Get the door ... "THE PIZZA'S HERE!" Holidays are busy; tips are decent

It's just days past Thanksgiving, the bird is barely cold and you can't face another turkey-leftovers casserole?

It sounds like time to call for a pizza delivery. Throughout the region, and across the country, phones are expected to be ringing off the hooks with requests for hot-and-fast-to-your-front-door pizza pies.

"We always find this around Thanksgiving," says Sasha Mitronovas, an 11-year pizza delivery veteran who is operations assistant for Seattle-based Pagliacci Pizza.

"The day before Thanksgiving and usually the Sunday after Thanksgiving are two of our busiest days of the year. By that time, people are sick of leftovers and they're tired of cooking. Period. But you still might have guests — family or friends — at your house and you still have to feed them."

In fact, late November and December historically create the year's heaviest workload for pizza delivery, a job that offers part- and full-time flexibility and pay that can top $14 an hour, including tips.

"It's a fun job, when you think about it," says Patti Wilmot, Domino's Pizza executive vice president for human resources.

"Our drivers get to grab a hot pizza and drive it to a customer in a safe manner, listening to their own music along the way. At that given moment, they're the most popular person in the house ... plus they get good tips — often cash tips."

And though such tips are often a great incentive, Wilmot adds "the compelling thing to me about this job is the opportunity it offers to work on their own schedule."

Pagliacci Pizza co-owner Matt Galvin agrees.

'The vast majority of our drivers work 20 to 25 hours a week," Galvin says.

"Many of our drivers have other jobs or go to school or have family issues or hobbies and this job fits around all of that."

Perhaps that's why there are so many of these jobs.

Though no official labor reports tally the number of these workers, Domino's Pizza — the world's leader in pizza delivery — employs some 50,000 drivers and bicyclists throughout its 5,000 U.S. stores.

At Pagliacci's, 13 local restaurants have 140 drivers on Seattle-area streets.

A check of local telephone listings also shows at least 50 other restaurants that offer pizza delivery in the area.

"A busy store could have 10 to 15 drivers on a Friday night alone ... and some stores have been known to make up to 12 pizzas in a single hour," said Domino's corporate vice president for communications Tim McIntyre.

"This reinforces the incredible opportunities that exist for people who want to get into this business," he said.

And though pizza-delivery demand does rise this time of year, hiring managers say the surge doesn't necessarily create a glut of jobs.

"We do see a spike starting in the fall, but we don't have seasonal hiring," says Pagliacci's Galvin.

"There might be an extra driver in each store, but more likely the people who are already working are going to be working more hours per week."

It's much the same at Domino's, according to McIntyre.

The hectic December shopping season does create more work for drivers, McIntyre says, but "that tends to be extra holiday money for our existing drivers."

Busy shifts aren't limited to the next month, either.

Other boons to the business include "Halloween, New Year's, the Super Bowl — all big sports events," says McIntyre. "Whenever America is mesmerized by its TV sets, it's a good thing for us. Plus, we're probably the only company that likes rainy weather."

Galvin agrees.

"The weather is a real important factor," he says. "If it's a dark, rainy night, and people don't want to go out, it's a positive impact for us."

Mitronovas, who moved to Seattle from New York eight years ago to become a self-described "ski bum," recalls many of those rain-soaked shifts.

"I was delivering pizza in the evenings so I could ski every day, still make a good living and get most of a night's sleep," he says. "Eventually, I decided to return to school, and it was the perfect job for going to school."

Mitronovas continued delivering pizzas while earning a business degree at Seattle Central Community College and the University of Washington. His advancement is not unusual in the business. Among Domino's current 1,350 store franchise owners, 1,100 started as delivery drivers.

"I think a lot of people just think 'Oh, they're just a delivery guy and that's all they're doing with their life,' " says Galvin. "But I find our drivers have really fascinating stories. Some are just out of college, others have just moved to this country and they were engineers or lawyers in their native country."

That's part of what makes it easy for Galvin to find good drivers for Pagliacci.

"We want to hire the people with personalities first," says Galvin. "We can train them in everything else."

While a clean driving record is required for successful delivery candidates at all pizza joints, knowledge of tricky addresses is not always crucial.

At Pagliacci, a Mapquest-like computer system called "Luigi" provides drivers with directions so specific to the restaurant's neighborhood that it "tells them to go to the fourth block and look for the red mailbox," says Galvin.

At Domino's, store managers will assess the applicant's vehicle for a "motor-vehicle test to make sure the image is correct," Wilmot says. Brakes and rear lights must be in good condition.

Drivers also must pass a driver-training course, administered on-site by a store manager.

And while applicants must be at least 18 years old, Wilmot says Domino's has drivers who are as old as 70.

But not everybody is cut out for pizza delivery, according to Mitronovas.

"Thick skin" is another prerequisite, he says.

"This is a service position. You're here to serve the customer. It's not your job to be unhappy. You do your best to smile and be friendly. If people are upset, you need to let them vent," Mitronovas says.

Composure and a friendly style are what generate tips, experienced drivers say.

Tips, however, can vary widely by neighborhood, pizza delivery veterans say.

Some companies require deliverers to promote their business by distributing fliers with coupons or menus.

And while most drivers are reimbursed for their fuel on a per-delivery, instead of per-mile basis, many restaurants offer bonuses for accurate, quick deliveries.

"You need a cool head under pressure. When it gets real busy, there's a tremendous pressure to hurry, hurry, hurry. But the No. 1 issue on a personal level and a company level is safety," Mitronovas says.

"You need to separate the pressure of a busy night from the overriding concern for safety. Staying cool with a mental checklist means you bring everything you need — you don't forget the salad or soda — and you get there on time by driving safely."