TR Forums

superjawes wrote:

I never tip when I pick up either, but I always tip drivers. There is a delivery charge on most pizza, and drivers typically get paid more than others in the store, but they still pay for their own gas and car upkeep. You don't have to throw a full 20% their way, but an extra couple bucks helps them out a lot. I say this because my first job was at a pizza place with delivery. I was not a driver, but my job also didn't cost me a lot like keeping a car in good condition.

Delivery charges are the biggest scam in the world. Half of places the owner pockets the entire charge, and the rest the driver is getting no more than 50% of the charge. If you aren't tipping at least 10% on a delivery you're being a cheapskate.

One other general tipping rule. This doesn't apply everywhere, but enough people know it that you should keep it in mind. If you hand a person a tip that means it's for that person only. Whereas if you put it in a tip jar or on the table it's expected to be shared among the staff.

BobbinThreadbare wrote:

One other general tipping rule. This doesn't apply everywhere, but enough people know it that you should keep it in mind. If you hand a person a tip that means it's for that person only. Whereas if you put it in a tip jar or on the table it's expected to be shared among the staff.

No. If you work for a restaurant that tips are pooled at, you are not allowed to keep tips for yourself no matter how they were given to you. If you work at a restaurant that tips are not pooled at, you won't share whether it's put on a table or handed directly to the server.

I waited tables for 4 or 5 years. I swore I would never do that job again unless my family is starving. I don't exactly have the right personality for it, but other than that, yes, people are wretched. 70% of the people you wait on are polite, civil, decent tippers, grateful for good service. But the other 30% treat you like they rented a slave. It's the bad ones that wrecked the whole job for me.

Some of the highlights I still remember 12 years later:

A person ate a 1/2 pound burger they ordered, then demanded that they really ordered a 1/4 lb. and should pay the lesser price. Our burgers were high quality fresh-ground meat and a 1/2 lb. is a big sandwich. You know when you eat one, trust me. This person was extremely belligerent for a $2 or $3 difference and eventually got their way.

One person complained that the sales tax rate on their order was too high and somehow our restaurant was "screwing them on the tax." Mmkay?

One fattie used to come in and always ordered the same thing. a 3/4 lb. cheeseburger, fries, and a coke. Never tipped a dime to me or my female friend. She finally told him off one day and he started tipping, from what I remember.

A common complaint was coffee - usually too cold. As in, if not scalding it's "too cold."

But the absolute worst I can remember is when the local Catholic school of upper middle class grade school kids would let out for a half day. We would get besieged and go from empty to full in 2 minutes. These little rascals all had money to order out but perhaps half of them didn't tip. And 2 servers would be serving 40 kids at once. And all 40 wanted separate checks which in those days with a primitive cash register was a royal pain.

Not my thing, but the free lunches were awesome. In those days I could eat a burger/fries/shake every day and never gain a pound. I ran it off while serving tables.