Time for a minor rant… Back in the fall of 2008, I asked if fuel surcharges were here to stay. At the time, gas prices had fallen from $4+/gallon to the mid-$2 range, but those pesky surcharges that cropped up when fuel prices spiked were still persisting.
At the time, I suggested that these sorts of fees are a one-way street in that they get added when times are tough, and they never go away. Well…
Here we are, over 1.5 years later. Gas prices are still in the mid-$2 range and there are still tons of businesses charging fuel surcharges. For example, we recently had our septic tank pumped, and guess what? When the bill showed up, they had included a $15 fuel surcharge.
Don’t get me wrong… I’m more than happy to pay someone to pump our septic tank, but a $15 fuel surcharge? Come on. If you’re having trouble making ends meet, just be honest and raise your prices. Enough with the nickel and dime surcharges!
I used to deliver pizza. That was a few years ago though. The delivery charge went into my pocket. Of course I had to use my own car and pay for my own gas also.
So to the person who lives 5 miles from the pizza place. That pizza delivery guy has to drive 10 miles to deliver your pizza. That works out to 20 cents per mile. That may not even cover all the costs associated with operating a vehicle.
After I kept track of mileage and how much I was taking in with tips and delivery charges for a month, I discovered I was barely breaking even. I found another job.
So a $2 delivery charge does not seem exorbitant to me. Also think about this. Would you take $2 to drive 10 miles?
Or just get the pizza to go. We never do delivery b/c we refuse to pay any delivery charges. On top of that, you’re supposed to tip the guy who delivered it. I’d rather just run to the store and pick it up myself.
Re. the pizza delivery: if you want to save a ton of money and have healthier, better tasting pizza, make your own pizza at home. If you don’t want to roll your own dough, buy the pizza crust and top with pasta sauce and whatever toppings you want. It tastes a lot better than frozen or parlor pizza, has less fat and cholesterol, and is fun to make.
While I certainly don’t agree with the pizza delivery surcharge, don’t forget that diesel is still almost $4 a gallon? The guy pumping out your septic probably came in a pretty big diesel truck. It may be a bogus way for them to make some extra money, but it could be legit too.
We almost never get pizza delivery anymore because of the $2 ‘delivery surcharge’ that was added during the days of $4/gallon gas, but still lingers to this day (we live less than 5 miles from the pizza place). That’s practically a 20% markup on a pizza!