Pizza Delivery....a Rant

[MyGlockRocks19]

FTR, I'd probably tip extra if I had pizza delivered to my house right now because Hamilton County is doing its best to quarantine me to my neighborhood. /sigh

Why on earth are they doing that? If you're in southern Hamilton County, I'd bet on it that you're in my delivery area!

 

[Scutter01]

Can't you claim the difference in mileage on your income taxes if they pay less than the federal mileage reimbursement rate? what they pay you in mileage is intended to cover your gas, your car repairs, your oil changes, etc. (sorry, don't mean to nitpick this one tiny point in an otherwise lovely rant [I work retail: I get it], but I also used to work as a traveling sales rep, so I have a minute idea about mileage reimbursement, which is currently $0.55 per mile).

I drive all over the state for my job. Something like 12,000 miles per year. I get mileage that's not great, but is adequate. The difference between what my company pays and what the government mandates amounts to a tiny write-off. It's literally not even worth the effort to track it to put it on my tax returns.

 

[Scutter01]

Why on earth are they doing that? If you're in southern Hamilton County, I'd bet on it that you're in my delivery area!

Her whole area is under construction. It's freaking ridiculous. I had to drive through there last week and even with a GPS I couldn't find a way through.

 

[Scutter01]

Her whole area is under construction. It's freaking ridiculous. I had to drive through there last week and even with a GPS I couldn't find a way through.

That sounded a lot dirtier than it was supposed to. Sorry, Pami.

 

[IndyBeerman]

We are reimbursed for mileage...but its typically less than a dollar a delivery, or a few cents per mile. Its a joke. The store keeps the majority of the delivery charge.

You do know that if you keep a log of miles driven for the pizza job you can deduct I believe 41 cents a mile on you taxes, along with some maintenance cost.

Go to IRS.GOV and do a search on mileage deductions, it has been a LONG time and don't remember the specifics but can help you out later on taxes.

Now I feel for you brother, been there and done that. I delivered Jacks Pizza's in Mooresville in 85. $2.75 a hour and all delivery charges for out of town deliveries went to me. It was nice that no one knew the out of town roads. Nice thing was that people got to see me on a regular basis and usually after the second or third time they'd see me the tips would start rolling in.

Chin up, take it standing and smile the whole time while never letting them smell anger and you will prevail!

 

[esrice]

That sounded a lot dirtier than it was supposed to. Sorry, Pami.

Haha!!!

Actually, my first thought was "uh-oh! Scutter was goin' to Pami's house!"

 

[Archbishop]

I agree with everything, but the point about the change. I want my change back even I'm going simply turn around and give it back as part of a tip . Not sure why, I suppose I just don't want someone ASSUMING that he/she gets to keep it. It takes the decision away from me. Otherwise spot on. I agree with you. And yes I do try to tip decent.

 

[MyGlockRocks19]

Her whole area is under construction. It's freaking ridiculous. I had to drive through there last week and even with a GPS I couldn't find a way through.

That does get frustrating...I rely on a TomTom to tell me where to go, and with newer roads or sometimes even whole subdivisions, it sometimes doesn't have them in memory. I gotta save up and get the map updates!

 

[target64]

Question: if you're not reimbursed for mileage, what is the delivery charge for?

It is an added profit center for the store. It should go to the driver, but the store utilizes the funds to offset the cost of pizza delivery hot boxes,vehicle signage,additional uniforms and such. Or at least that was the BS I got when I was a delivery driver.

 

[MyGlockRocks19]

I agree with everything, but the point about the change. I want my change back even I'm going simply turn around and give it back as part of a tip . Not sure why, I suppose I just don't want someone ASSUMING that he/she gets to keep it. It takes the decision away from me. Otherwise spot on. I agree with you. And yes I do try to tip decent.

The biggest problem with this, is that the store doesn't issue us coin change as part of our change "bank". It would get pretty cumbersome to lug around a bunch of change, anyhow. We get a roll of 1s and a couple fives to start the night with, and if someone wants the coins back, we HAVE to find the nearest place that'll break a bill, get the coins, and come back. Its the WORST waste of time you can encounter. I understand not wanting someone to assume they get to keep it, but its FAR easier (for both of us!) to just factor it in to the tip, or have correct change for the order.

