On Friday morning I drove all of my children and our favorite babysitter/friend Elizabeth along with her little brother to Dallas. Jake had another doctor's appointment and I didn't really feel like asking another huge favor of my friends and family around here so I took everyone along. It was a solid 6 hour drive which meant we had to leave at 5 am to arrive in time for his 11:40 am appointment. The appointment went wonderfully. Dr. Menter continues to be amazed at how well Jacob is responding to his medication and how clear his skin is. Dr. Menter is one of the world's leading research doctors for psoriasis so he usually has some visiting doctor with him. This trip he had a very gracious doctor from Japan who was shadowing Dr. Menter. After his visit with Dr. Menter we had to go to lab and Jake had to have three small vials of blood drawn. He is so brave when he had blood work done. I am so impressed with him!!
We got to stay in a very nice hotel (thank you mom and dad) which is always exciting. I was exhausted from the drive so after lunch we went to the hotel and they kindly let us check in early. I laid down for a nap with Morgan while Elizabeth watched the kids in the other room keeping them entertained with her laptop and the t.v. After a while I guess Elizabeth also started getting tired so she joined me in the bedroom and fell asleep on her bed. She made sure the t.v. was on Cartoon Network and trusted that the kids would be ok. At some point I wake up to an adult's voice in the t.v. room. I rush in there and a hotel lady is there asking if everything is ok. I was confused and I'm sure she could tell because she explained that someone had dialed 911 from this room. I was very irritated because my kids know better than to do that. I assured the woman everything was fine and I apologized for the inconvenience. Then when she left I asked who was the one making the phone calls. I believe it was Riley and Brooke although they tried to blame it on Jake. Either way everyone got my lecture and I disconnected the phone. After a while everyone was saying they were bored so I suggested swimming until dinner time. We all went out to the pool and the kids started swimming. I didn't realize how late it was getting so we decided to order some pizza that we could eat out by the pool when it got there. We put in our order and they said it would be between 45-60 minutes. I let the front desk know that we are expecting pizza. The kids had a blast swimming and playing after about an hour the pizza guy showed up. He was a very old delivery guy I would guess well into his 70s. He puts the pizzas and drinks down on the table and says the total is $34.46. I hand him $37 and then I wait as he very uncomfortably counts the money twice. I chalked it up to his age because it all took a very long time. Then he turns to me and asks, "$37?" I'm a little confused so I say, "yeah just keep the change for your tip". He looks at the money and then at me and says, "it's customary to tip 15%." I was in shock when he said this. I didn't know what to do except that I still had a couple of ones in my hand so I gave him another one. He looked at it and said, "this isn't 15% if you wanted to pay the customary rate you would still owe me a couple of dollars." Like I said I was in shock... I handed him my last dollar in my hand because I just wanted him to leave. He left and as he was leaving he said, "if you're going to be in town for a while I have some coupons in my car..." I said, "No I don't think I will be ordering from you again." I told Elizabeth what happened and it made me even more angry. I wanted to do something so I called up his manager and told her my whole story.
I felt like he had crossed the line with it all. Do you think I did the right thing? Looking back I wish I had the quick thinking to just take my money back and tell him, "here's a tip for you... don't be so rude. Just cancel my order we don't want it. I will go ahead and call your manager and let them know why we had to cancel." The manager was very apologetic she agreed that he crossed the line and offered to send us a free order the next day. I explained that we will be leaving sometime in the morning but that I thought she should explain to her driver that it is very rude to ask for more of a tip.
I know I'm cheap but I sorta thought my $2.50 tip was reasonable. I think I'm always a good tipper at a restaurant where my waiter or waitress is actually doing something. I mean all he did was bring me my pizza which he is paid to do from Papa John's. I could see paying 15-20% if I asked him to get me some glasses with ice and to pour my drinks. To bring me more napkins for my kids to clean up after we are done but come on... Give me a break!!
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12 comments:
That is soooo tacky! I probably would have done the same thing. I am not very confrontational but I always get mad later. It's like the lady at Costco telling Emily not to feed Ellie crust. If I remember right she was elderly as well. What's up with all the rude old people in Texas?
