These numbers do not include driving expenses.
Shifts: 9
Hours: 51.5
Deliveries: 102
Tips: $275
Miles: 440
Average miles per delivery: 4.3
Average deliveries per hour: 2.0
Average tips per delivery: $2.70
Average tips per hour: $5.34
Average cash per hour: $7.52 (tips plus mileage)
Total earnings per hour: $14.52 (includes wage of $7.00)
Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Nick's Construction Project
Nick went back to his childhood days of playing with tinkertoys tonight. He spent most of the night assembling several new racks and carts for dough and other food storage.
Meanshile I owrked 5 hours, took 9 deliveries, drove 30 miles, and made $35 in tips.
Only one stiff, to a house I've been stiffed at more times thn any other. They have an Obama sign in their yard. I guess they don't believe in spreading the wealth.
Later I delivered to another house. The woman of the house was waiting on the porch smoking. Her daughter and grandkids were inside and had ordered the pizza. The woman came with $22 and asked how much was the check. When I told her $21.62 she had me wait and went bck inside for $3 tip. Tips like that are really appreciated!
My final delivery as a big surprise. It was to an apartment complex where I'm about as likely to get stiffed as tipped. The check was $23.60 and he paid with $40, and he asked for $4 back. That left me $12.40 for a tip, one of my biggest ever! I asked him again if he said $4 and he said yes, so I thanked him again and took off!
Meanshile I owrked 5 hours, took 9 deliveries, drove 30 miles, and made $35 in tips.
Only one stiff, to a house I've been stiffed at more times thn any other. They have an Obama sign in their yard. I guess they don't believe in spreading the wealth.
Later I delivered to another house. The woman of the house was waiting on the porch smoking. Her daughter and grandkids were inside and had ordered the pizza. The woman came with $22 and asked how much was the check. When I told her $21.62 she had me wait and went bck inside for $3 tip. Tips like that are really appreciated!
My final delivery as a big surprise. It was to an apartment complex where I'm about as likely to get stiffed as tipped. The check was $23.60 and he paid with $40, and he asked for $4 back. That left me $12.40 for a tip, one of my biggest ever! I asked him again if he said $4 and he said yes, so I thanked him again and took off!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Robbery (Not Me!) . . .
. . . not even my restaurent. But this story is scary as the armed robbery took place less than a mile from our store. According to the newspaper, on Saturday night just past midnight, a driver was sent out on a fake order to an abandoned house.
This is the same thing that happened to me 3 years ago but they robbed the shop while I was gone, instead of robbing the driver.
One cure for fake orders, that we are supposed to do (but usually don't), is to call back all new addresses after dark. That way maybe the address might still be fake, but at least we know the phone number is real and we have a way to trace the fake order.
Anyhow, I drove tonight and it was much less eventful. I drove from 6-11, took 11 runs, drove 51 miles, and made $30 in tips.
This is the same thing that happened to me 3 years ago but they robbed the shop while I was gone, instead of robbing the driver.
One cure for fake orders, that we are supposed to do (but usually don't), is to call back all new addresses after dark. That way maybe the address might still be fake, but at least we know the phone number is real and we have a way to trace the fake order.
Anyhow, I drove tonight and it was much less eventful. I drove from 6-11, took 11 runs, drove 51 miles, and made $30 in tips.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Can You Take A Check?
Well we haven't as long as I've worked here (going on 5 years). But tonight I found a blog about a pizza girl from Utah who wouldn't take a check from her local state senator, and it turned into a big incident as reported by ABC 4 in Provo, Utah.
We used to offer to do a credit card over the phone or to bring the food back if they don't have cash. New policy is to leave the food but to let the customer know there is a "hold" on their account for the amount due and they will not be able to order again until it is paid off.
We used to offer to do a credit card over the phone or to bring the food back if they don't have cash. New policy is to leave the food but to let the customer know there is a "hold" on their account for the amount due and they will not be able to order again until it is paid off.
