 most dangerous jobs. It includes interviews with drivers.
Stiffed By Eat'n Park Employee!
Well it didn't take me long to figure out what I would be writing about tonight! On my 5th run of the night, I got stiffed by a girl wearing an Eat'n Park uniform and an apron. She appeared to be a waitress!
Now I realize that tipping is not mandatory but it certainly is customary. The order was delivered about 35 minutes after she called, it was shortly after 7 PM, and her home was about 3-4 miles from our store. This was not lightning fast but it was pretty prompt, considering the distance and also that we were still in our "dinner rush" period.
It was very disheartening to be shown this kind of disrespect from another restaurant employee!
I drove for 5 hours tonight, taking 12 deliveries, driving 48 miles, and earning $23 in tips. This is about average for me on a Monday night.
I did stay a little over an hour late doing dishes and cleaning. Manager Nick sent our 3rd-closing driver home around 10 PM with a HUGE stack of dishes still in the dishroom and by the ovens. He was scheduled to leave at 10 but the problem was Nick had already sent our 2nd-closing driver home early, around 7 PM. She was supposed to stay until 11. When she left early, the other driver should have inherited her hours and planned to stay past 10.
Now I don't mind drivers going home, that's more deliveries (and more $$$) for me. But when that happens, if we are busy at all or if the deliveries we do have are far out (as in tonight), someone else has to help with the prep, dishes, and cleaning.
When I noticed the other driver was gone, I asked Nick about it and he commented that "I still have her," referring to our new manager-in-training. Now she seems like a nice girl, but so far the thing I've seen her do the most is to keep the other employees company when they go out back for a smoke break!
At abouut 10:30, I mentioned to Nick that, besides having at least an hour's dishes to do, we had hardly any pans oiled for tomorrow. He did then get to work, himself in the dishroom and our new manager-in-training oiling pans, but it was too little, too late and like I said, we didn't leave until after midnight.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Bussing Tables
At our pizzeria, we have dine-in as well as carry out and delivery. We have waitresses, or "servers" in the politically correct world, who take the dine-in orders, serve the food, and bus the tables.
Usually the waitresses do pretty well. We have several bus-tubs and they scrape the plates so that the napkins, leftover food, and such goes into the trash. Drinks are dumped into a big bucket (emptied and washed nightly) and ideally the plates go in one tub while the cups go in a separate tub.
Meanwhile the silverware goes into a container of warm soapy water to soak.
Why do I care? Because most of the dishes at our store are done by the drivers, that's why!
Well tonight one of the waitresses brought back a big pile of silverware that hadn't been soaked and asked me to wash it quickly please so that she could roll it (in napkins) and go home.
Well I was already in a grumpy mood because someone had been bringing back full cups of pop, with straws, and setting them by the dishwasher, instead of bussing them into the tubs as they are supposed to. Well, I told her no, I wasn't wasn't going to wash the silverware until it soaked for a while.
I knew that if I washed it without soaking, some of it would not come clean and would need to be washed again, just taking extra time. She got all huffy and told the other waitress "Don't go back there (to the dishroom) because Kevin's yelling."
Well, I wasn't yelling but that really doesn't matter. All the waitresses know that, more than any other driver, I always sort their silverware for them, I carry their plates and cups up front and put them away, and I'm generally helpful. But I do take pride in my work and I want to make sure whatever I wash gets clean!
But enough about the dishroom, let's get on to the tales of the road. I took 21 deliveries tonight, drove 70 miles in 7.5 hours, and made $53 in tips. All in all a decent night, for sure.
New driver Chris worked again tonight and is getting the hang of it, I think he's gonna do all right.
Interesting tidbits tonight:
My 2nd delivery of the night tipped $6.44 on a $38.56 credit card order. The customer had a "super" positive attitude, but what struck me was he was very impressed by my pen. Now, I like my pen also, but I get them 4 for $1 at the Dollar Tree!
Later in the night, a customer asked how my night was going, and I said, "Better than last night when my car died." He then offered to sell me a used Chrysler New Yorker for $1500. Well, number one, I don't have $1500, but more importantly, I'm not sure that car gets good enough gas mileage to replace my current pizza wagon!
