Brooklyn Delivery Guy Starts Blog Shaming Bad Tippers

[The Northerner]

Adrian Chen — Brooklyn Delivery Guy Starts Blog Shaming Bad TippersIf you're ordering in tonight and you live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, watch out: Some vigilante bicycle delivery guy has set up a blog posting the names and addresses of people who give him crappy tips.

The Tumblr "≤15%: a bunch of shitty tips"
is dedicated to outing bad tippers. One entry:

No tip last night, in middle of third monsoon of evening. elevator opens, i drip on floor, he laughs at me. i say 20 dollars, he says here's 20 dollars.

This seems to be the art project of some dude named Larry Fox. Fox, a "20 year old designer and developer" told Gothamist that "I just got tired of all these big companies, these TV shows and movie sets giving us two or three dollar tips on a $90 order. The excuse is that 'we can't tip because that's what corporate says' is wrong. I find it disrespectful. And I wanted to make people aware of that." Sure, one entry is about Fox getting stiffed by the wardrobe department of the Good Wife, but a lot of these just seem to be like individual cheapskates.

Read more: http://gawker.com/#!5797195/brooklyn-delivery-guy-starts-blog-shaming-bad-tippers

[Liberal_in_LA]

1. are tips to delivery people considered mandatory like at restaurants?

[Tunkamerica]

4. pretty much

[cliffordu]

6. They are for me.

Waited tables for decades It's hard work and thankless a lot of days.

When I waited tables we were taxed 15% on receipts whether we got tipped or not........

I wonder if it's the same way now.

I figure delivery drivers are the same as any waiter, except THEY pay 3 fitty a gallon for gas, too......

[TransitJohn]

14. Pretty much, but not at 15%.

They're not waitstaff. I look at delivery guys like bartenders. Standard buck tip per round. But that's just me. This delivery guy sounds like he thinks he should be tipped as though he were waiting on people instead of dropping off boxed/packaged food.

[TorchTheWitch]

20. bartenders wait on you and also prepare your drinks

They aren't just delivering your drink, and they have to put up with the same kind of complaints as waitstaff not to mention listen to your sob stories, bad jokes and lame attempts to get a date with them. Bartenders are actually waiting on you more than a waiter or waitress since they also have to prepare your order and keep your space clean... they take your order, prepare it, deliver it, put up with the same hassles and complaints as waitstaff plus listen to sob stories and bad jokes as well as put up with lame attempts to get a date with them, clean up your spills, wash your dirty glasses, fetch you napkins/straws/coasters/toothpicks/matches/ashtrays, etc. They're essentially doing the work of the cook, the waiter, the busboy, the cashier and have to play the role of amateur psychologist all while rebuffing rude sexual advances. And you look at them the same as the pizza delivery dude?

[TransitJohn]

24. I'm not tipping anyone 15% to hand me a can of Pabst.

Sorry.

[Obamanaut]

38. Go to a different place, they might hand you a decent beer. nt

[blueamy66]

45. thx for the laugh this morning

I needed it.

[winston65]

53. then you should do

your drinking at home.

[blondeatlast]

82. Exactly. nt

[TorchTheWitch]

143. Damn straight!

Thank you.

[GoneOffShore]

99. Do you know the difference between a bartender and a proctologist?

Proctologist only has to look at one at a time.

[Maine-ah]

50. I can't tell you how many times

some asshole would try to get me to go back to the hotel next to the restaurant I worked at.

[datasuspect]

63. they also know who has the good cocaine

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

64. Who does? The bartender? The delivery guy?

I'd bet on both.

Or, the bartender knows the delivery guy.

[JVS]

65. It depends on what you're drinking.

Bartenders don't expect to get as much for uncapping a beer and handing it over as they do for making a pousse cafe.

[TorchTheWitch]

145. no shit - the discussion is their overall job

which does not even remotely compare to the pizza delivery dude's job that the poster in question compared them to.

Frankly, they bloody well SHOULD get tipped more to pop that cap off a customer's beer when that customer makes them run ragged cleaning your spills, fetching them stuff and assailing them with the sob stories, bad jokes and rude sexual advances. And it usually is that dude that "just" gets the cap popped off his numerous cans of beer that is the most obnoxious and annoying of customers and STILL tips like an ass because he believes all you've done is popped the cap off his beers.

[JVS]

146. Yeah! People who just want a bottle of beer are worse than Hitler!

[alphafemale]

25. wow. I tip bartenders about 30 - 50%

They remember me and make me really "good" drinks. They put up with a lot of shit and get stiffed by drunk punks that think $1 a round for making 6 different mixed drinks is a good tip.

[TransitJohn]

27. Six cocktails for one round? Holy shit! I'm not any kind of lush like that.

When I go out (alone) and drink canned Pabst.
Understanding fail on your part. Good at the judgment though.

[alphafemale]

29. You go out alone...I go out with friends...no more comment needed

[TransitJohn]

32. Ooooo, zing!

You drink too much. No further comment needed.

[alphafemale]

33. You drink canned crap beer alone, And I have a problem. OK

Just go on with that thought.

:rofl:

[TransitJohn]

34. It's what I can afford.

I win awards crafting beer at home, but you can't really take it out with you. But seeing your disdain for the working poor you expressed downthread, I guess I shouldn't be surprised by your sentiment here. Maybe you should be at Bourgeoisie Underground.

