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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not tip the takeaway delivery guy?

189 replies

Rockingdahorse · 30/11/2019 20:13

DH is out tonight, ordered myself a small pizza.

Came to 4.60, with delivery fee and 'card charge' the total was 8.50

Delivery driver dropped it off, but as I didn;t have any change I didn't tip. Felt bad about it, till I thought that if I tipped I would have paid more in 'charges' than my actual food.

AIBU?

OP posts:
NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 30/11/2019 21:54

Sam221 - and you do that universally for low paid workers? You give the checkout guy in tesco a tip, the bin man, the toilet cleaners at your office (if relevant), the HCA at the hospital, the nursery nurse?

If so good for you but i'm guessing you dont, and in fact you tip based on the pop culture influenced pattern of which jobs etc are subject to tips in the US, where the pay structure is completely different. Hmm

Outsomnia · 30/11/2019 21:55

Are UK people that tight?

Have heard some rumours LOL,

Any excuse not to. Just give them a quid and try not agonise over such a small amount. Please,

Spamantha · 30/11/2019 21:56

Anyone working for less than NMW should report their employer.
Delivery drivers are often not technically 'employees'.

Anyone self employed and not charging enough for their services to earn NMW needs to brush up their maths & turn down work that does not pay enough.
The behemoths like Uber Eats, Just Eat, et al., set the rates - it isn't up to the drivers. The delivery drivers can either abide by the rates or find a new job. I'm sure many would want a better job if they could get one.

OlaEliza · 30/11/2019 21:59

Most delivery or driving work is now 'self employed' where the driver has to provide their own vehicle and all insurances, as well as fuel and tax/NI. A lot of places make them rent the vehicle from them at ridiculous prices. So they pay them and take back 3/4's of the money they just gave. They also pay a pittance per delivery.

Babynamechangerr · 30/11/2019 21:59

If I have change handy I do but embarrassingly as I buy so much online these days and when in a shop I use my card less and less I find myself having change.

If delivery is very late or someone hasn't bothered to read my instructions on how to locate the house and just rings me then they don't get a tip.

Spamantha · 30/11/2019 21:59

Ah, that’s true. I wasn’t thinking of gig economy drivers admittedly, more ones employed by a takeaway like I was. I do boycott Uber Eats and Deliveroo personally as I think they’re incredibly exploitative. Still maintain though that tipping is an individual choice and nobody should feel obliged to tip.
Tipping is of course an individual choice, as is using Uber Eats or Deliveroo. I think refusing to use companies like those (as you do) is best but, if someone elects to use them, then I think giving a modest tip so that the driver can make something approaching MNW is the least they can do.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 30/11/2019 22:00

Outsomnia - it had nothing to do with being "tight". We pay higher prices at the outset reflecting that service is generally included in the agreed price unless stated otherwise.

Its much the same as comparing US prices which can appear cheaper because VAT is only added at point of sale. UK prices already include it, you wouldn't expect us to add it on agan when paying.

Bluntness100 · 30/11/2019 22:02

Anyone working for less than NMW should report their employer

Yes, because then the employer just stops deliveries, and the driver looses his job, which clearly he's doing because he loves it and has so many other choices. Or the employer decides to discontinue using that driver because who the hell else is going to report they pay the driver below nmw than the driver himself?

Dollymixture22 · 30/11/2019 22:10

I always tip. £2. Would be embarrassed not to.

Lunafortheloveogod · 30/11/2019 22:15

It’s a simple luck of the draw system in this house.. paid by cash they keep the change, pay by card there’s no change to keep (usually if it’s going on card it’s because there’s no money in the house anyway)

Locally it’s only justeat or independent takeaways and I’m pretty sure most drivers aren’t even on the books, just like the counter staff.

Meruem · 30/11/2019 22:22

Deliveroo give you the option to tip when you order and so I do. Without fail, every person I’ve tipped has always thanked me. I imagine they don’t make much and I just factor it in as a cost of the takeaway. That being said, just eat don’t give you that option and I often don’t have cash in the house so they don’t get tipped. I’ll be honest, i’d Feel odd handing over a £1/2 coin(s) so it’s easier to do it as part of the cost.

Bluntness100 · 30/11/2019 22:23

I don't feel odd handing it over at all, Guy gives me the food, and it's always a guy, i say thanks and give him a couple of pounds in return, nothing odd about it.

stucknoue · 30/11/2019 22:27

I've never tipped, is it a thing to do so- delivery is included in the price

sam221 · 01/12/2019 02:24

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland
I actually do tend to try to give tips to those on NMW, so yes my bin mans gets a tip(by virtue of a Christmas/Easter card with cash inside) My hairdresser gets one, years ago I helped arrange work experience for my local supermarkets workers child (because she was always very helpful and I was in a position to help).
Last time i visited a family member in hospital, I took the nursing staff vouchers to use for the onsite supermarket(rather than give chocolates/biscuits).
I really don't understand why people get so defensive about tipping-if you want to do it, fine and if you don't, then that too is your choice.

