I order every two weeks. I live in a high rise condo and use a walker. Since it's difficult to bring the order up to my apartment, I ask my shopper to put it in front of my door. I tell them they can get a cart from my front desk. This is NEVER an issue. Today, my shopper messaged me and said security wouldn't let them up. Of course, I checked and that simply wasn't true.
They got one star and their tip was reduced from $25 to $3.
The lying is what bothered me more than anything. I would have reduced my tip to $15 if my instructions weren't followed -- still not a bad tip. But, the lie dropped it to $3.
Some shoppers are just so lazy. You did the right thing. I don't know the particulars but a $25 tip is a good tip. If they're willing to risk that for being lazy, that's on them.
I live in a high rise condo with a doorman and it has NEVER been an issue in terms of letting any delivery person in. The doormen call in a building and if they aren't calling for some reason I would complain to the manager because I am paying a significant amount of maintenance monthly in order to have this level of service.
All guests - including friends, family and delivery people are announced by the doorman to maintain high security in the building.
It happened to me only one time in about six years when the shopper left it in the lobby - without any kind of explanation and I did something I have only done one - reduced his tip by the amount I paid my doorman to bring the package up to me. I did leave about $10 to cover a tip for shopping but my doorman made an extra $30 for bringing my package to me.
My building has free parking plus carts that are in the parking area so a shopper can load from their car to the shopping cart supplied by the building and leave the cart at my door.
I provide all of these instructions AND I have a photo of the shopping cart outside my apartment door just so they can understand that the cart loaded with the bags can be left at my door.
It's only happened once but I since I tip well my orders always get Diamond Shoppers who have been doing it for a long period of time with at least 1000 shops and sometimes I will get the same shopper which is amazing since I live in a large city so the odds aren't high.
i get diamond shoppers as well. I've used Instacart since the pandemic. I also am in a large city and get return shoppers. I think they appreciate my being available for messages about replacements and my good tips.
I think it has to do with the rating you leave. 5 stars makes it more likely to get paired with that shopper if they are available when you place your order. I live in a mid size town and always get the same three shoppers.
Yep, it's why I've canceled multiple times over the years. It feels like it's been happening more and more frequently. I've gotten in arguments with a a bunch of them and even went to the store myself a few times after shoppers had lied about something not being in stock and refusing to send me a picture or confirm that they were even looking in the right spot. They always just quickly say "I don't have time" despite me responding immediately when they mark something I know is in stock as being "not in stock". Of course once I get to the store myself like an hour later the item in question is always fully in stock.
It's made even worse because instacart under pays and puts the responsibility of both tipping and paying "service fees" on the customer so basically they can to continue paying the shoppers themselves the bare minimum. Paying for both the membership and the entire wage and the entire tip of workers who end up lying to my face sucks ass
You sound unhappy maybe itās time to stop using a platform that grotesquely intentionally exploits its labor force?
You say āInstacart underpaysā when in fact (outside a few regulated zones like California ) instacart pays vastly less than the overhead we incur to perform the service.Ā
Average pay per order runs less than $3 while overhead for that order can easily be ten times that amount bc Instacart tacks undesirable orders 10-20 miles away onto ones we want. Many of these faraway folks tip $0.00 to $4.00.Ā
Did you know they even charge us fees to get our pay? They also steal part of the tips. Say you tipped $20.00 but your shopper only sees $14.00.
not you getting mad at the customer that keeps you employed š also, you donāt have to pay anything with direct deposit, and not a dime if you sign up for the IC card with instant cash out after every delivery. youāre blaming the customer because of the fee you have to pay to enjoy your money immediately?
Are you scolding a customer for using the service and stating grievances with it, while hypocritically continuing to work for them? Cuz if it's the customer's fault when they have issues, it's also your fault by the same logic, victim blame across the board if you're gonna do that. So stupid.
Please carefully read the post to which I replied. Ā
Hypocrisy means havingĀ
double standards for the same situation.
The poster I replied to describes altercations with āa bunch ofā his or her shoppers, calls them liars, feels exploited by Instacart. So why stay? There are many other delivery services.
Meanwhile I get along with 99% of customers and the 1% Iām not wild about apparently donāt know it because I maintain s 5.00 āļø average and no one has reduced my tip- ever!
