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Have you ever wondered how much you should tip your delivery driver? In many cases, it's a little difficult to work out how much you should be allowed as a tip for your gig driver, but this shouldn't have been the case.
With this thought in mind, today, we're looking at some of the key things you should know to help you work out how much you should tip a delivery driver ' and, critically, whether your delivery driver receives your generosity.
HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU TIP A DELIVERY DRIVER?
First of all, we need to answer the key question: how much should you tip a delivery driver when delivering food to your home? There's no simple way to answer this since it will depend on many different factors, such as the rate of pay being offered to the driver by the gig platform and the amount of work involved in the order.
What does this mean? Well, first up, let's address the pay rate. Indeed, in many cases, the basic rate for delivery drivers is pretty low, which can mean that your driver may be highly reliant on tips to help them pay their bills. Remember: even though they're not working in a restaurant, they are still a server ' and as such, making sure that they are getting a fair rate is important.
Generally speaking, around half of people tip out of common courtesy or because they think that failing to do so is rude. However, it's important to recognize that as disposable income falls, the number of people tipping and the number of tips left may also go in the same direction. As such, this could represent a significant challenge for delivery drivers, potentially leaving many struggling to make ends meet.
Variable Payment Structures
Of course, those rates of pay aren't set in stone. Indeed, most delivery drivers receive pay based on a piece rate basis. As such, the more orders they do, the more they get paid (and vice versa). However, this means that drivers who spend more time ensuring you get your food with great service could be missing out!
Overall, the amounts that delivery drivers can earn will fluctuate significantly, not only on an hourly basis but also between platforms. For example, GrubHub pays an average of $16 per hour to drivers, UberEats offers around $17 (which matches up with PostMates), and even Caviar drivers (marketed as a high-end delivery option) only make up to $25 per hour.
Based on the average hourly wage of US workers of approximately $29, it's easy to see why so many people are struggling with the basic pay offered by delivery driving. It's also worth considering that those figures typically include tips; as such, for every customer who doesn't tip, there's the risk of that figure falling lower still.
The Minimum Tip You Should Give Your Delivery Driver
Considering that many gig workers rely heavily on tips to make ends meet, it's worth considering how much you should tip your driver to help.
Generally speaking, most people agree that for traditional restaurant service, a 10% tip should be given as a minimum, even in cases where the level of service is lacking. However, some people consider tips on food deliveries to be a little different from restaurant service, in which case, it's common to leave a minimum of $2 or $3 for average service on a small order.
Make sure to keep in mind how much work your delivery driver is going to have to do as part of your tipping decision! If you're only ordering a $5 burger, it's understandable to not want to pay the same again for a tip; however, if you're ordering a meal with numerous different boxes and dishes, try to keep in mind that your delivery driver is going to have a lot more work to do.
Giving Higher Tips to Delivery Drivers for Good Service
While a 10% or $2 tip is generally considered a good starting point for a minimum tip (usually focusing on 'whichever is higher'), it's worth noting that a delivery driver who goes out of their way to help may deserve a higher tip. In such cases, a tip worth around 20% will normally be considered to be about right. On a meal worth an average of around $23 per person, that would equate to a tip of just shy of $5.
A higher tip may be a little difficult to define in value since everyone's perception of what constitutes a generous tip may differ. Moreover, many people may consider that, for high-value orders (for example, a $200 meal out for a large group), a more generous percentage tip of 20% would equate to $40, which not everyone will necessarily be comfortable with.
In the end, it's worth considering the amount of time and work involved with your order and trying to ensure that your delivery driver gets a fair tip based on that.
What if I Don't Want to Give a Tip?
When ordering food online, there is no requirement to leave a tip necessarily. However, this can significantly impact your delivery driver's ability to make ends meet; it may also result in your food delivery account getting a bad review from the driver, which could limit your ability to order food and get quick delivery in the future.
Don't forget as well that some food delivery platforms, such as UberEats, allow their users to leave customers a tip in cash at the time of delivery. So, if you're hesitant to leave a tip when placing the order, but would like to reward your driver for great service and help, don't be afraid to hang fire on the tip until you know how well your driver did.
HOW CAN I TIP MY DELIVERY DRIVER?
At this point, we've briefly mentioned the two options available for tipping your food delivery driver. Most platforms will allow users to leave a tip when paying for the order (upfront), which is paid to the delivery driver after they've completed the delivery. Some apps may also allow a tip to be left for good service after the delivery is completed, too.
