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MANILA, Philippines—As people who rely a lot on food delivery, who pick up the phone regularly hoping to get a good, hot meal, we’ve all been there —late deliveries, forgotten orders, delivery guys who don’t bring change.

We want to put a stop to it, we want to keep food companies on their toes.

We put six pizza delivery companies to the test—Domino’s, Greenwich, Magoo’s, Pizza Hut, Shakey’s and Yellow Cab.

To make things a little more challenging, we didn’t just order pizzas, we gave them specific instructions. We asked them to slice the pizza into 16 parts, instead of the usual eight or 10. One ingredient should be sprinkled on only half the pizza. One of us is allergic, we said, to make sure they took our request seriously.

The results were good. Most of the pizzas arrived on time (some were even early), most companies followed our instructions, and all the delivery boys brought change.

The funniest part of the test was when the Shakey’s and Pizza Hut delivery guys arrived at the same time. If they were surprised, they didn’t show it.

Six pizza companies, six pizzas, one destination—the ultimate delivery challenge. Who made it? Who was late? Who made a mistake? Read on.

Domino’s

Hotline: 9222222

The call: The phone call was quick, the operator took note of the instructions and showed no surprise—like they get calls daily from weirdos who want their pizza cut into really small slices.

The order: Bacon Cheeseburger pizza with beef on only half the pizza, cut into 16 slices.

Delivery time: 41 minutes.

The delivery boy: He brought a bunch of VIP cards and gave them to us—entitling us to a 20 percent discount the next time we call.

The pizza: The pizza that arrived had beef on only half the pizza and it was cut into 16 slices. They did not scrimp on hot sauce—we were given a handful of packets.

Bonus points: Offering a VIP discount card to customers

Greenwich

Hotline: 55555

Website: www.greenwich.com.ph

The call: The operator insisted that asking for tomatoes on only half the pizza is impossible. He said, “Maghahalo din po ‘yun ‘pag niluto na ‘yung pizza.” Please ask them to try anyway, I said. He also said 16 slices were impossible—the slices would be too small. The maximum was 10 slices, he said.

I said, please ask them to try 16 anyway. He told me to consider their Party Express service the next time I was throwing a party.

The order: One Grilled Chicken and Garlic pizza with tomatoes on only half the pizza, sliced into 16.

Delivery time: 34 minutes. The pizza arrived later than they said it would.

The pizza: They put tomatoes on only half the pizza but the pizza was cut into only 10 slices. I checked the receipt and saw that the operator gave instructions to cut the pizza into 10 and not the 16 I asked for.

The delivery boy: He was pleasant and he brought change.

Bonus points: Their Pizza Padala service, which allows you to surprise your friends and family with pizza.

Magoo’s

Hotline: No hotline. Each branch has a different number.

Website: www.magoos.com

The call: The girl who picked up the phone at the Eastwood branch took the details and then explained that their motorcycle was in the repair shop but she’d pass on the order to their branch in Robinsons Galleria. The girl from the Galleria branch soon called explaining that they’d take care of the delivery but it might take a little longer than usual. That’s fine, I said.

The order: The TGIF pizza (sardines, mushrooms, green peppers and garlic) with green peppers on only half the pizza, sliced into 16.

Delivery time: 56 minutes.

The pizza: The TGIF pizza arrived cut into 16 slices and with green peppers on only half the pizza.

The delivery boy: He brought change.

Bonus points: Not saying no. They didn’t have a rider but they found a way to get the pizza to us.

Pizza Hut

Hotline: 9111111

Website: www.pizzahut.com.ph

The call: “It’s a great choice ma’am, I tried it myself,” the operator said when I gave her my order. The phone call was fast, the operator was very alert, taking note of the instructions quickly. “Maliit na po ‘yun, Ma’am,” she said, when I asked for the pizza to be cut into 16 slices. That’s fine, I said. She offered other promos, Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings and an upgrade to Cheezy Pops all of which I politely refused.

The order: One family-sized Hawaiian Supreme pizza, cut into 16 slices, with pineapples on only half the pizza.

Delivery time: 33 minutes. The pizza arrived earlier than they said it would.

The delivery boy: He showed us the pizza, gave us the change and even told us about a promo we might want to order next time.

The pizza: The pizza that arrived had pineapples on only half the pizza—but sadly it was cut into the usual eight slices.

Bonus points: Offering a Palm Card to their customers—that means a free pizza every time they order.

Shakey’s

Website: www.shakeyspizza.ph

Hotline: 77-777

The call: A machine picked up at first, but the operator soon took over. He was very thorough, even asking for a mobile number to make sure I could be reached.

The order: Manager’s Choice (ham, beef, Italian sausage, green pepper and onions) with onions on only half the pizza, sliced into 16.

Delivery time: 28 minutes.

The delivery boy: He was polite, he showed us the pizza, he brought change with him.

The pizza: The pizza had onions on only half of it and it was cut into 16.

Bonus points: Offering the Pizzanatic card which gets you a free pizza every time you call and the Pizza Padala service which allows you to surprise loved ones with a dose of Shakey’s.

Yellow Cab

Hotline: No hotline. Every branch has a different number.

Website: www.yellowcab.com (under construction)

The call: Yellow Cab does not have a delivery hotline but the girl who answered the phone at the Eastwood branch was efficient—even if I had to really explain to her what I meant when I said I only wanted pepperoni on half the pizza.

The order: Four-cheese pizza with pepperoni on half of it, sliced into 16.

Delivery time: 29 minutes. The pizza arrived earlier than they said it would.

The delivery boy: He brought change.

The pizza: The four-cheese pizza arrived sliced into 16, with pepperoni on half of it.

Bonus points: Offering condiments on the phone—and making sure the delivery boy brought all of them—chili flakes, hot sauce, pepper and salt.

Who should we test next? E-mail Ls_2bu@inquirer.com.ph.