Light up because we’re about to hash out the nitty-gritty of tipping etiquette in the Golden State’s thriving cannabis scene. With weed at your fingertips, delivered straight to your door like a pizza, tipping becomes the green cherry on top of an already convenient experience. If you’ve ever questioned the ‘highs and lows’ of tipping your weed delivery driver, you’re in luck.
Just ahead, we’re rolling out the ultimate guide on tipping decorum for your cannabis courier. From the financial sweet spot of how much to tip to the considerations that can tip the scale in your decision-making and why tipping is more than just an afterthought in the service industry. Plus, we’ll spark up a few real-world scenarios to guide you through those awkward tipping moments. So, let’s light up this conversation!
Contents
- Key Takeaways
- Too tired to head out to the dispensary yourself?
- The Importance of Tipping in the Service Industry
- Factors Influencing How Much You Tip for Weed Delivery
- Guidelines for Tipping Weed Delivery
- Potential Scenarios and Appropriate Tips
- Final Thoughts
- Tipping a Weed Delivery: Frequently Asked Questions
Key Takeaways
- Tipping in today’s service industry is a must, as most workers make a big chunk of their earnings through the tipping system.
- There are several factors to help you influence how much to the top, including service quality, distance, safety, personal budget, and even industry standards.
- The general guideline to follow is to always tip between 15% and 20% of your total purchase and, depending on the app or service, to give cash or tip through the app.
- Some potential scenarios like bulk buying, delivering to hotels, or getting a last-minute order are all cases where you should give at least a bigger extra when tipping due to the general process of delivery.
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The Importance of Tipping in the Service Industry
Cannabis legislation has made it extremely easy for intuitive business models to exist in the modern hemp space. And, one of those models is cannabis delivery. If you live in California, you probably know that getting weed delivered to your house is as easy as ordering a burrito.
Because of this shift in the cannabis space, couriers and drivers have also become part of the service industry pretty quickly. These workers not only heavily rely on tips to supplement their income, but some regions might even have tipped minimum wage, which can be lower than the standard.
The general tipping culture in the U.S. has become a sort of etiquette, especially after the pandemic hit. During economic downturns and global events, tipping has become a staple of the service industry as a way to show appreciation for exceptional service and generally deliver products quickly to your home.
Speaking of appreciation, while we value the hard work of delivery professionals, it is also important to recognize the craftsmanship behind some weed products like distillate. These products are sometimes frail and require extra packaging and care, which is why delivery workers take the extra mile when compared to other workers like food or grocery services.
You can also experience delicious concentrate from delivery services like CanEx, which carry name brands like Cali Heights’ 1g Rainbow Belts Live Rosin. This type of top-shelf is generally unique, with its hefty 76.3% of Delta-9 THC. Now, the general mechanical process used to create rosin is almost like the artisanship equivalent of weed, which is why carriers also need to take extra safety to take them to their destination.
Tipping in the service industry is an age-old custom, and this tradition isn’t lost in the cannabis sector. Your delivery driver isn’t just a courier; they’re the face of a multi-faceted industry, helping navigate intricate regulations and enhancing your overall experience. So when you tip, you’re not just parting with extra cash; you’re recognizing the hard work that keeps this green machine running. Stay with us as I dive deeper into the unique tipping culture of the cannabis world.
Factors Influencing How Much You Tip for Weed Delivery
So, how much to tip a weed delivery driver? This can vary through certain factors, but there are mainly five that you should take into account when thinking about how much to tip. Let’s take a quick look at them so you can get a better glance at how to tip.
- Service Quality: This is key to understanding how much and if you should tip. If the service was good, the delivery was quick, the condition of the product upon arrival was good, and the courier had efficient communication skills, you should definitely tip for your service.
- Distance and Difficulty: If you live far away from the dispensary in question or the delivery personnel has to navigate through tricky terrain (off-roading, excessive traffic during rush hour, etc.), they definitely deserve those extra dollars.
- Safety and Discretion: Weed, while legal, can still be frowned upon due to stigmatization. Most couriers try their best to be discreet and have the utmost safety when delivering your green gold. So, how far they go to maintain discretion is also pretty valuable.
- Personal Budget: We know that tipping is a way to show appreciation, but make sure you save some of your budget for this. Even for smaller errands, a few bucks can help you show your gratitude for making your day a little greener.
- Industry Standards: Since the driver is also taking care of your precious products from the point they leave the store or dispensary to your home, paying it forward has become part of the culture of ordering pot to your home as well.
Considering all these factors, you can decide how much to tip weed delivery drivers, but also if they should earn an extra or two. We also created a few step-by-step guidelines to determine how to tip next, so let’s tackle that knowing the factors we reviewed so far.
Guidelines for Tipping Weed Delivery
Now, there are generally three steps to follow when looking at how much to tip weed delivery. First, how close is the dispensary or service? Usually, the minimum tip for really close places stands between $3 and $5 USD. So don’t feel too pressured if the courier doesn’t take more than 10 minutes to get there.
If, however, the place is kind of close but not enough for that 10-minute mark, users regularly tip between 15% and 20%. This is the standard for tipping for delivery services, especially when you order things on same-day delivery, like when you order from apps like Uber Eats or DashDoor.
What happens when the courier does an amazing job? For example, things like going through a late-night order, surviving heavy traffic, or getting to your place before the estimated time of arrival are things that people appreciate and even give a little extra to the delivery person.
So, to sum it up, here’s a small list of things to consider when tipping:
- If the place is close by, the expected tip should be at least $5 USD
- The standard rate for tipping in delivering service is around 15% and 20%.
- For larger orders or situations where your courier did an amazing service or had to jump through a few extra hoops, you can also tip more.