Alternatively, you may also be able to give the driver a tip in cash when they deliver the food ' although try to have the cash to hand when leaving a tip in this manner, as it's not uncommon for delivery drivers to rush off to the next job once you've got all of your food so as to not interrupt you.
WILL MY DELIVERY DRIVER RECEIVE ALL OF THE MONEY I LEAVE AS A TIP?
Delivery driver jobs can be low paying if the driver doesn't receive a tip, so it's important to check how much of your tip the driver will receive. Luckily, it's worth considering that most platforms will provide 100% of all tips directly to their drivers. However, if you're worried about whether the driver will receive all of their tipped income, giving a cash tip may be a better option.
5 KEY TIPS TO SUPPORT YOUR DELIVERY DRIVERS DURING DIFFICULT TIMES
At this point, we've outlined some of the key things you need to know about how much to tip. However, there are several key things you should remember to ensure your delivery driver gets a fair rate for the work they do. These include the following points.
Remember: every platform's approach to assigning drivers is different. As such, this may play a pivotal role in who you receive as your food delivery driver, too.
#1 Leave a Fair Tip
We've already covered the importance of leaving a good tip, but it's nevertheless worth reiterating here. In many cases, tip value can be worth the same as, or potentially even more, than the delivery itself. As such, giving a tip can help ensure your delivery driver is fairly compensated.
Remember that when you leave a tip through most delivery apps, 100% of the money will usually go directly to your delivery driver. As such, this offers a simple way to make sure your driver gets fair compensation. But, if you have spare cash around, leaving a cash tip is also a simple option to help ensure your driver gets a fair rate.
#2 Be Ready to Collect Your Order
Another key tip to help your delivery driver earn a fair rate from their driver shifts is to ensure you're ready to collect your order. It's not uncommon for delivery drivers to experience a great deal of fluctuation in their earnings solely as a result of downtime.
With this in mind, it's important to try and be ready to collect your order; doing so offers a simple way to help your driver make the most of their time and allows you to get on with enjoying your meal too. So, it's really a win-win situation!
#3 Give Clear Instructions For Deliveries
Sometimes, deliveries can be a little difficult to complete, especially if they're off the beaten path. With this thought in mind, try to make sure you give clear, thorough, and easy-to-follow instructions for all deliveries you make. While this can seem obvious, it's often something people miss out on, and this can leave drivers feeling lost and unsure about where to start their search.
Of course, not every delivery platform will necessarily allow an option for extra information. With that being said, if you do have the opportunity to give extra details, this can make things so much easier both for you and your driver.
#4 Leave Reviews and Ratings
Another simple step you can take to support your delivery driver is to make sure you leave them a review and/or rating if the platform supports this. Indeed, in many cases, knowing how to improve can come with numerous challenges. Drivers often don't know how to improve their service to give customers a better experience; alternatively, they may feel unsure as to whether or not customers are genuinely impressed with the current level of support.
The answer here, fortunately, is relatively simple. By leaving a review for your driver, you help them learn more about what they're doing well or how they could improve their service. In turn, this allows them to provide the best support for future customers, so they have a greater chance of getting tips.
Giving positive feedback is highly important, too. Some platforms have metrics that assess a driver's performance based on reviews. As such, positive reviews (if you've had a good experience) go a long way toward helping the driver maintain their account and continue working.
#5 Order Through ParaWorks Partners
As a final tip, it's well worth considering where to order from to help your delivery driver get a better rate of pay. Indeed, the highest-paying gig apps, such as ParaWorks, do things a little differently compared to the norm. By making sure that delivery drivers earn a fair rate for the work they do, ParaWorks sites give customers greater confidence that their drivers are making a fair living for their time.
It's a simple change, ��but one that can make a massive difference to your delivery driver. So, make sure to find some of the best local delivery options with ParaWorks partners ' the easy way to ensure your delivery driver gets fair compensation! Indeed, Para actively works to help its drivers earn more for their time, making it an invaluable app to consider
FINAL THOUGHTS
There's technically no requirement to leave a tip for your food delivery driver ' but in many cases, your generosity can go a long way toward helping your driver earn a fair rate for the work they do.
As such, if you have been struggling to figure out how much to tip your delivery driver, keep today's key points in mind! And, if you'd like to support your delivery drivers further, make sure to order through the ParaWorks platform to help your delivery driver earn more for all the hard work they put in!
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