Tip for delivery men

parkslopecynic

what do people recommend for a normal tip?

ilovecarbs

Need more info -

Is it raining or snowing? How much is the food order? How long did it take to arrive? Do they have to walk up a lot of stairs to get to you?

possibly_maybe

I'm a sucker for this stuff.

Delivery men always get $5 minimum, unless it's real cheap (a single medium pizza for $12, for instance), in which case I'll do $3-4.

I usually don't do delivery unless I'm undressed and incredibly lazy, so I figure it's worth at least that much to keep my lazily indoors.

brooklynpotter

you give $4 for a $12 pizza? even though i can't do math, i'm pretty sure that's more than 30%

carmen

i do $2-$3 for most things- we're on the first floor, no stairs, and we dont even buzz them in (we come to the door) so its a pretty easy delivery.

raw

When I can't leave home and order $15 of food from a place around my corner and the weather is good, I "only" tip $1-$2.

%15 of $12 (my common bill total) = $1.80

fourthstreeter

Always $3 minimum.

vidro3

FourthStreeter wrote: Always $3 minimum.

yea i think thats about right unless there are extenuating circumstances.

good one

$2 rain or shine if it's just for me...they travel the same distance with one bag or one box of pizza. If I order something for a number of folks and it requires more juggling and heavier lifting then i'll go $3-5 depending...

anthonycm

Subject: What about moving tips?

First, to keep it on topic to restaurants, I generally tip almost always $5 and up. The reason for over-tipping is that I don't give to charity. Yes, yes, it's horrible I know. However, I would rather over-tip as a form of charity, giving to those making an obvious effort to work.

Now that I have that out of the way, I'm making my first move with movers. It's going to be four guys, and I'm getting charged $160 an hour (using Oz Movers - looking for recommendations if you have them). What would you tip each moving person, if anything? I'm not sure what the custom is here.

Thanks,
Anthony

possibly_maybe

brooklynpotter wrote: you give $4 for a $12 pizza? even though i can't do math, i'm pretty sure that's more than 30%

Well, for a $12 pizza (which is what we'll typically get if we're ordering), I'll just give them $15 most of the time.

I know, it's still a lot, and I'm basically an idiot.

But....the pizza place we order from is almost one full avenue and 3 blocks away, so I can justify it!!

bergenites

anthony - not to hijack the topic (fwiw, I usually tip food delivery anything between $2-6 depending on how much and how far they came. Usually @$4)

but we used moved last year and used Moishe's who were very good- we did consider Oz as well but decided to go with Moishe's for reasons I don't remember. I think it was the level of professionalism with the customer service. I believe we tipped each mover (there were 4) $40. This was a move from a 1bedroom in Manhattan to a 3bedroom in Brooklyn. We packed ourselves (I know some people have the movers pack, I would tip more for that).

daver

possibly_maybe wrote: [quote=brooklynpotter]you give $4 for a $12 pizza? even though i can't do math, i'm pretty sure that's more than 30%

Well, for a $12 pizza (which is what we'll typically get if we're ordering), I'll just give them $15 most of the time.

I know, it's still a lot, and I'm basically an idiot.

But....the pizza place we order from is almost one full avenue and 3 blocks away, so I can justify it!!
I don't think you are an idiot at all, and I don't completely buy the whole tipping delivery guys by the value of that which they bring thing anyhow. I never give a tip less than $3, regardless of value. I used to work delivery, and a run is a run, whether the thing you are delivering is $5 or $55. Having said that, I wouldn't be thrilled with $3 on $55, but getting $.75 (15% right?!?!) on the $5 would right piss me right off!

possibly_maybe

daver wrote: [quote=possibly_maybe][quote=brooklynpotter]you give $4 for a $12 pizza? even though i can't do math, i'm pretty sure that's more than 30%

Well, for a $12 pizza (which is what we'll typically get if we're ordering), I'll just give them $15 most of the time.

I know, it's still a lot, and I'm basically an idiot.

But....the pizza place we order from is almost one full avenue and 3 blocks away, so I can justify it!!
I don't think you are an idiot at all, and I don't completely buy the whole tipping delivery guys by the value of that which they bring thing anyhow. I never give a tip less than $3, regardless of value. I used to work delivery, and a run is a run, whether the thing you are delivering is $5 or $55. Having said that, I wouldn't be thrilled with $3 on $55, but getting $.75 (15% right?!?!) on the $5 would right piss me right off!

