Dec
14
Tipping
ByHow much do you tip a delivery guy? Can someone tell me what is acceptable as I keep cranking up the amount I give them and I’m still not getting any smiles.
When I first came here I thought a couple of dollars would be enough (I’m talking about $20 orders here). Then I started to feel bad and put it up to $3, then $4. I tried to work out how much I earn per hour then what fraction of an hour the delivery took and then I had a figure I thought was ethical. But I still feel bad giving them $5 or even $6, it’s so damn cold out there and they always look so miserable.
Any guidance on this perplexing subject would be greatly appreciated.
4 Comments
December 15th, 2005 at 12:16 am
Simon, are you talking about restaurant food delivery? $3 to $4 plus change seems reasonable. Maybe throw in an extra dollar or two if you live on a high floor and the delivery guy has to climb flights of steps.
The lack of smiles is not because of your tip. It’s because they are delivery guys.
December 15th, 2005 at 1:09 pm
Good topic for discussion. I’m always thinking about this since I’m a takeout nut. Call me crazy, these days I always leave 20 percent at restaurants, unless the service really sucked. I used to be a waitress and always felt we deserved the up in gratuity. I mean the postal service spikes up stamps every 2 years (which they are again Jan ’06), why shouldn’t we? But deliveries is different. I usually stick to 15 percent with deliveries, which actually makes no sense because the waiters aren’t biking through traffic to bring you your food…but I guess my theory is you’re spending a lot of money at a restaurant, but when you’re getting takeout it’s usually a $15-20 MAX. And $3 bucks on top of that seems completely acceptable. I don’t think anything you do, unless you gave them a Hamilton (which is absurd) would really make the delivery guy crack a smile. As William pointed out.
December 15th, 2005 at 5:38 pm
Ah, but what about when you are picking up a food order from a restaurant?
Sometimes I choose to pick up food instead of getting a delivery because I, like Simon, feel awkward at the door. Then I go to the restaurant and feel awkward when I don’t tip the person giving me the food.
Am I supposed to tip for someone handing me a bag and taking my money?
December 19th, 2005 at 7:59 am
Big Apple Blog Festival – December 19, 2005
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