Sometimes I've got some spare change in my pockets, and I'll give it to people just to shut them up....but at that point, its cost ME money to deliver the pizza, and I'm super pissed.

 

[Archbishop]

The biggest problem with this, is that the store doesn't issue us coin change as part of our change "bank". It would get pretty cumbersome to lug around a bunch of change, anyhow. We get a roll of 1s and a couple fives to start the night with, and if someone wants the coins back, we HAVE to find the nearest place that'll break a bill, get the coins, and come back. Its the WORST waste of time you can encounter. I understand not wanting someone to assume they get to keep it, but its FAR easier (for both of us!) to just factor it in to the tip, or have correct change for the order.

Sometimes I've got some spare change in my pockets, and I'll give it to people just to shut them up....but at that point, its cost ME money to deliver the pizza, and I'm super pissed.

Learn something new every day. I would have assumed that you guys have coins to make change. Not a reflection on you, but of your company. Why in the world would the send you out without the resources to complete the job? I'll have to keep this in mind though.....

 

[Bigum1969]

Her whole area is under construction. It's freaking ridiculous. I had to drive through there last week and even with a GPS I couldn't find a way through.

 

[Bigum1969]

The biggest problem with this, is that the store doesn't issue us coin change as part of our change "bank". It would get pretty cumbersome to lug around a bunch of change, anyhow. We get a roll of 1s and a couple fives to start the night with, and if someone wants the coins back, we HAVE to find the nearest place that'll break a bill, get the coins, and come back. Its the WORST waste of time you can encounter. I understand not wanting someone to assume they get to keep it, but its FAR easier (for both of us!) to just factor it in to the tip, or have correct change for the order.

Sometimes I've got some spare change in my pockets, and I'll give it to people just to shut them up....but at that point, its cost ME money to deliver the pizza, and I'm super pissed.

Just curious.. how many pies do you deliver on an average day?

 

[Pami]

1) Scutter can come to my house any time he likes. Especially if he brings that cute wife of his along.

2) For future reference to the pizza delivery guys out there: the whole intersection just south of me is now closed. Not just the cross street. The WHOLE FREAKING INTERSECTION. Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to want to pick up something quick from the store that *used* to be a mile or so away, but is now 7 miles away because you have to drive around the entire city of Fishers to get there first? /grumblerumblemeh

 

[Bigum1969]

1) Scutter can come to my house any time he likes. Especially if he brings that cute wife of his along.

 

[MyGlockRocks19]

Just curious.. how many pies do you deliver on an average day?

Hmm...pies I'd have a hard time keeping track of, but in a 4-5 hour span I'll typically do between 15-25 deliveries, depending on how busy it is. On slower days it ranges between 5-15 in the same time span, which REALLY sucks.

The great thing about busy days is you can chain your deliveries together...taking 2 or 3 every time you walk out the door. Thats where the higher run count comes in, and you make more per trip. Slow days you do em one at a time, and its not as effective on a cost vs. payout standpoint.

 

[Bigum1969]

Thanks for the answer.

This thread is going to change my tipping habits. I usually tip $3 on a delivery. I'm going to up that to $5 for sure now. I thought the driver got some of the delivery charge.

 

[MyGlockRocks19]

3 bucks is still a pretty good tip....but I will admit, I remember the guys that give me 5. I don't know how other drivers rank it, but 5 and above is what I consider an "outstanding" tip, and I do give those guys preferential treatment. If your order is at the bottom of my run list....I bump you up to the top. If I forget your 2 liter, instead of going all the way back to the store, I'll run to the closest shop and buy you one.

There are benefits to being an outstanding tipper....unless something gets seriously screwed up at the store, you'll almost never wait longer than 20-30 minutes to get your pizza, and most of the time you'll get it sooner.

 

[NEWMAN]

I always tip 5-8 bucks. I'm in the delivery business and know how ****ty it can be sometimes. I just wish BR had a good pizza place that was consistant. I make my own mostly now.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Wow, is pizza delivery an indentured servant position or are you free to quit at any time?