Do you find it frustrating when the pizza guy doesn't have change?

They never have change. Its so we get bored of waiting to eat the pizza, we say “it’s ok, keep it”.

@Headhurts Exactly.

and I do, even though I know what they are doing!

That is why I never, ever order food to the house. I always go and pick it up.

I’ve never expected to get change from the pizza guy, so it’s never frustrated me. My tip depends on several things, like the time of night, weather conditions outside, and my overall feelings of how much I didn’t feel like cooking or leaving the house.

I always order online, pay by credit card and keep a jar of change handy, so no problem for me. These days, pizza delivery guys where I live look like out-of-work white collar workers, so I generally tip extra.

My answer is the same as @Seaofclouds. It would be interesting to hear from someone who has worked as a delivery person. What is their experience with this type of scenario?

I usually pay with a debit card and put the tip on there. Why deal with money when you don’t have to?

I pay with debit card too. You just have to give them the numbers over the phone when you order it. I give the delivery guy cash for his tip, tho.

I always ask the person who’s taking my order on the phone exactly how much it will cost, and then I’ll put together the exact amount of money, plus tips. Then I give the pizza dude the money, telling him his tip is in there. I’m all prepared, like a fuckin boy scout, man.

Ugh. They have a responsibility to have change. So do taxi drivers. If they don’t, put the burden on them to produce change. That is… if he can’t go away (without your $20 and your pizza) and come back with your change, then call the pizza place, tell them you’re keeping the pizza, and the next time you order pizza they can bill you for this one, too. The pizza place will yell at the driver, which is the only thing that will make him remember to bring some damned change.

And if none of them are willing to accommodate you, the pizza goes back and you call someone else.

When I order I pay with my card but give a cash tip. Often with small bills so that they are more likely to have change for the next guy.

Also, some of you seem to think that it’s okay to be stingy with a tip because the drivers get paid well. Guess what? Many don’t even get paid mileage, go the gas they burn delivering your pizza comes out of their pay… which is reduced because their employers expect it to be made up with tips. So, if you are annoyed by the delivery guy not having change, you might want to look at why he doesn’t; start by looking in the mirror.

@glacial Make your own damn pizza. Seriously, I mean that for your own safety. With that attitude, you probably will get a pie with spit, pubes, and who-knows-what-else on it.

They have the change @glacial. They pretend they don’t hoping for a large tip.

@Dutchess_III They only do that to jack-offs and known skimpers. Trust me ;)

That would be annoying, yes. I don’t have that much experience when it comes to pizza guys. The whole tips concept is so confusing, though. One of the most confusing things about other countries.

Note to self: don’t order pizza from Jerv’s Place.

This is not rocket science. The guy is driving around making cash transactions; he needs to bring change. If I walked into a bookstore and they couldn’t break a 20, I would have a right to be pissed, but not with a guy delivering pizzas? Sorry, no. That’s purely bad planning on his part, and that’s not my problem.

Edit: And by the way, I am a damned good tipper. Delivery guys love me.

@glacial Cash transactions? How last-century of you :D
Seriously though, when 90+% of a places customers pay with plastic, they may not be prepared for cash.

lol pube pie

@jerv This is a big city. They should be prepared for anything, and the vast majority of them are.

I do actually live in the current century. I use cash for specific things. That’s my choice.

I use cash. Too many of the restaurants and fast food places around here have been caught stealing credit card numbers and shopping on line with them.

I had this happen the last time I ever ordered a pizza delivery (I also became so irked at the price that I’ve made my own pizzas ever since.)

Here in the UK there’s no obligation or expectation to tip, so that never even crossed my mind. And the pizzas are already so egregiously overpriced that I’d be put off tipping anyway.

I hand the pizza deliverer a £20 note… and then hilarity ensues as he’s about £2 short of the right change. He offers me a voucher I can use on the next purchase. I refuse the voucher and explain to him that I prefer money, as money can be spent anywhere on whatever I need, and that I don’t know when or if I’ll ever buy a pizza from them (Pizza Hut) again. The delivery guy now looks rather sheepish and bemused and he again tries to offer the vouchers. I again explain why I don’t want vouchers.

