Coin Change Issues

Where I work we are given a bank of $15 to start our shift. This is usually one $5 bill and ten $1 bills. We are not given any coin change to start the night unless we specifically request it. I don't ask for it, and I don't know of any other drivers that do.

For the first 2 1/2 years that I delivered, our delivery charge was $1.25. Most of our items were priced at $x.99. A medium was $8.99 and a large was $11.99 (with 1 topping each). This made most orders $x.24 or $x.23. For example, a large was $13.24 (with delivery).

If the customer handed me a $20 bill for their $13.24 order, I would hand them back six $1 bills as change. Usually they would either hand me back a tip, or walk away, either way I kept the $0.76. If they gave me back $2, my tip would actually be $2.76. If they didn't tip, at least I had the $0.76.

Sometimes breadsticks, sodas, extra toppings, extra sauce cups, or other side items would change the price, but usually not.

Of course, if the customer just stood there, obviously waiting for their coin change, and I had some coins in my pocket that a customer had paid with on a previous delivery, I would dig in my pocket and give them their change. This happenned very rarely.

Also, if they specifically asked for the rest of their change, I would give it to them. I only remember this happening twice in 2 1/2 years. If I didn't have the coins, I would give them an extra $1, and let them know that I would cover it out of my tips.

Now sometimes, when I knew the customer would not tip, and I had coins, I would be ready with the exact coin change. For example, we have a customer that would consistently pay their $20.23 order with a $20 and a quarter. I would try to have 2 pennies in my hand as I walked to the door. In my mind, anything less than $1 is not a tip, it's an insult, and handing them back those insignificant 2 cents gave me a small bit of satisfaction.

Coming tomorrow, 2 related stories about how giving a customer back their change resulted in a complaint call to my manager.

Dry Your Hands ... Before Taking Out The Trash

I started this blog so that I could write about the interesting things that happen while out on delivery. But the last few weeks have been pretty boring. Partly because the weather is freezing (single digits the last 2 nights) and the transaction at the customer's door is handled as quickly as possible, for both parties involved.

I did have a good night Monday night, much better, both per hour and per delivery, than the (Super Bowl) night before. I took 11 deliveries and made $33 in tips. The lowest tip was $2 and that was a $21 order less than 4 blocks from the restaurant. I had a $5 and two $4 tips, and everything else was in the $2.50 - $3.50 range. Even the neighborhoods wher you don't expect much of a tip were generous last night.

So anyways one of the driver duties is to take out the trash at the end of the night and toss it in the dumpster. We have 3 big trashcans throughout the store. They usually aren't that heavy except when we throw out alot of dough.

We throw out dough that has been prepared the night before or that morning, but was not used during the day, due to slower than expected business. Last night was one of those nights. We have a new advertising promotion that hasn't quite caught on yet, so the trash by the make table (where pizzas are made) was pretty full.

Nick (the cook last night) volunteered to help me take it out. On the way out, he mentioned that he couldn't touch any metal, because his hands were wet, and he was afraid they would freeze to the metal.

The dumpster was pretty full so instead of throwing it in the sliding door of the dumpster, we had to throw it over the top. No problem. But the bag was so full that it didn't immediately fall out of the trash can, so we had to wiggle the (upside down) trash can to dislodge it. I slipped trying to step up the side of the dumpster, so Nick gave it a try. As he grabbed the top of the dumpster he screamed, "OUCH, METAL!"

He got the trash bag to fall but then on his way down he inadvertently grabbed the side of the dumpster again for support. When he got inside you could see the marks on his hand from where he had touched the metal.

While writing this, I was looking on snopes to find support for the urban legend of freezing your tongue to the basketball pole on the playground, as seen in the classic movie, A Christmas Story. I didn't find it, but I did find this amusing story. I guess it's a good thing Nick didn't have to pee.

Not So Super Bowl

I worked last night from 4-close. That is 7 hours on the road. I took 17 deliveries and made $35. Now that is slightly more than I would make on a typical Sunday, but not much. We were busier than usual but we were WAY overstaffed. Every driver I spoke with was disappointed in how much they earned.

In our area at least, I believe the thinking that the Super Bowl is a bonanza for pizza delivery drivers is a sad myth. Affluent customers that may have a big party and tip very well are more likely to prepare their own food these days. People eat pizza so often that I think it just isn't 'special' anymore.

Of my 17 deliveries, I only took 2 that were $25 or more, and each of those was just 2 pizzas and some sides and 2-liters. I didn't take 3 pizzas to one house all night. I did make 2 nice $5 tips but about half (8) of my tips were $1.40 or less.

I almost didn't write about the Super Bowl at all, I thought about titling my post "It pays to answer the phone."

