Six Tips for Ordering Pizza Delivery

While most people don't connect the idea of proper etiquette with ordering a pizza for delivery, exercising a little consideration and good manners can make the process easier for you and for everyone else concerned. Here are a few basic tips on how to place the order as well as how to conduct yourself when the pizza is delivered.

If ordering the pizza by phone, know what you want ahead of time. This is not that hard to accomplish, since many pizza parlors have menus printed in telephone books as well as available online. By knowing what you want, the process of placing the order and listening to any specials the parlor is offering will go much quicker. Keep in mind the sooner you complete the order, the sooner the restaurant can get to work on making your pizza.

Many people choose to pay for pizza orders with a credit card. When that is the case, make sure you have the card in hand when you are given the total for your order. You accomplish two things if you have to lay down the receiver and hunt for your card. First, you keep the restaurant hanging when they could be moving on to other customers. Second, you are preventing the restaurant from getting to work on your pizza.

Make sure you place the order a decent amount of time before you plan on eating. Keep in mind that if you order during a peak period, it may take longer for the pizza to be delivered. Save yourself the stress of waiting or calling the pizza parlor repeatedly by calling in your order at least an hour and a half in advance. If it gets there a little early, you can always keep it warm in the oven on a low setting for a little while.

Your job is not over once you've placed the pizza order. When it is nighttime, make sure any outside lighting, such as the porch light, is on. That will make it easier for the delivery person to find your home and thus prevent him or her from spending ten minutes circling the block. Your pizza will be delivered with fewer delays and be hot instead of tepid.

Don't forget to cover up before you answer the door. While you may be in great shape, there are no guarantees that the delivery person will be interested in a peek at your assets. Men, put on at least a tee shirt and a pair of walking shorts. Women, throwing a sheer dressing gown over your black lace lingerie does not constitute proper attire for receiving a pizza. If you have nothing else, borrow a tee shirt and a pair of walking shorts from your husband or a guy friend.

Last, always remember to tip. No one delivering pizza is doing so because of the high pay rate per hour. Follow the same rules of thumb as you would at a restaurant. If the individual delivering the food is courteous and personable, the order is correct, and the food is hot, cough up a fifteen to twenty percent tip. Make sure you do so with a kind word and a smile; that tip and your attitude might make the delivery person's day a little brighter.