It's fair week in my little corner of heaven. That means several things, not the least of which is very long days for me. I don't mind, the fair only comes once a year, and there is fried cheese!
Tonight, however, I'm not cooking. It would seem that the team of choice won,so my order is half off at Papa John's. I don't mind them, they have peppers in the box, and the drivers understand personal hygiene. It's a win win for me.
And then today, I ordered online for later tonight. Papa John's charges three dollars to bring my pizza half a mile. I don't have the option of getting the thing, I am pretty much tied to my store for the whole day. Here is the thing: when there is no delivery "fee" I tip about five bucks. I have worked in a pizza place, I know the drill. But when the fee is built in, there goes the tip. I'm not going to give them even more money when they just charged me for bringing it to me. Sorry about your luck.
Papa John's even has a little spot on their web site telling me that the drivers appreciate financial compensation for good service. I bet they do. But if they want even more compensation then the fee- they are barking up the wrong tree mister. You can't have it both ways. Charge me for delivery, and I have done enough for you. I don't know how much of that filters down to the driver, but they were better off with free delivery.
Recently, the subject of tip shaming came up when a restaurant posted the tip (30 whole cents) on a large order from a NFL player. He was a tight wad. Shame on him. When you are in the restaurant, you have to tip-those people depend on tips to supplement their below minimum wage pay. But if you are driving the pizza to me, and I am already paying for that- you better hope that Papa John's gives you a cut of their "delivery fee" because that's it for me.
Just so you know, I'm not tipping you for pouring the coffee into a cup and handing it to me, either. If I was asking you to whip up some elk cream, add cinnamon and pour it twice that would be one thing. But if the sum total of our transaction is that you pour my coffee into a cup and then pour milk into it- there is no tip involved.
I wait on people all day in my store. I have explained long, detailed instructions to someone who needed the information. I don't have a tip jar there for that. It's my job. I knew that going in. If I wanted to work somewhere where I would be tipped- I would go back to work in a restaurant. See how that works?
Think about it. You'll thank me later.
24 comments:
Your driver didn't charge you for delivery. Papa John's did.
Then those drivers better hope that papa john gives them that fee, because a fee from the company should be built into the cost of the pizza. Anything after that is going to be deducted from the tip that the driver would have received, as I explained in the post. Regardless of who charged it, it is a crappy business model, and the only ones who will suffer are the delivery people. They should talk to the company about removing it, or get used to not working for tips.
Please show me the gun that forced you to order from an establishment that has a delivery charge in place. There is no bait-and-switch as any of the bigger pizza restaurant chains are upfront when mentioning that there may be a delivery charge.
If you really abhor a delivery charge, there is nothing really stopping you from ordering carryout - and picking up a discount in the form of not having to pay a delivery charge (in addition to any rock-bottom carry-out-only specials the store may be running).
Alternatively, you could order from a store that does not have a delivery charge, but instead increases their prices to cover this "lost" revenue.
If you do decide to order carry-out in the future, please remember that the entire cost associated with driving your own vehicle to and from the store will be incurred by you and you alone (much in the same way as your Papa John's driver did). The IRS calculates this total cost at a rate of 55 cents per mile.
Nice use of the thesaurus. But your straw man argument doesn't work. I never said that papa johns was "forcing" me to buy their product. So far, we still live in the United States, and it still remains moderately free.
You have a great grasp of the cost for these delivery people to get the pie to me. Personal experience is my bet, well good for you. Since you have an in with the company, you can hopefully grasp this:
SOMEONE is getting that extra two bucks. You went to great lengths to explain how I can pick it up myself-good job!- with explaining the obvious. Was that your attempt at condescension? swing and a miss. Does the flour for the crust cost more if the driver brings it to me? Is this some magic cheese that has been approved by the fda for car travel? Are these pies insured by Lloyd's? Because the price is the same for Papa John to make if he is bringing it to me or if I am coming to get it myself-incurring all of the expenses you mentioned. (well done you) But here is the thing: Who gets the two bucks? It says plainly on the website that the driver doesn't get that money. So is Papa John disassembling or are they pimping for the drivers so that they get an even larger tip? When I order any sort of delivered meal, my standard tip is five bucks if it is free delivery. I estimate 10 deliveries an hour, 50 dollars an hour buys a lot of wear and tear on a vehicle. Did I mention that my first real job was at Pizza Pasta in North Chicago- so I am familiar with how the system works. Now if that driver isn't getting 10 pies an hour delivered, he/she kind of sucks. 10 an hour is an easy night. So back before Papa Johns starting using magic cheese or traveling cheese-delivery was free and the driver got 5 bucks from me. Now, Papa John wants 2 dollars just to bring it to me. As I asked in my column-WHO GETS THAT MONEY? If it is Papa- then those drivers are stupid. If it's the driver (and I suspect that it would have to be, unless I am correct about the traveling cheese cost vs stationary cheese) then they have pre-assigned their tip and our business is done. Either way, delivery charges are bad business. Unless of course those drivers like a tip that is three dollars less than it would have been,but I kind of doubt that.
