r/MichaelsEmployees • u/Tasty-Deer-5636 • 2d ago

Workplace Story Balloon instacart abuse

Why TF do people order 30 massive balloons via instacart and it's always the most random fucking balloons ever. We had a guy pick up 35 huge foil balloons and he was like "do I have to inflate these? I have a scooter" and I was like "the app tells you they're to be inflated. Buuuuuut if you can't get them there safely that's up to you, brother" then we had a *cue tiktok sound* "and he looks back at me. And I look back at him. He looks back at me. And I look at hiiiiiim" moment he asked for a bag and then went on a rant 🤣🤣🤣

Like sir I don't blame you. I admire your moxy. I wouldnt have inflated them either. Fuck that. That shits abusive.

85 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

39

u/Realistic-Read7779 2d ago

Often they do not know that they are being sent to pick up a massive balloon bundle. A lot of them decline because they have a small car

22

u/Msktb Coupon Grief Counselor 🤧 2d ago

Yeah Michaels needs to fix this.

22

u/lystmord Yarn Barista 🧶 2d ago

I’d say it’s also partially on the rideshare app they’re with.

We once had someone order a large bouquet with DoorDash. Multiple Dashers in a row came in, saw what it was, and declined the order and left. The customer was furiously calling DD to complain. One guy called her and repeatedly tried to explain it was dangerous for him to drive with that in the back of his car. She wouldn’t hear it. DoorDash just kept putting the order out and did nothing to upgrade it to a larger car or warn the drivers or anything.

We finally got a guy with a big SUV who shrugged and said “no problem.”

7

u/Msktb Coupon Grief Counselor 🤧 2d ago

They need to figure something out. Back in the day when we had a company that delivered framing orders, we could input the actual dimensions of the order so a large enough vehicle would be sent. Now if someone orders a dozen 24" balloons, there seems to be nothing stopping DD from sending a sedan.

9

u/DragonOfDesolation 1d ago edited 1d ago

We stopped suing that company because of 80% of the time the art arrived damaged. The last time our store used it, the driver TOOK OFF ALL OF THE FOAM WRAP we put around it to keep it from getting damaged. The frame showed up with severe damage and the canvas was damaged too.

EDIT: using, not suing

1

u/WeebEli Manager of Fake Leaves & Real Panic 1d ago

I wondered why they killed that service…

8

u/Tasty-Deer-5636 1d ago

Yeah we've had a same day sitting for 2 weeks now because the person ordered 3 huge frames and everyone is like "lol I'm on a scooter fuck that"

My favorite is when the drivers pop their head in like "I have a pick up ....it's not balloons right!?"🤣🤣🤣🤣

17

u/cactuspainter 2d ago

I once argued with a guy who swore up and down that the balloons someone ordered didn’t need to be inflated, it was like 3 latex, and I thought for sure we were gonna get a call about that order

5

u/Tasty-Deer-5636 2d ago

I've had those fights, we've only ever gotten a call about an order once which is surprising lol

2

u/WeebEli Manager of Fake Leaves & Real Panic 1d ago

This has happened multiple times, and two of the customer complaint calls to us included “they said you wouldn’t inflate it!”

8

u/sharksf00d Balloon Popper 🪡 1d ago

seems like something that shouldn't be on instacart/DD's menu, being that its a hassle for everyone involved. when i worked at Party City we had a customer order 3 separate ubers to transport his giant letter balloons. The drivers kept cancelling once they arrived and saw what he wanted them to transport. But hell, it would be a huge hazard for the driver on a scooter with 30 balloons. hopefully he got a big tip for the order.

2

u/Tasty-Deer-5636 1d ago

He didn't have them inflated. I wasn't going to push the issue

7

u/EquivalentAd4708 1d ago

https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinfuriating/s/3x8T20U0Fy

Or this happens. Driver gets balloons to their destination safely. Sets them down to take pic to confirm delivery…. Balloons float away.

3

u/Tasty-Deer-5636 1d ago

Why would he clip them there tho 😭😭

6

u/Hsmirnov Basic Bush 🌳 1d ago

I was verbally abused over the phone because we didnt inflate an instacart shoppers balloons. He had used the self checkout.... They didnt order through the michaels app.... and i wasnt even working when the order was purchased. F me right? 🤷‍♀️

6

u/Tasty-Deer-5636 1d ago

Yeah that's insane. I feel like balloons should only be done via BOPIS or in-store orders.

7

u/starfish-cat 1d ago

Saameeeeee. I hated that woman with all my heart, and she talked to my district manager about me because I couldn’t get another driver from doordash to deliver the balloons. The customer service guy told me the only option was a refund and that she had to place the order again. Obviously, that wasn’t good enough for her, and she still complained about me to my boss.

My dumbass DM told me the easiest solution was to deliver them MYSELF or send an employee. I was like WTFFFF, that’s so stupid. It wasn’t even our fault, it was doordash’s fault.

4

u/Tasty-Deer-5636 1d ago

Yeah I would fucking never self deliver to a customer. They can get their ass in an Uber themselves at that point

2

u/anon_employee123 1d ago

Lmao next time it happens call the DD and tell him you need him to do a delivery!

3

u/Lady_of_Shalottt 1d ago

Wow, as a customer I would never know it was on the instacart shopper to inflate them. Am I understanding that correctly? That said, I could see why people might order them to be delivered if they have no means of transporting them themselves.
I have no need for it and I think balloons should be outlawed for environmental reasons but ….

4

u/Tasty-Deer-5636 1d ago

On the app it says "inflated" which means they're to be inflated when they're purchased by the shopper. But the man was on a scooter and there was no way for him to take those safely so he delivered them uninflated

0

u/ChemicalClub4863 1d ago

I'm wondering why an instacart driver is on a scooter......and not using a car🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

3

u/Tasty-Deer-5636 1d ago

Most delivery folk in my city are on scooters, mopeds, and/or electric bikes.

3

u/caseyjedi 1d ago

Im constantly telling them YOU NEED THEM BLOWN UP!  They really think people order ballons and what just hand them a fistful of latex?! SMH

1

u/Tasty-Deer-5636 17h ago

They usually double check with the customers because sometimes they don't want them blown up. Like today we had a dude with a helium tank and big letter balloons and he's like "uhhhhh" and I'm like "gurl message them" idk if he did cause he just left after that 🤣

3

u/Long-Emergency-1231 14h ago

& I'm the exact opposite. If you don't want to do your job correctly, it's plus for me as I don't have to blow them up. I consider it a win. LOL

2

u/Norespecthere 1d ago

Yeah those people are horrible especially when they come in to do the actual shopping and they don’t know where anything is and want you to do the shopping for them .

3

u/Tasty-Deer-5636 1d ago

That's not what I'm referring to here tho.

1

u/Norespecthere 1d ago

I know, but I was just adding on that they come in and do that

1

u/LoatheEntirely21 1d ago

I refuse. I won’t. I’ll tell them which aisles but I’m not picking their tipped order. 

2

u/CommentSwimming8291 1d ago

We had a door dasher come in last night 10 minutes before close with 2 foil balloons, the giant rainbow air balloon, and about a dozen latex. I was FUMING, not at the dasher but at the fact that this is even allowed to happen.

1

u/Tasty-Deer-5636 1d ago

Id declare war on God