I never got around to posting for my Saturday night shift, so I'm just going to lump it in with Thursday.
Saturday night was the least busy of the three nights I worked last week. A driver takes a delivery based on a list on the computer. Next up takes next delivery. Saturday I was next up and the delivery was to a part of Moody that is notorious for not tipping. The driver behind me on the list asked if I'd let him take that one and me get the next one. Sure, no problem. So my delivery comes up and it's to the Hampton Inn in Leeds near the Bass Pro Shop. Two different people tell me, "That's a good one, I got $10 there last time". So I'm definitely glad to trade my no tip for it. When I get to the room the guy comes to the door and is paying in cash. He hands me the money and says, "There's something that should make it worth your drive". On the way back to the car I take a look. Three dollars. Tipping $3 is fine, but don't try to sell it like you're giving me a huge tip.
It was slow, so I got cut early. Worked 2.5 hours, had 4 deliveries, and made $22 in tips.
Thursday night was slow again. I was hoping with the NCAA tournament starting we'd be busier than we were. I only had one customer try to stiff me, but he tipped me without knowing it and I didn't realize it until after I'd left. He had $15 in his hand and asked his total. I told him $13.35. Then he turns around and asks his buddies for fifty cents. So I'm assuming he's going to tell me to keep the change. I tell him to have a good night and he says, "I have some change coming back, dog". I tell him I don't carry coin change and hand him $1 back. On the drive back to the store, I remembered that he handed me that fifty cents also, so actually I owed him $2. Oh well, it didn't kill him to tip me $1, even if he didn't know he did.
Worked 3.5 hours, had 5 deliveries, and made $22 in tips.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Saturday, March 10, 2012
In The Red
Friday night was the first real busy night we've had since the new manager took over the store. We stayed at the edge of disaster the entire time. In the kitchen there is a computer that acts as the center of the delivery driver's world. It displays the delivery orders and is where the driver dispatches each run as it is ready to leave the store.
Basically, as each order is ready to leave it is dispatched to the next driver on the list. Last night was extremely busy and we were short on drivers. So every order on the computer was listed in red. Meaning it was already late before leaving the store. Really great for tips.
All my runs except for the very first one I took were late before it was even in the hot bag - that's the bag that keeps your pizza hot from the store to your house. Luckily, I delivered to mostly good customers who still tipped on late orders. From listening to some grumbles, the other drivers weren't as lucky.
I didn't deliver to it, but I did pass by the house from last week with the weird concrete demons in the yard. Last week when I delivered there, there were red lights on either side of the front door. Last night I noticed the red lights had been replaced with green lights. There's something strange about that place, and if I ever get a delivery there again, I'm going to ask what the lights mean. I'll let you know what I find out.
Worked 3.5 hours, had 10 deliveries, and made $47 in tips.
Basically, as each order is ready to leave it is dispatched to the next driver on the list. Last night was extremely busy and we were short on drivers. So every order on the computer was listed in red. Meaning it was already late before leaving the store. Really great for tips.
All my runs except for the very first one I took were late before it was even in the hot bag - that's the bag that keeps your pizza hot from the store to your house. Luckily, I delivered to mostly good customers who still tipped on late orders. From listening to some grumbles, the other drivers weren't as lucky.
I didn't deliver to it, but I did pass by the house from last week with the weird concrete demons in the yard. Last week when I delivered there, there were red lights on either side of the front door. Last night I noticed the red lights had been replaced with green lights. There's something strange about that place, and if I ever get a delivery there again, I'm going to ask what the lights mean. I'll let you know what I find out.
Worked 3.5 hours, had 10 deliveries, and made $47 in tips.
Decent Thursday
Thursday night was pretty good. I delivered to good customers who all tipped. I even went back to the America's Best motel in Leeds where I tossed the penny back up on the guy's box a week or so ago and got tipped $3. That doesn't sound like a lot, but getting tipped $3 at that place is as surprising as getting tipped $50 anywhere else would be.
Nothing really funny happened though.
Worked 3.5 hours, had 7 deliveries, and made $30 in tips.
Nothing really funny happened though.
Worked 3.5 hours, had 7 deliveries, and made $30 in tips.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Space Continuum Vortex In Leeds
So I'm just now getting around to updating from last Friday night. I try to update the day after I work, but Saturday was my birthday and I've been busy this week so far.
The only real customer of note I had was a rather strange encounter. I pull up outside a house in Leeds that looks straight out of a horror movie. Old, wooden house with the huge front porch. No lights on except for two red light bulbs on either side of the door. Oh, and big concrete demon sculptures in the front yard. Already not loving this one.
I go to the door and just before I knock, I notice a large metal sign hanging to the right of the door. It's got English and underneath that, what looks like several different Arabic languages. It says, "You Are Now Leaving The American Sector". Oh boy.