New Computer Tickets
Tonight's gripe about the new computer system is about how the tickets are printed. The total price on the old tickets used to be printed in a larger font so that it stuck out and was more readable.
The new total price is small and hard to find. The words "Makin' It Great" and "Thank You" are each over twice the size as the price.
I had an order that I had just left for when I got called back as the manager had found another order that went with it as a double. Unfortunately it took 23 minutes from the phone call until I left the 2nd time, as the cook forgot to make the sandwich for the 2nd order.
Anyhow, sitting in the hot bag in my car all that time, the pizza was fine but the ticket became damp (from the steam from the pizza) and somewhat difficult to read. The result was that I asked for $30.26 instead of $36.26. I shorted myself $6.
It ended up ok though, I took 9 runs in 5 hours, drove 40 miles and made $28 in tips.
The new total price is small and hard to find. The words "Makin' It Great" and "Thank You" are each over twice the size as the price.
I had an order that I had just left for when I got called back as the manager had found another order that went with it as a double. Unfortunately it took 23 minutes from the phone call until I left the 2nd time, as the cook forgot to make the sandwich for the 2nd order.
Anyhow, sitting in the hot bag in my car all that time, the pizza was fine but the ticket became damp (from the steam from the pizza) and somewhat difficult to read. The result was that I asked for $30.26 instead of $36.26. I shorted myself $6.
It ended up ok though, I took 9 runs in 5 hours, drove 40 miles and made $28 in tips.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Employee Discounts and After Hours Calls
When I worked on Saturday, Sweetest Day, my wife got a pasta and I paid for it. We have a new policy that you can only get the employee 50% discount when you are working, which I was. So imagine my surprise when the manager on duty told me about the NEW new policy that there were no employee discounts, period. I paid full price for the pasta.
The next night we had a different manager. My wife picked up a cheese pizza for the kids and this time I got my discount. I'm planning to discuss it with the GM next chance I get.
Finally, last night about an hour after close, the phone rang. I answered it with my usual rhyme, "Thanks for calling our pizza place, this is Kevin, I'm sorry we close at eleven." The customer was bummed out and asked if I knew of anyplace that was open.
"Nope, sorry ... wait try DiGiorno." was my reply.
The guy actually asked for the number. I tried to say "Look it up in the book" without laughing but I couldn't.
The next night we had a different manager. My wife picked up a cheese pizza for the kids and this time I got my discount. I'm planning to discuss it with the GM next chance I get.
Finally, last night about an hour after close, the phone rang. I answered it with my usual rhyme, "Thanks for calling our pizza place, this is Kevin, I'm sorry we close at eleven." The customer was bummed out and asked if I knew of anyplace that was open.
"Nope, sorry ... wait try DiGiorno." was my reply.
The guy actually asked for the number. I tried to say "Look it up in the book" without laughing but I couldn't.
New Computers, New (And Old) Problems
I've felt like quitting so many times in the past week it isn't funny. I've got a list of problems, many related to the new computers. Basically other employees are screwing up and it's costing me money.
Dispatch
On Wednesday, the manager mistakenly assigned my run to another driver. When he was made aware of his error, he didn't correct it. I'm not sure he knew how to reassign the run to the correct driver.
Bad Street List / Out Of Area Deliveries
The street list on the new computer is not as up-to-date as the list on the previous computer was. Due to this, we are taking many deliveries that the computer doesn't think is in our delivery area.
Incidentally, we're also taking more deliveries that really aren't in our area. I took 2 tonight (out of 13) and both stiffed me.
Some people think giving the driver a little money for this will make up for it, but there are many costs involved here, including the cost of the extra gas to drive farther, the time it takes me to drive farther, the other deliveries I could have taken had I gotten back in a normal time.
Wrong Address
Last night one phone girl got the apartment wrong, typing B14 instead of D14. The original driver couldn't find it (of course) and also couldn't call the customer so the order got brought back until the customer called wondering where their food was. I ended up having to take it and we gave it to them for free. Of course they didn't tip. Get the addresses right!
