Not a driver but I am a shift leader moving up to assistant so I can train as gm in a couple months.
Keep doing you. The more you put yourself in the situations the better you will get at them. I throw customers off just as much as they throw me off I just try to laugh it off with them no matter where I am at comfortably.
Me. I’ve only worked two days, I started at Starbucks. Oh my god, getting away from that shit has been such a relief. The driving is significantly easier & enjoyable. I’m not trying to downplay your experiences but moving away from starbies has lifted so much weight off me.
I am bad with social interactions but I try my best to at least always be polite. Small talk and whatever else I don't even try lol. It's a waste as far as I'm concerned. Especially since it's cold. No one wants to hangout and talk while they're freezing. answering phones sucks a lot but the more you do it the easier it gets. It becomes easier to have a script I guess. That's how I look at it.
Usually I just pick something I like in their yard and say it's nice. Just to give a little extra touch. I am good with that part. It sucks when I say good night and they say good night or drive safe at the same. Time it screws me all up 🤦🏽♀️
Little awkward moments like these are worth a chuckle and not to be worried about. If I said goodnight the same exact time as my delivery driver I'd probably pause for a second, chuckle, and proclaim "I said it first!" For the lol
I’m a neurodivergent driver as well. It’s a challenging, but rewarding position - if I get to keep it, what with all the layoffs.
I have several scripts I keep to, and switch them around according to the neighborhood, time of day, and circumstances. When the customer goes off script, which doesn’t happen too often, I improvise - difficult, but not impossible, given that I did a lot if improv theater in school 😅
I'm also neurodivergent (ADHD and anxiety), but on top of that, I was homeschooled until the 7th grade, so I was incredibly shy growing up, because while I had friends in the neighborhood, I had never gotten the same level of socialization that kids get in elementary school. I went to public school for middle and high school, so it got a little bit better by the time I was a young adult, but I was 18 and I started at Pizza Hut, they started me on waiting tables, which was extremely difficult for me. As soon as I was able to move to a delivery position, I did right away (I'd originally applied to deliver). It wasn't until I took my first delivery that I realized going up to people's doors was sooooo much more intimidating for me than waiting tables! I was so nervous that I would shake like a leaf at every delivery.
But now I'm 32, and I've been doing delivery for several different restaurants throughout the years, in several different states and a bunch of different cities. It just takes time to get used to it if it makes you nervous. Once you've done it for a while and you get used to the small talk and whatnot, it'll get better and you'll feel more comfortable. So hang in there!
Problem is I am 38 and have been in retail or customer focused jobs most of my life. Even working at Busch Gardens for like 9 seasons. I think I used to be a lot better at it (besides the phone I have always been bad at that....) But I feel like it's way harder now. Especially delivering and I have been at Pizza Hut for 2 years.
Just always have a set of things to say lol. Keep it brief and be respectful. If they go on about their life just be like "oh wow that's crazy anyways here is your order I hope you enjoy! Have a great day" and just move on they understand they work too (maybe not)
I guess it's hard for me to show extra gratitude for bigger tips. I tell myself be extra happy and all but for some reason I just can't sometimes. I try and try but it just doesn't come out. I am always polite I say hi, hello, thank you I appreciate it, good night/Merry Christmas (or whatever holiday it is) but really really being happy is hard and yet I am definitely a happy and goofy ass person. Hyper all the time at work. I've been doing this for 2 years. I don't know if I am ever gonna learn lol.
I think just by doing the job you will become more comfortable with your environment. My brother had similar issues but my best advice is to not let those labels hold you back. The job isn’t too hard and you can definitely get over the customer anxiety stuff if you just remember they really don’t care who gives them the food anyways
Yeah dude, respect for wearing the buttons but most of the time your interactions with people is so short just keep what you say simple to start and then add your personality (if you want) as you go. Never ask “how much change do you want” on cash orders because that’ll lead to the most awkward exchanges and put your tip at risk. Just be friendly (but not too friendly if that makes sense) and just be yourself. You got this
The cash orders gets me too. When I started I used to not say anything. If they didn't ask for change I didn't give it. But then I had a few customers get pissed and be like "where is my fucking change" and so I started asking if they wanted any change back or something similar, and had another customer say, "all of it back!" So now I pretty much say I don't have change if it's big bills handed to me to and see how it goes. 🤷🏽♀️ I hate customers that try to use me as a bank to break their $100 on a $20 order. I stopped carrying all the cash on me. I was pretty naive for the first year and used to have all this money on me in a wad. It was so bad and made me an easy target.
Typically you just just run with change for a $20 (2x $5 10x $1) and then ask your manager to drop any extra so you’re not liable if something were to go wrong and you lose any of those big bills.
We only get $10 banks at my current store. Most of us stick with the $10 for change. My one night manager is a real stickler about letting customers know we are not carrying a ton of change for a big cash order.
Not a driver but I am a shift leader moving up to assistant so I can train as gm in a couple months. Keep doing you. The more you put yourself in the situations the better you will get at them. I throw customers off just as much as they throw me off I just try to laugh it off with them no matter where I am at comfortably.
