Yesterday's pizza delivery was $14.49. I handed the driver a $20, and he handed me back five $1's. I stood there waiting for the rest of the change. He didn't budge. I said, "Wasn't it $14.49?" He said, "Yes." I waited. After what felt like an awkwardly lengthy standoff, I put the five $1's in my pocket and closed the door.

I wonder if the $1 tip is a required part of the shop and I just forfeited my reimbursement. But I also wonder if there will be a training session in their future on "rounding change in the customer's favor." Rounding in the server's favor of my biggest peeves! (By the way, I always tip $2 for pizza delivery, even though only $1 is reimbursed.)

Tips are never a required part of a purchase, despite what the attitude of this delivery person may have suggested to you. However, for mystery shopping they are often necessary to blend in as a 'normal' customer. For that reason many shop instructions require a tip of a specified amount for situations like pizza delivery where tipping is normal and expected.

No reputable company would refuse to provide proper change and they need to know the behavior of that delivery person. With that said, carrying exact change is not the most convenient thing for delivery people. For the next one, you might consider paying by credit card over the phone. When the driver gets there you can add the tip to the credit card receipt, or pay the tip with cash. That might be easier for everyone.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/12/2015 03:36PM by vlade5394.

Alternatively, know what the price is and have exact change or the 'round up' exact change. With this guy I probably would have left him standing on the doorstep while I went at snail's pace to hunt up 51 cents to give him.

On the P.J. shop I always make sure to have $1 handy to give for a tip. On the Hedgehog shops I always tip $1.

I tip $3 for pizza delivery. So do all of my neighbors. I checked.

I was standing there with one-dollar bills for a tip. My point was that he assumed the change was his tip, or at least part of it. He never fumbled for change, or apologized for not having any, he just assumed I didn't want it. His presumptuous attitude meant that 51 cents was all he got.

I don't buy the argument that I should be prepared with exact change, or should pay by credit card for his convenience It is the server/deliverer's responsibility to have change available, not the customer's. If they want to "round the change" for their convenience, it should be in my favor, not their's.

Whew. Now I feel better!

I agree that it's not very good service to not give the customer all of their change without even making any comment about it. I bet if the driver had said, "Oh, I'm sorry tbclay, I forgot to bring coins to give you change" the response would have been, "Oh, that's ok.", and a normal tip would have followed.

Getting a pizza delivered is the essence of doing something for the convenience of it. I'm already paying the delivery charge to the pizza company, and yes, I'm going to tip the driver. For those extra charges, I expect more convenience, not less (paying in a particular way or having to scrape up exact change). A tip is a discretionary amount paid to the employee for good service. I'm sorry that restaurants don't pay their service people enough, and I always tip well because I know people rely on it. But, essentially a tip shouldn't be extorted from you because someone claims to not have change when their job is to collect payments. (end rant)

I would have had the same reaction as you did.
The driver is withholding part of the change. You mentioned the change was wrong and still no reaction or explanation so I do not consider that to be good service worthy of a tip. Your $.51 is a better tip than what was deserved imho. Hopefully you mentioned this in your report so this can be either corrected or if it is the store policy then they need to rethink it. If they want to include a tip then they should raise the already too high delivery charge and give that part to the driver and let the customers know that tip is included. Where I live the delivery charge is $3.25 and they never need to drive far because the next store over is only about a mile away.

I had a weird experience at a drive in. The total had about 51 cents coming back to me. The carhop asked me if I wanted the change back? I said yes but I think she misunderstood me and walked away, never giving me my change back. I had $1 in the other hand for her tip but she never returned to my car. She could have made a $1 but she wanted to get the change back instead.

Wait, so you all (not directed at anyone in particular) expect a delivery driver to carry around a pile of coins? That's ridiculous, in my opinion. Also they make little enough as it is without being expected to eat change from each customer, that adds up. I've known a few delivery drivers, and that delivery fee doesn't go to the driver. And drivers use their own vehicles and pay for their own gas.

Not a pile of change but how about few quarters if they don't want to count back exact change? Then they could round in the customer's favor, losing no more than a few cents and making it up in good will. Otherwise, if they chose to deal only in dollars, then I would expect $6 back, not $5. Anything for their convenience should not cost me money. If they have to cheat/bully customers to make what they think is a fair wage, they need to rethink their job choice, say I.

