However, if you’re making a bigger order, let’s say $30 or more, you should
tip 20% just like if you were dining in a restaurant.

I pretty much refuse to have just pizza delivered from any of the places around here as it ends up taking 45+ minutes to arrive, it’s cold and I have to tip. So, it’s much easier for me to call it in and drive the mile or two to pick it up hot, fresh and cheap.

That all said, when we do have delivery we are almost always paying just about $30. My tip really does depend on how fast the food got there. I use the time quote given to me over the phone as a guideline. If they say, “we’re busy, it’ll be at least 45 minutes,” I take that to mean I could be waiting a while and I tip my usual 20-ish percent. But, if they say, “35 to 45 minutes,” and it takes well over an hour, I can’t bring myself to tip that well. But, unlike Dhaqam, I do care and I tell the driver why I did what I did. IMHO, if it wasn’t his fault, he can take it up with the person working the phones.

We don’t order regularly enough to be known as “the couple who order on the three same days a week” but I have never and I mean *never* had the same delivery guy twice from any of the places we typical get delivery from (Ole Piper or Carbone’s).

Thanks for the great posts and writeup — great way to start my day while fighting a fairly nasty hangover.