February Floods?

It rained so much last night, combined with melting snow, that several steets were flooded today.  Luckily for me everything was pretty much back to normal by 6 PM when I went to work.

I worked 4.14 hours, took 13 deliveries, made $30 in tips, and drove 52 miles.

A few deliveries stood out:

• Got tipped $1 by a waitress at a bar.  It is not cool to get stiffed (or low tips) by other tipped employees!
• Had a customer with a $13.99 order that paid with a $20.  He asked for $5 back.  I asked if he wanted a five or 5 ones.  He said, "Just 4 ones."  Asking the question got me an extra buck!
• The very next customer had the exact same situation and asked for $5 back.  I asked the same question and they wanted the five-dollar bill.  I guess it doesn't work every time.
• Final delivery of the night instructed the phone person (Driver Matt) to tell the driver to "Knock Hard."  Then they also taped a note to the outside of their door that said "Knock Hard."  I knocked hard and she came to the door right away.  I guess I did ok!

Do Pizza Drivers Make Better Tips In Bad Weather?

Today as my lunchtime running group was getting started, we observed a Fed Ex truck get stuck in the street.  Runner Matt commented that he wouldn't want to be any kind of delivery driver on a day like today.  I mentioned that I would be delivering pizzas tonight.  Matt suggested that at least I should be making good tips.  Unfortunately, it seems that isn't always the case.

But tonight was pretty good.  No stiffs, only 1 $1, and 6 $4 or more ).

First run - 3 deliveries ($2, $3, $6)
Second run - 4 deliveries ($5, $3)
Third run - 4 deliveries ($4, $2, $3, $3)
Fourth run - 4 deliveries ($4, $2, $5, $2)
Fifth run - 3 deliveries ($2, $4, $1)

I didn't come close to getting stuck, because I have learned not to try to pull in a snowy driveway.  I just flick my hazard lights on and leave the car in the street for a couple minutes.

Of course, at my next-to-last delivery, this led to an interesting story from a customer at a trailer park.  He said to be careful and I remarked that I was staying out of the snow.  He then said how once he had suffered a heart attack while shoveling snow!  He also has been run over by a car and had a 2nd heart attack.  I joked that he was like a cat and he said yeah, he figured he only had 6 lives left!

Totals for the night:  4.49 hours, 16 deliveries, 40 miles, $51 in tips.

Snowy Monday

Tonight was one of those snowy icy nights where nobody wanted to be out.  I initially expected a slow night due to people being off work for Presidents Day, but once the weather turned nasty I knew there would be some deliveries.

Slow was the name of the game, my first 2 trips I took 4 orders each, and each trip took about 45 minutes or more to complete and get back.  No major trouble, but I don't drive into snowy driveways, I will simply put my flashers on and leave the car on the road.  Driver Joel said he got stuck in a driveway for a few minutes tonight.

Highest tip was $3.76, lowest was $1.01.  I worked 3.97 hours, drove 30 miles, took 11 deliveries, and made $27 in tips.

Snow Day

Most of the area schools were off today.  It was bitter cold (wind chill below zero) and I expected we would be busy, but we weren't too busy at all.  In fact I got sent home early!

I had 5 deliveries, 2 were interesting.  One was 2 pizzas, wings, and a 2-liter to a low-rent "weekly" style motel, the Journey Inn.  I had to chuckle when the guy said, "Thanks, now my lunch is taken care of for the week."  He did tip almost $3.

Other one was to the "Fraternal Order of Orioles", a private bar I had never even seen!  Bartender tipped me $5 on a $9.99 order.

Total 2 hours, 5 deliveries, 14 miles, $11 in tips.

First Snow

Today was the first snow of the year.  Also the first day I wore my Santa hat, which usually puts customers in a cheerful mood and might get me an extra buck now and then..

If this is any sign as to what winter will be like, I can't wait for spring.

First off there was a horrible back-up on my way home from my other job.  It took me about 45 minutes to get the final 6 miles to my house to change.  I finally got to the pizzeria about 15 minutes late.

In the next 3.45 hours, I took 9 deliveries (not bad).  My tips are listed below:

$0 - twice
$1 - twice
$2 - three times
$3 - once
$4 - once

The $3 and $4 were on my last 2 deliveries.  For my first 7 runs I had only made $8.  On the night I only made $15 in tips, while driving 31 miles.