That is soooo tacky! I probably would have done the same thing. I am not very confrontational but I always get mad later. It's like the lady at Costco telling Emily not to feed Ellie crust. If I remember right she was elderly as well. What's up with all the rude old people in Texas?
I dont know why it did that twice, Sorry!
The line was crossed for sure. I have actually had a restaurant manager run after me across the street before because my tip was too low. (Long story a huge group involved and a lot of confusion) The thing was is I wasn't even the one who paid, and it was a very nice fancy restaurant. I need to be more confrontational too and depending on the right day that guy would have had to watch out.
I remeber someone calling 911 or the Lovestedts a few time when mom and dad were gone to tell on me. Funny how things come back around:)
Oh, and I think the pizza guy was out of line but you have to give him points for boldness!
"What's up with old people in Texas?" Come on, Sarah, you know some perfectly divine old people in Texas! Two out of 2,000,000 or whatever...
Actually,(to use Ellen's favorite word) he was a little bold. You did exactly the correct thing to call and complain. I think the problems with the elderly are confined to larger cities. I hope....
"Bold" is a really polite way of saying "RUDE!" I'm with you--I always tip well in restaurants (not as well as the king of tipping, your Dad), but I feel like a couple of bucks is fine for the pizza delivery guy. Like you say--he 's already gettng paid to drive your pizza to your house, and sometimes you're paying an additional delivery charge on top of the pizza cost. I know that around here at least the chains are giving their drivers an additional gas allowance, too. I think you did the right thing to complain. Which chain was it?
That is really crossing the line. I know he is older so it made it harder to call him on it but still. I am sure he uses that line all the time to get more money out of people.
I am really bad about tipping. I do it so there is no spit in my food but other then that I hate to do it. But I have never worked somewhere where I could be tipped so maybe I would feel different about it then.
Good luck - other then that did you have a good time?
I think my opinion is needed here (as I am a waitress in a restaurant where I depend on tips as my income).
At least in CA, 15-20% tipping is not only appropriate but expected anywhere where you are dining and BEING SERVED BY A WAITER OR WAITRESS. I don't care if they are bringing you just a soda or a whole 3 course meal- you need to bring enough money to tip them for this service. However, I have never heard of this being the same for home pizza delivery!!! From my understanding and experience, tipping the pizza guy is like tipping the person at the car wash, or your newspaper boy-IT'S AN EXTRA BONUS and not their means of income. Pizza deliverers are paid for there job and they are not being taxed on their tips (unlike restaurant servers who pay almost all of their hourly wages to tipshare and taxes). Tipping, at least to me, was started (and is expected) in restaurant food service and should only be seen as mere extras or bonuses for a job well done anywhere else.
This pizza guy just pissed me off for you Liza! I am so glad you called and complained. I never tip my pizza person more than maybe $3 (like 10%) and I am a very generous tipper when it is appropriate or deserved. Tell that old geyser if he wants to open the pizza box, set the table, serve the family, bring refills on soda, and clean up after- maybe you'll reconsider the tip!
Well I know enough has been said about the rude dude that crossed the line and he really did, but let me put my 2 cents worth in the pot. Tipping is not mandatory no matter where you go, at least it shouldn’t be even for large group and certainly not for pizza drivers. I can’t believe we let restaurants get away with mandatory tipping. I know there are people who don’t tip and I am sorry for that. But that is there right. Tipping is for good or great service, not just service. My philosophy is to tip according to the service. Average service equals an average tip of 10%. Dazzle with your promptness, your attitude, filling my water glass, and your desire to make me happy and you’ll get your 15 – 20%. Come on 20%, it’s getting so you can’t afford to go out anymore. Eliza next time say let me count that money again for you After he hands it back say “ Oh I don’t tip people that are rude.”
Wow. That man was gutsy!! Definitely crossed the line, IMO.
Okay, I'm siding with the pizza man! He should get tipped more like 15%---especially considering gas prices. Gas went up and I bet his wage didn't. It was rude to ask for more, but on a nearly $35 bill you weren't even offering 7%. AND he did go out of his way, delivering to the pool...normally he just walks right up to a door and drops it off. AND if you're going to compare him to a server in a restaurant, sure he doesn’t do as much, but a server is not using their personal vehicle and gas. (Even tough we disagree, I still love you!)
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