I wouldn't be concerned with whether they have change or not since I round up for deliveries anyway. The manner in which it was handled would bother me. My experience is either they start to look for change or apologize for not having any.

I'm sorry but it's absolutely idiotic they don't leave the store with correct change. Even Sonic sends their carhops out with correct change (ie if the bill is $8.71 the carhop will have $.29 on the tray). Idiotic that a pizza company can't do it as well.

If they're delivering 3 pizzas at once (that sounds like a lot to me... the 3rd person to get their pizza would almost certainly get a cold pizza), they'd need at the very most $3 worth of coins. I absolutely have that in my car right now just for parking meters. It's not that much work to carry around a few dollars in change. Especially if taking money and making change is your job.

The last two times I was in a Godiva I had the same cashier. I got my free piece of candy and also bought one for Hubby, who was with me. My bill was a couple of cents short of $2. The cashier asked if I wanted the change back, which I thought was tacky. When I shopped the store last month I was hoping the process would repeat itself so I could bring it to the store's attention. Of COURSE the person wasn't there that day.

This morning in the Sonic drive-thru, my total was $9.16. I gave the girl $9.20. No mention or offer of change. This is rampant! Obviously employees, servers, drivers, are "training" each other on how to make a little more on each transaction, and employers are blind to it. Surely they wouldn't condone it! (Or maybe it's like dress code in school: the administrators have given up trying to enforce things they feel they've lost control of!)

For me it is not the change that is the issue. It is the sense of entitlement. I always tip 20% for good service whether it is fine dining, pizza or hedgehog. If the person given service feels entitled to my $.51 then that's all they will get. If the carhop is fumbling to find the change, I'll tell them to keep that and hand them the rest. But they better be at least be trying to give me my change. Also, the receipts from hedgehog store even show the carhop how much to give back in coins. They could have that ready if they would look at the receipt. Lol

The sense of entitlement is absolutely the key, I agree. I am a great tipper until you start reaching your hand into my pocket to help yourself!

I remember a few years ago when the 99 cent store announced that they were changing their prices from 99 cents to I think 99.9 cents and they seemed to be rounding up. It caused a huge outcry. People do care about their change. If you don't that is your choice as should be the choice of giving a tip at all, or giving 20% or 50% or whatever you think is correct in the situation. In fact some stores include the tax in their prices and then the price is rounded to some even amount. If in fact it is too hard for the pizza stores to send change then that is what they should do. They could certainly figure out how to add tax to a total and then list the item wit tax included at $15.00 for an item with tax rather than $14.79 or $15.29.

I don't give them a "standard" tip. I look at the clock and the pizza. If it's fast and the pizza is hot, then they are good for a $3 tip. If it's pushing over 35 minutes and the box is still very warm under my hand, then they are still in the $2 range if they had a good additude.

If it's 50 minutes or pushing closer to or at one hour, I open the box and literally put my finger in the pie. If it's cold, I reject it at the door and tell the driver I won't reheat cold pizza. If I really want pizza that night, I'll talk to the manager and request a different driver for the second attempt. If it's hot, they get the full tip and can go back to the shop and when the first driver complains about me, they can tell them how they got a good tip.

They have notes on my address as a $3 tipper for a hot pie and also that I will reject a cold pizza and call corporate and complain. When the driver has three pies to deliver, guess who's house they will drop off first to?

This was my rule book before ever doing a MS delivery. Now if it's a MS, I have to accept the cold pizza, but that has not happened.

Scanman, I'm glad you put in that last sentence about not doing that on a mystery shop as reading your other paragraphs I had my mouth dropping open about calling the corporate office, returning the pizza etc. on a shop.
Sounds like you have a great set up. My pizza is always quick and hot but probably because the place is so close to my house.

tipping when tip try give them change (usually quasrters0
also figuring how much to tip I read n dear Abby column o long time how to figure tip is look tax column on yiur check your waitress brings you and the just double it of course this only works​ tat have taxes fir that servuce'

I did not see anyone commenting as a former delivery guy, but I am. I always carried a coin holder with me in my car. If someone asked for exact change I would get it for them with a smile. My only thing was when the total was $12.98 and the customer wanted the 2 cents, that is ridiculous.

I never understood why there was a service fee of $3 yet many people will tip less than that fee. I think that the drivers deserve the entire service fee in addition to the tip. Yes, pizza delivery people LOVE it when I call. I usually give them $4.

