How much to tip the Peapod delivery person?

September 12, 2006 9:25 PM

How much to tip the Peapod delivery person?

Their web site dodges the question: "Gratuities for Peapod drivers are optional and at your discretion." (isn't a gratuity by definition optional and at one's discretion?!)

So, my fellow MeFites, what would you say is typical?

posted by Ø to society & culture (11 comments total)

Tip them 'til they smile. Groceries on your doorstep are worth it! Seriously. I cried like a baby when Webvan went down, and I hate that I live in place where delivery of anything but pizza is an oddity.

20%, depending on your relative location to the source of your delivery, gas costs in your area, and the friendliness/service level you get.
posted by paulsc at 9:34 PM on September 12, 2006

i loved webvan so much and used it for all my groceries. the delivery guys were so nice - they'd bring those great containers right into my kitchen. AND THEY REFUSED TIPS. I'd try to give a $5 or $10 each time depending on how much I ordered, and they always refused and said they weren't allowed to take a tip. Too bad.
posted by luriete at 9:42 PM on September 12, 2006

I've never delivered groceries, but working for 6 months delivering Japanese food in an affluent area yielded tips between $5 and $10 per order (The tip amount seemed to have to do less with the amount ordered, because unlike a waiter, the difference price doesn’t affect my overall workload, e.g. I am still driving X miles no matter if the order is $20 or $100)... In sum, I'd say $5-$7 is a fair tip depending on where you live (and how much you are ABLE to give). Also, if the Holidays are just around the corner, then up the ante a little bit.
posted by ifranzen at 9:51 PM on September 12, 2006

Why should you tip them at all? Before I try to figure out how much to tip, I would have to know what kind of wage they are making first. Unless they are being paid below the minimum wage, I don't see why they should be tipped at all.
posted by bradth27 at 9:53 PM on September 12, 2006 [1 favorite]

Okay, I live in FreshDirect land, but I know Peapod is also a grocery delivery service. I agree with giving generous tips in principle, but 20% is way higher than the norm as far as I've observed -- and the percentage you tip a driver A) is not going to directly affect the company's ability to stay alive and B) probably should not be tied to gas costs as I don't imagine the drivers' pay depends on gas costs.

For example, take a $200 order. Tipping $40 (20%) would be very extravagant. $20 would be nice/generous. $10 would be average-to-low, for average service where nothing special happened. $5 would be inappropriately low if the service was acceptable. Again, I don't know where you live; this is from my perspective. But on any large orders, 20% is definitely overtipping (unless you're well off, in which case I encourage it!!).
posted by lorimer at 9:56 PM on September 12, 2006

$5 is my standard tip for delivery. I guess I never think about percentage because I figure it's all the same amount of work, but I suppose with groceries that isn't true. I guess if they have to do massive lifting or make many trips to the house up to 10 might be more in order.
posted by nanojath at 9:59 PM on September 12, 2006

I'm a generous restaurant tipper and I always tip the pizza guy, but I don't tip for grocery delivery. If I get a delivery from any of the local places, I pay as much as double what I might pay if I went out and got it all myself from reasonably-priced stores. If the store isn't sharing that with the driver via a decent wage, that's not my problem.
posted by solid-one-love at 11:50 PM on September 12, 2006

When HomeGrocer was still around, they refused tips as well. "Oh, we don't accept tips," they'd say with a big smile, "we have stock options!"

I don't believe that worked out so well for them.

I think a $5 tip sounds good, though.
posted by litlnemo at 2:18 AM on September 14, 2006

I used to tip Fresh Direct about $1 per box/bag, minimum of $5.
posted by footnote at 4:34 AM on September 14, 2006

$1.00/box or bag - BASELINE MIN.
Add $0.50/box or bag each for:
-bad weather of any sort
-heavy groceries
-slow elevator
-yappy dogs, screaming babies who distract from your order
-nice, friendly, helpful service beyond the call of duty
-really busy time of year
-you need to rack up some karma... can your delivery person afford the service you're buying?

And, add $1.00 for every two flights of stairs if you have no elevator in yr bldg. If you live in SF with a big ole stoop, that counts as a flight.

And if you're on the phone when they get there, just put down the phone rather than continue talking while you pay them. Common courtesy.
posted by DenOfSizer at 12:17 PM on September 14, 2006

In my book the Peapod delivery person is in the category with the UPS and FedEx guy and I do not tip them. Then again, I also don't tip hotel maids so I'm a little more on the hardassed end of the spectrum.

If you're one of the sort who believes tips should be based on the worker's base compensation, my office manager tells me they're paid mileage and a percentage of the delivery charge. She may or may not be full of crap.
posted by phearlez at 1:17 PM on September 14, 2006