I was approached by an amateur call-girl tonight! I had driven past on the way to a delivery and noticed her sitting on a bench on a street corner and thought she had called out to my car as I drove past.
On my return trip I had to stop at the corner and wait to turn left until the crossing traffic had cleared. She got up and walked up to my car and said "So do you wanna do something?" I said no thanks and drove away.
I worked just 3 hours tonight, taking 6 deliveries, driving 32 miles, and making $15 in tips.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Wierd Night
Again, I'm trying to work my way back onto the schedule and was available tonight. I called in and driver Chris was willing to leave around 7:30 so I went in to work from then until close. I drove for 3 1/2 hours, drove 38 miles on 8 deliveries, and made $17 in tips.
My first run was out of our area to the south-east. I did get a $4.73 tip so I didn't complain too much.
My third run was just a few blocks up the street. The man asked me if I wanted a job cleaning his garage as he "tipped" me 73 cents. I respectfully declined.
Next was a double that should have been Nick's but he got greed and took 2 that didn't go together the time before, so he wasn't back in time. I got $2 at the first house and $5 at the 2nd house, again out of the area. The girl customer showed me her new piercing, a star on the back of her neck (like this).
After that I went out of the area for the 3rd time of the night, this time supposedly because the next store over wasn't answerring their phones. The customer wasn't home, just some small kids, who said their mom was walking the dog. The pizza was paid by credit card and a man arriving in the driveway said he would sign for it, but of course he didn't feel he could tip since it wasn't his card.
The end of the night was marked by manager Desiree declaring that we were "about $130 short", but she had miscounted 3 stacks of 50 $1's as stacks of 100 so we were actually ok.
My first run was out of our area to the south-east. I did get a $4.73 tip so I didn't complain too much.
My third run was just a few blocks up the street. The man asked me if I wanted a job cleaning his garage as he "tipped" me 73 cents. I respectfully declined.
Next was a double that should have been Nick's but he got greed and took 2 that didn't go together the time before, so he wasn't back in time. I got $2 at the first house and $5 at the 2nd house, again out of the area. The girl customer showed me her new piercing, a star on the back of her neck (like this).
After that I went out of the area for the 3rd time of the night, this time supposedly because the next store over wasn't answerring their phones. The customer wasn't home, just some small kids, who said their mom was walking the dog. The pizza was paid by credit card and a man arriving in the driveway said he would sign for it, but of course he didn't feel he could tip since it wasn't his card.
The end of the night was marked by manager Desiree declaring that we were "about $130 short", but she had miscounted 3 stacks of 50 $1's as stacks of 100 so we were actually ok.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
June 2008 Monthly Totals
Shifts: 4
Hours: 22
Deliveries: 47
Tips: $97
Miles: 187
Average miles per delivery: 4.7
Average deliveries per hour: 2.1
Average tips per delivery: $2.06
Average tips per hour: $4.41
Average cash per hour: $7.08 (tips plus mileage)
Total earnings per hour: $14.08 (includes wage of $7.00)
Hours: 22
Deliveries: 47
Tips: $97
Miles: 187
Average miles per delivery: 4.7
Average deliveries per hour: 2.1
Average tips per delivery: $2.06
Average tips per hour: $4.41
Average cash per hour: $7.08 (tips plus mileage)
Total earnings per hour: $14.08 (includes wage of $7.00)
May 2008 Monthly Totals
Shifts: 6
Hours: 39.5
Deliveries: 89
Tips: $219
Miles: 316
Average miles per delivery: 3.6
Average deliveries per hour: 2.3
Average tips per delivery: $2.46
Average tips per hour: $5.54
Average cash per hour: $8.36 (tips plus mileage)
Total earnings per hour: $15.36 (includes wage of $7.00)
Hours: 39.5
Deliveries: 89
Tips: $219
Miles: 316
Average miles per delivery: 3.6
Average deliveries per hour: 2.3
Average tips per delivery: $2.46
Average tips per hour: $5.54
Average cash per hour: $8.36 (tips plus mileage)
Total earnings per hour: $15.36 (includes wage of $7.00)
Monday, July 21, 2008
Monday Night Money
I wasn't on the schedule tonight but I was able to work part of Todd's shift as he wanted to leave early. I drove from 7-11 PM and took 9 deliveries. I put 37 miles on my Chevy and brought home $22 in tips.
