Like many other restaurants across the country, Domino’s is facing a shortage of workers, so it's hoping to incentivize its customers to pick up their food instead of having it delivered — by paying them.
The restaurant chain just unveiled a "Carryout Tips" promotion that rewards customers with a $3 "tip" (aka an online credit) if they choose carryout over delivery.
“It takes skill to get pizza from a Domino’s store to your door,” Domino’s Executive President, Chief Marketing Officer Art D’Elia said in a press release. “As a reward, Domino’s is giving a $3 tip to online carryout customers who take the time and energy out of their day to act as their own delivery drivers. After all, we think they deserve it.”
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Here's how it works: Place a carryout order of $5 or more online or through the Domino's app, then earn a $3 Carryout Tip that can be applied towards another online carryout order of $5 or more the following week.
The promotion runs through May 22, 2022, and customers can earn and redeem up to one $3 Carryout Tip per day. You can also combine the offer with up to one other carryout eligible coupon.
In a press release, D'Elia noted that the deal comes just in time for the Super Bowl, which he called "one of the busiest days of the year" for the company. But incentivizing customers to choose Domino's over the competition might not be the only motivating factor behind the promotion.
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Like other restaurants, Domino's has not been immune to the staffing shortages facing the nation amid the pandemic, and the Carryout Tips promo is one way the company is coping with a smaller workforce (and potentially less delivery drivers). Not to mention the fact that delivery services such as Grubhub, Doordash and Uber Eats can also take a significant bite out of restaurants' profits.
With inflation on the rise, many restaurants have had to adjust their prices, and Domino's is no exception. The chain recently announced that its classic $7.99 chicken wings deal will now only be available online and will come with eight wings instead of 10.
Domino's isn't the first company to offer to pay its customers in recent months. Over the holidays, Philadelphia Cream Cheese tried to counteract a cream cheese shortage by reimbursing shoppers up to $20 for purchasing other desserts that don't involve cream cheese.
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