I knock and the lady that comes to the door is a 1960's holdout. Close cropped hair and military hat. She tells me that she wants to give me a good tip, so she's giving me $3 (that's average by the way). She then tells me about how she believes in sharing the wealth and that we shouldn't keep what we make. I thought about what an interesting conversation we could have had if I had mentioned that delivering pizzas is my second job and that I'm one of those "evil" conservatives that believes in the exact opposite of sharing the wealth and people should go out and earn their own "wealth" instead of trying to take mine.
But in the end, I decided just to thank her for the $3, re-enter the American Sector, and be on my way.
Worked 3.5 hours, had 7 deliveries, and made $30 in tips.
The only real customer of note I had was a rather strange encounter. I pull up outside a house in Leeds that looks straight out of a horror movie. Old, wooden house with the huge front porch. No lights on except for two red light bulbs on either side of the door. Oh, and big concrete demon sculptures in the front yard. Already not loving this one.
I go to the door and just before I knock, I notice a large metal sign hanging to the right of the door. It's got English and underneath that, what looks like several different Arabic languages. It says, "You Are Now Leaving The American Sector". Oh boy.
I knock and the lady that comes to the door is a 1960's holdout. Close cropped hair and military hat. She tells me that she wants to give me a good tip, so she's giving me $3 (that's average by the way). She then tells me about how she believes in sharing the wealth and that we shouldn't keep what we make. I thought about what an interesting conversation we could have had if I had mentioned that delivering pizzas is my second job and that I'm one of those "evil" conservatives that believes in the exact opposite of sharing the wealth and people should go out and earn their own "wealth" instead of trying to take mine.
But in the end, I decided just to thank her for the $3, re-enter the American Sector, and be on my way.
Worked 3.5 hours, had 7 deliveries, and made $30 in tips.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Non Tipper Night
After several weeks of good customers, I was bound to have a night like last night eventually. The first half was decent, but it got messed up by the non tippers the second half.
My first non tipper was to a run down apartment complex in Leeds that I wasn't expecting to tip. It was like I could tell the future. When I got back from that run, I had one to a house that I've delivered to twice before and the guy didn't tip. Needless to say, I wasn't excited about heading back over. As expected, the guy signed his credit card slip without tipping.
My last run was to a house on my street. A little over a block from my house. I was glad I could at least end the night on a good note. When I got there, they pulled the "Send the kid to the door trick". The total was $27.52. I handed him the pizzas and he handed me the money. As I'm walking back to the car, I count the money. $27. Sorry, not paying for any of your order tonight, kid. I go back to the door and ring the bell. He comes back to the door, and I tell him he owes me 52 cents.
Spoiler alert: If you don't tip, delivery drivers probably won't pay for any of your order.
Worked 3.5 hours, had 7 deliveries, and made $18 in tips.
My first non tipper was to a run down apartment complex in Leeds that I wasn't expecting to tip. It was like I could tell the future. When I got back from that run, I had one to a house that I've delivered to twice before and the guy didn't tip. Needless to say, I wasn't excited about heading back over. As expected, the guy signed his credit card slip without tipping.
My last run was to a house on my street. A little over a block from my house. I was glad I could at least end the night on a good note. When I got there, they pulled the "Send the kid to the door trick". The total was $27.52. I handed him the pizzas and he handed me the money. As I'm walking back to the car, I count the money. $27. Sorry, not paying for any of your order tonight, kid. I go back to the door and ring the bell. He comes back to the door, and I tell him he owes me 52 cents.
Spoiler alert: If you don't tip, delivery drivers probably won't pay for any of your order.
Worked 3.5 hours, had 7 deliveries, and made $18 in tips.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Here's Your Penny Back
My shift started out good tonight. Had a couple runs out to Trussville and Moody and after an hour I was half way to what I made in tips Friday night. All $5 and $6 tips the first half of my shift.
I had two runs out to Leeds. The first one had an order totaling $25.33. When I got to the door, I realized I'd left their 2 liter Pepsi in the car. I gave the guy the food and waited for him to write his check. Then I told him I'd be right back with the drink. On the way to the car, I looked at the check and it was made out for $25.33. No tip. Great. I went back to the door with the drink and the guy asked if I'd hand him back the check real quick. He went back inside and wrote out another check for $30.33. Glad I decided not to shake up his Pepsi on the way back from the car.
My second run to Leeds was a stiff, but at least I was able to have a little vindication. It was to the America's Best Hotel near the Bass Pro Shop. I go to the door and hand the guy the pizza and wings. His total is $25.34 and he hands me a $20, a $5, a quarter and a dime. Just before he heads back in, I ask him to hold up a second as I pull a hand full of change out of my back pocket. I pull a penny out and toss it up on his box and tell him, "There's your penny back". Felt good.