You're just guaranteeing that your pizza is delivered last in line. Stiffer DO get a reputation at the stores. I'm so glad that I don't deliver to cheapskates like you anymore.
No. What you are guaranteeing is that I will get a free pizza.If that pie isn't at my house within 25 minutes, I am on the phone. Probably why a 'person' such as yourself couldn't even keep a delivery job.
You're right: punishing the lowest man on the totem pole while continuing to pay the fee you're enraged about is definitely making a statement. You're a crusader. Way to stick it to the man. That $3 savings will buy you a newspaper or two; maybe you should start applying your uncanny knack for spotting injustice to the world sphere.
No Sergio. No one is being "punished" they aren't being tipped. You see, a tip-is for service above and beyond. If I get crappy service-in this instance charged for magic traveling cheese-then the driver will get less of a tip. What not one of you has answered is WHO GETS THAT DELIVERY MONEY??? I suspect it is the driver, otherwise I would have been flooded with self righteous explanations that the poor poor driver was getting nothing. You should instead apply your brand of "logic" to other problems like why does papa john have a delivery fee thus ensuring I will get a smaller tip? As for your attempts at painting the delivery person as the victim in this bad policy- another mighty swing and miss.
The drivers should petition papa to remove this policy. Then they will get larger tips from me and at least 35 other people I know. Instead, they have decided to force me to tip, regardless of the quality of their service. Kinda like communism, no? But hey, maybe you like that too, who knows?
Please, just stop making excuses, you're cheap. Accept it and move on. It's $3.25 (Don't forget the government's share you cheapskate)
Oh how cool to be able to know everything in the world at all times. Please, stop making comments, especially when you appear to be talking out of your butt. Take a course on comprehension, then go back and re read the blog-I'll wait.................. so now you see that I DO tip, just not when the tip is preassigned. Is there some gap in comprehension skills going on here? Clearly you folks that haul pizza for the good papa aren't the greatest at basic rudimentary understanding, are you. To recap: I tip. (eliminating your cheapskate libel) and for the umpteenth time to you drivers and ex drivers- I just don't tip any more when the tip is preassigned. I tried using smaller words this time, hope it helped.
I completely and utterly agree with Missie B. Why are we being charged a delivery fee from Papa Johns and later we are asked a tip from the driver? This is a bad policy. I feel like I'm being charged for a tip twice. I only tip for excellent service. Like you said Missie B, if the pizza is late, it should be free! I agree!
I agree with Missie B 100 percent. There should not be a delivery charge and drivers demanding tips even after we pay for delivery. I can't even count how many times I had to pay delivery fees and a tip on top of that. Also, if the pizza is late it should be free. I don't blame you at all Missie B, I don't tip if service is bad. I've had run ins with rude delivery drivers who still wanted a tip (even when they messed up my order)!
I deliver part time for Papa John's. The driver doesn't get the delivery fee. That goes to Papa John's. Tipping is important because your delivery drivers make less than minimum wage and they handle your food. If you don't like the delivery fee policy, don't order from the company, but don't punish the drivers by calling them out and not tipping them.
Comprehension isn't required to deliver pies,I guess. Talk to Papa, see if he'll give you a cut. Delivery fee= no tip. Pizza hut can get it to me for free,as can Hungry Howie's. Better yet, they taste so much better. Try driving for them part time. You'd be money ahead.