Usually the waitresses do pretty well. We have several bus-tubs and they scrape the plates so that the napkins, leftover food, and such goes into the trash. Drinks are dumped into a big bucket (emptied and washed nightly) and ideally the plates go in one tub while the cups go in a separate tub.
Meanwhile the silverware goes into a container of warm soapy water to soak.Why do I care? Because most of the dishes at our store are done by the drivers, that's why!
Well tonight one of the waitresses brought back a big pile of silverware that hadn't been soaked and asked me to wash it quickly please so that she could roll it (in napkins) and go home.
Well I was already in a grumpy mood because someone had been bringing back full cups of pop, with straws, and setting them by the dishwasher, instead of bussing them into the tubs as they are supposed to. Well, I told her no, I wasn't wasn't going to wash the silverware until it soaked for a while.
I knew that if I washed it without soaking, some of it would not come clean and would need to be washed again, just taking extra time. She got all huffy and told the other waitress "Don't go back there (to the dishroom) because Kevin's yelling."
Well, I wasn't yelling but that really doesn't matter. All the waitresses know that, more than any other driver, I always sort their silverware for them, I carry their plates and cups up front and put them away, and I'm generally helpful. But I do take pride in my work and I want to make sure whatever I wash gets clean!
But enough about the dishroom, let's get on to the tales of the road. I took 21 deliveries tonight, drove 70 miles in 7.5 hours, and made $53 in tips. All in all a decent night, for sure.
New driver Chris worked again tonight and is getting the hang of it, I think he's gonna do all right.
Interesting tidbits tonight:
My 2nd delivery of the night tipped $6.44 on a $38.56 credit card order. The customer had a "super" positive attitude, but what struck me was he was very impressed by my pen. Now, I like my pen also, but I get them 4 for $1 at the Dollar Tree!
Later in the night, a customer asked how my night was going, and I said, "Better than last night when my car died." He then offered to sell me a used Chrysler New Yorker for $1500. Well, number one, I don't have $1500, but more importantly, I'm not sure that car gets good enough gas mileage to replace my current pizza wagon!
Saturday, July 14, 2007
1 Good Hour, 6 Crappy Hours
Tonight was a night I wished I worked from 6-7 PM instead of 6-close.
In my first hour I took 5 deliveries and made $14 in tips. The rest of the night I took 10 more deliveries and made $19 more in tips. Totals for 7 hours were 15 deliveries, $33 in tips and 60 miles (estimated).
The reason that the mileage is estimated is because my Hyundai overheated again after the first hour tonight. I'm not sure what is wrong, the coolant is still full. One oddity is that when I turned the heater on to help keep the engine cool, the heater blew cold air!
So my wife had to bring me our Taurus for me to finish the night in, and I didn't log the mileage when I started driving the Taurus.
The good thing is that after letting it sit for 6 hours it started and ran ok so I'll be able to drive it to Joe's Garage and have them fix whatever they didn't fix right last time.
Not much of interest on the pizza side today. Rumor is manager Nick cut his finger slicing peppers today and needed 10 stitches. Also, we have 2 more new employees, Justin started Wednesday. He's still on phones but he's training to be a cook. And Chris started today, he is a friend of cook Steve and Chris is a driver.
I close with Chris tomorrow night so hopefully I'll get a chance to teach him the right way to do things.
In my first hour I took 5 deliveries and made $14 in tips. The rest of the night I took 10 more deliveries and made $19 more in tips. Totals for 7 hours were 15 deliveries, $33 in tips and 60 miles (estimated).
The reason that the mileage is estimated is because my Hyundai overheated again after the first hour tonight. I'm not sure what is wrong, the coolant is still full. One oddity is that when I turned the heater on to help keep the engine cool, the heater blew cold air!
So my wife had to bring me our Taurus for me to finish the night in, and I didn't log the mileage when I started driving the Taurus.
The good thing is that after letting it sit for 6 hours it started and ran ok so I'll be able to drive it to Joe's Garage and have them fix whatever they didn't fix right last time.
Not much of interest on the pizza side today. Rumor is manager Nick cut his finger slicing peppers today and needed 10 stitches. Also, we have 2 more new employees, Justin started Wednesday. He's still on phones but he's training to be a cook. And Chris started today, he is a friend of cook Steve and Chris is a driver.