I grew up fairly poor and did do some really crappy jobs in the beginning, the general public unfortunately did not treat me to well.
I am now fortunate enough to give back and so on my own micro level, I do so when opportunities present themselves.

lvltbr · 01/12/2019 02:30

I was a delivery driver for a while some people tip some people do not. But the charge for the delivery fee is not paid to the driver i do know that for a fact. It is paid to the store for stuff needed to order the next truck. We the delivery people never see it. Smile

Strick9 · 01/12/2019 02:32

Fees for ordering delivery do not go to the driver on any occasion. That is a convince fee charged by the place to offer you delivery. If you don't tip the driver eats that cost in gas, wear and tear on vehicles etc.

You want your food fast, fresh and hot. If you're not tipping expect to get your order from someone walking it. The business isn't providing a vehicle for delivery they provide either a low hourly pay or a minimum pay per order which is even worse. A few comments were mad they didn't tip and had to go to the vehicle to get their bags. Imagine what happens when everyone stops tipping so no one delivers, now you not only have to get your own bag, you gotta go get everything yourself, the way it should be if you're not tipping

19lottie82 · 01/12/2019 02:32

I always give them a pound or two, if I have change.

changeforprivacy · 01/12/2019 02:32

Our takeaways charge £3:50 for delivery and they are all central to a town with a 2 mile radius. They are self employed and earn as many £3:50's after fuel as deliveries they make each night. It's a decent earner around here and they all have waiting lists for delivery jobs. DD has been I it since she passed her test months ago, but the current drivers are not giving it up easily!

I still round up the change by £1/£2 for a tip though

Cab121009 · 01/12/2019 02:47

I hate tipping in restaurants, i used to be a waitress got minum wage and my wages were made up really well with tips which was great. Now am struggling working part time, with 2 kids the price of dinner is enough. Also most delivery drivers are paid minimum wage or cash in hand. So sure they do not bad. Honestly hate the expectation to tip!

Wakeup123 · 01/12/2019 03:39

Let's take this from a delivery driver perspective.

If you order through a service like just eat and are charged £3 delivery for example please don't make the mistake of thinking this charge goes to driver. The restaurant will in most cases charge more to attempt to offset soke of the commission they pay to just eat. Check with restaurants to find out what the normal fee is when you order by phone as this would be all the driver gets guaranteed in most cases so probably about 1.30 to £2 maximum.

Regular drivers will soon know who tips and who doesn't so consider the driver has 3 or 4 deliveries to drop on a run and could be done either order 1 first through to order 4 or can easily do the run in reverse with order 4 and 3 being doors that tip. What would you do? Better belive the no tip doors are getting done last so you get more soggy chips and cooler food.

If you are paying £1 to £2 delivery then you can bet your bottom dollar that these drivers are self employed and making very little and simply can't afford the correct hot food insurance required for their cars due to stupid takeaway places all having a competition with drivers wages to offer cheapest so most drivers will be taking a chance and WILL get their cars taken off them by the police if stopped so think about that next time you decide not to tip because the delivery was 10 minutes or so later than it should have been. The drivers don't work in the kitchen and simply drive and drop off so they simply take what they are given and most probably only got your order a very short time before they drop it off regardless if you have been waiting for 70 minutes as restaurants and takeaways will always send the cash jobs out priority as they already have your money in the bank through online ordering systems like just eat etc and your order is worth less to them as these services take a huge chunk of the sale price of the food.

So many people don't tip. Drivers rely on tips to survive. You don't need to tip big. If a driver does 20+ delivery one night and only 4 doors tip £1 it's not as much as every door tipping just 50p each. If you can't tip 50p your tight as a drum.

Wakeup123 · 01/12/2019 03:50

"I hate tipping in restaurants, i used to be a waitress got minum wage and my wages were made up really well with tips which was great"

Wow CAB121009. this is the most ridiculous thing I read all week. So you hate the expectation to tip but most of your wages as a waitress were made up of tips. Just wow

AbsentmindedWoman · 01/12/2019 04:01

I'm horrified at the loopholes that mean delivery drivers don't need to be paid minimum wage. I didn't know this.

Of course I'm aware of the gig economy but thought it was more to do with zero hours contracts and loopholes around self employment so employers wiggled out of paying extra costs.

isabellerossignol · 01/12/2019 04:16

I very rarely have takeaway delivered but when I do, the driver throws the food at me and runs. He's half way across my lawn and back to his car before I even say thank you, so it's fairly clear that he's not expecting a tip.

GiveHerHellFromUs · 01/12/2019 04:18

This thread has made me realise that I no longer tip delivery drivers.
I'm very much a 'keep the change' kind of person but use Just Eat so never pay cash. I rarely carry cash (I know, I'm basically the Queen) so never even think about it.

Taxi drivers always get a tip though.

motherheroic · 01/12/2019 04:25

On Uber eats I will round up. So if my order is comes up to £13 I will tip £2 to make it even.

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