Manager Krystle sent me home a little early, there was still quite a stack of dishes to wash, but I didn't question her.

How's The Weather?

Crappy!

Four of 5 customers specifically mentioned the roads or the weather tonight. The one that did not, the husband said, "CHILLY" as the wife held the door open a little too long.

Two of 5 customers still didn't tip!

Worked 2.5 hours, drove 18 miles, took 5 deliveries, made $10 in tips.

Bad Weather Driving Tips

The weather has been nasty this week. I'm sure the money was good but I'm actually glad I didn't have to be out in it as much.

Here are some winter driving tips from our local newspaper.

The biggest thing I can add as a pizza driver is, be prepared. Keep your car running well and gassed up. Have an ice scraper and maybe even toss a shovel in the back seat.

And take doubles & triples when it makes sense. If 2 orders are 6 minutes apart to the same part of town, in the summer they might go out as singles but in the winter they are definitely doubles. Customers will be more understanding about on-times in bad weather, and we really need to work together as drivers to minimize our miles (and time) on the road.

A Tale Of Two Tippers

It was the best of tippers, it was the worst of tippers.

I worked 5 hours tonight (4 on the road and 1 doing dishes), drove 42 miles, took 13 deliveries, and made $28 in tips.

I had 3 different tip amounts tonight. At 5 houses, the customer showed their realization of the bitter cold weather and nasty roads, and tipped $4-5. These were the best of tippers.

At 3 houses, I got the standard $2 tip. One was on a free delivery (the customer had a credit, we had messed up so their order was free). This type of customer usually doesn't tip so the $2 there was actually a nice surprise.

At 5 houses, I got zero, zip, nada. Two stand out as especially bad.

One was out of our delivery area. The order taker said to me, "It was in the computer, we went there before, we have to go back." No, we don't. Just because we made a mistake in the past, doesn't mean we have to keep repeating it.

The other was to an apartment complex that is blacklisted due to it being a dangerous place. Lately we have been taking deliveries to the front security office to meet the customer. Well this kid didn't bring the credit card. I had already waited 5 minutes, and didn't feel like waiting while he walked back to the apartment then back up front, so I went ahead and gave him a ride back to the apartment. Still no tip.

People Are Lazy

It snowed several inches Sunday night and throughout the day on Monday. So of course today we were super-busy on deliveries. A little snow, a little cold weather, and people suddenly want their food brought to their doorstep!

In my 6 nights working since I started back, I took a total of 26 deliveries, or an average of 4.3 per night. My most in a night was 7. Tonight I took 15 deliveries.

I was driving from 5:40 to 10:40, then I stayed around another 1.5 hours to do dishes. There were 2 other closing drivers and they were both on the road until almost 12.

None of the deliveries were really remarkable. I did start the night with a 4-bagger where the 4th delivery was to a drive-through (beverage store). I also delivered to a Convenient Food Mart right behind our shop.

The majority of my deliveries were not in neighborhoods where you would expect big tips, so I ended up so-so on the per-run average but with 15 deliveries I did make decent money. I delivered to 3 apartments (Abbe, Chestnut Ridge & Oberlin-Elyria), West, Middle (x2), Wood, Gateway, Grafton Rd (x2), Arrowhead, Illinois, and Caroline.

I drove 62 miles and made $31 in tips. Bummer was that Monday was my wedding anniversary and I was hoping to get home earlier, but with 7 kids, Christmas puts a serious dent in our budget and the $ will certainly help!

Weather & Traffic

I'm glad I didn't have to work tonight, it's freezing cold out! I did take the kids to (indoor) soccer practice. I gassed up the car on my way home and then took my wife's van out and filled her tank also.

Meanwhile, my city is changing some lanes and traffic lights, it's in the news! I can't imagine it will affect me much.

Good Friday - Not Quite Grant

I drove tonight from 6-close, 7 hours on the road. This is the longest shift I've worked in a few months! It started off pretty slow, of my first 8 deliveries I only had 1 tip of $3 or more.

But then overe the final 9 deliveries, I had 5 tips of $4 or more! And it was raining more during the first half of the night!

My only stiff of the night was on a delivery to the McDonald's restaurant right across the street!

All together I took 17 deliveries, drove just 51 miles (most of the time listening to the Indians rain delay), and made $48 in tips. I was really hoping to get to $50 (Ulysses S Grant) but I didn't quite make it.