About thirty minutes before my shift ended, we had a delivery ticket for Odenville. If you're familiar with Moody Parkway, our delivery area ends at Bethel Baptist Church, so we don't see a lot of Odenville addresses. But I figured it would be a quick one to take before I left. Not quite. It ended up actually being in Margaret, and actually closer to Argo than Odenville. When the lady came to the door, she said asked if we were delivering to that area now. I told her I didn't think so, but maybe. She said she knew it was a long way from the store, but she only tipped me $2 for my trouble. We won't be delivering there anymore, because I went back to the store and had it marked "Out of Delivery Area" in the computer.
Worked 3.5 hours, had 9 deliveries, and made $40 in tips.
I had two runs out to Leeds. The first one had an order totaling $25.33. When I got to the door, I realized I'd left their 2 liter Pepsi in the car. I gave the guy the food and waited for him to write his check. Then I told him I'd be right back with the drink. On the way to the car, I looked at the check and it was made out for $25.33. No tip. Great. I went back to the door with the drink and the guy asked if I'd hand him back the check real quick. He went back inside and wrote out another check for $30.33. Glad I decided not to shake up his Pepsi on the way back from the car.
My second run to Leeds was a stiff, but at least I was able to have a little vindication. It was to the America's Best Hotel near the Bass Pro Shop. I go to the door and hand the guy the pizza and wings. His total is $25.34 and he hands me a $20, a $5, a quarter and a dime. Just before he heads back in, I ask him to hold up a second as I pull a hand full of change out of my back pocket. I pull a penny out and toss it up on his box and tell him, "There's your penny back". Felt good.
About thirty minutes before my shift ended, we had a delivery ticket for Odenville. If you're familiar with Moody Parkway, our delivery area ends at Bethel Baptist Church, so we don't see a lot of Odenville addresses. But I figured it would be a quick one to take before I left. Not quite. It ended up actually being in Margaret, and actually closer to Argo than Odenville. When the lady came to the door, she said asked if we were delivering to that area now. I told her I didn't think so, but maybe. She said she knew it was a long way from the store, but she only tipped me $2 for my trouble. We won't be delivering there anymore, because I went back to the store and had it marked "Out of Delivery Area" in the computer.
Worked 3.5 hours, had 9 deliveries, and made $40 in tips.
Where Are You?
My worst delivery of the night was a customer I never even saw. It was to a neighborhood in Moody that's usually pretty good with tips. Not this house though. They pulled the "Send the kids to the door so we don't have to tip" trick. Not tipping is one thing, but at least don't tip me yourself without sending your kids to do it for you. That's okay, because next time you order I'll pull the "You get your order last" trick.
Best customer of the night was to a house in a fairly bad part of Leeds. The total for the order was $13.35. When I got there the customer asked if I could make change for a $20 bill. I told him that I couldn't because it was early in my shift and I didn't have change yet. He told me to hold and went back in the house. After a few minutes he came back and said he didn't have anything smaller so for me to just keep the change. I offered to take his $20 to a store and get some change and he said don't worry about it. Those are the customers that get the best service next time.
My last delivery of the night was a quick run up the street that turned into an almost hour and a half kick in the pants. It was to Lynn Circle in Moody, but when I got there the address numbering was completely different from what I had on the ticket. I called the customer and she said, "Oh no, are you all the way in Moody?" I said, "Oh no, where are you?" Turns out the call center got the wrong Lynn Circle because she was in Leeds. I called the call center on my way to the correct address and got the order half price for her. I finally got there and she gave me $5 and asked my name so she could call the store and tell them how helpful I was. I'll be a manager in no time, I'm sure.
Worked 3.5 hours, had 5 deliveries, and made $28 in tips.
Best customer of the night was to a house in a fairly bad part of Leeds. The total for the order was $13.35. When I got there the customer asked if I could make change for a $20 bill. I told him that I couldn't because it was early in my shift and I didn't have change yet. He told me to hold and went back in the house. After a few minutes he came back and said he didn't have anything smaller so for me to just keep the change. I offered to take his $20 to a store and get some change and he said don't worry about it. Those are the customers that get the best service next time.
My last delivery of the night was a quick run up the street that turned into an almost hour and a half kick in the pants. It was to Lynn Circle in Moody, but when I got there the address numbering was completely different from what I had on the ticket. I called the customer and she said, "Oh no, are you all the way in Moody?" I said, "Oh no, where are you?" Turns out the call center got the wrong Lynn Circle because she was in Leeds. I called the call center on my way to the correct address and got the order half price for her. I finally got there and she gave me $5 and asked my name so she could call the store and tell them how helpful I was. I'll be a manager in no time, I'm sure.
Worked 3.5 hours, had 5 deliveries, and made $28 in tips.
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