If you're too cheap to tip and too lazy to pick it up yourself, you're probably too stupid to realize that you should get tested for hepatitis.

As one of my favorite bartenders has told me many times, the guy that's a shitty tipper is going to be the last one served and may or may not get what he ordered. I'm sure that the same goes for waiters, delivery guys, etc. When my brother delivered pizza, he had people that never tipped. Those were the people that always got their delivery last and stacked at the bottom of the pile. There were notes in their computer systems about customers so everyone knew in advance.

I delivered subs for a year in high school and very rarely was NOT tipped. The only compensation I got from the store was $0.25/sub delivered, which barely covered gas, so the tips were very welcomed and appreciated.

And we all knew the people that regularly didn't tip. They got their subs last.

Tip your damn delivery driver.

If you aren't going to tip your driver, I think you should tell them when you order.

"Um, yeah, I'll have a large pineapple and ham, garlic bread, and be sure to tell the driver I'm not going to tip him!"

Accepting delivery puts you in an implied social contract to pay the driver for his delivery services.

ok, the thread title is "Do you tip the pizza delivery guy?"

It doesn't say in the US.

But yeah here we go, another tipping thread.

In Portugal I don't tip the delivery guy. It's just not the done thing, generally.

I tip in restaurants, cabs, the hairdresser, etc. Pizzas...never even crossed my mind. But then I don't order them much...eh.

I still don't think tip should be expected.

Hear hear. After reading this thread I almost feel like a cheapskate (I typically tip 3-4 dollars), but my pizza is always hot and gets to me faster than the "estimated" time that is given to me. I don't view it as a tip, but more of the price to be paid so I don't have to go pick it up myself.

From places where it isn't part of the wage, that's fine, but in the US, delivery and service people are paid below minimum wage with the expectation that they will make up the rest in tips, and they are taxed on a percentage of their checks, and by not tipping them, you are forcing them to pay taxes for the privilege of serving you.

I think you should check that. Minimum wage is something to toy with, it's a federally mandated limit. I don't believe tip is necessary unless they're preparing me puffer fish, which takes extreme skill. I don't see why I should pay extra for a career they choose, for food and service that they give everyone else.

I understand it's one of the things that is done in America, I see why it would be done. I just don't agree with it now becoming that people EXPECT a tip everytime they do something.

Sure, getting a tip every now and then for good service is nice. But when it's a thing you have to do...it's stupid IMO.


I know alot of you disagree (well, pretty much everyone) but I still think it's silly.

If I misinterpreted your query, I apologize in advance. Are you saying that it should be checked as to whether or not minimum wage applies to tipped employees? If so, there is the following:

Under federal Fair Labor Standards Act, tipped minimum wage is $2.13/hr whereas standard minimum wage is $5.85/hr. An employee can be considered under the "tipped" minimum if there is an expectation of $30/month in tips. $2.13/hr + $30/mo does not equal $5.85/hr unless you are working a very small number of hours.

At any rate, the expectation is there. As noted above, if you are too cheap to tip and too lazy to pick up food yourself, then... well... you suck.

And yes, there is a minimum percentage of "sales" that tipped employees must claim a certain percentage against for tax purposes. Claiming less than that in any given month means a nice pink slip from the IRS requesting a reason for such a small tax amount. I've seen it at nice restaurants and I've seen it at Big Boy. *shrug* It's how things are.

You know, I think there are some genuine circumstances that cause confusion.

Some people may not tip because they think it's already included. I have done this before. I am a fairly consistent generous tipper but there was one time that I saw delivery charge included on my bill so naturally I thought it went to the driver. In fact, I was thinking, it's about time they compensated the driver especially since I used to deliver pizzas as well (worst job ever by the way, especially in a college town). So sadly, I saw the delivery charge and then just added a dollar and thought I was awesome.

But now it turns out that the delivery charge is actually fraudulent. I think THIS is the most heinous of all. That the pizza places would use this "delivery" charge to add profits in a deceptive way. The real crime in my opinion is the "delivery charge" they tack on for no reason since none of it goes to the driver.

To answer Jorgelito, the place I worked at used the delivery charge instead of raising prices for their customers across the board to cover the costs associated with delivery (not including driver/their pay).

For each car on the road, you need a light for the driver signaling your business, you need pizza bags to keep the food warm, and good ones are easily $100 a pop. Figure just on 10 pizza bags, not unreasonable for a busy night, and theres $1,000. Also, uniforms for delivery folks - tshirts, hats, and jackets with company logo for the colder nights so the customer knows who's at their door.

They chose to keep their prices the same for the customers who chose to pick up or eat in, rather than burden them with the costs that are incurred by the place to get your pizza from oven to your door.

I think it all comes down to where in the world you are. In the US a tip is the norm and as several have pointed out employees are taxed as if they were tipped whether they actual receive one or not. So when you don't tip or tip jack shit you're screwing the person bringing you your food.

But that's what the US is like. I remember being in Japan back in the mid 80's and trying to tip. It was returned, turns out it was considered an insult. Least that's what we were told. We were also told not to count our change in front of the waiter.