[alphafemale]

35. I have no distain for the working poor. I do fight for the working poor.

Leave them decent fucking tip!!!

If you can't afford to leave a decent tip?

YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO EAT OUT!

Got it?

Eat a fucking white bread bologna sandwich AT HOME!

Don't steal a hard working waiter/waitresses time and try to ply me with a pity party.

Bless your heart.

[TransitJohn]

36. At this point I have no idea what you're talking about.

Virtual screaming isn't helping you communicate.

[blueamy66]

48. Didn't you read the post?

6 drinks for 6 people

????

[Teaser]

54. friends are for suckers

just another way to waste my time and/or money.

I drink alone because I believe in me.

[datasuspect]

62. if you need a friend, get a dog

who would WANT to sit there with 5 other mopes prattling on about nonsense and kardashian sisters and whatnot.

FUCK THAT SHIT.

I drink alone, with nobody else.

[JVS]

68. When I drink alone, I prefer to be by myself.

[freshwest]

96. Well, if you were alone, you'd already be by yourself, maybe... Just sayin'

[moriah]

113. Not quite, I've got my old pal Johnny Walker, and his brothers Black and Red.

Sometimes I've even got my Old Grand-dad. ;)

[JVS]

120. And then the wild turkeys come out to play.

[JHB]

129. It's a line in a song...Just sayin' n/t

[alphafemale]

108. "I believe in me"

That Whitney Houston song you learned when you were 5 was not an anthem to be a hateful loner.

[datasuspect]

119. are ALL your MANY friends as pissy as you seem to be?

(notice I didn't actually call you pissy).

just wondering.

you guys must be a LARF to be around.

[alphafemale]

123. maybe? they're my friends. getting pissy around each other is what friends do.

because you can and you love each other anyway

When you're friends

but I guess you wouldn't know that

[datasuspect]

124. can you set me up on a date with one of your friends?

[alphafemale]

126. Where you live?

You seem like someone I'd hang with.

:toast:

[datasuspect]

132. Chicago

[alphafemale]

137. well shit.

So that's why you're so cranky

Bluffton SC, here.

[blueamy66]

47. Exactly.

It's nice to have your big drink in front of you as soon as you sit at the bar.

[blondeatlast]

85. Yep--if you offer generous, you receive genderous in return. nt

[TorchTheWitch]

147. which is why they remember you, make you "good" drinks and

rush to serve you whatever little desire you have. But you knew that. ;)

No kidding about the paltry tip for lots of various mixed drinks. Reminds of that one Saturday night poor B___ had to run the whole bar by herself since V___ didn't bother to show up or call out, and this huge group of the most obnoxious shits ran up about a $200 tab literally running her around the bar for them for hours mixing all manner of drinks for them while loudly being obnoxious as hell to her, and when they finally left they had only tipped her $1.76 (yes, they were so obnoxious they added one of their own pennies they couldn't have gotten as change just to be extra shitty). Yet she put up with it all with such humor and grace. All the other customers were so pissed how she was treated by them and glared at them hoping they'd get the hint and either shape up or leave.

Since B___ would never complain to other customers or even show that it got her down a few of us made a point to let several of the other customers know how badly they stiffed her knowing that word would spread through the whole bar (which, of course, it did). Almost all of the customers tipped her very generously to make up for how badly that group of shits treated her and most of them made it a point to tell her why.

The manager let her go home right at closing time (which is actually just "throw out the customers" time) and did all the cleaning and tidying of the bar for her since she had such a hard night mostly because of that rotten group of jackasses. The manager also got three phone calls the next day from customers that were there that night praising B___ for her hard work and grace under fire from those turds. Two of them were club regulars, but one of them said they visited the club for the first time that night and apparently had to jump through some hoops to find out the correct name of the club and the phone number in order to call and he had no idea what her name was.

Turned out that it was the best money making night B___ ever had there, and what did she do? The next Saturday night (she was a student who only worked there on Saturday nights) she went to thank every customer she knew was there that night for tipping her extra well to make up for those shits (and she remembered every one).

B___ was the best bartender I ever knew. She may not have known all the time how to make certain drinks and occasionally didn't get the mixing exactly right, but she was the best in all the ways that matter the most. Saturday nights were never the same once she graduated from school and quit. I still really miss working with her.

[Xithras]

72. I've always done the same.

$1 per drink. Doesn't matter if he's just popping the cap off a beer bottle, or mixing a Long Island. Since I usually drink in groups, and we always have more than one, the bartender typically nets $10-$15 from us by the end of the night.

[Renew Deal]

116. Bartenders should be $1 per drink

maybe less if it's a lot of drinks or shots.

[Snoutport]

15. They brought you dinner because U were too tired/lazy/kitchenphobic to get your own. That's worth $5

:0) At least that's how I look at it! (heck, he spent that much on gas probably)

[Snoutport]

16. I wonder home many times a bad tippers food gets spit on?

[RagAss]

21. or worse...

[blondeatlast]

86. And word gets around. I waited tables for several years.

Stiff walks into a restaurant and whatever station the stiff sits in, if she/s a bad tipper, the server will learn from other tippers.

I tip generously--they earn it and I like the respect I get for it.

[Betty88]

30. +1 nt

[Bonobo]

41. That would be true if it weren't their job, but they are not delivering because they are nice.

They are delivering because it is their job.

