Delivery story 413 Big greek writes: “A Day In The Life of a Pizza Delivery Driver” It seems that not everyone is aware of what a pizza delivery driver’s day is like before they get to their house or business and is also not schooled on how and why tipping is so important for us and that it would be much appreciated if everyone would do so. I understand that there are many reasons why one might not tip and am aware of most if not all the reasons why customers would not, but when I feel that I have done everything right and the customer still has not tipped me, this really upsets and frustrates me. I start my day at the store two hours in the morning before the store opens. I am responsible for what is called “racking the dough” for the usually busy lunch hour. I must go into the freezer, pull out over a hundred pieces of all the pizza dough and layer them individually in rolling racks to be stored before use. While I am doing this, the phone begins to ring. If another associate cannot get the phone (and we must answer the phone in under three rings) then I have to stop what I am doing and go answer it. As I am trying to hurry to get the dough racked, I stop to answer the phone to politely answer any and all questions and/or take long orders for the customers. While I am trying intently to listen to the customer, I am barraged by the other phones ringing and the pressing need to finish the phone call so I can get back to the task I started. At present, because of the economy all of the associates hours have been cut and as a result, one half hour has been cut from my schedule in the morning, so I have to work even faster to get my work done. Often too, where I stand to rack the dough, it conflicts with the other workers’ work stations. We are cramped in the space we work and we are often bumping into each other, causing frustration, but we have to accept our small spaces and just try to get the work done. When I have finally finished the dough, I check the tickets that are coming out of the delivery machine, so that I can start preparing the side items for the deliveries. I have to collect all the items for the party salads, making sure the customers have all their forks, plates, napkins and any other items that are requested or needed for their orders. While I am counting out plates, the phone rings or someone is at the drive thru, waiting for someone to come to the window to wait on them. I have to stop the counting, answer the phone, put someone on hold and go to the window. Many times the register is not set up and I have to wait for a manager to set up the register to wait on the customer. Meanwhile this customer is getting irritated and the other customer on the phone is getting impatient. So then once they are taken care of, I go back to counting plates. As I am doing this, pizzas are coming out of the oven. It is a race to get there to get them on what we call the “cut table” so that they do not fall to the floor. If this is achieved then the pizzas are safely and quickly put in the boxes and stored on our hot shelves and wait for their departures. As I am looking over the delivery tickets, organizing the tickets in accordance with what orders are actually coming out of the oven (mostly in an illogical manner, due to any number of circumstances) I anxiously wait for what is called my bank. I have to wait almost until the last minute before I get it because whoever is suppose to give me my bank that day is busy doing something else. Distractions and interruptions are always present. So now I have my bank. I can check out deliveries. I have packed up my pizzas. I have put my two liter pop bottles in their crates; sometimes I stuff them in anywhere I can without harming the pizzas. I check my ticket to make sure I have all my side items. If I have any party salads, I have to walk swiftly back to the cooler to retrieve them for my order. Often I am dodging other associates to get back to the cooler, as they are all standing in place around the pizza making table to make the pizzas. I make many trips to the car for large orders. The pizza bags, when they are packed to capacity are heavy, as are the pop crates, especially when they are packed to capacity (eight two liters.) Once I have made it out the door without any other distractions, I leave with my order, hoping that I have everything and that I can get there on time. Sometimes getting there on time has its own frustrations and is often strewn with unforeseen events, obstacles and circumstances that are not within my control: car accidents, roadway construction, bad/hazardous roadways due to wind, rain, snow, ice, potholes, barricades, reckless/slow drivers, funeral processions, emergency vehicles, school buses, social/community events and festivals that are in town set up on main streets, pedestrians, especially small children that could be in the area that run out in the middle of the street, speed/school zones, animals and any other person, event or thing that can come literally out of nowhere that will inevitably make me wait and hold me up from getting the order to the customer on time. Okay, so now if I can get to the destination without any trouble or traffic jams/issues, then it is any number of ways it can go after that. For instance, if I have more than two pizza bags and more items to carry, I have to open the door for myself and carry in on the first trip what I can carry in. Once I am in the business, I have to find out where I have to go in the building and when I get to that destination. I have to wait on someone to greet me and show me where the items go. Often there is a period of waiting once I am to the front desk. Many times I have to wait much longer than I anticipate before someone is ready to come and retrieve the pizzas. In some cases the greeter does not know anything about the order or who ordered it or where it goes. I have run into this many times. This can hold me up. Once I get the product to where it needs to go, if it is a large order, I must still go back out to the car and bring in the rest of the order and much of the time I have to go quite a distance to get to my car and then come back. This all takes time from my delivery and ultimately for the next one that is waiting in my car or at the store. Once I have the items to the customer, I start to unpack, but not without asking first where they would like it unpacked. Many customers are specific about where they want their items placed, so then I begin to unpack after being instructed to do so. I am careful to place everything out as neatly as possible, making sure that the customer has all items they ordered and then make the transaction. Before leaving, I give them any coupons or tell them about any sales or promotions that are currently on their sales receipts or are going on in the store and provide them with friendly service with a smile. So imagine my dismay when I come to the end of the delivery of a one or two hundred dollar order with no tip! In some cases the person paying for the items is not there, so the order is signed off or paid for by a second or third party acting in place of that person. I can understand that the person signing cannot place a tip on the order unless instructed to do so, but most people in business should know that a tip should already be placed on the order if they know they will not be there to sign for it. At minimum, a 10% tip should be given on a delivery and 15% usually and for large orders especially. I am not saying that I do not receive tips, I do and have done well, sometimes very well and am thankful for those that have tipped me, but when I work this hard all the time and I come across that delivery that, well, "fails to deliver," I am pretty mad. I would be lying if I said I would not appreciate something for my efforts each time I make a delivery. I realize that things can can go awry on my end and I may not make it to that customer right on time, but I always do my very best and still provide with the best service I can. Even if there were problems, I still should be compensated for my efforts. I am using my own vehicle, I have to pay for my own gas, repairs, maintenance and insurance to provide the customer with a service that without it, the customer could not be able to order and enjoy. So I employ anyone who orders food for delivery to take into consideration the time, the energy, the money the effort that it takes to bring the food to our customers. We are working extremely hard before we ever even get to the door. So please be nice and TIP! Thank you, Your Pizza Delivery Driver return to top