Tips make up 60-80% of delivery driver income. Here is exactly what separates the drivers who always get great tips from the ones who get $2 tips on $50 orders.
"Hi! I'm heading to you now with your order. I'll text when I'm at the door. Thanks!" — Sends after you confirm pickup. Costs 3 seconds, increases tips 15-25% on average.
"I'm at your door! 📦" with a photo of the sealed bag at the door. Shows you delivered, creates a small moment of delight. Adds $1-3 to average tip.
Best windows: 11am-1pm lunch, 5pm-8pm dinner. But dinner rush is saturated — try 9pm-11pm for less competition and bigger tip orders.
Avoid: Sunday morning. Low tips, high gas prices, restaurant closures.
Don't accept orders under $7 for deliveries over 3 miles. But also don't cherry-pick so aggressively you sit idle. The sweet spot: $1.50-2.00 per mile minimum, $8+ guarantees.
After delivering, send: "I noticed [item] was running low so I grabbed an extra just in case 😊" — even if you didn't. The psychological effect is real. Small thoughtful gestures trigger reciprocity.
Run 2-3 apps simultaneously (DoorDash + Uber Eats + Grubhub). Accept on whichever offers the best payout for the route. Drivers who multi-app earn 30-40% more than single-app drivers.
Hot food in a hot bag arrives hot. Cold food in a cold bag arrives cold. Customers notice. A quality hot bag ($25) pays for itself in one week through better ratings and tip percentages.