[Posteritatis]

155. It's a waiter's job to bring you the meal there too; do you oppose tipping them? (nt)

[Bonobo]

162. I oppose the tip system, yes.

But I recognize that there is no choice as things are in America BUT to tip them.

Still, in principal, I oppose the idea.

[TorchTheWitch]

18. food delivery, yes - package/mail delivery, no n/t

[jp11]

37. So if someone orders some monster 100lb+/expensive item(s) or multiple such items

to their home, don't clean their driveway/walkway when it snowed, or keep their car in the driveway so the driver has to haul the packages up the driveway and or up steps etc they don't warrant any consideration?

Yes I've been there and didn't expect a tip but did expect people to not make my job harder by being lazy/cheap when it comes to keeping a clear path to their home so I could give them their stuff.

[alcibiades_mystery]

44. Wow

:wow:

[Liberal_in_LA]

159. don't 'wow' me. New yorkers seem to have more job categories wanting tips

[Alexander]

71. In many places they don't pay delivery people enough to survive.

[Xithras]

73. It depends on the delivery guy.

UPS or Fedex guy dropping a package at your front door? No.

Mailman who is handing you a box too big to fit in your slot? No.

Bike delivery guy who just rode halfway across town inhaling exhaust fumes and dodging death at every corner to hand you a package? Yes.

Food delivery guy who just rushed several miles to get you a meal before it got cold? Yes.

Furniture delivery guys who just hauled your new bedroom set up three flights of stairs on the hottest day in July? Big time, and they get a case of beer to boot.

[Iggo]

125. We agree.

Additionally, the mailman gets a xmas bonus. (Year's worth of service deserves at least a cup of coffee, I figure.)

[kelly1mm]

110. Tips at restaurants are not "mandatory" exactly, but certainly are customary.

Often people do not know about some of the tipping practices in the US, especially new immigrants, as in other countries tipping is not a general practice as it is here in the US.
Also, if you have not been exposed to certain situations before you may not know to tip. While I always tip at restaurants and delivery people, I did not know that tipping the maid at a hotel was customary, as my family did not take any "hotel" vacations while I was growing up.

[msongs]

2. here's a tip for him - get out of the public service business nt

[OhioChick]

3. ....

:rofl:

[Tunkamerica]

5. here's a tip for you... go pick up your own food if you don't tip.

i tip a buck on pick up orders

[eleny]

8. The way I figure it, the fast food workers are on their feet their whole shift

Meantime, I'm sitting comfortably in my car. They deserve a tip and so does the pizza delivery.

[msongs]

9. publicly posting your employer's confidential information is not a good move for service employees

[jp11]

13. Agreed, great way to get canned for a delivery driver who won't post customer's

names/addresses and complain about their tipping behaviors.

[Violet_Crumble]

103. I've only ever tipped once when I was in Europe and I won't tip ever again...

I don't understand how anyone's supposed to know when to tip and how much, and whether too much is offensive or whether too little looks tightarsey. I totally angsted about all that stuff when some Americans on the tour I was on through Europe suggested we all get together and tip the tour guide.

When it comes to home delivery, I'm paying a hefty delivery fee and I round it up to the next dollar, so I don't see a need to tip, especially as tipping isn't a custom here...

[angstlessk]

7. I used to live in VA and had deliveries whenever...now living in Detroit...NO ONE DELIVERS...

NO MATTER THE TIP...I was flabbergasted when I phoned to Pizza Hut for a pizza and they said they do not deliver in Detroit!!!

[itsrobert]

10. Here's a tip, have the Business pay you a fair salary

And we wouldn't have to worry about your 15 percent. Last time I ordered delivery, they charged me a delivery fee, what's that for?

[NYC Liberal]

17. That would but nice and restaurants should have to pay

minimum wage. However, if they did the prices on the menu would go up. So really there is little difference between you adding 15-20% yourself and the restaurant doing it for you via passing the costs of a pay increase onto you.

[Fool Count]

118. No, it is not "little difference" - it's a huge difference since it

changes the whole culture. Someone who gets paid a decent living wage for his work and
doesn't have to rely on customers' mood for his income is an entirely different person
than an underpaid servant groveling for tips. Having lived in the US/Canada for most
of my adult life, I always felt some unease about that elaborate bakshish culture there.
I didn't even imagine that anything different was possible until I moved to Australia.
Here the minimum wage is $15 per hour and most restaurant servers get paid even more than
that. There is no tipping anywhere, except maybe for rounding up or dropping the odd coins
into a jar. What a liberating experience when both you and your server can call each other
"mate". One can be proud and feel secure in his job and still do it well. I always get
the best restaurant service in Australia, where nobody expects (nor gets) any tips. As to the
delivery service, they just add a delivery fee (which goes almost entirely to the delivery person)
to your order. This way nobody has to rely on someone else's uncertain generosity for his income.

[Thegonagle]

134. About the delivery charge: WRONG!

It's collected by the restaurant and goes straight to the bottom line. It is simply a deceptive way for them to increase prices, while still advertising a $10 large. Why do you suppose that the delivery charge keeps increasing, but price of "the special" stays the same?

One of the greatest injustices against delivery drivers has been the introduction of the delivery charge, which causes many customers such as yourself who don't understand what's going on, to reduce or withhold tips.

For example, Domino's in my area charges, IIRC, $1.75 for every delivery order. They reimburse the driver between $0.00 and $0.85 for each order delivered, depending how many orders s/he leaves with at a time.