Finally, you don't know what they do with that money either???
I am so late to this party, but as I am now ordering from there, and wonder why there is no area to tip on the website anymore, my question led me here. My husband used to work as a delivery man, and he said the $2 delivery fee covers the cost of car insurance, car repairs, and losing an employee for the time it takes them to deliver. Sounds like their hourly, possibly. I tip the delivery person, and pay the $2 delivery fee that enables me to stay at home and not drag my kids out of the house to get some pizza
All of those reasons you listed could be reimbursed by itemizing deductions.
My mother raised us waiting tables and no one had a surcharge to cover her shoes or her pantyhose.
Papa John was disingenuous at best. Probably why their sales have crapped the bed.
Papa John's delivery drivers get about a dollar of that delivery fee per run to compensate for gas that's it. Our pay is minimum wage when in the store, and drops to $4.25 when delivering (most of our shift is spent out on deliveries) many of us work 8-12 hours a day. I agree workers need to stand up, but some of us have tried and haven't succeeded so far. Keep in mind some of us are students, mothers etc. And only stay with this job for flexibility. In the mean time we still have mortgages, rent, families to feed, auto payments, auto insurance (auto insurance is higher for us and we do pay for our own) auto repairs etc. I appoligize if I am coming off wrong, but I wanted to make it clear the fee does NOT come to the drivers.
Well, Anonymous, thank you for confirming that Papa John's does pass some of that delivery fee down the ladder. A delivery person should probably take into consideration all of the expenses that you just listed before hauling pies. Regardless, delivery fee=no tip. Maybe that's why Papa just got booted from his own company?
I totally agree with you last time I order from Papa John’s in Denver they charge me four dollars as a delivery fee then of course the tax on top of that Papa John’s does not give that fee to the driver so why am being charging $4 ? Where that’s 4$ is going for?
Hopefully you've changed since you wrote this, because it's very very mean to not tip a pizza delivery person
Actually no, latest anonymous. I haven't changed anything, if that, I've doubled down on my policies. You are essentially telling my that if I choose to order a $9 pizza- I should pay the $3.50 to get it, and then the standard $5 I throw at a delivery person for schlepping it to me. Now-( in order not to be mean) I'm supposed to pay an extra $8.50 for a $9 pie????? Nope- If those drivers want a tip (and I've had it confirmed from over three dozen drivers tat they do get at least half of that "delivery fee" back-I should pay double the price? Hello DoorDash! Mean is asking me to pay 100% more for the advertised price of the item. That's pretty mean, indeed.
Delivery is a luxury or convenience. If your to cheap or poor to afford to tip then don't order. Like a waitress we don't get paid minimum wage while delivering and the 1.25 we get doesn't raise it to minimum wage. We are burning our gas and wearing our vehicle out on top of that.
That Guy- take a minute to reread what I said throughout this blog. You are making my point for me. Charging me $3.50 for any reason beyond the menu price of the pie concludes our business between the good Papa and me.
Employee wages are a normal part of business, should my Physician's office begin expecting to be tipped for filing my insurance or is that PART OF THEIR JOB??? You drivers really should start talking to Papa. He's screwing you over by asking me to subsidize your wages.
It reminds me of a neighbor that I had, Miss Wilma. She couldn't get her garage door to open so she called the repairman to fix it and it took him 5 minutes to change a fuse. When he wrote her bill up, it included an hour of labor. She asked about that and he told her it was the minimum that they charged. For 50 minutes, she had him raking leaves to finish off the hour of labor for which she had paid. Unless you want to give me my money's worth, it's not my responsibility to subsidize your pay. You'd be better off with no fee for delivery as I have explained ad nauseum.
*If YOU'RE TOO .... If you try to insult someone, at least spell it right. YOU look dumb when you don't. j/s. And delivery is part of the package in this world. It's a convenience but it also sells a lot of pizza that would be unsold, doesn't it? And saying someone is 'to' poor is just you being a dick. How does poor have something to do with buying pizza? Didn't they pay for it, just like the rich delivery guy? She called you out and you don't like to admit that there are hidden fees. Sorry 'bout the language, don't know if this is considered playing nice. But spellcheck and common sense don't get used enough in this world, peace.
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