- There are potential scenarios where tipping extra is appreciated, like when your residence is hard to reach or getting large orders at once.
Cash or Through the App Tipping
Before I move to the potential scenarios and how to tip the orders, sometimes, whenever you order, you might encounter a quick dilemma: “Should I tip in cash or use the app to tip”?
Some services allow the user to tip directly, which is convenient if you don’t currently carry any change. Others leave the tipping to the customer, so it mostly depends on the weed delivery service.
The bottom line? Tip in a way that suits you. If you’re short on change, no worries—the app has a function for tipping. But if you’ve got some cash, many drivers appreciate that tactile token of gratitude. Uncertain? Feel free to ask your courier for their preference upon delivery—just make sure to tip, one way or another.
Potential Scenarios and Appropriate Tips
We’ve gone through some factors and some general guidelines, but let’s test how much to tip weed delivery drivers with some special cases. Maybe you are getting your month’s bulk buy, or your current place is far away from the urban area. Depending on these, we’d recommend giving either a small extra or even going further to tipping 30% of your order’s total. Let’s check some of the potential scenarios and how we’d go around them.
Larger Orders
First up, let’s talk bulk orders. When you’re loading up on a smorgasbord of goodies—from flowers to concentrates and prerolls—it’s not just your stash that’s getting hefty. The driver’s load bulks up too, taking up valuable real estate in their transport. In cases like these, where you’ve got six or more items, it’s common to tip between 30% and 40% of your total.
Keep in mind that by claiming that much space in their vehicle, the driver’s ability to take on additional deliveries might be reduced. So, your generous tip is also compensating for that.
Now, if you want to get many items for a bulk buy or a party, we have a few recommendations. For herbs, try the Foreign Genetics’ Sherblato, a sativa-dominant premium strain with top-shelf care and a delicious tart and citrus profile that will amaze your guests. You can get it in a 3.5g resealable bag.
For a similar strain but in preroll form, the 1g OG-lato Pre-Roll by Autumn Brands has a similar spice, pine, and citrus-heavy taste but in a smaller sample size with a full-gram premade joint. This strain is more balanced with hybrid-like effects and 31.0% of Delta-9 THC levels.
Long Distance
While most delivery services will definitely let you know if they are far away from the delivery area, for physical reasons, the courier might have trouble getting to your place. Either the street can be too inclined, traffic, or simply the area, while a county they can work with might be pretty remote.
Because of this, we highly recommend tipping an extra if you know you live in a remote place. If this is the case, you could order some harder-hitting products like STIIIZY’s LIIIL Watermelon Z Disposable. This pen comes with high-potency indica distillate with 88.6% of THC, ready to smoke from the get-go.
Orders to Hotels or Airbnbs
Some hotels and Airbnb sites allow for weed consumption on their premises, which can be a great idea if you are planning to travel to California. In this case, if you use a weed delivery service, it is very common to tip a few extra bucks to thank them for coming to the lobby of the site or hotel.
Now, if your hotel allows cannabis consumption and you prefer to skip the smoke, you can try an infused product like the Lunar Orange Vegan Galactic Gummies by AlienLabs. These come in a handy resealable pouch in 10mg of Delta-9 THC per gummy presentation. You can try these without having to leave smoke or residues behind, they are perfect for unwinding after visiting your favorite spots or even a concert.
Last Minute Orders
The last example scenario is when you squeeze an order in the last few minutes before the dispensary or weed delivery service closes. Since sometimes this requires extra effort from the driver and store, it is really appreciated if you give a few extra bucks for the delivery, especially if it gets there in time.
This is important as some counties have specific rulings on the time they allow for dispensaries and weed delivery services to function. So, an order in the last few minutes before closing can be stressful, and tipping is always appreciated.
For instance, squeezing an order on a 4” Hand Pipe to your friend’s house because you forgot your setup can be a lifesaver to smoke some of your favorite weed together. This type of pipe has beautiful colors, is made from blown glass, and costs $10 USD. So, if you need an emergency pipe for smoking, you can get your last-minute pipe from Canex over here.
Final Thoughts
Navigating the nuances of tipping for weed delivery can initially feel like a bit of a maze, but we trust that this guide has helped demystify the process. From underlining the vital role that tipping plays in the service industry to shedding light on how various factors like promptness and service quality might influence your gratuity, we’ve got you covered. Standard tipping rates for cannabis delivery generally hover between 15% and 20% of your total bill, though larger orders might warrant an extra 10%. For more modest orders, a flat $5 should do the trick.
Don’t forget to inquire whether your driver prefers cash or app-based tips. However, for safety reasons, we strongly recommend opting for electronic tipping, particularly on larger orders, to minimize the risk associated with the driver carrying large amounts of cash.
Tipping a Weed Delivery: Frequently Asked Questions
Throughout this article, we’ve talked about how much to tip weed delivery and a few tips and tricks to go by with this type of service. If you think you still have a few questions unanswered, here’s a quick FAQ section to help you out.
Is Tipping Weed Delivery Drivers Mandatory?
While it is not mandatory to tip weed delivery drivers, it is highly advised as it is part of the industry, it shows your gratitude for the service, and it is commonly done as part of the delivery culture, especially for valuable goods like pot.
How Do I Know How Much to Tip for Weed Delivery?
For shorter distances, you should tip at least $5 USD, but the standard rate is anywhere between 15% and 20% of your order’s cost.
Can I Tip Weed Delivery Drivers With Cannabis Products or Other Goods?
No, it is highly unlikely a driver will accept cannabis products or other goods as a tip. Firstly, because the service policy might restrict them from accepting that as a tip. Secondly, not everyone consumes cannabis, so tipping a gummy or something is a little presumptuous.