You still have to tip your waiter on wheels.

[Kylefty]

22. I work as a delivery driver

I work a second job part-time delivering pizza and to answer your question about the delivery fee drivers don't get the fee its for insurance the company has to pay for the driver. i think what this guy does is sick,if someone tips you bad just move on 95% of people will tip you well at least in my experience my avg tip is anywhere from 4-7 dollars per run and many times i take 4-5 delivery's at once. i enjoy the job and don't care about the occasional 1$ tippers or stiffer cause it all averages out anyway.

To those of you who are the rare people that don't tip your drivers much or nothing at all keep in mind drivers make min wage they use there own cars and have to repair and gas there vehicles they also help make your order clean the store and take phone calls..i am not complaining cause well most people are nice and take care of us ..i like the job.

[KurtNYC]

78. Great perspective

thanks for sharing.

[blondeatlast]

88. The drivers are independent contractors, but do go on.

Bless your heart.

[NYC Liberal]

11. Good, bad tippers deserve to be shamed along with

anyone else who treats retail or waitstaff like crap.

[blondeatlast]

89. +1. nt

[La Lioness Priyanka]

128. Agreed.

[TransitJohn]

12. I agree with Mr. Pink

It shouldn't be incumbent upon the customer to pay the labor costs of the business owner. It is a great business model from a profit perspective, but not from an ethical one. Also, my big issue with it...since waitstaff, et. al., get their tips taxed by the IRS, shouldn't they have to make Federal minimum wage??????

On edit: Unlike Mr. Pink, I do tip.

[justabob]

19. tips

if waiters tips plus 2.13/hr (or whatever the local rate is)do not come out to min wage per hour worked in a week, then the restaurant is supposed to make up the difference. That rarely happens, but that is the way it is supposed to work. It is lame because you might have a monday where you worked 3-4 hours and had one or two tables at 3-4 dollars each, less tip share (bussers, bar etc) and the restaurant doesn't have to cough up because you make good money on Friday that makes up the difference in the weekly average. Before anyone chimes in with waiters and cash tips.... not so many folks pay with cash anymore and it is a rare day when you walk with more than is reported.... in my experience.

[msanthrope]

109. Mr. Pink was an asshole. n/t

[JVS]

122. That wasn't Mr. Pink's point. Mr. Pink's point was that he would not "play ball".

His refusal to "play ball" led to the somewhat ludicrous situation of a table full of career criminals lecturing him on how wrong it was to break social norms.

[alphafemale]

148. It was kind of funny that a table full of heartless murderous thugs were apalled at a bad tipper.

:rofl:

[Warren DeMontague]

23. Shitty tippers are, to a fault, assholes.

Unless the shitty tip has been earned in some way, by crappy service. If not? If the job was done, to at least acceptable specifications? And you still leave or give a shitty tip?

Congratulations. You're an asshole.

I've known several of them, always they had some convoluted fucking rationale for being a shitty tipper, but at the core of it?

Yep. An Asshole.

I remember an article that detailed who the worst tippers in DC were. Names like Quayle. Surprised? I'm not.

Assholes.

If you can't bring yourself to give a decent fucking tip for decent fucking service, don't avail yourself of something that has tipping in the mix.

[alphafemale]

26. Gawd. I hate shitty tippers.

If you can't afford to leave a good tip? Eat at fucking McDonalds. OK?

Because if you are going to run a waiter/waitress to death and then leave them a dollar?

Eating out of a paper bag is what you deserve.

[TransitJohn]

Holy shit! I can't believe you would impugn the poverty-stricken like that!

What fucking website is this???

[hobbit709]

39. I've learned that people with little money are better tippers than the rich ones.

the ones that leave the smallest tips are usually the ones with a fat wallet.

[Warren DeMontague]

79. That has COMPLETELY been my experience.

Almost invariably, the self-righteous non-tippers are the dudes in the giant mansions.

[blondeatlast]

91. Back when I waited tables, the rule for female customers was that the more

OBVIOUS the logos on the bags/clothes, the worse the tip.

[blueamy66]

49. You know what?

When we are short on cash, we don't go OUT to a bar or restaurant.

We buy a six pack and stay in.

If you cannot afford to tip a service worker, stay at home or sit in the park.

[alphafemale]

57. I taught my kids that from a young age.

Figuring in a decent tip is a part of the cost of going out before you sit your ass down at that table.

If you have $20 in your pocket you can't buy something that's $18.99. And not just because of restaurant tax.

And btw $5 is my standard tip for any delivery. Even a $10 pizza. It seems the pizza guy probably puts me first on the list when he's making deliveries. Because I get my pizza really fast, and I know they go out each time with a parcel of about ten or more.

People who refuse to tip well don't seem to see the golden door that tipping well opens.

[blueamy66]

58. My parents taught me as well.

I have been tipping the pizza delivery guy more these days because of gas prices.

I understand about the golden door too. It's nice to be treated VERY well at our neighborhood pub.

:-)

[alphafemale]

74. I remember an old story about a child who could have been raised like us.

A kid went into one of those little old ice cream parlors and got a hot fudge sundae. The man running the counter said:

"You want some nuts on that? Just another 10 cents."

"No thank you. I didn't bring enough money for that."

Anyway. Without all the blahblahblahs of the rest of the story. The kid leaves the counter leaving a dollar bill on the counter. For an 85 cent sundae (I said this was an OLD story) Meaning that he could have had the nuts. But he was well raised to leave a good tip.