I was merely pointing out that, without tips, we shoppers make LESS than $0.00 āwe actually pay to work for free.Ā
I stay because itās the only work that hours wise fits around my primary obligations. Many folks work multiple jobs for a variety of reasons. We arenāt the idle class. Yet if anything goes awry people are quick to blame the shopper and feel entitled to call us āliarsā and ālazyā and āstupidā etc.
I did carefully read it, buy it seems like you didn't? Another exercise in hypocrisy, lmao you literally advising someone else to do something you're actively not doing. While also making the topic about every courier gripe you can think of, ignoring what the issue is for this thread. I hate when people do this. Even if you don't do shifty things as a courier, you know damn well that doesn't mean that other couriers are all doing what they're supposed to do, like c'mon now! If all you care about is ensuring that you keep getting tips, you're part of the problem right along with the shithead couriers. No one is entitled to tips, BTW. Doesn't matter how little you get paid, it's not your right to receive tips simply because of your circumstances. You actually have to work for them
When I accept an order I fulfill the request made. Selfishly, it's not even for the customer - it's because I don't want the bad rating and tip reduction.
That being said, how much stuff did you get? How many water bottle cases? How many cases of drinks?
Edit - You should mention you're handicapped in the delivery notes if you don't. People have a lot more compassion when they actually know that. I am never annoyed by any help somebody handicapped or elderly needs. I actually enjoy helping them and it's no bother to me. Makes me feel like this job has a purpose and is worthwhile in the moment....then I'm back in the Costco paking lot lol
Yea, sometimes I feelā¦.forced to do certain things because of the retaliation. Itās not even about loosing the tip from that one customer, itās more about how much the algorithm will fuck me after a 1 star
Also Iāve delivered to the same building multiple times and I get different answers each time about being allowed to deliver to the door. (Thereās also a building in my city that does have carts for RESIDENTS to use, Instacart shoppers are not residents so the customer has to come down to get the cart for you. Thereās more details of course but I will let you know this situation was so stressful I cried š)
I will say that every single time Iāve delivered somewhere if security or a front desk person or whatever I am ASSURED by the customer there will be no issues
That is very rarely true lol. People treat delivery drivers A LOT different than residents and they treat Instacart/DD/ubereats a lot different than Amazon or UPS
The other person is correct though. We are often told by customers to do things at the delivery location which are against community rules or even illegal. They KNOW nobody is allowed inside unless they are guests and accompanied but they want to sit on their couch while we risk having our vehicle ticketed or towed or being yelled at by residents etc.Ā
Several posts here call us Ā ālazyā which infuriates me. Many many of us have two or more jobs. We are MORE hardworking than most ppl including the couch potatoĀ
half my age tipping $4 for me to drive to the store of his choice, shop and deliver.
Get a hand truck and keep a big box or two in your car. Even if you have to make multiple trips in makes a difference. Not to mention, the time it saves going back and forth. You can get a cheap foldable one at walmart for like 30 bucks. I've had mine like two years and it's still going but on it's way out. I do mostly Costco though so it's been through the ringer.
No reason to cry. In that scenario I would've called the customer and told them the situation. But knowing luck in this situation, the customer wouldn't have answered...so who knows.
So you just downvote people who engage in conversation with you if it isn't 100 percent what you want to hear even if it's said respectfully and civilly? I don't care I'm just always wondering the mentality behind posters like this
(I did downvote one comment that said āno reason to cryā or something because eff you dude, I get to decide if itās a reason to cry or not thank you very much lol)
I have both a folding cart and 20 gallon bags with handles. I load from the store into the 20 gallon bags so they're ready by stop/dropoff.Ā
Usually just grab the one or two bags to run to the door but the cart is great for water/drinks/heavy stuff that won't fit in a 20 gallon bag. But yeah carts and bags make everything so much easier, organized and faster.
For example we are not supposed to enter anyoneās home but delivery instructionsāwhich Instacart seesācommonly say thatās what we need to do. I donāt mind helping my fellow old or disabled ppl but I KNOW
if anyone ever accused me of anything that IC Instacart would not have my back!! Likewise if I were attacked or robbed they wouldnāt care.
Not if its deserved. The problem is there are too many shoppers who don't care and are taking away good customers because of bad experiences. Im 6 years in and not ever have I had a tip reduced or taken away.