Maybe tomorrow. (Yes, I close again on Saturday night).

Situations Where A Customer Might Tip Extra

Customers should consider tipping a little more than usual when the weather is bad, when they live far away, or when they place a large order.

My first customer tonight was a $54 order, 5 items in 2 hot-bags. They live 6 miles away, almost to the next town. My average trip is 2 miles each way. And it was cold and snowing (in April!)

The woman answerred the door and remarked, "It's pretty nasty outside isn't it?" She gave me 3 $20's, thought a minute, and asked me for $4 back in change. Leaving me with a $2 tip.

I had 2 customers take advantage of a $10 sale on our extra-large sheet pizza. The first one stiffed me. The second one was on the 4th floor of a hotel just outside our delivery area. He tipped $1.50. Both were pretty discouraging.

All in all I drove 4 hours, took 8 deliveries, drove 35 miles, and made $14 in tips.

Friday Night Freeze

Tonight was probably the coldest night I've delivered in. When I drove past the hopistal the sign said -2. Weather.com now says it is -10. I wore running tights under my pants to make sure I stayed warm, and I traded my regular uniform cap for a Browns stocking cap every time I went outside.

I got several good ($3 or more) tips but amazingly even in the cold weather I still got stiffed 4 times on 17 runs. One guy even joked, "It's a nice night for pizza delivery, as long as you're the one getting delivered too."

We were pretty busy up until 10 PM, in fact both of my first 2 trips were 4-baggers. (Well, 4 deliveries, we were actually short on bags and I had to double up.) I ended up driving 7 hours, taking 17 runs, travelling 51 miles, and making $40 in tips.

I plan to be working usually 1-2 days each week for a while now. The cash really comes in handy for allowances, school lunches, and things like that. When I'm driving regularly I almost never have to make ATM withdrawals, but in the past month I've been making a withdrawal almost every week.

Back In The Saddle

I haven't worked in over a week due to having my kids, soccer meetings, and a failed date. We had intended to go to the KRock of the 90's concert (Ten (Pearl Jam tribute)/Hungerstrike (Temple of the Dog tribute)/Nevermind (Nirvana tribute)/Truage (Tool)/American Idiots (Green Day)) on Saturday at the House Of Blues but it was cancelled.

So tonight I went in early (3 PM) and got a solid 8 hours of driving in. I took 17 deliveries, drove 75 miles, and made $35 in tips. Not an awful night but you hope for a higher tip average in the bad weather.

I got stiffed 4 times and got $1 and change another 4 times.

At one house I had to trudge through knee deep snow, and at another, they lived in an upstairs apartment with outside steps. The steps were heaped with snow. I tried to go up but decided it was unsafe and called to have him come down to meet me. The guy came down barefoot and didn't tip.

I did deliver to the brother of the first driver (Rob) I worked with, 4 years ago. He doesn't drive anymore, hasn't for years, but I told his brother to say hi.

No Hot-Bag Required

I had a first tonight in almost 4 years of delivering "pizza."

A customer ordered an italian salad, 3 2-liters of pop, and a 20 ounce pop. No pizza, no wings, no sandwiches, no breadsticks, nothing hot at all. I commented to the customer on the uniqueness of the situation and he said "I just didn't feel like going out."

Well since we had about a foot of snow and temperatures in the teens, I guess I can't blame him!

I drove 5 hours tonight, took 12 deliveries, drove 44 miles, and made $32 in tips. For the first 2-3 hours, it was one of those nights when everything aligned just right. Every time I got back to the store there was a double (or triple) waiting for me, everybody was tipping at least $2 if not more, and all the traffic lights were green!

Then from 9 pm on things slowed down significantly, but I had already made a good amount of cash so I didn't complain.

My final delivery was for $19.59. There were 3 young males and a female, all in their early 20's. One of the males gave me a $20 saying, "Keep the change."

"Thanks for the 41 cents and you have a great night," I said with cheer as I turned and walked away.

Pro Bowl Sunday?

I made way better money this week than last week. But it had nothing to do with football.

I drove 6 hours, took 18 runs, drove 76 miles, and made $49 in tips.

The weather was bitterly cold, around 5 degrees with a wind chill of -13 F. Believe it or not I still got stiffed twice, including my last delivery to a hotel.

