In an attempt to curb tipping culture’s recent negative reputation, Domino’s is giving customers a major incentive to tip delivery drivers — free food.
In a new initiative, “You Tip, We Tip,” the chain will dole out $3 coupons valid for one week every time a customer tips $3 or more to their delivery driver.
The promotion begins Monday, April 29 — the chain did not specify when the promotion would come to an end.
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“Domino’s drivers have been hustling to deliver hot, delicious pizzas since 1960, and we love that customers have been tipping them for their great service since day one,” said Domino’s Senior Vice President and Chief Brand Officer, Kate Trumbull, in a company release. “But these days, everywhere you go, there’s a tip screen. 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.”
According to Indeed, the average national salary for a Domino’s delivery driver is $17.88.
The promotion comes at a time when many in the U.S. are fed up with being prompted to pay extra after virtually every transaction. A recent study by CouponBirds found that 75% of Americans believe that tipping culture has gone too far, with 65% of people who “guilt tip” saying that they do so to “avoid awkwardness” with staff members.
Domino’s is coming off a strong Q1 of 2024, with global retail sales growth increasing 7.3% while U.S. same-store sales growth increased 5.6%.
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“The Renowned Value we created through our new and improved Domino’s Rewards loyalty program drove outsized comp performance, which flowed through to the bottom line with double-digit profit growth,” said Domino’s CEO Russell Weiner in an earnings release. “Importantly, our growth in the U.S. came through positive order counts in both our carryout and delivery businesses for the second quarter in a row. Further, this order growth was across all income cohorts.”
Domino’s was up over 68% year over year as of Monday afternoon.