Of my 9 tips, 5 of them were between $2.71 and $3.00. Three were lower ($1.11 - $2.00) and one was higher ($3.63). Nick said that other drivers had been reporting bigger tips but mine were pretty close to my all-time average of just over $2 per delivery.
At one far-away house, the next-door neighbors were sitting on their screened-in porch and called out to me, asking if I was from a particular pizza chain (and I was). They then asked which location and I told them, and also gave them our phone number.
At another house the check was $17.29. They paid with a $20 and I handed the man back 2 $1's. He stood there waiting so I said "let me see if I have some coin change in the car."
"No keep it" he said, and then he gave me another $1.
Finally, I have to say that I stumped a girl with my joke today. She paid with a $20 for another $17.29 order and said "Keep the change" (after her boyfriend told her to). I replied, "You keep the pizza." She said "Huh?" and I repeated myself, and she still just stared back with a confused look on her face.
"It's a joke, have a great night," I said as I walked away.
Of my 9 tips, 5 of them were between $2.71 and $3.00. Three were lower ($1.11 - $2.00) and one was higher ($3.63). Nick said that other drivers had been reporting bigger tips but mine were pretty close to my all-time average of just over $2 per delivery.
At one far-away house, the next-door neighbors were sitting on their screened-in porch and called out to me, asking if I was from a particular pizza chain (and I was). They then asked which location and I told them, and also gave them our phone number.
At another house the check was $17.29. They paid with a $20 and I handed the man back 2 $1's. He stood there waiting so I said "let me see if I have some coin change in the car."
"No keep it" he said, and then he gave me another $1.
Finally, I have to say that I stumped a girl with my joke today. She paid with a $20 for another $17.29 order and said "Keep the change" (after her boyfriend told her to). I replied, "You keep the pizza." She said "Huh?" and I repeated myself, and she still just stared back with a confused look on her face.
"It's a joke, have a great night," I said as I walked away.
Monday, July 14, 2008
A Diner's Bill Of Rights
(from the book Service Included)
1. The right to have your reservation honored.
2. The right to water.
3. The right to the food you ordered at the temperature the chef intended.
4. The right to a clean, working bathroom.
5. The right to clean flatware, glassware, china, linen, tables, and napkins.
6. The right to enough light to read your menu.
7. The right to hear your dining companions when they speak.
8. the right to be served until the restaurant's advertised closing time.
9. The right to stay at your table as long as you like.
10. The right to salt and pepper.
1. The right to have your reservation honored.
2. The right to water.
3. The right to the food you ordered at the temperature the chef intended.
4. The right to a clean, working bathroom.
5. The right to clean flatware, glassware, china, linen, tables, and napkins.
6. The right to enough light to read your menu.
7. The right to hear your dining companions when they speak.
8. the right to be served until the restaurant's advertised closing time.
9. The right to stay at your table as long as you like.
10. The right to salt and pepper.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Oh the abuse...
What a weekend! The company lost my HR packet so I didn't get a paycheck (and quite possibly exposed me to identity theft), the closing waitress dumped a pitcher of ice tea over my back and "requested" that I clean the public bathrooms (5 hours before closing), she also chewed out for handing out some complimentary sauces, and the cook forgot my request for one measly slice of garlic bread for my salad.
I have thoroughly enjoyed serving the customers (our chain has the best!), but the fact that my DH is back at delivery and my daycare business seems to be expanding means that my future time in the dining room will be somewhat restricted.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Welcome Back Me!
I worked tonight as a delivery driver. It was my first time back at my 2nd job since my hernia surgery almost 4 weeks ago. My intention was to go in and drive for about 4-5 hours and see how I felt.
I did start to feel a little fatigued after about 4 1/2 hours but I ended up staying 2 more hours after that. We were down to 3 drivers and while we weren't super busy, the runs we had (and continued to get) were spread out to different sectors of our delivery area.
I did what I like to think of as "running interference" for the other 2 drivers. In other words, I took 4 consecutive single runs to the far reaches of our delivery area. The good news was that 3 of the 4 left decent tips of $3.75 or more, including $7.50 on an 8-pizza order to the far southern edge of our delivery area.
So I was making money for sure. In 6.5 hours I took 14 deliveries, drove 67 miles, and made $42 in tips, for a solid average of $3 per delivery. This was helped by our new delivery charge.
When I last worked, the delivery charge was $1.99. It has been raised to $2.29. Since most of our prices are around the even dollar amount ($12.99 for a large pizza), most (9 out of 14) of the orders totalled $xx.25 to $xx.28.
