Pictures, text, a story -- comics are perfect! The dishes look great, but I have to say you're really brave to do the Tartare. I'm not sure why I think that's different than sushi, but there you have it -- I make irrational snap judgements. Also, pho is very close to the perfect food; it is the nectar of my gods.
I tend to use 20% as a baseline. Sure, the person isn't delivering plates to my table, but really, the person's delivering plates to my house. They're not refilling my glasses, but they're making sure everything gets there together and that it's the right temperature. I figure I'm paying for the convenience of someone else going to get the food for me, and if I don't want to pay for it, then I go and do pick-up, not delivery. Of course, the 20% is also variable based on quality of service and difficulty of conditions. Interestingly, I've been at a couple large parties where we ordered so much food I found I did have an upper limit -- about $50.
Also, megnut's got a good point. I've not worked in the restaurant industry, but I grew up in Vegas, and you learn a thing or two about minimum wage and living off tips there.
I suppose it would be helpful if I mentioned that these rules of thumb are specific to New York City, where deliveries are made by foot or bicycle.
Fascinating thread. I know it's caused me to re-evaluate how I'll be calculating my delivery tips.
I think that perhaps a hybrid approach to tipping may work well. Strictly tipping based on the total bill doesn't take into account things like distance, weather, or promptness. Tipping a flat fee doesn't take into account the bulk, weight, or complexity of the order. How about:
10% of the total bill
+$1 for every one long block or three city blocks
+$2 if it's raining or snowing
+$2 if it's raining or snowing hard
-$5 if they're absurdly late, and it's not raining or snowing hard
-$2 if common areas have been littered with menus in the past
I won't deduct from the tip if items are missing, but I will make them go back for it, even if it's just a soda.
Great comic post -- as always. And very daring eating tartare from a takeout joint!
If you guys haven't tried many Southampton brews...you should explore a bit. The IPO is good, but their Secret Ale and Saison are also pretty damn good.
I think 20% is a good baseline. My father worked on a case involving a pay dispute with Chinese takeout workers, and their pay is incredibly bad. Many of them get no base pay, and any returned orders (because it is wrong/broken, etc) are taken out of their money. Also, they have to pay the restaurant what the restaurant is owed out of what you give them (if you watch in NY -- you can see the delivery people paying the cashier before they take the orders), and even if you assume each order takes 15 minutes to and from, then that's only 4 orders/hour. If each person gave $3, that would be $12/hour, before the problems of people who can't find the right change, who try to send the food back etc. There's also no overtime, and in other cities (SF etc) where deliveries are made by car parking tickets are the responsibility of the server, which can often be hudnreds of dollars.
I don't feel liberal guilt. I don't think that I'm priviliged etc etc to get food delivery--to me, a job is a job. And you get paid to do your job. And honestly, often, I can't afford the tip, so I eat my canned soup or I go walk the three blocks to pick up my $4.50 stir-fry. But often you are their only paycheck, and so you should pay up.
I also think that restaurants should state a delivery charge. But they should also provide insurance, so good luck with that.
For those who do not live in NYC or in a major city, we don't do major tipping. I know what your thinking but why? Ok I will tell you. I live in Bumbleep egypt. Drivers for the 3 places that deliver here make a min of &10.00 an hour plus tips. During the gas insanity earlier this year the local yocal pizza joint was also paying for one tank of gas per shift. The guy who owns it drives a Humvee and has a heart of gold. My fav pizza place doesn't deliver. It is five mins away so we make the trip.
How much do I tip? 2.00 for orders under 20.00 and 3.00 for orders over 20.00. Again I remind you we have 3 delivery places in 10 miles (Local Pizza Emporium, Dominos and Old Standby always open local pizza joint) and they usually bundle deliveries for the driver. When you call hey say 45-60 mins. This means they are taking all the orders for my area and consolidating them.
I am pea green with envy about the quality and assortment of take out those in NYC can have at the ready by just picking up a phone. So maybe you should tip bigger. But here in God's country we have very little assortment, the drivers get paid well and are happy for the 2.00.
This topic is all about location. Our chinese joint doesn't even make eggplant. When I asked for it they said no one eats that here. I had never been to a chinese restaurant that did not make some kind of eggplant. We are talking out in the woods.
Love the Pho Shizzle!
today the column
tomorrow the book?
I'd buy it.
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