I close with Chris tomorrow night so hopefully I'll get a chance to teach him the right way to do things.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Pizza Waitress Gets $10,000 Tip
This ABC News Story tells how a customer gave this $10,000 tip to their regular waitress to help her pay her way through college.
What a story!
And to think I got excited about $18 a couple weeks ago.
What a story!
And to think I got excited about $18 a couple weeks ago.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Don't Scratch My Back
Many pizza places, including the one I drive for, require drivers to have "Car Toppers." These are big plastic advertising signs that attach by big magnets to the top of your car.Many drivers don't like to use them at night, especially in bad neighborhoods. They worry that the car topper is an invitation to hoodlums that the person is carrying money (and food) and would make a good robbery target. I stay aware enough of my surroundings that this has never been an issue for me.
Some drivers with nicer cars also don't like to use them for fear of scratching their car. My cars have always been old enough that I don't really worry about it.
Well today in downtown Cleveland, at the end of my daily run, I saw a pizza delivery car for Cleveland Pizza & Calzone Co. with a unique idea for saving his car from scratches. He had the topper on his trunk, but under the topper was a dishtowel. The magnets are strong enough to work even through this small layer of cloth, and the towel was protecting his car from scratches.
I though this was an interesting idea and am surprised I've never heard of it from another driver.
We May Never Know The Truth
Well, as expected, charges were filed on Wednesday in the bizarre Brian Wells case. Marjorie Deihl Armstrong and Kenneth Barnes are charged with bank robbery, conspiracy, and using a destructive device during a crime. The deceased pizza deliveryman is being called a co-conspirator in the bank robbery.
Wells family are of course disputing the allegations that their brother was a willing participant.
It's hard to believe that someone would volunteer to wear a time bomb attached to a collar around their neck, especially without the means to unlock the collar or diffuse the bomb.
Is it more likely that the people who are guilty would tell the police that Wells was in on it, so that they would be found guilty of robber but NOT kidnapping and murder?
This site offers some more information about the evidence and asks for help in solving this mystery.
Wells family are of course disputing the allegations that their brother was a willing participant.
It's hard to believe that someone would volunteer to wear a time bomb attached to a collar around their neck, especially without the means to unlock the collar or diffuse the bomb.
Is it more likely that the people who are guilty would tell the police that Wells was in on it, so that they would be found guilty of robber but NOT kidnapping and murder?
This site offers some more information about the evidence and asks for help in solving this mystery.
Wherefore Art Thou Romeo?
In my back yard, that's where!
There's a new pizzeria called Romeo's opening in the new shopping plaza right behind my house.
I've only ever delivered for the place I work now, and I've been there over 3 years. The thing I like best is it's busy enough and I can get the hours I want.
Since this is a 2nd job for me and I have a big family and also coach soccer, getting my requested schedule is vital! Plus we are open until 1 AM on Friday & Saturday, and I don't mind working late (when I can work). So I probably won't switch. But it's sure intriguing.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Charges Expected In Brian Wells Case
CNN is reporting that charges are expected today in the Brian Wells case.
For those that don't remember, this is the sad and strange case from 2003 where Erie, PA pizza deliveryman Brian Wells took a delivery to a remote location. From there he had a homemade bomb strapped to his neck and was forced to rob a bank.
Before the bomb squad arrived, the bomb went off and Brian was killed.
Sources indicate that Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong will be indicted today. She is in prison for the murder of her boyfriend, whose body was found in in a freezer in a home near the radio tower where Wells made his final delivery.
Another name being mentioned is Kenneth Barnes, currently in jail on drug charges.
To my fellow pizza drivers, remember, you can't be too careful out there.
For those that don't remember, this is the sad and strange case from 2003 where Erie, PA pizza deliveryman Brian Wells took a delivery to a remote location. From there he had a homemade bomb strapped to his neck and was forced to rob a bank.
Before the bomb squad arrived, the bomb went off and Brian was killed.
Sources indicate that Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong will be indicted today. She is in prison for the murder of her boyfriend, whose body was found in in a freezer in a home near the radio tower where Wells made his final delivery.
Another name being mentioned is Kenneth Barnes, currently in jail on drug charges.
