How to Increase Tips for Delivery Drivers

• This is advice to increase tips for Delivery Drivers. Other advice can be found for:

  • General Advice
  • Waiters, waitresses, servers
  • Shuttle Bus Drivers
  • Baristas

• Give Your Name

  Make sure your guests know your name. This will help them to connect with you on a personal level. If you know the customer, greet them by name. If they might become a repeat customer, ask for their name and remember it.

• Use Humor

  Humor can put your customers at ease and loosen their wallets. The Tip Jar Stickers and Buttons on this site are meant to encourage tipping with a gentle humorous reminder. They are not meant to "guilt" the customer into leaving a tip. A guilty tip is not going to be as big as a voluntary tip.

• Hygiene

  Be professional and clean. Do not wear excessive jewelry. Do not wear cologne or perfume. Do not smell of cigarette smoke. If you were working in the kitchen before going on the delivery, make sure your clothes are clean.

• Be Knowledgeable

  Increase your knowledge of the delivery area and increase your ability to find addresses.

• Give the Right Change

  If the change is $5, a couple of bad things can happen. If you give them a $5 and they don't have change, they may not tip you. If you give them ones, some people will see that as blatantly trying to get a tip and not tip you. The solution is to say "That's $5 in change. How would you like that? A five? Ones? Maybe some quarters for the car wash? Nickels for the slot machines? Pennies for the fountain?"

• Be Polite

  Never be grumpy or complain. If you have a hard time finding a street address due to the lack of house numbers, do not complain to the customer that they should have house numbers. Apologize for having a hard time finding the address because you did not see any house numbers.

• Bring a Pen

  Always carry a pen and a pad. This can help to write down directions or to take credit card or check orders.

• Go the Extra Mile

  If delivering food, offer your customers packets of plastic utensils.

• No Loud Stereo

  Turn down your stereo or mute it when you are getting close to the address. Nobody wants to hear the delivery guy coming two blocks away and they do not want to hear your choise of music as they are getting their delivery. You can always increase the volume between deliveries.

• Pets

  When delivering to an address with household pets. Comment on the pet. People like compliments on their pets and are likely to tip a fellow pet lover.

• Credit Card Orders

  Many people overlook the tip line on a credit card slip. Place and "X" next to the total, the tip, and the signature lines. Placing an "X" only on the tip line is tacky.

• Deliver to Known Tippers First

  If you have several deliveries to make, deliver to those who are known to tip first. Good tippers get better service.