On a similar note, a different phone girl tonight totally butchered the phone number. 474-032-4739. It probably should have been 440-324-739X. Unfortunately the X is important. We ran out of Pepsi and I couldn't call to see if they wanted a different 2-Liter or a credit. Manager Nick had me take a Cherry Pepsi and a Sierra Mist and let them pick. Of course they didn't tip.
History Deleted
Our old computer system had the order history of all of our customers. Last night the same phone girl who messed up the address, took an order and decided arbitrarily, because the customer was laughing and ordered $45 (3 pizzas) that it might be a prank. She and the manager cancelled the order.
Had they asked me, I could have told them that I've delivered to that house at least 20 times in the past couple years. But no, they were too smart to ask for help. So the customer called back eventually, the pizza was over 2 hours late, and do you think I got a tip?
If you've read this long, you deserve a funny story. On one of my deliveries last night, as I stood by the door, I heard a miniature explosion going off behind the house. The guys at the door in their early 20's started laughing. Their younger brother (preteen) then showed up and the guys accused him of "throwing all the fireworks in the fire" and that's exactly what it sounded like.
Saturday I drove 8 hours, took 18 runs, drove 78 miles, and made $46.
Sunday night I drove 6 hours, took 13 runs, drove 67 miles, and made $25.
Note that the night with the 2 out-of-area runs, I got 5.15 miles per run. The other night was a more normal 4.33 miles per run.
Dispatch
On Wednesday, the manager mistakenly assigned my run to another driver. When he was made aware of his error, he didn't correct it. I'm not sure he knew how to reassign the run to the correct driver.
Bad Street List / Out Of Area Deliveries
The street list on the new computer is not as up-to-date as the list on the previous computer was. Due to this, we are taking many deliveries that the computer doesn't think is in our delivery area.
Incidentally, we're also taking more deliveries that really aren't in our area. I took 2 tonight (out of 13) and both stiffed me.
Some people think giving the driver a little money for this will make up for it, but there are many costs involved here, including the cost of the extra gas to drive farther, the time it takes me to drive farther, the other deliveries I could have taken had I gotten back in a normal time.
Wrong Address
Last night one phone girl got the apartment wrong, typing B14 instead of D14. The original driver couldn't find it (of course) and also couldn't call the customer so the order got brought back until the customer called wondering where their food was. I ended up having to take it and we gave it to them for free. Of course they didn't tip. Get the addresses right!
On a similar note, a different phone girl tonight totally butchered the phone number. 474-032-4739. It probably should have been 440-324-739X. Unfortunately the X is important. We ran out of Pepsi and I couldn't call to see if they wanted a different 2-Liter or a credit. Manager Nick had me take a Cherry Pepsi and a Sierra Mist and let them pick. Of course they didn't tip.
History Deleted
Our old computer system had the order history of all of our customers. Last night the same phone girl who messed up the address, took an order and decided arbitrarily, because the customer was laughing and ordered $45 (3 pizzas) that it might be a prank. She and the manager cancelled the order.
Had they asked me, I could have told them that I've delivered to that house at least 20 times in the past couple years. But no, they were too smart to ask for help. So the customer called back eventually, the pizza was over 2 hours late, and do you think I got a tip?
If you've read this long, you deserve a funny story. On one of my deliveries last night, as I stood by the door, I heard a miniature explosion going off behind the house. The guys at the door in their early 20's started laughing. Their younger brother (preteen) then showed up and the guys accused him of "throwing all the fireworks in the fire" and that's exactly what it sounded like.
Saturday I drove 8 hours, took 18 runs, drove 78 miles, and made $46.
Sunday night I drove 6 hours, took 13 runs, drove 67 miles, and made $25.
Note that the night with the 2 out-of-area runs, I got 5.15 miles per run. The other night was a more normal 4.33 miles per run.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Really Future Orders
As I've said a couple times now, we have a new computer system and not everybody has figured it out yet. I got sent out tonight on an order to St Judes that was supposed to be delivered at 7. Problem number one was that I left with the order about 8:45. The note on the ticket said "Around back in the gym" so I drove around back. The entire building was dark and there was not a car in the parking lot.