To my fellow pizza drivers, remember, you can't be too careful out there.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Would You Like Anything To Drink With That?
We have a waitress who no longer works for us, as of last week. I asked one of the shift managers why. Here is what I found out.We are between GM's and our District Manager Shelly is helping out. Shelly seated a table & got drinks. Waitress then served the table. Shelly cashed them out later and there were no drinks on their check.
Shelly confronted server, who said she was having a bad night and forgot. Same night, Shelly cashes out another customer, same waitress, again no drinks on the ticket. Shelly reviewed this girl's tickets and finds out she has been doing this for about 4 months at least! The waitress was fired the next day.
Now to me, the thing that doesn't make sense is, why? Did the waitress think that by not charging for drinks, she was saving the customer money that they would then give back to her as a tip?
She couldn't have been printing the ticket WITH drinks and then deleting them, because in our POS system, voiding an item requires manager approval and this would have shown up on a report long ago.
I expect more often than not the customer didn't even notice and the tip was actually lower because the bill was lower.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
A Tale Of Two Garages
I have today 2 stories about 2 very different automotive experiences.
Joe's Garage:
If you remember from a couple weeks ago, my Hyundai died and was in the shop, namely Joe's Garage. I had never had any work done there before but kind of just happened in to the place.
When I got the car towed, the manager Dean said it should be less than $1000 but could be as low as $700. I then didn't hear from them until the car was done. The grand total was $805 but check out all the things they did to my car:
This is great service at a fair price. I certainly plan to have more work done there in the future.
WalMart:
Meanwhile, my wife's Taurus was in need of an oil change. A brand-new WalMart is a just 5 minute walk from my home, so I visited WalMart for an oil change. I usually go somewhere else but thought WalMart might be cheaper. Also, so it was convenient.
I ordered the value-plus service which includes topping off of all fluids. I was surprised when I was quoted 1 1/2 hours but I got the phone number and walked home. This was around 2:30 PM.
Around 4 PM I began calling to check on the status of my car. I was transferred to the Tire & Lube Express department where the phone rang and rang and rang.
I ended up calling back 3 times before anyone finally answered. I was told that my car was indeed done. I walked over to pick it up.
I got in line around 4:40 and there were 2 customers ahead of me, but no employees at the service counter. The phone was ringing again and not being answered.
It was over 10 minutes before any employees arrived. It took him 15 minutes to deal with the 2 customers ahead of me. Meanwhile another employee came over and asked how things were going. He said "Pretty good" and I laughed out loud.
When it was finally my turn he said he was sorry and I said "You should be." He replied "That wasn't very nice." I didn't say another word, paid for my oil change, and went out to my car. I checked the fluids and the wiper fluid was NOT added to my car.
In summary, my complaints are:
This took way longer than the place I usually go and the price was about the same. I will NEVER have WalMart service my car again. I will tell everyone I know about this, including my blog readers.
This service was ridiculously pathetic. But of course I should have remembered Zorlod's experience.
Joe's Garage:
If you remember from a couple weeks ago, my Hyundai died and was in the shop, namely Joe's Garage. I had never had any work done there before but kind of just happened in to the place.
When I got the car towed, the manager Dean said it should be less than $1000 but could be as low as $700. I then didn't hear from them until the car was done. The grand total was $805 but check out all the things they did to my car:
- Head Gasket
- New Water Pump
- New Thermostat
- New Timing Belt
- New Tune-Up Parts (Spark Plugs, Ignition Cables, Distributor Cap, Rotor)
- Oil Change
This is great service at a fair price. I certainly plan to have more work done there in the future.
WalMart:
Meanwhile, my wife's Taurus was in need of an oil change. A brand-new WalMart is a just 5 minute walk from my home, so I visited WalMart for an oil change. I usually go somewhere else but thought WalMart might be cheaper. Also, so it was convenient.
I ordered the value-plus service which includes topping off of all fluids. I was surprised when I was quoted 1 1/2 hours but I got the phone number and walked home. This was around 2:30 PM.
Around 4 PM I began calling to check on the status of my car. I was transferred to the Tire & Lube Express department where the phone rang and rang and rang.
I ended up calling back 3 times before anyone finally answered. I was told that my car was indeed done. I walked over to pick it up.