It is not ridiculous to expect my 2 cents back if that is due me. My 99 cent only store is now anything but. Now anything goes but they still call ourselves" 99 cent only". They went to charging the .99.99 a while back now they do not even bother with the 10th of a cent they ring it up as 1.00 now. They have over a quarter of the store filled with items that range from 1.49 to 3.99. Yet over the intercom they still blow there own horn as 99 cent only store. Wrong just plain wrong.
So if you buy hundreds of items a month and give each item an additional 2 cents Duff1973 it is overpaying and does not make since to me. I want my change all of it. Then you will get your tip, but only when you earn it. I do not now or ever pay for bad service.
I do not get delivery as I live way to far from the populous to get it. Nevertheless I have had pizza for shops delivered in some unusual places, I have always gotten my money with the correct change. I tip very well when the pie is hot and delivered when promised. I have never not been able to apply the tip. The service is good even at a business while I get my car fixed, Walmart waiting on my kids dad to bring them (I don't have kids or a dad coming), at my favorite park, or even at the pier fishing.
I just hate the way the tipping has become a standard. I pay for the service through the item I purchase, the company pays the people who deliver the service. Even in a clothing store, gas station, buffet, waitress or delivery it should not make a difference. I paid for the requested item, but because it is socially acceptable the server expects me to tip weather they give service or not. The real problem is the business has decided I will pay there employees. This is why we do not have good service any longer. The people who do give good service are cheated because the standard set by the lazy reduce the tips. As for me they would get a better tip for good service rather than the expected tip. I don't get the logic that I MUST tip my waitress because she doesn't make but $2.00 an hour and must live by the tips. Yet the buss person makes minimum wage and does not get tips. Pay the waitress minimum and have her work for the tip. Just does not compute for me. They pay a dishwasher minimum with no tips yet he is expected to feed his/her family for that wage. I don't know I need to go find a shop to do this always gets me in trouble when I speak my mind.
Hugs to all and thanks for all the information I glean from this forum.

I have not seen any pizza shops lately. Did they change companies?

@Shar007 wrote:

I have not seen any pizza shops lately. Did they change companies?

You have got to be joking! The Botox man thinks every new MSC means they get a new shopper base and will hire multiple companies. My zip code has changed companies twice, and the neighboring ones as well.

If botox man would read this forum, he'd figure out he's got the same shopper base regardless of the company.

@Duff1973 It's not the amount, it's the right thing to do. I am curious how old you are. Most people who are older like me were raised to believe you return the change even if it's a penny. People these days have become too lax with others peoples money. It's their money, not yours. It's your job to return it. They will let you know if it's not necessary. After all, if Abe Lincoln can walk a mile to return a penny it shows honesty and integrity.

@medwards wrote:

@Duff1973 It's not the amount, it's the right thing to do. I am curious how old you are. Most people who are older like me were raised to believe you return the change even if it's a penny. People these days have become too lax with others peoples money. It's their money, not yours. It's your job to return it. They will let you know if it's not necessary. After all, if Abe Lincoln can walk a mile to return a penny it shows honesty and integrity.

I'm all for doing away with the penny, nickel and dime as it cost us more to make it than it's worth. As we are pushed into a fully digital currency it wont matter, but the US mint is in a deficit to create the low value coins. In Europe, they have coins of value equal to $5 and $10. A coins life is much longer than a paper note and the $1 and $5 note should be done away with as well.

As it stands, US coins are so undervalued that the time spent dealing with them is actually a drag on the US economy. I don't need to cite this. Google and Wikopdia will confirm this.

This happened at my old workplace a long time ago, which was a little coffee shop franchise:
A customer told my boss that *I* had just taken the pennies as my tip, even though she was about to give extra change as a tip. (We already had a policy where if a customer doesn't want their pennies, we toss them back in the till so we can round up if somebody is a little short. It almost always worked out in the till's favor, and we didn't count the pennies during cashout either.) I explained that this was impossible as I always at least attempt to give the customers their full change, even if they are walking or driving away already. However, I happened to know of a co-worker who does take the pennies off the change, and tallies them up to try and make an little extra in tips. I don't know exactly what happened after that, but she didn't get fired over it at least. My boss was both a hard-ass and understanding. She was a great boss.