Who Pays For My Phone?

I made a ridiculous amount of delivery-related calls tonight.

• Three different times I was sent out on a credit card delivery without being aware of it and had to phone back to the store to verify that it was a credit card payment.
• Once I was sent to the wrong street and had to call the customer to get the correct address.
• Twice I was dispatched to a duplex with A and B or Up and Down apartments. I had to phone the customer (I think it's rude to knock the wrong door, especially after 9 PM.

I had some other interesting events as I made my deliveries.

• One customer signed the credit card without writing the tip or total. I handed it back with my usual remark. "You have to fill out the total even if you don't tip. If you leave it blank, you never know what someone might write in there." The woman then added a $3 tip!
• Once another man walked up behind me as I was waiting for the customer to gather the money and bring it to the door. I asked if I was in his way and he said no he had to wait, he was delivering chinese food. I got a 3 cent tip. I told him I hoped he did better but I doubt it.
• Once I took a 4-bagger (we were a driver short tonight) where 1 of the 4 deliveries had pre-submitted a $5 credit card tip. My total tips for those 4 runs were $5.44.
• I had a delivery to a bar and was offered a shot by the bartender. Of course I'm not allowed to accept alcohol while I'm driving!

It was one of those nights where I made money by perserverance. My first 5 deliveries yielded just $6 in tips, while the next 5 brought in just another $9. But I drove for 6 hours, took 21 runs, drove 77 miles, and made $37 in tips.

I worked with Kristi as closing manager. I like working with her as she keeps people busy, making sure the prep and the dishes get done in a timely manner!

Christmas Cookies As A Tip

It happens almost every year around this time. A motherly-type lady gives me a cash tip (usually $2-3) and a small plate of cookies! I then bring them back to the shop and share. Today's cookies were very tasty. Nick and I devoured them pretty quickly.

Tonight was the exact opposite of last night. I was working with a couple newer drivers (who are slower and take fewer runs at a time) so I took more than my share of runs. I had only 1 stiff tonight (out of 15 runs) and other than that, every tip was $2 or more. I had 2 tips of $5 or more.

Total for the night was 5 hours, 15 deliveries, 40 miles, and $42 in tips. The 40 miles for 15 deliveries part is really amazing! It's mainly a factor of lots of multi-runs and good routing. I took 2 triples and 4 doubles, and my only single was just about a mile from the shop.

Driver? Nick!

We're overstaffed on managers and short on drivers, so my good friend and long-time coworker Nick has started taking some driving shifts. Tonight was the first time we've worked together as drivers for an entire shift.

My night was pretty unremarkable, except for a $6.93 tip on a $23.07 order less than 1 mile from the shop. I had 5 credit card deliveries tonight (out of 13) and they all tipped at least $2 each.

Also, on my last delivery (a credit card), the woman insisted that I keep her pen, as "she has plenty because she gets them from work. Cheap advertising." Well, ma'am, I bet you didn't know your advertising would reach the world wide web.

The pen is from Woodforest National Bank. I wasn't sure where there was one so I looked it up and it's in the new WalMart right behind my house!

Nick had a few stories tonight. One was a woman who paid with a bunch of change and tried to short him $1.40. Nick pounded on the door until she came back with the rest of the money.

Also, he got screwed by an ex-girlfriend, one last time, and not in a good way. He took a delivery and when she recognized him, she took back the tip that she had ready. How rude!

My nightly totals were 5.5 hours, 13 deliveries, 46 miles, and $26 in tips. Not bad for a Wednesday.