I got in line around 4:40 and there were 2 customers ahead of me, but no employees at the service counter. The phone was ringing again and not being answered.
It was over 10 minutes before any employees arrived. It took him 15 minutes to deal with the 2 customers ahead of me. Meanwhile another employee came over and asked how things were going. He said "Pretty good" and I laughed out loud.
When it was finally my turn he said he was sorry and I said "You should be." He replied "That wasn't very nice." I didn't say another word, paid for my oil change, and went out to my car. I checked the fluids and the wiper fluid was NOT added to my car.
In summary, my complaints are:
- Had to call 3 times to get the status of my car.
- Had to wait 25 minutes to pick up my car.
- Promised service was not done.
This took way longer than the place I usually go and the price was about the same. I will NEVER have WalMart service my car again. I will tell everyone I know about this, including my blog readers.
This service was ridiculously pathetic. But of course I should have remembered Zorlod's experience.
32 Runs, $73 Tips, 7.5 Hours, 96 miles
What a night!
We only had 2 drivers tonight, Desiree and myself! Steve was supposed to come in around 7 but nobody heard from him.
So in 7.5 hours on the road, I took 32 deliveries, drove 96 miles, and made $73 in tips. This is one of my best nights ever! (I'll try to check my records and find out exactly where it stands).
When you're going that fast, you have less time to dwell on each individual delivery so I don't have any stories tonight. I do have to thank Manager Mike and Cooks Steve & Mona for helping out with the prep and the dishes all night long. If they hadn't stepped up (especially Mona), I'd still be in the dishroom!
Oh yeah and I was back in my Hyundai, thanks to Joe's Garage!
We only had 2 drivers tonight, Desiree and myself! Steve was supposed to come in around 7 but nobody heard from him.
So in 7.5 hours on the road, I took 32 deliveries, drove 96 miles, and made $73 in tips. This is one of my best nights ever! (I'll try to check my records and find out exactly where it stands).
When you're going that fast, you have less time to dwell on each individual delivery so I don't have any stories tonight. I do have to thank Manager Mike and Cooks Steve & Mona for helping out with the prep and the dishes all night long. If they hadn't stepped up (especially Mona), I'd still be in the dishroom!
Oh yeah and I was back in my Hyundai, thanks to Joe's Garage!
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Fire In The Hole!
Around 11 PM tonight I was standing up front, chatting with manager Nick and waitress Catherine, having completed a "cash drop" at the front register. Catherine pointed excitedly to the Salad Bar and said "What's that?"
Smoke began billowing out of the vents around the cabinet under the salad bar. "It looks like my car!" I joked, referring to when my car overheated a couple weeks ago.
Well then we saw a bright glow coming from one of the vents. Nick walked over and opened one of the cabinet doors and sure enough, there was a fire.
Nick quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher. I cautioned him that it may be an electrical fire and he should make sure he knew what he was doing. He took aim and extinguished the fire. Meanwhile I called 911. Shortly we had 3 firetrucks pull up outside, sirens blaring.
Luckily we had no dine-in customers at the time. We opened all the doors to air out the building and the firemen checked to make sure the fire was out and wasn't going to start back up.
I don't think we had any serious damage, but it sure was exciting for a few minutes.
On the delivery side, I took 18 orders in 7 hours, drove 61 miles, and made $46 in tips. Pretty decent, especially considering that my first 4 orders tipped me a total of $4.21, and my last 2 orders tipped me a total of $0.59. That means I made $41 on those middle 12 orders.
The most frustrating order of the night was one where a discount was applied incorrectly. I fixed the order and marked the price down from $29.07 to $24.33. I told the customer and he (drunk) seemed happy but then only gave me $25.
Just 2 orders later, the customer said "Call the police, that's too much" when I told him the price ($23.07). I laughed and said that's how I felt at the gas station. He then gave me $30 and didn't want change. A very nice $6.93 tip, my best of the night.
Probably the most interesting order was 5 large meatlovers ($65.04). I got there and they were obviously setting up for a big party, with tents, tables, chairs, etc. They gave me a $5 tip and said it was for a wedding tomorrow (7/7/07).
Second most frustrating was my next to last order. The guy handed me $20 for his $19.83 order and said "Keep the change." It was all I could do not to say "17 cents, last of the big spenders huh?"