Thanks, and agreed about the value being somewhat irrelevant. As hard as it is to admit, I guess it's part of my own selfishness that would have a hard time justifying tipping, say, 50% on a very cheap item, which brings the total cost of that item (from my perspective, anyway) way up. That said, I don't think I've ever ordered anything less than $12 (again, the single pizza).

Well, that and the whole size thing. If it's cheap, it's generally a smaller bag, so I don't feel so bad for the guy. But when they come armed with 2 big bags of heavy food, regardless of price, I'm definitely wanting to tip more.

gazorkl

what about stuff that's not from a restaurant, like a local wine store or fresh direct? I always give $5 (or more if it's raining)

brooklynpotter

what are people tipping car drivers in the nabe?

raw

brooklynpotter wrote: what are people tipping car drivers in the nabe?

%15-%20 percent. $2.00 for a $10.00 ride (confirmed by the car service in advance) for a total of $12.00 is common. If the driver does something really good or bad I might tip more or less.

drano

FourthStreeter wrote: Always $3 minimum.

Yup. I do $3 + the roundup + $1 for crap weather, $1 for farther away, $1 for more expensive delivery (rare).

The only thing that might get a guy docked is inadequate change, as not being able to give reasonable change (I'm never working off more than a $20) makes him remiss in 50% of his job.

daver

Drano wrote: [quote=FourthStreeter]Always $3 minimum.

Yup. I do $3 + the roundup + $1 for crap weather, $1 for farther away, $1 for more expensive delivery (rare).

The only thing that might get a guy docked is inadequate change, as not being able to give reasonable change (I'm never working off more than a $20) makes him remiss in 50% of his job.
I dock for fucking up the order against the sheet. Meaning that if what he brought me matches what is on the receipt, even if it is not what I ordered, then it isn't his fault and he gets full tip. The phone person fucked it up. If what he brought me doesn't match the receipt, then that is his fault, he should have checked it against the receipt before leaving. And woe to those who try to get me to pay for something that they forgot to bring. WTF is up with that? You forgot it, take it off the total.

But yeah, I figure that if someone is bringing something to my door for me, I am going to pay for that service, $2+change to $3 at the least, even if it is only a $5 sandwich.

fivefifths

well now i see why some of them gave me attitude. i usually tip 2 bucks plus the odd change but i am always alone ordering just for me like $10 to 15. i also give a lil extra if its raining or snowing or freezing. if they take too long they get nothing.

possibly_maybe

brooklynpotter wrote: what are people tipping car drivers in the nabe?

I don't often take a cab, but I have a few times when I've left the office in Manhattan real late. I'm just off Prospect Expressway by PPW, and for a ~$20 ride from Union Square, I'll usually give them $5-7.

I know yellow cabs are supposed to take you anywhere in the city by law, but I always feel kinda bad for having them take me wayyyy out here, where there's likely no fare for the ride back, so I try to make it up to them.

Like I said, I'm a sucker.

brooklynpotter

and the car services?

re: food tips... i've had a few issues with delivery people from anthony's--a place i love, btw--that didn't speak english, so i'd ask how much and they'd say "$20!" when they didn't know, hadn't looked, whatever. and when i KNOW it's not twenty bucks (in fact, i know it's $11...) that person got a dollar.

fivefifths

brooklynpotter wrote: and the car services?

re: food tips... i've had a few issues with delivery people from anthony's--a place i love, btw--that didn't speak english, so i'd ask how much and they'd say "$20!" when they didn't know, hadn't looked, whatever. and when i KNOW it's not twenty bucks (in fact, i know it's $11...) that person got a dollar.

they would have got nothing from me.

veets

Daver.. You are so much more careful than I am. I can't tell you how many times I pay for the order, tip the person generously and then when he leaves and I open up the order something is missing. No kidding I am gonna start to check the actual order at the door.

raw

Subject: Re: What about moving tips?

anthonycm wrote: First, to keep it on topic to restaurants, I generally tip almost always $5 and up. The reason for over-tipping is that I don't give to charity. Yes, yes, it's horrible I know. However, I would rather over-tip as a form of charity, giving to those making an obvious effort to work.

Now that I have that out of the way, I'm making my first move with movers. It's going to be four guys, and I'm getting charged $160 an hour (using Oz Movers - looking for recommendations if you have them). What would you tip each moving person, if anything? I'm not sure what the custom is here.

Thanks,
Anthony

If there are 4 workers, I'd give each worker an $8 tip after working 1 hour for a total of $160. If there are 3 workers who work for 2 hours for a total of $320, I'd give each worker a $16.00-$21.00 tip.

If it is a hot day with many stairs and the workers are good, the high end of the tip scale is the classy way to go.

If they break my stuff, all bets are off.