[Warren DeMontague]

59. You should figure the cost of the tip into the cost of the meal and/or delivery.

If not, don't order out, say, pizza or go to a restaurant with table service.

Yes. Absolutely.

[blondeatlast]

90. +1. Your last line is right down to the heart of the matter. nt

[onethatcares]

28. maybe Adrian Chen should tell his employer

to pay a bit more so he doesn't have to grovel for tips.

[NuttyFluffers]

31. tipping should be banned and employees should be payed more, with benefits.

may his efforts contribute to us leaving the dark ages and join the rest of modern industrialized society; ban tipping, raise minimum wage, give employees benefits. done.

[Cid_B]

43. Great motivation for good service there...

That is how I see the process...

0% for the worst service ever ( only has happened once)

5-10% for lack luster

10-15% for average

15-50% for amazing

[Bonobo]

40. If you HAVE to pay it, it's not really a tip.

Why is it that service is uniformly better in Japan, a country with NO tipping?

Oh, it's because 1) They are paid a living wage and 2) They have a sense of responsibility when they take on a job.

[Lucky Luciano]

55. The Japanese waiters and waitresses do have

An impressive sense of responsibility. They are very enthusiastic and are "all over it.". All while they have nothing to look forward to at the end.

This model does not work so well in the US. I usually default to a 20% tip and give 15% for crappy service (everything in NYC just costs more), but....

For some incomprehendible reason my mother was in town and wanted to go to The Olive Garden with all the other amazing restaurants that Manhattan has to offer. The waiter was the most inattentive useless server I have ever encountered and the constant delays and lack of attention was ridiculous. In fact, moron served my meal very late...then it took 20 more minutes to serve my mother. Outside of that the service was crappy. It was a quiet night and the waiter was spending most of his time laughing and joking with his coworkers....then the bill came with a mandatory 15% tip attached. I shut that down by calling over the manager and told him I am paying no tip. He apologized and gave a coupon for a free meal on my next visit. Of course, I never went back!

[Motown_Johnny]

42. Good for him, I hope this catches on

maybe 5 years from now it will be common

[blueamy66]

46. Good for him.

I have a co-worker that tips $1 to the pizza delivery guy, no matter what the price of the delivery.

Cheapskate.

[Le Taz Hot]

51. Tips to a delivery person is

no different than tips to wait staff. It has to be figured into the price of the meal. If you can't afford both, don't go out/order out.

[kelly1mm]

114. When in college I delivered pizza for about a year. LOTS of stories

about that but what pertains to this is I had a regular, a lady of about 80 years of age, who would order a pizza every Tuesday. After giving her the pizza and her change, she would give me a quarter (yes, a 25 cent piece) placing it into my hand and saying "this is for you, thank you very much". And she meant it. She did not have much money and lived in a trailer.

All the other drivers hated delivering to her so I always voluntered. It kind of made me feel good that I could "make her day" by thanking her for the tip and giving her a big smile.

Anyway, my point is that the "if you can't afford to tip don't go out/order out" crowd misses is that many poor people can barely afford to eat out at all. Should they be denied the small pleasure of a take out/restaurant meal on a special occasions simply because they cannot afford a tip?

[JHB]

130. Me too. Worst tippers:

Teenagers in the rich neighborhoods.

Best: carpenters, plumbers, etc., the guys whose vans or pickup trucks were loaded with their equipment.

[BlueIris]

133. That's what I say.

I do not get non-tippers.

[winston65]

52. Let me tell you-

I spent the last 7 years as a floral delivery driver here in north Texas. You want cheap? In any of those years I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of tips I got. To quote Don Corleone 'these people would rather eat one of their children than part with their money'. When they did tip it was always the folks who were not native Texans, outsiders. Or I would get complaints. No money, but plenty bitchin' about the cost. And I was delivering to million dollar homes. Texas republicans, not nice folks.

[themadstork]

69. I worked as a flower delivery dude growing up

and honestly I don't think it occurs to most people to tip. Nor do I think they're expected to, as usually flowers are a surprise. I got a handful of tips over the years, and I suspect those were from people who make a point of tipping anyone that delivers something.

[tammywammy]

84. Or the only time I've ever received flowers was at work

And the flowers were left at one place with the receptionist and at the place I currently work, the building around the corner with the visitor entrance. I wouldn't expect the receptionist to tip. I worked at a florist one Valentine's season, and I don't remember the drivers ever discussing receiving/not receiving tips.

[JVS]

92. Yeah. Flowers are usually a gift and sending a gift that requires tipping would be bad form.

If anything the sender should tip.

[freshwest]

98. Unexpected, yes. I was standing on a picket line years ago and both a flower delivery man and...

A produce man delivering for an upscale downtown restaurant pulled over, jumped out and gave me presents.

The flower guy gave me a bouquet and the produce delivery man gave me a basket of strawberries.

It felt like the union song, 'Bread and Roses.'

Such a wonderful show of solidarity from people without union jobs who respected us. Or were flirting, I'm not sure.

Those two men brought a smile to my face and my heart.

