Does Home Value Affect The Tip Amount?

I had a small sample today, 8 deliveries, but ironically my first delivery (to Arrowhead Drive in the Flint Ridge neighborhood) was to a house that was probably worth more than all of my other 7 deliveries combined.  (Colonial Oaks trailer park, West, 7th, Furnace, Jackson, 2nd, and East).

The "nice" house tipped $2.  The other 7 tipped a range of $1 to $5 with an average of almost $3.  Can't say that there was a big difference, but anybody expecting a bigger tip from a bigger house will most likely be disappointed.

I did have 2 credit card orders where the manager has to give me the tip.  Tonight was Manager Mike, same as Friday when I had my string of $5 tips.  It was pretty funny when both credit card tips tonight were $5!

Finally, I've got a new favorite Sunday night radio show - AlternaFISH!  "Positive rock and hip hop music.   ON-AIR every Saturday and Sunday night from 9pm to midnight on 95.5 the FISH, Cleveland"

Five-Dollar Tip? You Can Bet The Ranch On It!

I was supposed to work 6-11 or so tonight.  If I would have, I would have been bummed!

My night started off pretty depressing.  On my first 13 deliveries, I made a total of $18 in tips.  It was a continuation of Thursday night when I seemed to be getting $1 or $2 and nothing more.  My first 13 tips were as follows:  $0 - 3 times; $1 - 3 times; $2 - 5 times; $3 - 2 times.

Then something happened, I have no idea what, but my luck shifted.  I wasn't friendlier, and I sure wasn't getting the food there any faster.  But I got a $5 tip on a street where I didn't expect it (on what seemed to be a high-maintenance order with several special requests).

That started a trend and 9 of my next 16 deliveries tipped $5 or more!  I'm not sure I ever had such a streak of good luck!

My final delivery of the night was notable in that the customer ordered a side of ranch (for $0.75).  I packed the order and as I was 2/3 of the way there I realized I forgot the ranch.  I went over the options in my head:

• Ignore it and hope the customer doesn't realize it's missing - not my style
• Stop at Burger King and get a couple ranch packets - too many cars in the drive through
• Go back to the store for a ranch sauce - not this late at night
• Tell the customer and deduct $0.75 from their check - leads to a disappointed customer

I decided to stop at the 24-hour convenient and buy a bottle of ranch dressing.  It cost me $2.59.

When I arrived, I told the customer that on the way there, the guy who packed the order let me know the ranch was missing.  (Which is true.)  I then showed them the bottle and let them know I stopped to get it since I knew they were a good customer.

They paid their $32.74 order with $40 and said, "Just keep it."  A seven-dollar tip, earned in part by picking up a $2.59 bottle of salad dressing.

Oh what a night!

I worked 8.1 hours, drove 92 miles, delivered 30 orders, and made $89 in tips.  This is one of my most profitable nights ever!

Relief Driving

First, I want to answer a comment on my previous post asked about credit card tips.  When I get a credit card tip, I get the cash as soon as I get back to the store.  If the customer writes $3 on the tip line, I turn in the slip and the manager hands me $3.  So that is just as good as a cash tip to me.

I was home, actually in my pajamas, eating dinner, a little after 7 when Manager Mike called.  One of the drivers was not feeling well and Mike asked me to come in and close.  Money is a little tight in our house this week so I jumped at the chance.  I got there around 7:30 and by 9 I was the only driver.

I worked 4.65 hours, took 12 deliveries, drove 28 miles, and made $22 in tips.  Tips were pretty low tonight, six $1 tips, two $2 tips, and four $3 tips.  Best tip of just over $3 was from a woman who said she used to be a cab driver!

Driver Matt is having car trouble so I may be picking up a few extra shifts in the next week or so but I'm already scheduled Friday-Monday-Thursday-Sunday-Monday so I won't be picking up too many beyond that.

Not Much To Say

Worked 1.79 hours, took 5 deliveries, drove 17 miles, made $6.82 in tips.

