Ask George: How much should I tip the Jimmy John’s driver?

Ask George: How much should I tip the Jimmy John’s driver? John G., St. Louis, Mo

Before I answer, let’s look at the big picture. As with most sandwich company delivery situations, the franchisee has some latitude on how to compensate the drivers. Some pay a small per delivery fee, others compensate with a miles allowance, still others contribute a small percentage of sales on top of the driver’s wage. In all of the above cases, however, the additional compensation is miniscule so it’s a fair assumption that drivers make minimum wage (or less) plus a little extra. And that “little extra” (from .50 to 1.00 per run, I am told) hardly covers the driver’s gas, insurance, depreciation, and wear and tear. And it’s also been my understanding that any delivery charges usually go to the house, not the driver.

A sandwich delivery driver’s average sales are quite small, well below those of a pizza driver. Why would anyone want to sign on to such a no-win scenario?  

It’s really not so bleak…

Sandwich drivers are sent on short runs, a lot of them, most in a 5-minute driving radius around the store. And remember that JJ’s sandwiches get made as fast as the sale gets transacted. So drivers can easily make 10-25 deliveries per lunch shift, so the tips can certainly add up.

But the question remains, what’s the right amount to leave the driver? I maintain the standard 20% dining room tip is a bottom dollar minimum in these situations (that’s $1.40 on a $7 sandwich), due to the costs and risks associated with maintaining a vehicle .

Local drivers tell me that $2-3 dollars is standard for a single delivery. So, yes, that sandwich you’re eating is now a $10 sandwich. But think about it. It’s raining, it’s snowing, it’s freezing cold, it’s too hot to even look outside, you’ve got too much work, you’re sick, tired, too drunk to drive, too hungover to drive, or you’ve got no food in the house…ah, but the Jimmy John’s driver will be there, a food doctor that has the power to Save. Your. Life. Isn’t that worth 10 bucks? I read one review that read, “God bless you, Jimmy John’s, and the delicious subs you deliver to my lazy ass.”

One last tangent: should the sandwich customer tip in advance, when placing the order? I say no–tips should be service dependent, not automatic. People order Jimmy John’s partly because the delivery usually is “freaky fast.” If I tip $4 in advance and the delivery takes 45 minutes, I’d be tempted to ask for a little of it back.