[madmom]

56. I find this highly amusing because....

people here are virtually screaming about paying wait-staff a good tip because the company won't pay a good wage with benefits. They say we as a consumer NEED to make up the difference or stay home. On the other hand they blame the company (walmart, target etc) for low pay and no benefits in retail. Why the double standard? Don't even say the jobs are different, I've worked both and they are very much the same, especially dealing with lousy customers. So why don't we start tipping walmart employees? or boycott restaurants that don't pay a living wage? Why the double standard?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

because wait staff is excluded from minimum wage. walmart employees atleast

have the protection of min wage.

the assumption in their wages is that customers will tip

[madmom]

76. So maybe people should start complaining about that instead of people not tipping. Seems the

employer should be the one paying. I have been a waitress and I do know that tips are greatly appreciated, but I also think that to expect a customer to pay a tip regardless of service is a bit much, you know what they say about assuming. I think people should boycott restaurants and bars till they pay a living wage, period!

[La Lioness Priyanka]

77. thats a much longer road and requires legislation. most people

who dont tip, will also not support "more regulation" of industry.

[Warren DeMontague]

83. Non-tippers certainly should.

Believe me, I've come across plenty of people with extensively worded manifestoes about why they shouldn't be forced to leave a tip.

But the bottom line? They're friggin' cheap, and they don't want to leave a tip.

Oh, right, it's about the "principle". :rofl:

[AlabamaLibrul]

61. Double standard being that 2.13 is a lot less than 7.50

Until they get tipped wages, I won't be tipping retail workers.

Yes, the jobs are different because one shitty retail customer is with you for 45 seconds, maybe five minutes bitching at your manager if they really want to cause a scene. You're stuck with an asshole at a restaurant for up to an hour, have to wait on that person for the whole 2.13 an hour that whole time, and you don't get a tip.

I understand that restaurants are even more exploitative of their staffs than retail (ask me how I know) and I factor that cost into the cost of the meal as a whole. Minimum wage is shit, but 2.13 is even worse.

[Bluenorthwest]

70. Not all States pay a lower wage in tip jobs

Not my State. $8.50 minimum wage applies.

[madmom]

75. I've worked as both a waitress and at walmart as a deli worker and

believe me when I say a shitty costumer is a shitty customer no matter where you are and how much you get paid, and 45 seconds? really? But the point being even if you are getting just minimum wage it is still not a living wage and maybe they should be supplemented with tips, after all the work is hard, quite physical actually.

[kelly1mm]

117. So those who make minimum wage (delivery people, and wait staff in

some states) should not be tipped then? Or is it at least not mandatory in those areas? No more tipping the Pizza guy/gal?

How is a food delivery driver different than retail? They only interact with the customer for the same 45 seconds. I think the longest I ever spent at a stop was less than 5 minutes. And I was making more than minimum wage + mileage so should I have gotten tips?

[AlabamaLibrul]

127. Good questions

Not mandatory (not that it is now) if they were at least making minimum wage. I'd still do it but you couldn't give someone shit for not tipping like you can now.

I think of retail vs waitstaff, no matter the pay, like this. I'll just say delivery drivers to be specific here. The person in the retail store is being paid to stand there, answer questions, look nice, clean shit up, whatever it may be. They're paid their rate to be there and do things there. The delivery driver is a paid worker of the store, but they're doing something else because now they're coming to your door and doing you a big favor so you don't have to leave the house to get food, a gratuity should be completely standard and expected if not mandatory.

As far as waiters and waitresses, they get paid less and it's a different situation entirely. They need tips because as long as we have the 2.13 an hour system there will be restaurant owners who could give a jolly damn how much the waiters make. The whole deal with mandatory tips is people get all pissy over it, whereas I think a "delivery charge" that also included gratuity would be more easily accepted.


Just my .02

[Warren DeMontague]

80. I don't know. Why the extensive logical contortions and convoluted arguments

to get out of paying a friggin' tip? :shrug:

[madmom]

107. I didn't say I didn't tip, and what is so convoluted about thinking an employer should

pay a decent wage?

[Warren DeMontague]

131. Nothing. They should.

And people should still tip, unless there's a problem with the service.

[madmom]

151. So then the argument that "I should get a tip because I only make 2.13 an hour" is

a mute point. The real point is I should get a tip because I gave you exceptional service, whether I make 2.13 an hour..as in waitstaff or, minimum wage... as in delivery person.
If I get good service I tip well, if I get bad service I don't tip. For someone to expect a tip no matter what IMO is brazen. I was a waitress during my teenage and college years, I was taught if you want good tips you give good service, period, no excuses.

[Warren DeMontague]

153. It wouldn't be a mute point. It might, however, be a moot point.

My opinion on not tipping is that it's sort of like flipping someone off in traffic. There are times when it is appropriate, but only to send a specific message in response to particularly egregious behavior. If you're doing it a lot, all the time, you're probably an ass.

If the waitstaff or delivery person does the job, and does it adequately, they should get a tip IMHO. If they fuck it up, then perhaps no tip. But expecting them to perform above and beyond the call of duty just to get any tip at all, I think, misses the point.

[madmom]

154. No where did I say "above and beyond the call".. what I did say was

"If I get good service I tip well, if I get bad service I don't tip". My point about the exceptional service is, IMO, the way someone who is in the position of giving service should feel about their performance. I know in this day and age people expect and get bonuses for just showing up and that may be part of the problem. I didn't/don't expect anymore than what I deserve.

[Warren DeMontague]

156. I think that in most delivery jobs, say, the vast majority of the job is delivering whatever and

doing it in a timely fashion.

