Are you supposed to tip a freight delivery driver?

[J. Clarke]

OK, tell us _one_ way for a truck driver to "make your shit disappear for long periods of time" without having anybody ask how it got off the truck between loading and delivery.

[brianlanning]

After reading the entire thread, I'm sort of shocked by most of the opinions.

It's likely that I'm making a lot more than the delivery guy. So for me, $20 to make his day and to encourage him to place the machine in my garage and wait for me to unpack it is a small price to pay. I know for a lot of people cash is (their) king. But for me, I never let it get in the way of treating people right. For me, the $20 is not too significant, i'll never miss it, and probably means more to the delivery guy that it does to me. And before you think I was born in to money or something, I was the child of a single mother in a trailer park and took seven years to pay my own way through college while working two jobs and raising three children.

As for the restaurant, I try to leave 20% unless I have to get my own food, then it's less.

If you want to see the power of tipping, consider this: I have soon to be nine children. When I take most of them to a restaurant I've never been to, the waitresses fight because no one wants our table. But if I tip my normal 20%, the next time, they fight because they want our table.

The same is true for the delivery guy. If I continue to buy grizzly machines, there's a good chance that the same saia delivery guy will bring me the machine. In the past, I could tell that some of the drivers were jealous of my shop, either because of things they said, or just the look on their face. I think the $20 in this case does several things. From an interpersonal relationship standpoint, it ensures that they'll remember me the next time. It (most likely) ensures good service this time. It brightens their day. And from a practical standpoint, it may prevent them from showing up at 3am to clean out the shop.

You might view this as an extorti> When a truck driver drops a pallet in your garage, is he expecting a tip?

I don't think they're expecting it. I give them a $20.

UPS is different.

I agree when it's not clear what the rules are. Russia is a tipping culture and I had nothing but problems there. The translator said restaurants are 10%, I left more because it felt wrong. The bellhop in moscow thought I was a cheapskate for tipping him $5.

brian

[Leon]

There you go, LOL.

[Brian Elfert]

The standard in the freight industry is that the customer removes the freight from the truck unless you pay extra for a liftgate.

This ain't Fedex Ground or UPS.

Brian Elfert

[New Wave Dave]

Only that I'd like to know what happened to Jimmy Hoffa. (KIDDING, Steve!)

Having spent 25 years with the [now defunct] Suffering Pacific Railroad as a dues paying member of the Brotherhood of Railway, Airline, Steamship Clerks I am certainly aware that if it weren't for unions most people today would not make the scale they do. And, I paid my dues all the years I was a middle management officer. So, in a general sense. I am pro-union. Back to my original post, the liftgate charge just caught me off guard. The order was FREIGHT PREPAID and that additional (and surprising) $57 came directly off the already slim bottom line for the job. I also know how freight tariffs work having spent more than a couple of my railroad years as a rate clerk.

[mac davis]

I have tipped them before... To me, the idea of a tip other than in a restaurant, where they pretty much make a living off tips, is that if someone does something "above and beyond", you reward them...

If they drop off a cutoff saw at your front porch, thank them and drive on.. OTOH, if they deliver a table saw and take it where you want it, especially where stairs are involved, I think an additional "thank you" is required..

Sometimes it can be in the form of money, sometimes a little bowl, pen, or whatever you make in quantity is nice.. other times just a cold bottle of water from the frig is greatly appreciated... I think that we all want to be thanked and appreciated, don't we?

Tipping a delivery crew now might make that crew more helpful when they deliver that next saw to someone in the group... *g* YMWV Mac

[grappletech]

We ate at a restaurant recently, and our waitress happened to have some relatives of hers in the booth 2 booths over. So instead of servicing us, she kept standing there gabbing with them. After 20 minutes, I stood up and walked over to her and asked for drink refills. She gave me a dirty look like I was an intruder and she said ok. Then I sat down, and a few minutes later, my wife said: "go ask her for more bread also." So I walk over to the waitress, who's still gabbing, and as I'm walking up she says: "You already told me to get refills; I'm on my way to get them!" and gives me a look that would peel paint. I left her a penny tip and called the manager about her. Buttholes don't deserve to be rewarded with tips.

[Steve B]

I have found out some things from dealing with the public.

Most people are good honest people.

Most people appreciate good hard work and effort.

Some people are angry at the world, and no matter what you do, they will be mad at you.

Some people cannot be satisfied because of their anger.

Some people just cannot be satisfied no matter what you do.