Smoke began billowing out of the vents around the cabinet under the salad bar. "It looks like my car!" I joked, referring to when my car overheated a couple weeks ago.
Well then we saw a bright glow coming from one of the vents. Nick walked over and opened one of the cabinet doors and sure enough, there was a fire.
Nick quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher. I cautioned him that it may be an electrical fire and he should make sure he knew what he was doing. He took aim and extinguished the fire. Meanwhile I called 911. Shortly we had 3 firetrucks pull up outside, sirens blaring.
Luckily we had no dine-in customers at the time. We opened all the doors to air out the building and the firemen checked to make sure the fire was out and wasn't going to start back up.
I don't think we had any serious damage, but it sure was exciting for a few minutes.
On the delivery side, I took 18 orders in 7 hours, drove 61 miles, and made $46 in tips. Pretty decent, especially considering that my first 4 orders tipped me a total of $4.21, and my last 2 orders tipped me a total of $0.59. That means I made $41 on those middle 12 orders.
The most frustrating order of the night was one where a discount was applied incorrectly. I fixed the order and marked the price down from $29.07 to $24.33. I told the customer and he (drunk) seemed happy but then only gave me $25.
Just 2 orders later, the customer said "Call the police, that's too much" when I told him the price ($23.07). I laughed and said that's how I felt at the gas station. He then gave me $30 and didn't want change. A very nice $6.93 tip, my best of the night.
Probably the most interesting order was 5 large meatlovers ($65.04). I got there and they were obviously setting up for a big party, with tents, tables, chairs, etc. They gave me a $5 tip and said it was for a wedding tomorrow (7/7/07).
Second most frustrating was my next to last order. The guy handed me $20 for his $19.83 order and said "Keep the change." It was all I could do not to say "17 cents, last of the big spenders huh?"
Thursday, July 5, 2007
July Carnival Of Pizza
Welcome to the July 6, 2007 edition of carnival of pizza. This month's carnival has some more delicious and/or interesting recipes, and a section all it's own.
Stephanie presents Homemade Buffalo Chicken Pizza posted at Stop the Ride!. That looks and sounds really good to me!
Caroline Jeannot presents Raw Garlic, Basil, Oregano, and Olive Oil Pizza « Raw Lifestyle posted at Raw Lifestyle, saying, "A raw (full of nutrients, minerals, and enzymes) pizza!" I have to admit, this one isn't really my style.
Martin presents TotalDismay.com » Blog Archive » Snack Break posted at TotalDismay.com, saying, "The Gozitan Ftira is the best snack on Earth. You might be able to find it in New York, Detroit or Toronto as these cities are home to many people who have left this tiny island that I now call home." Again, those aren't my first choice of ingredients, but my wife said if you leave off the tuna, she would love to try it!
I'm feeling generous this month. The folks at FitBuff posted 3 submissions, one of which actually refers to pizza in the description. I'm not sure any of the posts are actually about pizza, but you may find them interesting, so I'm going to let it slide this time.
FitBuff presents FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog » What Is Glycemic Index? posted at FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog, saying, "Glycemic Index is finally garnering some mainstream attention, but many people are still unaware of what it means exactly and how they can use it to improve their health. This article explains Glycemic Index and provides a very useful tool to look up any food's GI value."
FitBuff presents How a Digital Scale Analyzes and Calculates Your Body Fat Percentage posted at FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog, saying, "Holy Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, Batman! Body fat scales, though not perfect, are a great way to track your general body composition progress, and greatly outweigh (pun intended) the benefits of a boring, traditional scale."
FitBuff presents Lower Stress, Lower Fat - Breakthrough Study posted at FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog, saying, "Here's a breakthrough study that suggests one day, we may be able to eat ALL the pizza we can fit in our mouths, and LOSE weight while doing it!"
That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of pizza using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.
Recipes
Stephanie presents Homemade Buffalo Chicken Pizza posted at Stop the Ride!. That looks and sounds really good to me!
Caroline Jeannot presents Raw Garlic, Basil, Oregano, and Olive Oil Pizza « Raw Lifestyle posted at Raw Lifestyle, saying, "A raw (full of nutrients, minerals, and enzymes) pizza!" I have to admit, this one isn't really my style.
