Domino’s is looking to its customers to boost the incomes of its drivers.
The company plans to launch a promotion on April 29 that will reward customers who tip $3 or more per order with a $3 coupon good for their next order, as long as that order takes place the following week.
“These days, everywhere you go, there’s a tip screen,” said Kate Trumbull, Domino’s senior vice president and chief brand officer in a statement. “The pressure to tip is real, even when no extra service is provided. So, we decided to flip the script and show our appreciation by tipping customers back.”
While any regular customer is bound to appreciate a discount on their order, and stiffing your delivery driver is a pretty lousy thing to do, the promotion could also unintentionally bring up the issue of worker salaries. Food-service workers have been in the news lately, especially since California implemented a $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers, affecting 500,000 people across the state. Economists disagree vigorously about the effects of that decision and have been debating it since it was announced.
Drivers at Domino’s earn different salaries, depending on their location. A Reddit thread asking about earnings from last year showed people who claimed to be drivers reporting income of anywhere from $3 per hour to $15 per hour (plus tips and mileage) for deliveries.
There’s a separate debate about whether Domino’s is technically fast food. Most of the chain’s restaurants don’t have a drive-thru window, and orders are made fresh. The company, though, is the largest pizza chain in the world. It’s also a master of public relations offerings, last year launching a “free emergency pizza” promotion and giving away $1 million in free pizzas to people who had to resume their student loan payments.