It was raining and I didn't get out and knock, I did call the number listed though, and got voicemail. I called back to the store to see if they had called (about the delivery being almost 2 hours late) and they had not, which I thought was strange.
It was then that I looked closer at the order and saw it was to be delivered at 7PM on 10/16. That's tomorrow night. DOH!
Tips were really up tonight, my lowest tip was $2.73 (at a factory) and everything else was $3 or more! I had 4 $4 tips, a $5 and a $6. Total for the night was $42 in 5 hours of driving (plus an hour of washing dishes after we closed). I took 12 runs and drove 45 miles.
Three guys arrived at midnight to start installing the chicken wing friers that are sitting where the old walk-in freezer was.
It was raining and I didn't get out and knock, I did call the number listed though, and got voicemail. I called back to the store to see if they had called (about the delivery being almost 2 hours late) and they had not, which I thought was strange.
It was then that I looked closer at the order and saw it was to be delivered at 7PM on 10/16. That's tomorrow night. DOH!
Tips were really up tonight, my lowest tip was $2.73 (at a factory) and everything else was $3 or more! I had 4 $4 tips, a $5 and a $6. Total for the night was $42 in 5 hours of driving (plus an hour of washing dishes after we closed). I took 12 runs and drove 45 miles.
Three guys arrived at midnight to start installing the chicken wing friers that are sitting where the old walk-in freezer was.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Monday Night Football - Go Browns! (and Pizza)
Well soccer season is almost over. Both teams I coach have 1 game left and possibly the playoffs. More importantly, I don't have any games left to referee, so I'm back to delivering pizza a few nights each week.
The remodeling I discussed last week is well under way. We have a huge new walk-in cooler in the back. The old one that was jammed in the middle of the store has been removed. I think we're getting some chicken-wing-cooking equipment in that spot.
Anyhow, I drove tonight from 6-11. We had 3 drivers until 9 and 2 closers, in anticipation of being busy due to the Cleveland Browns hosting Monday Night Football. Unfortunately for me, sports events usually don't bring us much extra business and tonight was no different.
I drove for 5 hours, took just 8 deliveries, made $16 in tips, and drove 34 miles. Interestingly, I got tipped on 6 runs and stiffed on two. Both of the stiffs were to customers who were getting "free food", having a credit due to a complaint in the recent past. Surprise, surprise.
I worked with a new manager tonight, and he frustrated me right away, by assigning the first run after I got there to the last driver in, and then being too lazy to reassign it, just saying "we'll skip you next time through" which of course didn't happen.
But I didn't have any more issues with him after that so maybe he'll be ok. I also worked with a new driver. I asked him what he did before starting to work here and he replied, "I was married." He later told me that he and his ex-wife ran a day-care business. Also he is an accountant by trade, but seems to have worked in the food delivery business in the past.
The remodeling I discussed last week is well under way. We have a huge new walk-in cooler in the back. The old one that was jammed in the middle of the store has been removed. I think we're getting some chicken-wing-cooking equipment in that spot.
Anyhow, I drove tonight from 6-11. We had 3 drivers until 9 and 2 closers, in anticipation of being busy due to the Cleveland Browns hosting Monday Night Football. Unfortunately for me, sports events usually don't bring us much extra business and tonight was no different.
I drove for 5 hours, took just 8 deliveries, made $16 in tips, and drove 34 miles. Interestingly, I got tipped on 6 runs and stiffed on two. Both of the stiffs were to customers who were getting "free food", having a credit due to a complaint in the recent past. Surprise, surprise.
I worked with a new manager tonight, and he frustrated me right away, by assigning the first run after I got there to the last driver in, and then being too lazy to reassign it, just saying "we'll skip you next time through" which of course didn't happen.
