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pizza tip reddit photo
One Reddit user uploaded the photo of a receipt, complaining that a friend was tipped just .0683 percent for a large, expensive pizza delivery. (Photo from Reddit)

Watch what you tip - your receipt could end up online

BY Jillian Raftery  on March 6, 2013 @ 2:39 pm (Updated: 4:38 pm - 3/6/13 )

If you don't tip well, your receipt could end up on the internet for all to see. That's what happened to someone who one worker says tipped only $10 on a nearly $1500 bill.

Reddit user Jfastman uploaded the receipt Tuesday, complaining that his friend had delivered 85 pizzas to one address, a $1463.93 total, and was only tipped $10 - .0683 percent of the total.

We don't know much about the situation: the location, name of the pizza parlor, how many trips the delivery took, and other details were left out. But one thing was clear: Reddit users thought the tip was absurdly low.

Dori doesn't tip lavishly, but for such a big job, he agreed that the $10 tip probably didn't reflect the service given by the delivery driver. But what's fair to tip someone who delivers your pizza? The etiquette just isn't clear.

"Emily Post says pizza delivery tips should be based on the size of the order and difficulty of delivery, with a max of five dollars," said Dori. "So they doubled the max here!"

That seemed low to Dori for this big order, but he thought it would be extreme to tip his usual 15 or 20 percent for great service, which would come out to almost $300.

News anchor Ursula Reutin thought a flat tip of $50 - just over three percent - would have been a healthy tip since the delivery may have taken multiple trips.

"They need to make some extra arrangements to bring all those pizzas," said Ursula, "and it keeps them from delivering other pizzas, so $10 is too little."

Posting receipts online to complain about customers and waitstaff has become increasingly common. One Applebee's waitress was fired in January when she posted a stingy customer's receipt online. The customer didn't want to pay 18 percent gratuity mandatory for big groups. She wrote "I give God 10%, why do you get 18?"

The customer, a pastor, had her name printed on the receipt and said she was embarrassed and felt her privacy had been violated.

In another case, three women eating at a California casino lounge took the internet when their waiter had dubbed them "fat girls" on their receipt.

Dori wants you to weigh in: how much should the customer have tipped their pizza delivery driver?

What you're saying on Facebook:

Nikki Caldwell: I agree that this tip was too cheap. If someone can afford to buy $1400 worth of pizza they should tip accordingly. I don't think my family has ever not tipped. Standard for us is 15%, then we tip extra if the server/pizza delivery person goes above and beyond and provides exceptional service. Think of this: Some people are working their pizza delivery or restaurant service job as a second or third job to make ends meet. They rely on that tip since the wage by itself isn't always the best.

Joshua Michael Lathrop: The business of tipping, much like our government, has long lost its way. T.I.P.- To Insure Promptness, was originally used for people in a hurry. A little extra for speedy service. I think the practice should be abolished, and businesses offer a fair wage to workers for service to customers paying a fair cost for a desired product. You don't tip the guy at Home Depot, although he is VERY helpful. His courtesy is part of his employment agreement.

Verna Lee Curry: It's wrong to "expect" a tip and it's wrong to not be generous and considerate for work well done. $10 bucks on $1400 is wrong. Based on the way that I typically tip my servers, they would have received about $280 in tip money.

Corey Kleinman: I actually deliver pizzas. Drivers get 1.05 per delivery for gas and out delivery area is larger than most cities as Gig Harbor has a relatively low population density. The average mileage per order is a hair over 8 miles. The total pay is minimum wage plus that and tips. The total automobile cost of delivering with current gas prices is roughly 1.50-1.60, so if someone doesn't tip, we are losing a portion of our minimum wage for that particular segment of time. It's unreasonable to just say well the wage should be higher when pizza is cheaper than it has been in years because of the economy. Franchisees profit margins are very slim with the low prices.

Steven Roberts: it's a Pizza delivery not a restaurant! but they could have tipped 20 bucks

Marlana M Studebaker: I normally tip 15%. For excellent service, I go 20% or higher. The pizza man gets about five bucks no matter what we order. @jeff - I'm with you - I doubt the receipt is real....

James Barr: Expecting 15% or 20% for delivering pizza is kind of absurd. The "service" is nothing compared to what a waiter or waitress does for you at a restaurant like The Olive Garden. That being said, $10 on a $1464 order is ridiculously cheap, and more than $10 should have been tipped.

Jillian Raftery, Social Media Captain
Jillian Raftery is a social media captain for the Dori Monson Show. She loves the neighborly vibe of the Pacific Northwest and spends as much time as possible outdoors.
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Comments (18)


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  • Hop-Scotch wrote...
    Pizza tipping shouldn't be judged by the same rules
    March 7, 2013 9:57 am
    I usually tip 5-10 bucks for pizza. If I have a large order, I'll tip more, but I'm never going to tip a percentage of my total. Pizza delivery totals can become HUGE fast! From the local Pizza Hut the driver takes about 10 minutes. So on a 20 minute round trip, he's made $10 off of me on top of whatever his wage is. In an hour he could have about $30 extra or so on top of his wages. If that is not enough, find another job. Out to eat I'll tip 20%, I'll even tip more based on service. Food gets you into a place, service keeps you going back. That server is getting you drinks, checking in on how everything is going. You have a much larger portion of their time than a delivery driver and they are doing more for you. At a recent wedding I tipped a waitress $200, gave here $100 a the start of the night and told her I'd double that if she kept my table flush with drinks. Man of my word, and the fact she actually kept up with our celebrating, she got her extra $100. I know my father-in-law tipped her $100 too for such great service because he didn't know I had it all taken care of. That's $300, but that's the extra level of service required for stuff like that.
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  • HLC wrote...
    So cigarfan?
    March 7, 2013 11:23 am
    Your mommy would have let you give a $300.00 tip for the pizza?
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  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    I try to be fair when I tip.
    March 7, 2013 2:15 pm
    But, if for some reason, someone feels that it is not enough and puts it on the web, oh, well! You will get less next time!
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  • chubby wrote...
    I wonder . . .
    March 10, 2013 5:01 pm
    how many times Anne Bremner drove drunk before she was finally caught. Ask her next time you have her on your show, Dori. Hypocrite! And please, please, please start taking phone calls from listeners again. It is torture to listen to you banter with that pea brain producer, Jake. It's talk radio . . . the callers make the show!
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