(OT) Pizza delivery questions

[KidCthulhu]

I worked delivering pizzas during college, and very few places will take checks. But you should always tip. A buck or two is adequite unless the order is really large or the weather especially foul.

As for the Papa John's debate, what's a Papa Johns? We here in New England (and New York too) have a ton of fabulous local pizza places, and most of us use our local guy instead of ordering from a big chain. We've got Dominoes (barely passable), Papa Ginos (acceptable, but often no delivery) and Pizza Hut (Spew on cardboard. blagh). Local places are a crap shoot on checks. If they know you, yes, if they don't, probably not.

 

[incognito]

Well this guy is very nice. Always greets me by name, knows my usual order.

You eat Burger King often enough that they know you usual order?
Do some people pay for a $8-$10 pizza (+ tax) with a check?

I think debit cards are fine (you pre-pay)

Always tip, but it's stirctly $1, or $2 type of thing.

 

[Henry]

In our area, Domino's still takes personal checks, but with so many conditions and codicils on thier acceptance that it's just easier to give cash, or phone the credit card # in with your order. Which is exactly what they want to see.

Papa John's is another Pizza chain, nowhere near as successful as Domino's or Pizza Hut, but Papa John's in my opinion makes the best of the three. Pizza Hut is VERY good on their Supreme Pizza's, but darned little else.

And the question is moot for me, because Domino's is the ONLY one that delivers in my area.

 

[WayneLigon]

Third, in the US, both consumer and vendor expects a tip to be part of the cost of a pizza and a meal in a sit-down restaurant.

1. No, they don't accept checks. Very few places here do (right off, I can count only three restaurants I request that accept paper checks) because of people writing bad checks. They do accept the check card, though.

2. I usually tip, depending.

3. Consumer may; the vendor does, but it's also understood that poor service or food means no tip. Excellent service or food may mean a larger tip.

If I do get pizza, it's usually Papa John's. And when I do, I go there and pick it up. I don't know if Domino's still has '30 minutes or free' but I don't think so. A few weeks ago I decided that a pizza would taaste good but I didn't want to get out in the rain to get it. After being told it would be 90 minutes or more, I just forgot about it.

 

[haiiro]

The service level of pizza delivery guys and McDonalds is roughly the same. Pizza is delivered, but it's included in the price.

I worked at a pizza place for about 4 years, although not as a driver.

Drivers generally make a pretty poor hourly wage - on par or slightly more than the average server at a restaurant. They rely on tips to bring that number up to a decent/good level, and in my experience delivery is in no way included in the cost of your food.

 

[Agnostic Paladin]

It had never even occurred to me to try paying for delivery food with a cheque. If I don't have the cash and really want it, I'll use a credit card. I almost always tip, unless the driver's really slow or rude. Since it's not (entirely) standard practice to tip around here, it seems to get me better service later.

 

[maddman75]

All the Pizza places around here take checks. They don't take debit cards though, at least not at your door. What do they do, carry around card readers with them?

And yes, I always tip, and tip well. Both in a restraunt and for delivery. I used to work in a pizza place, and if they know that you give good tips, your pizza will be out in no time. Only if things are seriously messed up do I not tip.

And always Papa John's. Very good pizza, good prices, and free garlic sauce. KidC, if you and Pkitty find yourself traveling sometime in the future, see if you can't find a Papa John's. Much better than the other chains.

 

[Pielorinho]

3. Consumer may [expect to tip]; the vendor does, but it's also understood that poor service or food means no tip. Excellent service or food may mean a larger tip.

I guess I should clarify: both the consumer and the vendor know that the following is expected:

1) Vendor (via waitstaff) provides courteous, efficient service.
2) Vendor provides food.
3) Consumer pays for food.
4) Consumer pays (via tip) for courteous, efficient service.

A consumer isn't normally forced to pay for the service, but he knows that it's expected of him. If he accepts the service and doesn't pay for it, he's being a tweaker.

Of course, if he doesn't receive courteous, efficient service, then the implied contract is already broken, and he doesn't need to pay for it. That's why you don't need to tip a rude server.

(And DragonGirl, you may want to reread the last paragraph of the Snopes article: at this point, Domino's has no connection to right-to-lifers at all, despite their indirect association in the past. If you understood that, however, never mind ).

Daniel

 

[drnuncheon]

Shadowdancer, are you near a college? I've found that sometimes pizza places near colleges do not accept checks, because students are far more likely to accidentally (or "accidentally" in some cases) bounce a check.

And yeah, I always tip for delivery. I've never been a deliverybeing, but it's got to be a lousy job.

As for the person who said it's included in the price - the delivery fee is included in the price, sure. But you tip a waiter for carrying your food 50 feet from the kitchen to your table, and the pizza's going a heck of a lot farther than that.

J

 

[Dragongirl]

(And DragonGirl, you may want to reread the last paragraph of the Snopes article: at this point, Domino's has no connection to right-to-lifers at all, despite their indirect association in the past. If you understood that, however, never mind ).

But the owner, who gets his money from Dominoes does, so . . .