I eventually looked to see if I had the exact change myself, and came back with a handful of coins that took another minute to count out… and I was something like 20 pence short. He hesitated, and then accepted my payment as if he was doing me some huge favour.

I never get pizza delivered anymore. In the past it didn’t frustrate me if they didn’t have change. On one occasion, while we were away, we didn’t know there was a charge on top of the cost of the pizza for delivery. We didn’t have any more cash. The pizza delivery guy told us not to worry about it. Karma… I hope someone tipped him very well later on that evening. Nice guy.

I’ve never ran into this actually, maybe my pizza places are just better than the ones you guys have, but they always have change when I don’t pay with debit which is a lot.

I’m out in the sticks. If the pizza person finds my house I’d give them whatever. If you want to see tough servers try the Dominican Republic. They never have change for any meal.

I have never had that situation happen to me. When I was in college we ordered pizza a lot. Now I admit I almost never do, and haven’t regularly in over 15 years, but the several times I have, I can’t remember having a change problem. At least half the times I ordered, I probably used a credit card or had the amount of money I needed, so change was not an issue, but the other half, as I said, I can’t remember the pizza guy not having the change I asked for.

@Bellatrix Are you saying the extra charge is his tip? Or, there was a delivery charge and you wanted to tip him extra, but didn’t have the money?

The company didn’t tell us there was a charge for delivery. We ordered from an ad in the paper. So when he arrived, instead of the $20 we expected it was $23 but we didn’t have any other cash and this was before they carried the means to use eftpos. So he said not to worry, he would put in the additional $3.

Now that’s a customer service guy.

It was years ago and I still remember it. So yes @Adirondackwannabe, I hope he went on to become the manager or something.

@Symbeline

I’m all prepared, like a fuckin boy scout, man.

It’s my understanding that celibate boy scouts are also known for their preparedness. ;-)

@jerv

With that attitude, you probably will get a pie with spit, pubes, and who-knows-what-else on it.

Domino’s always includes those topping for free! ;-p

@Bellatrix So in Australia the tip is included in the bill in general? Like most of Europe? Restaurants and even dielivery? I never had thought about it when it comes to delivery. Some places charge a delivery fee here, very few, because their drivers get stiffed so much. We also charge tip automatically on some restaurant bills in some select places in America (most of the places are high tourist areas that receive a lot of European and Latin American tourists) and when a party is 8 people or more.

But, back to the delivery, it seems like if the extra $3 goes for delivery then your delivery man was out $6 paying the $3.

It wasn’t a tip. It was a delivery charge from the company. It was unusual here too. Normally you would know what it was going to cost but this was a small pizza place. This was a long time ago too and in a different city. So we weren’t familiar with that pizza place. Anyway, he put it in for us which was nice of him.

Tipping isn’t routine in Australia. We have a much higher minimum wage situation here and so the culture of tipping really doesn’t exist as it does in the US. Some people do tip, but a lot don’t unless the service is outstanding.

@Bellatrix I see. I have one more question. On your bill from a restaurant does it show the gratuity amount? Or, is it just imbedded in the price of the food? I ask because I always wondered if the gratuity shows on the bill, and the waitperson is paid by the hour, then the tip does not go directly to the waitperson actually.

No. We don’t pay a gratuity amount. Some restaurants have started trying to impose a gratuity but you aren’t required to pay it and we don’t. I would never pay a gratuity imposed here that way. It’s a scam as far as I’m concerned. If I feel the wait staff did a great job, I’ll leave THEM a tip, not the management. However, I don’t tip often. There isn’t the requirement to supplement appalling wages here.

I wasn’t aware that so many people still purchase food with cash. I haven’t paid a pizza delivery guy in cash in a long time, if I ever have. I order online, pay online, and leave the tip online. The only thing I have to do when the guy shows up is sign my receipt.

I don’t even carry cash anymore. If I do, it’s quarters for the parking meters on campus. And I’d never tip in change anyways.

A debit card is an invaluable convenience. Why not use it?

@livelaughlove21 Tipping in cash is better for the waitperson/delivery person. Not that I always do it, I usually put everything n my credit card if I am honest. You can pay credit card and still tip cash. Not that I am saying you should, just providing information.