Now I believe that phone-answerring is important. Most people, as many as 80-90%, have decided how much they will tip before they answer the door. The drivers actual service and job performance seems to have little effect on the size of the tip, in most cases.

Almost the only chance we have to affect the tip is during the phone transaction. So I try to answer as many phones as I can, and to be friendly and cheerful while taking the order. I believe this helps increase my tips.

But last night I actually made money just by answerring the phone. I started off with my normal greeting. "Thanks for calling (name of pizza place), this is Kevin, will this be for delivery or pick-up."

"Actually I already placed a pick-up order and it should be ready. I'm outside with 2 sleeping kids in the van, can someone possibly bring it out to me?", the lady asked.

"Absolutely," I replied, "we will be right out."

I found the order, grabbed the 2-liter of Pepsi, checked the amount ($15.00), and took the food out the front door. The woman opened the door to her van, thanked me, and handed me $20. "If you have $3 that would be great" she said.

I quickly handed her her change (out of my drivers bank that I keep in my pocket), went back in and paid the $15 check, and I made a nice $2 tip for about 1 minute of work.

This was before the game started, and it at least put me in a good mood for a few minutes.

Oh and I should say "Thank you" to my co-workers Nick and Ward, for helping me get home last night. If you were following along from last week's blog, I was driving a PT Cruiser rented from Enterprise that I had to return at the end of my shift last night. Nick picked me up from Enterprise after my last delivery and Ward took me home after we closed. Thanks guys!

How Much Does A $600 Car Really Cost?

From when I started delivering pizza in the summer of 2004, I drove a 1998 Ford Escort. This was a great car for me, very dependable, good gas mileage, but over time it developed numerous things wrong with it. Recently the clutch has been slipping, and the brakes are badly worn. You can hear the metal-on-metal scraping each time you stop.

Along with those 2 major items, there is some bumper damage (my own fault), the A/C gave out this summer, the shocks & struts need replaced, the back-up lights malfunctioned and are disconnected, the dashboard lights (speedometer, etc) are out, the rear view mirror fell off, and there is a cassette stuck in the tape player.

To top it all off, in December when I went to have an e-check so that I could get my license plates, they refused to test it at all because the brake light is on. (The emergency brake is out).

It does have 215,000 miles, so I decided to replace it. Shopped around and found my Hyundai Excel listed on eBay for $500, with a Buy It Now for $1000. It was local, I test drove it, but then someone did the Buy It Now before I got a chance to bid.

That deal fell through so I made an offer and bought it (outside of eBay) for $600.

When I went to get license plates for it, it failed the e-check and I had to spend $700 at Monro to replace the entire exhaust system, everything from the catalytic converter on back. OUCH! But I think you have to expect for a car that cheap, something will probably go wrong soon.

With that taken care of, the car seemed to be a great little pizza wagon for me, up until the events of Wednesday night. Now it is back in the shop and Firestone says it will need a new ignition switch and cylinder, total cost of around $350.

I need this car running so we are having this fixed also, but we are quickly approaching the point where we stop putting more money into this car and cut our losses.

In the meantime, we visited the local Enterprise where the weekend rate is less than $20 per day. I'll be driving a PT Cruiser this weekend, including Super Bowl Sunday. Wish me luck!

Serious Car Trouble

Went out to make my 5th & 6th deliveries last night and my 1992 Hyundai Excel made a very strange, grinding/spinning/scraping/whirring noise as it started up. Kind of sounded like trying to start the car when it is already started.

On my way to my first delivery I noticed that the sound reappeared every time I put in the clutch. Also I noticed that my radio had no power. As I drove on I also discovered that my headlights were out, as well as the fan for the heater/defroster.

Left the car running while I made the first delivery, second one was to a low-income high-rise so I had to turn it off. I just prayed that it would start when I got back.

Made the delivery and called the store to return me in the computer (so the delivery did not show as late) and to let them know I would be delayed. I stopped at both AutoZone and Advance Auto Parts. AutoZone tested the alternator / battery and the charge was fine. Neither of them really had a solid idea what it might be.

I made it back to the store. We were in pretty good shape because Mona was working again tonight, the dishes were caught up and the prep work was complete. It was about 9PM so they let me just go home.

I called my good friend Randy who knows way more about cars than me. He came up and had a look, and also led me home (me having no headlights and all).

So now my car is at Firestone and I am checking out Enterprise to possibly rent a car for the weekend.

I'm very frustrated, I still haven't told the story here of why I am driving that car anyways, but so far in the 1 month I have had it, I have not had very good luck.

In the 3 hours I worked, I did make 6 deliveries, drove 20 miles, and earned $14 in tips. Our driver reimbursement got dropped from $1.00 per run to $0.95 per run. This is a result of the falling gas prices, I knew it would be happening but was hoping it would not.

I'll write again when I know what is going on with my car.