Supermarket delivery driver - do you tip or not?

sulkisu

Just wondered if I am the only one who doesn't .

I regularly use Sainsbury's, Tesco and Ocado and have done for a few years - however I am ashamed to say that I have never ever tipped the driver.

I do tip in restaurants, hairdressers etc, so I'm not a complete tightwad, but when my shopping is delivered, it's 'thank you very much' and that's about it. The thought of tipping had never even crossed my mind until my shopping arrived last night and OH casually asked if I needed change!

Now I feel like a right Scrooge .

Does anybody tip? Or are you a delivery driver and do you expect to be tipped?

Hermia

I have never even thought about tipping a supermarket delivery driver. I don't see why I would tip them and not the supermarket shop assistant who trundles around the shop actually getting my order.

I wonder whether they would be allowed to accept tips anyway.

thehappybutterfly

Oh God no - there's no need to tip the driver. You've already paid their extortionate delivery charge. So long as you thank him nicely!

mark55man

I don't and no one who has ever delivered has ever even given the slightest hint of expecting one.

I do from time to time but rarely tip a pizza delivery but only if its really wet and/or cold. I think the difference there is the food is cooked so Im in restaurant mode not shopping mode, but it is a bit tenuous.

andygb

One of my mates delivers for Ocado, and he has to keep to some pretty tight schedules, and deliver to some pretty obscure places, with bad/no parking or high up in blocks of flats. Sometimes his deliveries involve as many as a dozen pallettes of stuff.
He reckons that only the people who live in "better" areas tip him, because they realise that it can be a difficult job.
Why would you tip a witress and not a delivery driver, I always tip the Indian guy when they deliver my takeaway.

Brighton_belle

Never ever occured to me to do this. I have paid the shop for this delivery service. Just as I have paid royal mail to deliver my parcels/letters. It's the drivers paid job to deliver the goods. It's not done as a favour.
I always express my appreciation verbally though.

Tea_Pea_Dee

Always Because I don't drive, I order loads of heavy (and I mean heavy) stuff. Poor guy lugging all that without so much as a tip. As for extortionate delivery charges, the driver doesn't get that, the supermarket does. If you don't mind having a delivery from Ocado in the dead of night, 9 times out of 10 it is the free delivery slot.

madison-nyc

andygb wrote: »

One of my mates delivers for Ocado, and he has to keep to some pretty tight schedules, and deliver to some pretty obscure places, with bad/no parking or high up in blocks of flats. Sometimes his deliveries involve as many as a dozen pallettes of stuff.
He reckons that only the people who live in "better" areas tip him, because they realise that it can be a difficult job.
Why would you tip a witress and not a delivery driver, I always tip the Indian guy when they deliver my takeaway.

probably 9/10 people have jobs that can be 'difficult' , doubt we all expect to be 'tipped' though. I'm a domicillary care worker and trek to the back and beyond in rain and snow to do my calls, should i get tips then?

there's got to be a line somewhere surely. I wouldn't tip the royal mail postie or next courier etc. I round my bill up on resruraunts and take aways and that's as far as it goes for me.

FunWithFlags

I never have and the thought didn't even cross my mind to be honest! I don't tip takeaway deliver people either. I think the difference between that and tipping a waitress/waiter or hairdresser is that they provide that extra chat and friendliness over the course of a meal or haircut for at least an hour for me so I consider the tip as a thank you for making it a friendly meal or a comfortable haircut. The delivery men are friendly too but they are there for a couple of minutes (or seconds with takeaways lol) to drop the stuff off to me and get a signature. But now I'm thinking about it in detail I'm questioning why I don't?! The Tesco delivery people I've had have 99/100 times been friendly and chatted, they hold the box out to me and let me lift stuff out of it into my house, they do the obligatory laugh at my weekly joke of "oooh it always looks like a little shop online and now look at it all!" and say a cheery bye to me. I feel really mean now!

I would like to know too now if they are allowed to accept tips!

Person_one

Tea_Pea_Dee wrote: »

Always Because I don't drive, I order loads of heavy (and I mean heavy) stuff. Poor guy lugging all that without so much as a tip. As for extortionate delivery charges, the driver doesn't get that, the supermarket does. If you don't mind having a delivery from Ocado in the dead of night, 9 times out of 10 it is the free delivery slot.

How much 'lugging' do you think they do?

When I've had shopping delivered the guy comes up in the lift with all the crates on a trolley with wheels then hands me the plastic bags across the doorway.

I'm not tipping for that, I hate tipping in all its forms so I refuse to contribute to adding another person to the mandatory tip list!

If they unpacked my shopping and cooked my tea I might consider it.

Any

I have never yet tipped the driver. But then all they do is to pass me the bags, I take them to the kitchen and return empty ones. They are here probably 30 secs, if that. You don't tip the person who scans your things at the shop either, do you.. isn't it the same?
Though I have thought about it before, but on Food shopping board once someone said their OH works for either Tesco or Sainsbury's and they are apparently not allowed to take tips. So I never thought about it again.