I think the bottom line is when traveling do a little research and find out how things are done locally. This applies to tipping as well as many other things.

On the pizza guy (or girl) -- Yes, tip them... the fact is, they are bringing food to YOU. At YOUR HOUSE. If that's not worth a few extra bucks, go get it yourself.

On tipping in general... servers get taxed 10% of sales. That means if you leave your waiter a 10% tip, they didn't make any money on your table. Less than that means they just paid for the privilege of waiting on you.

Not tipping someone doesn't do anything to "fight the system." It just screws the person you didn't tip.

And let's be honest...serving and delivering SUCK. If those jobs paid minimum wage, with no tips... no one would do it.

You have clearly never worked in food service.

Having, as I mentioned, worked in delivery and food service before, I can tell you that it's not a career. It's a job. And the only reason I chose it-- or, as far as I can tell, anyone I ever worked with chose it-- was because it was do that, or be homeless. Most of the people I worked with were college grads, who would have been happy to work at a better-paying job, were one readily available, or were trained artists, who were only trying to get by until they could make a living with the art they were trained in. Tipping was how we paid rent and bought groceries. And many nights, after getting stiffed by cheapskate customers, to say nothing of getting disdain and verbal abuse, let me tell you, it barely seemed worth it.

And if you don't think most restaurants either ignore minimum wage laws outright, or find clever loopholes to get around them with at least some of their staff, you're kidding yourself. If all restaurants paid a living wage, were 100% scrupulous about sanitary regulations, and only hired legal labor, the food service industry in the United States would collapse instantly.

Not tipping, except in cases of gross incompetence or staff rudeness, is the exact same thing as saying to your deliverer or waiter: "You're nothing but a slave, and you should be grateful for the mere opportunity to serve me."

In many other countries, gratuities are included, or living wages are paid. If you would like to see the end of tipping in America, you should press for all restaurants to include a standard gratuity, and pay their staff living wages. But until such a day comes...tip.

yeah a small amount will suffice. usually 10% but that depends on whether i am feeling generous or not.

the last good pizza i had was in NYC with cyth!..hmmmmmmm

Is that really the case? It does not seem likely that they would be taxed on the actual sale.

Anyway, here in Iceland, there's not tipping (and tax is included in the price, so you pay what's listed on the menu. Of course it's still odiously expensive). In the US I used to tip in the 10-15% range for a pizza delivery, though I assumed that the delivery charge went (at least mostly) to the driver. Good to know that it actually doesn't, I'll have to adjust for that.

I do think that the US food industry should not be allowed to pay employees below the minimum wage, but I don't make the rules... I'm also perfectly fine with delivered food costing extra, but I can see why they want to make it more attractive to the customer by charging the same price for take out and delivery.

According to my brother, yes. He has to withhold taxes based on total sales. He owns a freaking lunch deli, no one tips there. They have a "tip jar" which apparently collects dust. I used to think "BS" when I saw a tip jar at a drive through coffee place. I remember when I first noticed them and thought "Ok, there's this end? Going to be asked to tip the checker at Wal-Mart?" Now, with the whole tax thing, I'm not so sure.

Personally I think it's nuts they're taxing people on money they might make. Who thought up that system? I honestly wish it work every where like it does in Japan. Employees get paid a reasonable wage and tipping isn't expected or even wanted. But that simply isn't the US system.

you still haven´t answered my question, blasphemy

because he owns it, is why. Not because he's an employee.

I'm curious also.

You realize I'm stating, or at least trying to state, he's withholding taxes from his employees checks based on the sales for each shift they work. It's his employees paying the tax, not him. It's a tax supposedly on their earned tips. His business tax is completely a separate issues.

I know drivers are SUPPOSED to claim their tips on a form when they check out for the night (which gets entered in to the computer and deducted from the normal paycheck) but it's not enforced because it's not the responsibility of the business to force it on employees, all they have to do is have a sheet/option for them to claim the tips. Just like your brothers employees could just say "oh I got stiffed" after they put the money in their pocket.

the only thing was, you couldn't do that with credit card or check tips.


cash is the best kind of tip.

When I worked as a line cook in a brewpub, we had to declare our cash tips (we were typically tipped out by the servers) when we clocked out on the point of sale system. You could not clock out without reporting tips; the system wouldn't allow it. I imagine the policies of different businesses vary widely.

I really can't debate this because I have no restaurant experience. Well, at least not in the last 25 years thankfully. But My brother's e-mail is pretty plain he states "My accountant deducts taxes from employees based on 8% of sales for the shift." He went on to say he argued with his accountant that no one tipping and he shouldn't have to enforce the IRS rules. But his accountant told him it's a real hard sell to the IRS and a fight he should stay out of, to the IRS restaurant/food service equals tips.

If I read this correctly:

http://www.ustreas.gov/education/faq...iability.shtml

Then his account is doing it correctly. Sound like as long as you claim at least 8% of yours sales total as tips then there's no problem. If, as in his case, no one tips therefore no claims tips the restaurant has to deduct the amount as earned income regardless.