@JLeslie Why is it better? When I was a server, I got the money either way. The only difference was I didn’t have to report the real amount I got in cash for tax purposes – which servers shouldn’t be doing anyways. I didn’t care either way, as long as I got a tip.

Regardless, I don’t tip them on my card because I think it’s better for them. I do it because it’s easier for me.

@livelaughlove21 Some places are not as generous with the tip money as your employers were. Some share it out equally among all servers, which means that their tips don’t reflect their work. Some skim off the top. And yes, paying the tip on a card means that the server has to report the income. It’s not your job to keep them honest.

Yes, I do see tipping as a reward for a service, but there is also a “gift” quality to it. And when giving gifts, I think about what is best for the person receiving it, not what is easier for me.

@glacial It’s not your job to keep them honest.

It’s also not my job to go out of my way to tip in cash so they can get a break at tax time. I don’t carry cash so, sorry, no cash tips. I’m sure they’d prefer that to no tip, don’t you?

I’ve noticed Canadians tend to pay the tab with a card and tip in cash. Why is that?

@Adirondackwannabe For exactly the reasons I just gave. ;)

@livelaughlove21 Just the tax reason. I wasn’t saying it was your job or responsibility, just saying it can be better for the person receiving the tip.

If I transform into my mom or dad for a minute I would tell you to always have some cash on you. In an emergency cash is king. Some stores have come to the point that they will not accept credit cards if the mag strip doesn’t swipe or if their ability to approve charges isn’t working. If the electricity goes out you need cash. And if someone mugs you, God forbid, you are better off being able to hand over some cash. I almost never use cash, a $20 can last me over a month, so I’m with you on not needing cash. I charge everything.

It’s about a dollar more to have it delivered, but that isn’t noted that way on the bill.

I had a coworker who only goes through the drive through at the Sonic here so she doesn’t have to tip…...I think that’s cheap. The thing is, waiters and waitresses and delivery people (I think) don’t even get paid minimum wage. At least, they didn’t when I was doing that kind of work. It is assumed you will make up the difference with tips.

@Dutchess_III They get the waitperson minimum. There is more than one minimum wage. I don’t think it is cheap to drive through, I think it is cheap to let a waitperson serve you and then not tip them, or tip extremely low.

Do you think the extra dollar goes to the driver who delivers? Or, the company keeps it?

Well, I’m sure everything goes to admin except cash tips given directly to the delivery guy. I’m sure it all goes toward the overall running of the joint.

My first job was at Sonic in 1976. I was paid $.90 an hour.

Doesn’t surpirse me. I think the minimum now is barely over $2, while the regular minimum is $7. When I worked in the early 80’s the regular minim was $3.25 I think? I don’t know if there was any minimum back in the 70’s for waiters? The laws regarding paying wait people have changed over time. Some states pay better than others, but there are federal minimums at this point.

I’ve never had a pizza guy who didn’t have change. I usually let them keep the change though, if it’s not a lot more than five dollars.

My usual order totals $22 and change. I usually have $26 in cash ready for the driver.

One time I gave the kid $30 because I didn’t have any smaller bills and he actually asked me if I needed change. Yeah kid, you drove about 3 minutes to get to my house and I’m going to give you a 35% tip, right. Jack off.

@FutureMemory I might have given him a 35% tip! I mean, who knows, maybe he has a wife and kids and problems that would have been a God send!

(When I was waitress I had a guy give me a $5.00 tip on a $1.00 cup of coffee. Of course, I was young and beautiful then…..and he asked me out. I was not impressed with someone who would pay me to go out with him.)

@Dutchess_III Nah he didn’t have a wife and kids. He was some 20 year old punk ass college kid with an attitude.

More to the point, even if the bill was $29.50 and I gave him $30, as a matter of professional courtesy the driver should always attempt to give change. Asking me if I need change forces me to say “yes, I want some money back”. Huge difference between that and allowing me to offer a tip.

There was one female driver that I’d give big tips to though, because she looked like she had a few kids at home and always seemed very tired. She was always very grateful.