Martin presents TotalDismay.com » Blog Archive » Snack Break posted at TotalDismay.com, saying, "The Gozitan Ftira is the best snack on Earth. You might be able to find it in New York, Detroit or Toronto as these cities are home to many people who have left this tiny island that I now call home." Again, those aren't my first choice of ingredients, but my wife said if you leave off the tuna, she would love to try it!
FitBuff
I'm feeling generous this month. The folks at FitBuff posted 3 submissions, one of which actually refers to pizza in the description. I'm not sure any of the posts are actually about pizza, but you may find them interesting, so I'm going to let it slide this time.
FitBuff presents FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog » What Is Glycemic Index? posted at FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog, saying, "Glycemic Index is finally garnering some mainstream attention, but many people are still unaware of what it means exactly and how they can use it to improve their health. This article explains Glycemic Index and provides a very useful tool to look up any food's GI value."
FitBuff presents How a Digital Scale Analyzes and Calculates Your Body Fat Percentage posted at FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog, saying, "Holy Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, Batman! Body fat scales, though not perfect, are a great way to track your general body composition progress, and greatly outweigh (pun intended) the benefits of a boring, traditional scale."
FitBuff presents Lower Stress, Lower Fat - Breakthrough Study posted at FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog, saying, "Here's a breakthrough study that suggests one day, we may be able to eat ALL the pizza we can fit in our mouths, and LOSE weight while doing it!"
That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of pizza using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Porno Pizza
I just read about this pizza place in Canada that is putting naked pictures in the pizza box, under the pizza. Interesting idea but I doubt the business lasts long.
June Totals
June was a pretty good month for me, as I was able to work alot of weekend shifts. Out of my 11 shifts, I worked 3 Fridays, 3 Saturdays, and 2 Sundays.
Shifts: 11
Hours: 72
Deliveries: 165
Tips: $426
Miles: 614
Average miles per delivery: 3.7
Average deliveries per hour: 2.3
Average tips per delivery: $2.58
Average tips per hour: $5.92
Average cash per hour: $8.21
(tips plus mileage)
Total earnings per hour: $15.06
(includes wage of $6.85)
Shifts: 11
Hours: 72
Deliveries: 165
Tips: $426
Miles: 614
Average miles per delivery: 3.7
Average deliveries per hour: 2.3
Average tips per delivery: $2.58
Average tips per hour: $5.92
Average cash per hour: $8.21
(tips plus mileage)
Total earnings per hour: $15.06
(includes wage of $6.85)
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Blacklisting
We have 2 different government-subsidized low-income housing projects in our area and both of them are blacklisted. Meaning we do not deliver there. This is for the safety of our drivers.
Somebody called from one of them tonight and tried to order. He was told no. He called back shortly and I answered. He asked for a delivery to the Marathon station. It was well after 11 and it was closed, but it is in walking distance to the housing project.
Of course I told him no, we don't deliver to street corners.
I was assigned 2 other deliveries tonight that were out of our delivery area. This happens because a manager (or anyone with a manager code) can override an address. The first one tipped $5, so I let it go. The 2nd one let me keep $0.93 so when I got back I put a note on their address in our POS system that said "OUT OF AREA - DO NOT DELIVER"
I drove 8 hours tonight, took 19 runs, drove 95 miles, and made $50 in tips. I took 13 singles and just 3 doubles tonight, which is why my mileage is so much higher. It was very nice to have 2 $50 nights in a row!
Somebody called from one of them tonight and tried to order. He was told no. He called back shortly and I answered. He asked for a delivery to the Marathon station. It was well after 11 and it was closed, but it is in walking distance to the housing project.
Of course I told him no, we don't deliver to street corners.
I was assigned 2 other deliveries tonight that were out of our delivery area. This happens because a manager (or anyone with a manager code) can override an address. The first one tipped $5, so I let it go. The 2nd one let me keep $0.93 so when I got back I put a note on their address in our POS system that said "OUT OF AREA - DO NOT DELIVER"
I drove 8 hours tonight, took 19 runs, drove 95 miles, and made $50 in tips. I took 13 singles and just 3 doubles tonight, which is why my mileage is so much higher. It was very nice to have 2 $50 nights in a row!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