But I had 3 very nice tips. The most remarkable was $8.91 on a $16.09 order. The guy is a pretty regular customer but is usually an average ($2) tipper. Tonight he gave an extra generous tip due to the weather. I also got $6 on a late run and $5 to an older lady who always tips $4-5.

I was wearing a stocking cap so I left my company hat in the store and another employee walked out with it! Manager Nick found out who and called him up and I'll be getting my hat back on Wednesday. I may just ask for a new one.

Snowy Sunday

We had snowy weather here in Ohio today. If anybody saw the Browns game on TV, I went to work immediately after that in similar conditions (for the first couple hours). Eventually the winds died down but the roads were still pretty nasty.

I actually had a minor accident in my van on the way home from church. I was unable to stop and bumped a big truck from behind at about 5 MPH. His truck was fine, my grill is pretty messed up, and it took us almost 1/2 hour to get our vehicles unattached.

But back to pizza driving, my Chevy Prism handled pretty well in the snow. I had 2 $5+ tips on my first 6 runs and was off to a great start, collecting $19. Then things turned sour.

For my next 10 runs, I had 2 $3 tips, 4 tips of $1 and the change (less than 50 cents), 1 coin change stiff (42 cents), and 3 exact change stiffs. I was fed up. The last one was a serial stiffer who has begun to order more frequently. If they had ordered a 2-liter I probably would have given it a thorough shaking!

My final run was another good tip ($4.67 on a $15.33 order) and I ended up with $35 on 17 deliveries over 6 hours. Total mileage was 75, even though I took 4 doubles and a triple!

Rumor was that driver Desiree went home with around $100 after her day shift today. Good for her, I just wish she'd left a little for me!

Patterns

A couple interesting patterns tonight. My first 4 tips got bigger and bigger.

• 69 cents on a $31.31 order
• $1.92 on a $11.08 order
• $2.42 on a $12.58 order
• $4.00 on a $21.57 order

Then my final 4 deliveries were all to low income or government assisted housing. And you could pretty much tell by the tips.

• $0.41 on a $19.59 order
• $1.92 on a $11.08 order
• $0.17 on a $16.83 order
• $2.43 on a $19.57 order (this couple had bought a home and was moving out.

Tonight was my first night to drive my newer Chevy Prism in snowy conditions. We got a couple inches today and some of the sidestreets have been packed down (not salted or plowed). It did ok, but I do have to be a little more careful and give myself time to stop.

Several new workers tonight, including 2 new managers in training. Former IHOP worker Brianne and our own driver Kristie both wore the gray shirts that signified "manager".

In 5 hours, I took 11 deliveries, drove 44 miles, and made $22 in tips. It was a pretty average night.

Busy Sunday, Talking Pizza

From 5 until 8 tonight seemed like about as busy as we have been on a Sunday in recent memory. The weather was crummy (it was cold and rainy) and the Browns were on TV, playing at Arizona in the 4PM game.

In fact, driver Jon was there the whole time I was, but I never saw him until he was getting ready to go home around 8. We had 5 drivers for most of the rush and still my first 5 trips were 4 doubles and a triple.

The funniest thing to happen tonight was on my final delivery. A little girl about 2 told came to the door while her mom was getting the money. I smiled and said hi. The girl bashfully went back into the apartment and told her mom "The pizza said hi to me." Her mom told her it must have been the pizza guy because pizzas can't talk. (She must not have seen the new Elmo toy.)

My worst tip of the night was $1.17 on a $18.83 order that was at least a mile out of our delivery area in the first place. If it hadn't been the 3rd run of my triple I probably would have been upset. My best tip was $7.00 on a $35.05 credit card order a little after 10 PM.

Totals for the night were 6 hours driving, 18 deliveries, 54 miles, and $49 in tips. This was the most profitable Sunday I've had in quite some time.

I Love The Rainy Nights (usually)

Check out this post in my other blog for a story about my kids coming to help me at work on Friday night.

I drove tonight and the weather was rainy from start to finish. Usually that means big volume and big tips. Tonight we had 4 drivers until almost 9 PM, and in my first 3 hours I took just 3 runs. Shortly after 9 the other 3 had all been sent home and I was on my own.

Finally we got busier and I took 6 runs in my last 2 hours. In 5 hours on the road, I took 9 deliveries, drove 31 miles, and pulled in $22 in tips.