

A simple poll about tipping a delivery guy has garnered an excellent response, with folks on both sides defending their position. Here there is an effort to clear up common misconceptions about tipping. Some myths are listed out here:
False, The delivery fee is constant for the chain to chain, but the entire fee does not entirely go to him. Usually, the business itself takes the fee in order to cover the expenses of delivery, may be paying for the gas or other related expenses specific to the delivery person itself(insurance) etc. Some chains may give the delivery guy the whole amount of the fee and might pay him less instead as salary. Finally, this delivery fee is charged as a fee to deliver to your doorstep and not as a tip as has been assumed.
False, The actual truth is, these delivery guys are given a substantially lower pay since they have the ability to make tips, unlike other staff members. This ability to make tips results in the lower minimum wage by Federal Standards, to a tune of $2.13 an hour for tipped employees, versus $7.25 an hour for non-tipped employees.(the reason behind retail employees not accepting tips). In such cases, the employer has to make up the difference if the tips plus wages do not come up to $7.25 an hour. The kitchen staff tends to make much more than the minimum wage.
False, Please remember, you are never obliged to tip, although many customers use this excuse religiously during busy hours, like lunch rush and weekend nights in order to get cheaper food. A point to note here is, customers who don’t tip are always bumped to the bottom of the delivery list. So if your food arrives cold consistently, maybe you should go back and check if you have been tipping the delivery guy or not, if not, probably that is the reason.
False, The actual truth is, these delivery guys are the grunt of the store, as they do every job inside it. They clean the store at the start of the day, fold boxes, make orders, take orders, proof the dough, make the wings, mix the sauce, load the freezers, cut the dough, unload the truck, balance the register, clean the counters, mop the floor, wash windows, empty trash, and get everything ready for the next day. These guys are the last employees to leave behind the manager on duty, and first to arrive to help with daily chores. Combining all this with low pay does really mean that along with all the hard work, they do deliver your food, is a great job where a little tip would not matter.