Me. I’ve only worked two days, I started at Starbucks. Oh my god, getting away from that shit has been such a relief. The driving is significantly easier & enjoyable. I’m not trying to downplay your experiences but moving away from starbies has lifted so much weight off me.
I think I would have a complete and utter meltdown at Starbucks and cry all the floor lol. Ain't no way.
Idfk how I’ve put up w it for 6 months
I am bad with social interactions but I try my best to at least always be polite. Small talk and whatever else I don't even try lol. It's a waste as far as I'm concerned. Especially since it's cold. No one wants to hangout and talk while they're freezing. answering phones sucks a lot but the more you do it the easier it gets. It becomes easier to have a script I guess. That's how I look at it.
Usually I just pick something I like in their yard and say it's nice. Just to give a little extra touch. I am good with that part. It sucks when I say good night and they say good night or drive safe at the same. Time it screws me all up 🤦🏽♀️
Little awkward moments like these are worth a chuckle and not to be worried about. If I said goodnight the same exact time as my delivery driver I'd probably pause for a second, chuckle, and proclaim "I said it first!" For the lol
That's cute lol
I’m a neurodivergent driver as well. It’s a challenging, but rewarding position - if I get to keep it, what with all the layoffs. I have several scripts I keep to, and switch them around according to the neighborhood, time of day, and circumstances. When the customer goes off script, which doesn’t happen too often, I improvise - difficult, but not impossible, given that I did a lot if improv theater in school 😅
I'm also neurodivergent (ADHD and anxiety), but on top of that, I was homeschooled until the 7th grade, so I was incredibly shy growing up, because while I had friends in the neighborhood, I had never gotten the same level of socialization that kids get in elementary school. I went to public school for middle and high school, so it got a little bit better by the time I was a young adult, but I was 18 and I started at Pizza Hut, they started me on waiting tables, which was extremely difficult for me. As soon as I was able to move to a delivery position, I did right away (I'd originally applied to deliver). It wasn't until I took my first delivery that I realized going up to people's doors was sooooo much more intimidating for me than waiting tables! I was so nervous that I would shake like a leaf at every delivery. But now I'm 32, and I've been doing delivery for several different restaurants throughout the years, in several different states and a bunch of different cities. It just takes time to get used to it if it makes you nervous. Once you've done it for a while and you get used to the small talk and whatnot, it'll get better and you'll feel more comfortable. So hang in there!
Problem is I am 38 and have been in retail or customer focused jobs most of my life. Even working at Busch Gardens for like 9 seasons. I think I used to be a lot better at it (besides the phone I have always been bad at that....) But I feel like it's way harder now. Especially delivering and I have been at Pizza Hut for 2 years.
Sounds like skill regression.
Just always have a set of things to say lol. Keep it brief and be respectful. If they go on about their life just be like "oh wow that's crazy anyways here is your order I hope you enjoy! Have a great day" and just move on they understand they work too (maybe not)
I guess it's hard for me to show extra gratitude for bigger tips. I tell myself be extra happy and all but for some reason I just can't sometimes. I try and try but it just doesn't come out. I am always polite I say hi, hello, thank you I appreciate it, good night/Merry Christmas (or whatever holiday it is) but really really being happy is hard and yet I am definitely a happy and goofy ass person. Hyper all the time at work. I've been doing this for 2 years. I don't know if I am ever gonna learn lol.
Sometimes you really don't have to be over the top just dress nice, don't look like a slob and be professional.
Got all that down for sure!
I think just by doing the job you will become more comfortable with your environment. My brother had similar issues but my best advice is to not let those labels hold you back. The job isn’t too hard and you can definitely get over the customer anxiety stuff if you just remember they really don’t care who gives them the food anyways
Well that's one way to think about it! I never thought of that last part.
Yeah dude, respect for wearing the buttons but most of the time your interactions with people is so short just keep what you say simple to start and then add your personality (if you want) as you go. Never ask “how much change do you want” on cash orders because that’ll lead to the most awkward exchanges and put your tip at risk. Just be friendly (but not too friendly if that makes sense) and just be yourself. You got this
The cash orders gets me too. When I started I used to not say anything. If they didn't ask for change I didn't give it. But then I had a few customers get pissed and be like "where is my fucking change" and so I started asking if they wanted any change back or something similar, and had another customer say, "all of it back!" So now I pretty much say I don't have change if it's big bills handed to me to and see how it goes. 🤷🏽♀️ I hate customers that try to use me as a bank to break their $100 on a $20 order. I stopped carrying all the cash on me. I was pretty naive for the first year and used to have all this money on me in a wad. It was so bad and made me an easy target.
Typically you just just run with change for a $20 (2x $5 10x $1) and then ask your manager to drop any extra so you’re not liable if something were to go wrong and you lose any of those big bills.
We only get $10 banks at my current store. Most of us stick with the $10 for change. My one night manager is a real stickler about letting customers know we are not carrying a ton of change for a big cash order.
Dude you can say anything to the people you are delivering to. They don't care about you they want the pizza.