Most customers don't expect the coin change back so that alone adds an extra 70-75 cents to almost every delivery all night long!
Nine of my fourteen tips were $2.75 or more. An interesting aspect tonight was some of the comments from some of my worse tippers.
One woman asked if I got to keep the delivery charge. "We get about half of it for gas" I told her. She replied that she thought I should get it all, and then handed me $1.
Another man remarked "It must be tough to make money with the price of gas" as he tipped me $1.75.
One more strange occurrence, on one of my later deliveries (3 pizzas and an order of wings), the customer looked at the wings, declared them "not cooked enough", and sent them back. I gave him back the $6.99 and called the manager to get the wings voided off the check. I don't think anyone has ever not accepted their food before. (Not counting complaint calls after the delivery driver had left of course.)
Finally, I found a "window flag" from one of our competitors, Marco's, in the road right in front of our shop tonight. It must have broken off one of their driver's cars as they drove past. (Their shop is just a couple hundred yards from ours.
All in all it was good to be back!
I did start to feel a little fatigued after about 4 1/2 hours but I ended up staying 2 more hours after that. We were down to 3 drivers and while we weren't super busy, the runs we had (and continued to get) were spread out to different sectors of our delivery area.
I did what I like to think of as "running interference" for the other 2 drivers. In other words, I took 4 consecutive single runs to the far reaches of our delivery area. The good news was that 3 of the 4 left decent tips of $3.75 or more, including $7.50 on an 8-pizza order to the far southern edge of our delivery area.
So I was making money for sure. In 6.5 hours I took 14 deliveries, drove 67 miles, and made $42 in tips, for a solid average of $3 per delivery. This was helped by our new delivery charge.
When I last worked, the delivery charge was $1.99. It has been raised to $2.29. Since most of our prices are around the even dollar amount ($12.99 for a large pizza), most (9 out of 14) of the orders totalled $xx.25 to $xx.28.
Most customers don't expect the coin change back so that alone adds an extra 70-75 cents to almost every delivery all night long!
Nine of my fourteen tips were $2.75 or more. An interesting aspect tonight was some of the comments from some of my worse tippers.
One woman asked if I got to keep the delivery charge. "We get about half of it for gas" I told her. She replied that she thought I should get it all, and then handed me $1.
Another man remarked "It must be tough to make money with the price of gas" as he tipped me $1.75.
One more strange occurrence, on one of my later deliveries (3 pizzas and an order of wings), the customer looked at the wings, declared them "not cooked enough", and sent them back. I gave him back the $6.99 and called the manager to get the wings voided off the check. I don't think anyone has ever not accepted their food before. (Not counting complaint calls after the delivery driver had left of course.)
Finally, I found a "window flag" from one of our competitors, Marco's, in the road right in front of our shop tonight. It must have broken off one of their driver's cars as they drove past. (Their shop is just a couple hundred yards from ours.
All in all it was good to be back!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Service Included - Book Review
I recently read the book Service Included by Phoebe Damrosch. The subtitle is Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter. As someone who works in the restaurant business, I was intrigued.
Well the book is by this girl who got a job at a fancy restaurant in New York City called Per Se. The book started out interesting, talking about her early days as a waitress and how she got the job at Per Se, and some of the training she went through.
It then jumps around, spending several chapters discussing her love life and relationships with her coworkers.
My favorite part was the discussion about how they prepared for and served Frank Bruni, the restaurant critic from the newspaper.
Per Se is a very fancy restaurant where they offer a "tasting menu" for $275 per plate. I'm a picky eater so I would probably hate it. And it really has nothing in common with the pizzeria where I work.
Still, if you want to see how the "other side" lives (or rather, eats), check out this book!
Well the book is by this girl who got a job at a fancy restaurant in New York City called Per Se. The book started out interesting, talking about her early days as a waitress and how she got the job at Per Se, and some of the training she went through.
It then jumps around, spending several chapters discussing her love life and relationships with her coworkers.
My favorite part was the discussion about how they prepared for and served Frank Bruni, the restaurant critic from the newspaper.
Per Se is a very fancy restaurant where they offer a "tasting menu" for $275 per plate. I'm a picky eater so I would probably hate it. And it really has nothing in common with the pizzeria where I work.
Still, if you want to see how the "other side" lives (or rather, eats), check out this book!
Called Off
I was called off the entire weekend after July 4th. Guess everybody was out having fun with family and friends. I know we were.
At least all my outfits are clean and ready for service.
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