That might constitute "just showing up", but it is doing the job, and I'm not sure what, say, delivery people are supposed to do above and beyond that to 'earn' a tip.

[madmom]

157. Why are you deliberately twisting everything? Never mind, I'm done, have a nice day.

:eyes:

[Phoenix63]

60. Waitresses already have one..

The Shitty Tippers Database at bitterwaitress.com..

At least they used to have one. I used to go there to see what guys like Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney and Rove tipped.. All shitty tippers BTW... Plenty of clebs on there too...

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

66. Do people tip the UPS delivery guy?

I usually tip pretty well, unless service really sucks.

But it just occurred to me that I haven't tipped the UPS guy. Ever. Or the FedEx guy.

(or UPS/FedEx gal)

What's the norm?

And what about the cashier at the carry-out counter?

Yikes, I may be on a blog somewhere.

:hi:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

67. ups/fedex people i think are paid wages that dont account for tips

i tip the cashier a dollar usually

[alphafemale]

112. I think just at Christmas Time. If you've had the same delivery guy all year.

And he/she's brought you lots of stuff.

A $50 dollar December bonus to the UPS cutie is something I can afford and it makes us both happy.

[jp11]

140. They usually get a tip at christmas from some businesses, or randomly from individuals.

When I drove I had 2-3 businesses that would tip me at christmas, I got about $50 some drivers could clear a few hundred. FYI UPS is unionized, Fedex express is not, Fedex ground/home delivery are contractors working for Fedex.

None of them 'need' a tip, they are paid 'decently', but according to the 'rules' of politeness/etiquette people *might* consider tipping if they are getting 'good' service from their drivers, are ordering expensive/big/heavy items that the driver has to haul up steps, etc. If you regularly order stuff and your driver doesn't leave it in the rain or in an easy place for people to steal (unsecure location), runaway from your home 10 seconds after they knock/ring the bell, throw it over your fence/on your porch, leave open packages at your door, or makes an effort to comeback if you weren't there without you calling/etc those would qualify as a decent driver. You might then consider tipping them if you feel they do their job well and are respectful of both your packages and home/property.

I generally didn't tip my drivers as they tended to runaway after ringing the bell or dumping my packages in plain sight of the sidewalk a couple of feet away w/o knocking or ringing the bell to alert me. The one time I ordered a large heavy item I took it off the truck myself as I was able to do so. My old postal driver used to chuck my packages over the fence or on my porch from the sidewalk or driveway, he got complaints from me.

[Lucian]

81. I'll back him if he's posting addresses to business who aren't tipping, but...

if he's posting private, personal home addresses, that's not cool. :thumbsdown:

[themadstork]

87. I try to tip well

With the generosity increasing as my income does (or, more often, does not). Even when I'm low on money I don't go out if I can't pay a 20% tip

Honestly I like to give people money. It's probably the one reason I would want a whole bunch of it. When I'm out and about town I like to grab a few loose ones and fives and try to give them away. Not a huge amount obviously, but I'm not in a position to be slapping down hundreds. I like it. Makes me feel better than if I had spent it on a fucking cookie or something. Which says a lot, because I fucking like cookies. Oatmeal-raisin: nomnomnom.

[blondeatlast]

93. What you said. I give a five to a homeless guy--I don't give a damn what he

does with it; for a moment, his life got just a bit brighter. Tipping well pays me back; I consistently get EXCELLENT service when I go to my favorite bars and restaurants.

I'm by no means wealthy, but I appreciate hard work, especially when done with a good attitude. It's just a few dollars and it can benefit someone else more than it does me--and I've been there.

[freshwest]

94. I always figure in 15% tip before I order food as part of the cost of the meal. Is 15% correct?

But I hardly ever order delivery or eat out except as a part of a special social occasion since it's out of my budget.

Perhaps the people he's 'outing' think he's already been tipped as part of the cost of the meal.

These people know that tips are part of their wages, don't they?

[JVS]

100. It used to be easier.

It used to be that you ordered your pizza, they told you the price plus tax, and then you tipped accordingly. Now you order your pizza, they add the tax, they add a delivery charge, and it's up to you to figure out how much to tip. Who gets this delivery fee?

Here's what I do. I live in a town where all delivery is done by car and radius of the town is about 2 miles. There is no way that anything has travelled farther than about a couple miles to get to me. I tip $2 plus whatever coins make the number come out even. So if the total is $18.78 then I'm handing over $21. Now this is a bit lower than the guy in the OP wants, at least calculated as percent of total. But is that what we're supposed to do, or are we supposed to count as percent of the food before tax and delivery charge (which I suspect goes to the delivery guy anyway, as a friend who worked for Pizza Hut told me that he gets paid by the ticket at the store)? They've made the math of this too opaque, so I'm using a different system. I figure that my delivery takes at worst 1/4 of this guy's hour. So my $2 plus change is usually somewhere around an $8-11/ hour. On the issue of what if it's a tip for a more or less expensive expensive order, unless I'm ordering an absolute shitload it really doesn't make a difference in work done. More toppings weigh a few ounces. Also, why should he get a smaller tip because I ordered a smaller pizza? $2 plus change, unless the difference in order means multiple trips to schlep or an unwieldy load (like if I'm ordering a bunch for a meeting), in which case, I'm going to $4 plus change as I figure I'm taking more of his time.