First delivery to a house $19.98 credit card order.  Customer looked in the box and didn't like the amount of extra cheese, sent the pizza back.  Tipped $1.80.

Second delivery to an apartment, $13.99 cash order, paid $14.

Third delivery to an apartment, $21.99 cash order, paid $24.

Fourth delivery was the rerun to the first house, no cost, tipped another $1.

Final delivery was to a house, $45.99 credit card order (3 large pizzas plus breadsticks), tipped $2.

Address Verification

Third delivery of the night was to an apartment building.  The door was locked and there was no buzzer, so I called the customer on the phone # listed on the ticket.  I identified myself and the girl said she would be right down.

She paid for the pizza, then started up the stairs, asking, "Do you need to see that it's my apartment?"

"Nope", I replied, "You gave me the money, you can have the pizza."

I wonder who she thought might be looking out the window, waiting to pay for someone else's pizza without even knowing what it was?!?!?

Fourth delivery of the night was a new customer, I called on the way to confirm the address (which is store policy to prevent crime) and he was convinced I was lost.  He didn't tip.  He got his food in about 40 minutes after his order.  If he keeps not tipping, I will certainly be in less of a hurry to bring his food in the future.

Totals for the night were 2.43 hours, 5 deliveries, 18 miles, and $12 in tips.  This is becoming pretty average for a Monday night.

Up And Down Friday

Worked 4.92 hours, 15 deliveries, $32 in tips, and 58 miles.  Started off with 2 stiffs in a row, things went slwo until around 7 when I took a 5-bagger that netted me $11 in tips in just over 1/2 hour.

Four stiffs in all but two $5 tips ... not much else to say except that Tyler and I argued for about a minute over a penny ... she was right.

Back To The Scene Of The Crime

My first delivery tonight was to the street where Matt got robbed just before Christmas.  I was overly cautious, even though a neighbor was outside shovelling snow and I was parked about 20 feet away, I asked the customer to "stay by the door until I got in my car."  She agreed, I remarked that we had some trouble here a few weeks ago.  It's better to have people be more alert and aware.

Oh and she tipped $3.50.

I had a pretty decent night, got several solid tips in areas where I didn't expect it.  I worked 3.05 hours, took 9 deliveries, drove 33 miles, and made $24.50 in tips.

Catching Up

A few things about New Years Eve:

• My ending mileage was 105,612 (for tax purposes)
• Biggest tip was $5 (twice) and $4 (3 times)
• Stiffed 4 times

• 5 deliveries were to apartment buildings, including 2 to the low-income county building on Chestnut

I bought 3 packs of mardi gras beads at the Dollar Store on Friday morning, figuring I would wear them to be festive and maybe give them out to any young kids that came to the door.  Well I didn't give any out all night, other than a few to some of my co-workers (who also wanted to look festive).  I did get a few remarks but I'm not sure if they increased my tips (like the Santa hat).

Now for tonight:

• We were pretty slow, I did a whole lot of dishes
• I worked 2.35 hours and took only 4 deliveries
• I drove 23 miles and made $6.50 in tips

Christmas:

• I got a magazine for Christmas, Popular Plates Pizza - Across The Country With Roadfood's Jane & Michael Stern.  It has some interesting articles about the origin of pizza, and a list of 100+ pizzerias throughout the US.
• George got a WebKinz and today I played a game online with him, it was pretty fun.  You are running a pizza place and you take orders, make dough, add toppings, put the pizza in the oven, and serve it ... you have to do all of these things quickly before the customer gets upset and leave.  Meanwhile more customers (we got up to 6 at one time) are coming in and waiting to be served.

New Years Eve 2010 - Brief Report

This is a quick summary as I am running a marathon in about 5 1/2 hours.

Tonight was an ok night.  NYE seems to never be what I hope for, even on a Friday where we were open past 12.  I worked 8.65 hours, took 24 deliveries, drove 89 miles, and made $57 in tips.