Any accountants here? Maybe they can clear this up. Maybe he's getting bad advice? Seems crazy to me to tax people on something you think they might be getting.

I see. So it's taxes on the tips, not on the actual sale. Which seems fine. Unless you get tips less than 8%, then you'll have to explain it to the IRS..

thing is, IRS can't prove what you made in cash, if you claim you made nothing, then who are they to say any different?

you are innocent until proven guilty. Regardless not like the pizza guy working 18 hours a week is a threat to the real revenue of the U.S.A. tax brackets. :p

It does not work like that, Shaulk. The IRS can do a couple of things.

Thing One: Look at what the average pizza guy in your area makes in tips, and assign that number to you.

Thing two: Physically show up in your place of work, keep tabs on your tips, and extrapolate that number over the number of shifts you work.

My dad is a CPA and I am a former pizza guy, so (for possibly the first time ever) I know what I am talking about.

Oh, and ALWAYS tip your pizza guy!

It's a percentage of the sales total for your shift, regardless of the tips you receive. So, yes as long as you are tipped at least 8% you're fine. The problem I have, if I understand it correctly, is it sounds like they're taxing people whether they're actually getting tips. My brother claims the average total sales for the day is a few K where as the tips average about $5 to $10 total. Just not a place people tip. Doesn't seem right to me.

This is the part that gets me: (from the UST's site)

Of course, employees must pay tax only on the tips they actually receive, and if an employee can establish that he or she received less in tips than the employer reports to the IRS, then the employee would pay tax only on the smaller amount.

Sounds to me like if you can prove you didn't get something then we won't tax you for it. How exactly do you prove a negative?

They do tax regardless of tips... If you make 4% tips on your total sales, you still have to pay 8%. If you make 20% and 8% of it is credit card tips, most people don't claim ANY cash tips... In the end, if you claim <8% over the course of two pay periods (usually a one month total period) you WILL get a notice from the IRS... usually within the next two weeks. I've seen this happen personally at more than one restaurant.

I just ordered two P`Zones from Pizza Hut for 10.99 + 0.73 tax + 2.50 Delivery Charge. It comes to 14.22. How much do I tip?

Base your tip off the pizza cost, that deliver charge should not influence your tip total.

Thats how it works in my book.

Then include how far your house is from the pizza place.

I'd tip 3-5$

Remember you're paying for a luxury that your lazy butt didnt want to do on its own :P gotta love delivery

$2.00 is fine.

Thank you for your explanation, I understand it better now. That makes much more sense. I sort of feel like a douche too but hey, you live and learn. I still think it sucks only because it isn't clear and I'm sure I can't be the only who thought that way too. It's too confusing, they should clarify that better because I'm sure a ton of drivers are getting shafted because people think the Delivery Charge goes to them.

According to Google Maps, it's (2.4 mi – about 6 mins) from my house to that Pizza Hut. If I tip 2.78, which I intend to, then I'm paying $17. That means I'm paying $7 on $10 of food for tax, "delivery charge" and tip. That seems ludicrous.

$2.00 is fine. It's more than 15%.

It does seem asinine. Wonder what % of the delivery charge go to the driver? My guess is jack. I'd tip the $3 or so, but I think I'd look elsewhere for my pie in the future.

I ended up paying $3.78 ($18) because she seemed nice and I always feel guilty if I don't tip enough. Uggh.. still pisses me off that this delivery charge is basically free money for them.

Yup, she was a fun girl. Pretty much did anything on a dare.

Welcome to the biggest scam known to man. That money goes straight to the pocket of the company because they're just playing mental trickery and refuse to lay it out as "ok, fine, it's 13$ worth of food, not 10$"

Just imagine if you had to pay an additional charge every time you went to pump gas, while maintaining the illusion that gas is still 2.50 a gallon. (omg I know, I'll be the cheapest gas station in town, we'll just charge a 1.00 fee for every gallon of gas and call it something clever!)

Sorry, I forgot it when writing my reply.

Yes I do, I think.

Perhaps tipping happens in richer restaurants, but all the ones I've been to, all the pizza's that have been to houses/places I have been to, I haven't seen someone give a tip or someone look like they expect one.

I guess it's just where we live, and what is expected/how people get paid for their work.



I live in Australia BTW.

which is where i worked as a delivery driver. it´s true that tipping isn´t expected like in the states but delivery drivers tend to be there as a last resort. i did get another job in the end since it simply doesn´t pay but there are people that are literally stuck in that job (age, capabilities etc) and i even saw a woman die in that job. and yes, drivers pay for their own car, petrol and maintenance. it is a very unfair job. most definitely deserve tipping for the amount of pressure that is being exerted on them. the worst poeple are the ones that wait with hand outstretched for the 5c change. they are the ones who end up getting subsequent pizzas cold and of course if someone tips well the drivers all know who they are and fall over themselves to get the pizza out 1st and that person will definitely get their pizza piping hot. people have a way of looking after each other....