[freshwest]

102. Yeah it seems like less than $2 isn't appropriate. I'm not they get the 'delivery charge' though

People I know who have done delivery said they get nothing for the mileage and wear and tear on their vehicle, gasoline and the extra insurance premium for using their personal car for business. It can be a dangerous job, too, or so I've heard.

[Thegonagle]

135. Ignore the delivery charge, and tip based on the total.

The delivery charge has become a profit center for the national chains, and they keep a lot of it for themselves.

They've always paid the driver some amount of reimbursement for fuel and wear and tear, independent of the delivery charge. You used to get "free delivery," with the cost of the driver's reimbursement built into the price of your food. They're simply getting you to pay for that cost now.

The driver still needs the tips--now more than ever, since reimbursement rates have probably only gone up 50% since the 90's. Cars last longer and are more reliable now, but tires, brakes, and oil changes are more expensive, and gasoline is 4 times higher.

Oh, and wherever they can get away with it, restaurant drivers are getting an hourly rate in the $4 an hour range, when minimum wage used to be a given as recently as 2005.

The tip calculator at tipthepizzaguy.com recommends a $3 minimum, or 15%, whichever is higher. For orders over $100, I think 10% is acceptable, since the level of service doesn't rise with the tab in the same way as with table service, but don't insult the dude with a 3% tip if you're spending hundreds. That's not right.

[Taitertots]

95. People who are not grateful for gratuity are obnoxious

They should bitch at the owners for making themselves rich at their expense instead of the people who probably received poor service.

[Thegonagle]

136. They need a union, and some have tried, but organizing delivery drivers

in significant numbers has proven harder than herding house cats.

[Taitertots]

149. They need people to refuse to eat at places which exploit their workers

Instead of leaving it to the most vulnerable in society to defend themselves against the rich and powerful.

[madmom]

152. My point exactly.

[xchrom]

97. Wow - this thread was more enlightening than usual about

Self confessed bad tippers.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

101. i know, right. also most small restaurant owners are hardly raking in the big bucks

and most restaurants in billyburg are not chains.

[xchrom]

104. Indeed. Nt

[blondeatlast]

105. The first sign I know a guy isn't a good match for me is

how he tips. In fact, I always offer to pay the first date bill just to see how he tips. <15% for decent service means he won't be seeing me again--and it's happened several times! :rofl:

But seriously I think someone's attitude about tipping speaks volumes about them.

[jp11]

139. To each their own, there are plenty of reasons to ditch a potential partner

to 'preempt' a serious one with something as 'small' as tipping isn't the best way to go about it, IMHO anyway.

I'd grant you on a first date/early on people would be on their best impression mode and tipping nicely would be widely recognized as the 'correct' impression to make but not everyone knows how to tip to say nothing of any other issues like not having cash, etc.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

150. its not small. it shows how they treat people less powerful than themselves.

[jp11]

161. Only if they are 'more powerful' or recognize that they are 'more powerful'.

Assuming someone perceives things as you do is not always going to have you making the correct assessment of the situation/etc. Again, people are free to judge as they please but I'd think someone who is thoughtful would give a person the benefit of the doubt or at least try to ascertain the reason for something they feel is 'wrong' before writing them off as 'no good'.

Obviously some things might not warrant the benefit of the doubt or attempts to understand but as I said ignorance of tipping, the wrong advice on tipping, etc might just be a small thing.

[kentauros]

160. I just ordered pizza, a couple of sodas and two desserts.

Total, $25.43. I'll be handing over $31 and telling the delivery guy to "keep the change" :D

I tip at 20% pretty regularly, mostly because I'm generous, but also because 20% is easier to figure in my head than 15% ;)

Oh, when I visited my girlfriend in her country a couple of years ago, I was pretty generous with the money, too, and I know she understands what that means about my character like you do :)

[sarcasmo]

106. My mother asked if I was a Rockefeller because I tipped my waitress a 10 spot.

I had to explain to my cheap mother that I used to work in the service industry and most people were like her and didn't know how to tip.

[MadHound]

111. That's cool, but perhaps somebody should start a blog about bad delivery drivers,

Just for some balance.

After all, how many times have you received your food really late, cold, cheese stuck to the lid, etc. etc.

Oh, and to preempt the retort, I've worked as a delivery driver, know all about shitty tippers, and yes, I do tip well myself.

[Renew Deal]

115. He should be fired

There's a lot that factors into a delivery tip. So he had a $90 order? That sounds like 4 dishes. Was it a short distance? Was the order late/slow? Was the delivery very near by? Delivery is not the same as a restaurant tip.

[JVS]

121. Maybe you can start a page called stiffthisguy.com ...

where you warn potential customers about delivery people with websites and make it so that if they ever see them they make sure to give them nothing.

[DireStrike]

138. Less than OR EQUAL TO? Fuck you, greedbag. 15% is default.

[Renew Deal]

141. No it's not

Not for a delivery tip.

[DireStrike]

158. Well then I guess I'll just wallow in my shame.

[JVS]

144. I was wondering if anyone else noticed that equal to part.

Shaming people who are giving you 15% is pretty shameful.

[Diclotican]

142. The Northerner

The Northerner

And the irony of all irony is if they had been paid a decent sallary, they would not need a tip to get by... He might be tired about all who just pay a shitty tip when he came with a order worth many times what he is paid in sallary.. But if the tip thingy was included in the sallary, they had not been in need of doing this...


Diclotican