Some people are dishonest and take great delight at screwing over others.

You cannot please some customers. That guy that said, "The customer is always right" was full of it.

Steve

[Scott Lurndal]

That's a felony.

Either one of these should get you fired, and by rights, in jail.

[Steve B]

Uh, signing it off as delivered, and dropping it in the river? Marking it "refused - return to sender" and scribbling a signature? Marking "unloading dock closed" - "return to terminal"? Spilling a can of oil on it, and marking "hazardous material leaking from crate"?

Need I go on?

Every company has rules regarding handling and delivery. Any good freight man knows how to hurt a "customer" who is a PITA.

Steve

Steve

[Steve B]

Steve

[Steve B]

You know, it's funny how a $20 tip can get a driver NOT to charge a $57 liftgate charge and write: Unloaded by customer's forklift. But hey, that would be bribery/extortion according to some people who don't understand simple math.

Steve

[Leon]

As have I.

Correct

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Correct

That guy that said, "The customer is

Not really. The customer is always correct if you want to keep him as a customer. Some times you have to just swallow you pride and get past it. The customer is always correct is a state of mind not a reality.

[David]

Thank gawd I never had anyone like you working for me...you've got a serious attitude problem and are most likely both passive aggressive AND antisocial. Now go back to your destruction derby...

Dave

[grappletech]

When a company does screw up (it happens) and it effects the customer, the worker from the company who is now dealing with the customer, even if not directly responsible for the error, should at least apologize to the customer before attempting to resolve the problem. In all of my years dealing with companies and working for companies and with customers, I have noticed that customers get real pissed off real fast unless they get an apology. Sometimes, arrogant employees refuse to say "sorry" to the customer, so the customer stays pissed off, and the situation further escalates into bigger problems: legal problems, cancelled contracts, etc.. So as representatives of our companies (and we who work for co's are), regardless if we directly caused the error, we need to at least apologize to the customer. To acknowledge the fact that the customer has been inconvenienced usually is enough to satisfy the customer and keep them coming back to your co..

[J. Clarke]

And how do you explain why the signature doesn't match the customer's?

Ditto.

And when it gets back to the terminal then what do you say to your boss when the irate customer who has been standing on the loading dock all day waiting for the shipment complains about it?

And of course you are qualified to determine that the material is hazardous.

What I'm seeing from you is a list of ways for a driver to find himself out of a job. Sorry, but none of those "make your shit disappear for long periods of time" except the dropping in the river bit and on that one you've committed grand larceny and can look to spend a good long time in jail.

Seems to me that what you're describing doesn't leave the "good freight man" any better off than if he'd just swatted the customer with a two-by-four. In every case it is clear who was in charge of the shipment when it went astray and so it is clear who gets docked/fired/jailed/tossed in the river for it.

By the way, who do you work for, I want to be sure never to hire them.

[Tim Douglass]

Well, in all the restaurants I ever cooked in neither I nor any other person in the kitchen ever saw a penny of the tips. The waiters in one place used to moan about only making $20-$30 an hour in tips (back in the 70's!) while as the lead line cook I only made about $6.

If the food is bad tell the server and have them pass the gripe on to the cook. If the service is bad tell the server and minimize the tip. If they're both bad tell the manager and don't tip anyone.

-- "We need to make a sacrifice to the gods, find me a young virgin... oh, and bring something to kill"

Tim Douglass

[John Flatley]

I heard and remembered an explanation from a boss years ago: "The customer may not always be right, but, he is always the customer."

John

[Leon]

Smart guy.

[Steve B]

"grappletech" wrote

I left her a penny tip and called the

Whenever I get bad service, bad food, or just bad anything, I NEVER EVER leave without a face to face with the manager to let them know. In many cases, it is not the restaurant's doing, and they appreciate the heads up.

We had two OBNOXIOUS children in a booth near us at a Mexican restaurant one night. Screaming and running around. I have been going to this restaurant chain for decades. When I complained to the manager, she said, "This IS a family restaurant." I did the meanest nastiest thing I could. I told her that she would get no more of my business, that I would bring no more family or guests to the restaurant, and would not suggest it when asked for a good Mexican restaurant.

Her attitude was, whatever.

Usually they appreciate being told about a crappy server or cook. AND I will also go to the trouble of turning in a good report on an exceptionally good performance.

But I always do it face to face. One time I got a $100 gift certificate at a really good restaurant for reporting something I didn't like.

Steve