Holiday delivery tipping: why December is a different job.

What actually changes.

• Bigger carts. Hosting means turkeys, cases of drinks, baking supplies and gifts. Heavy and bulky orders take more trips from car to door. Here’s how access adds work.
• Busier stores. Around big holidays stores tend to be crowded, so shopping, checkout and handoff can take longer. Shopping is work, and so is waiting.
• More substitutions. Popular items sell out. Every substitution is another decision, and a quick answer helps.
• Winter roads. Slower driving, scraped windshields, slick steps. The same trip takes longer and costs more attention.
• More orders waiting. When many people want delivery at once, offers compete for drivers’ time. Here’s why some sit.

Tip for the work, not the date.

The tip guide’s question still applies: what would this job require of the person doing it? If December makes the job longer, that should show in the tip. Using the same illustrative math as the tip math guide, every extra 30 minutes of waiting is $7.50 at a $15 hourly target.

Ways to make a holiday delivery go smoothly.

• Order early. More time means fewer rushed substitutions and fewer orders left waiting.
• Set your substitution choices. Walmart lets you allow or disallow substitutions on eligible orders, so the shopper isn’t guessing.
• Make access easy. A visible house number, gate code or building directions. In winter, clear and salt the path to the door.
• Tip upfront. It’s the one tip drivers can weigh before accepting. A later tip is appreciated, but it can’t be counted on when the offer appears. Here’s the problem from the driver’s side.

If you’d like to say thanks another way.

A cash tip at the door goes straight to the person who brought your order. A kind note helps too. But when the miles and minutes got longer, the money is what covers them.