But I didn't have any more issues with him after that so maybe he'll be ok. I also worked with a new driver. I asked him what he did before starting to work here and he replied, "I was married." He later told me that he and his ex-wife ran a day-care business. Also he is an accountant by trade, but seems to have worked in the food delivery business in the past.
Pizza Eating Contest
Joey Chestnut, already famous for eating hot dogs, showed his capacity for pizza by winning this contest. Sounds like fun!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Cleveland Pizza Driver In Voter-Registration Scam
As reported by the New York Post. This really doesn't have much to do with him being a pizza driver. The curious thing though is that I ride the RTA daily and walked past the same voter registration folks and was never approached once.
How did they know I was already registered? Or did they not pursue me because I'm white?
How did they know I was already registered? Or did they not pursue me because I'm white?
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
September 2008 Monthly Totals
These numbers do not include driving expenses.
Shifts: 6
Hours: 31.5
Deliveries: 70
Tips: $179
Miles: 274
Average miles per delivery: 3.9
Average deliveries per hour: 2.2
Average tips per delivery: $2.56
Average tips per hour: $5.68
Average cash per hour: $8.13 (tips plus mileage)
Total earnings per hour: $15.13 (includes wage of $7.00)
Shifts: 6
Hours: 31.5
Deliveries: 70
Tips: $179
Miles: 274
Average miles per delivery: 3.9
Average deliveries per hour: 2.2
Average tips per delivery: $2.56
Average tips per hour: $5.68
Average cash per hour: $8.13 (tips plus mileage)
Total earnings per hour: $15.13 (includes wage of $7.00)
Monday, October 6, 2008
Slow Sunday Plus Moving
Tonight was pretty slow for a Sunday night. I drove for 5.5 hours and only took 8 deliveries. I drove 34 miles. I had 3 stiffs and 2 $5 tips and got $18 total in tips.
Once again the new computer system caused a few delays, once in particular when I needed to find a manager to reprint a credit-card slip and also to reassign a couple runs, one that was assigned to the wrong driver (out of order) and one that should have been a double in the first place.
Meanwhile, the back of the shop was being prepared to be remodeled. The walk-in freezers will be moved, I'm not sure exactly what the new layout will be. But the freezers were emptied tonight, into a couple of freezer-semis that are parked out back.
Unfortunately, nobody thought to pull the frozen dough for the nightly prep before moving it to the trucks, so a couple of the drivers had to go back out into the semis and bring the frozen dough back in. At least one of the drivers is a truck-driver in his day job, and was able to use the lift on the back of the truck to make the unloading easier.
Once again the new computer system caused a few delays, once in particular when I needed to find a manager to reprint a credit-card slip and also to reassign a couple runs, one that was assigned to the wrong driver (out of order) and one that should have been a double in the first place.
Meanwhile, the back of the shop was being prepared to be remodeled. The walk-in freezers will be moved, I'm not sure exactly what the new layout will be. But the freezers were emptied tonight, into a couple of freezer-semis that are parked out back.
Unfortunately, nobody thought to pull the frozen dough for the nightly prep before moving it to the trucks, so a couple of the drivers had to go back out into the semis and bring the frozen dough back in. At least one of the drivers is a truck-driver in his day job, and was able to use the lift on the back of the truck to make the unloading easier.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
New Computers
Well tonight was my first night working with the long-awaited "new computers". I'm sure there are some things that work better than the old system but one thing that does not (in my opinion) is having to cash out each and every run as soon as the driver gets back to the store.
This requires a manager to pretty much hang out at the back to manage the till, and it slows things down if they are busy elsewhere.
The other main problem I have encountered thus far is that it's impossible to know from the ticket whether or not the customer is using a coupon.
I drove for about 7 hours tonight and took 14 deliveries. I drove 61 miles and made $35 in tips.
This requires a manager to pretty much hang out at the back to manage the till, and it slows things down if they are busy elsewhere.
The other main problem I have encountered thus far is that it's impossible to know from the ticket whether or not the customer is using a coupon.
I drove for about 7 hours tonight and took 14 deliveries. I drove 61 miles and made $35 in tips.
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