Anonymous wrote:

I think if you are expecting a delivery it's only polite to have a little cash as a tip. Try to prepare.

Anonymous wrote:I've recently started using Peapod. I'm disabled and have a very difficult time getting out of the house to shop. Consequently, I seldom do get out. I've had 4 deliveries from Peapod now, and for a while was under the impression that the "delivery fee" actually did some justice to the delivery person. However, before today's delivery, it occurred to me that the delivery guy may very well not be getting any benefit from Peapod's delivery charge (not to mention the "fuel surcharge" that Peapod adds). In light of these suspicions, I decided to give the guy a $5 tip today, and he seemed happy to get it. So now, after reading this message board, apparently tipping is not a bad idea. And even thought some good points were made about tipping being unfair and unreasonable, clearly this world (let alone this country), is often socially and financially far from fair and reasonable. I blame the despicable abundance of human greed.

Nonetheless, I will tip the delivery guy each time now. Even though I likely have a substantially lower income than he. My sole income is from Social Security Disability. And for comparison's sake, it averages about $240 a week. Yet I still feel I should continue to tip.

I don't like paying considerably more for groceries and other necessities, than what I would if I could regularly get to cheaper places like Walmart and such. But I can't, so if I want anything that's not canned or anything thing that's fresh or frozen, I have to go to Peapod. Walmart will deliver some food and other things via FedEx, but nothing fresh or frozen. And has a somewhat limited variety of food items to start with.

In short, Peapod is more expensive for me, and I understand that tips are very important to the delivery people. But I'm slowly drowning in poverty. I actually can't afford the extra money for tips, but like someone said, I wouldn't want to anger the delivery guy so he might do gross and disgusting things to my food in retaliation. As it is, by next June, the property-tax people will be kicking me out of my home. I've lived here since I was 6 years old. I'm 64 now, and soundly crippled up. And because of my lack of income over the years, I've been unable to keep up with their ever increasing taxes. I just can't sacrifice anything else to pay them. So this is why tipping is maybe more of an issue with me than it would be with most delivery people. But I still blame Peapod for not paying them what their work is worth.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you not tip the pizza guy or Chinese food delivery person? Thisbis not like UPS or FedEX.

I disagree. Peapod delivery is much more like UPS or FedEx than pizza or Chinese food delivery. I do tip the pizza guy and Chinese food delivery people.

I think Peapod should take more responsibility for being upfront with customers about this tipping situation. I can't find any information about it on their site. Like I said, Peapod delivery is worth the delivery fee to me, but I don't think it is worth that plus $5. I might have to find an alternative if the reality is that Peapod delivery isn't $8 but $13-20 or more.

Harris Teeter Express Lane is $5.

Anonymous wrote:He brought your groceries to you so you didn't have to leave the house. Tip him.

Anonymous wrote:I agree with not having to tip the drivers. Hear me out.

I am a nurse. I lift, roll, and clean poo off patients, all while the family just watches or leaves the room. Do I ever get a tip? No! Why? I am providing a valuable service. On some level, I knew cleaning poo was part of this line of work. And I'm pretty sure the average Peopod driver catches on fairly quickly that he's gonna be lugging up water bottles 4 flights of steps. In all fairness, that's what he signed up for.

We've all had crappy minimum wage jobs which gives us the impetus to go back to school for better opportunities. It seems that Giant Peapod's exec's made the tipping issue purposefully ambiguous. It's very hard not to tip someone who just provided a great service; however, the company already charges a service fee. Where does that $ go? Other companies, like Massage Envy, let you know up front that they're screwing you, "Even though you paid $60 for the massage, we think it's worth is $120, so tip your masseuse $25." (I may have paraphrased that last bit.)

This whole discussion has really turned me off to Peapod (Massage Envy too but that's a separate issue.) I used Peapod once and tipped. But on further thinking, when does this tipping business end?? (I save your grandparent's life by utilizing my skills and knowledge but the guy who carries in the groceries gets the tip)? It all just doesn't make sense.

I recently received a Peapod gift card and thought how cool, I'll order a bunch of cat and dog food and send it to the shelter. Problem is, I don't know if the driver will expect a tip from the shelter! So I'll just pick up the food myself and deliver it, and then never use Peapod again.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with not having to tip the drivers. Hear me out.

I am a nurse. I lift, roll, and clean poo off patients, all while the family just watches or leaves the room. Do I ever get a tip? No! Why? I am providing a valuable service. On some level, I knew cleaning poo was part of this line of work. And I'm pretty sure the average Peopod driver catches on fairly quickly that he's gonna be lugging up water bottles 4 flights of steps. In all fairness, that's what he signed up for.

We've all had crappy minimum wage jobs which gives us the impetus to go back to school for better opportunities. It seems that Giant Peapod's exec's made the tipping issue purposefully ambiguous. It's very hard not to tip someone who just provided a great service; however, the company already charges a service fee. Where does that $ go? Other companies, like Massage Envy, let you know up front that they're screwing you, "Even though you paid $60 for the massage, we think it's worth is $120, so tip your masseuse $25." (I may have paraphrased that last bit.)

This whole discussion has really turned me off to Peapod (Massage Envy too but that's a separate issue.) I used Peapod once and tipped. But on further thinking, when does this tipping business end?? (I save your grandparent's life by utilizing my skills and knowledge but the guy who carries in the groceries gets the tip)? It all just doesn't make sense.

I recently received a Peapod gift card and thought how cool, I'll order a bunch of cat and dog food and send it to the shelter. Problem is, I don't know if the driver will expect a tip from the shelter! So I'll just pick up the food myself and deliver it, and then never use Peapod again.

You're kind of making nurses sound annoying.

Anonymous wrote:I agree with not having to tip the drivers. Hear me out.

I am a nurse. I lift, roll, and clean poo off patients, all while the family just watches or leaves the room. Do I ever get a tip? No! Why? I am providing a valuable service. On some level, I knew cleaning poo was part of this line of work. And I'm pretty sure the average Peopod driver catches on fairly quickly that he's gonna be lugging up water bottles 4 flights of steps. In all fairness, that's what he signed up for.

We've all had crappy minimum wage jobs which gives us the impetus to go back to school for better opportunities. It seems that Giant Peapod's exec's made the tipping issue purposefully ambiguous. It's very hard not to tip someone who just provided a great service; however, the company already charges a service fee. Where does that $ go? Other companies, like Massage Envy, let you know up front that they're screwing you, "Even though you paid $60 for the massage, we think it's worth is $120, so tip your masseuse $25." (I may have paraphrased that last bit.)

This whole discussion has really turned me off to Peapod (Massage Envy too but that's a separate issue.) I used Peapod once and tipped. But on further thinking, when does this tipping business end?? (I save your grandparent's life by utilizing my skills and knowledge but the guy who carries in the groceries gets the tip)? It all just doesn't make sense.

I recently received a Peapod gift card and thought how cool, I'll order a bunch of cat and dog food and send it to the shelter. Problem is, I don't know if the driver will expect a tip from the shelter! So I'll just pick up the food myself and deliver it, and then never use Peapod again.

Anonymous wrote:I don't see why we have to tip for everything in this country. I'm from here but have lived in Australia and Germany - where tipping is not expected - and is much lower than ours when given. If a server is good, they should just be paid a decent wage. The price should just be the price. As an engineer, I don't get tips from our customers if I perform well, I just get repeat customers. I think tipping is a stupid, annoying idea. We don't tip fast food workers (I don't), so why do we need to tip a delivery driver? Personally, I'd rather be a delivery driver than a fast food worker. If we are concerned about these people making enough money to survive, then we should be more interested in raising the minimum wage - not tipping for every stupid thing.