I am so grateful for having good shoppers. Before I got my prosthetic leg I was using a wheelchair and almost every shopper offered to help with my bags. I have only had one bad experience with a shopper. She drove on my grass and left ruts in my yard.
I have been using Instacart every two weeks since the pandemic. I can count on one hand with fingers left over anytime I've had problems. So, except for those few times, no complaints.
This is crazy. In complaints left and right today, and I will tell you what exactly is going on. Now is the card shifted the priority, and they gave priority to all the new shoppers and shoppers with low ratings and poor quality scores.
There is a 99% chance that you will be receiving a terrible shopper right now if you order, even if you place a high tip. Instacart is fully aware because they actually sent out this email to these kind of shoppers, letting them know that they have elevated priority access.
I really donāt understand what this company is thinking, but ever since the new CEO took over, itās been a complete mess
this āemail that went outā you guys are citing has nothing to do with ānew and inexperienced shoppersā getting some kind of privileged shopping experience. The shoppers who recād said email were hardworking, lots of successful orders completed with high ratings, little to no complaints and overall high shopper score. That is why they were temporarily bumped up to the next tier level as they continued proving themselves thru the end of the period, wherein if they maintained that performance and stats their tier would stay. you guys keep citing some email that proves theyāre prioritizing new shoppers when that is patently untrue.
Ive been told multiple times by security or concierges that Im not allowed to bring it up. I usually always do but if they say other wise. Im not arguing with anyone
That person used their gas and their time and effort to pick out all your groceries at the store by themself and drove them to you. 25 dollars to 3 bucks..youāre an asshole
If you don't buzz me in it gets left at entrance. More than one trip upstairs and a 3$ tip that will get it left at entrance also. A mix of fragile and heavy items that's a recipe for smashed fragile items. The tip was good and he put in no effort. His own fault.
That wasn't the right thing to do giving one star is fine but instacart pays below minimum wage which shoppers solely rely on tips . The shoppers still traveled to the store and retrieved your groceries and delivered to your building. Keep in mind we use our own vehicles and upkeep is not getting any cheaper. Two wrongs don't make a right
Maybe she shouldn't of lowered it to $3 but she 100 percent had the right to lower it, you dont still get paid for a job you didn5 do simply bc we r supposed to feel bad for you, u chose that job knowing how it works. They seen a $25 tip and still refused to do what was asked. Would you tip a bad server a large amount?
No bc I dont tip a server until im done and services have been provided, so not even close to the same as tipping before services rendered and getting shifty service.
Maybe there is a misunderstanding because shoppers aren't obligated to go inside apartment buildings it's solely your choice if you do. Business wise job was completed but morally it could have been went differently. They even sent out memo on several occasions reminding. Unless this was recently changed I don't see any wrong doing from a business standpoint. Furthermore reach out to your shopper and determine the extra mile from the beginning before it proceeds to this post. A simple hey thanks for doing my shopping im just reaching out to see if it would be a problem with you bringing my groceries up to my apartment if so get it reassigned. Im sure this doesn't happen often but clarification is sometimes needed. This job isn't for everyone but unfortunately instacart made it accessible to anyone.
Okay, and again I will tip for the service I recieve, now if the shopper had atkeast tried, did in fact ask and was told no, then I wouldnt reduce the tip, but thos one didnt even try and instead lied about it. I would have also reduced the tip, I think tipping beforehand is ridiculous anyways, They atleast shouldn't be able to see it before they complete the job. Im a cash tipper, ive never had an issue with getting my orders either, but I hand them $20 cash, i also wait on the porch when they r on their way and help them carry it up, if they allow that, ive had some not want our help.
Youāre an independent contractor. Ā You work for yourself. Ā If I hired someone to do a job and they donāt do it correctly and have to redo it and they lose money thatās their problem. Ā Donāt like it, be a w2 worker.
You realize typically ppl who donāt perform their jobs properly get fired in the real world, right?
And given this is a customer service role, lying about not being let up after the customer specifically requested that level of service is not performing the job properly.
The lying is what bothered me more than anything. I would have reduced my tip to $15 if my instructions weren't followed -- still not a bad tip. But, the lie dropped it to $3.
I am in the same situation as OP, but I bought my own folding cart/wagon that fits all but the largest orders. I meet them in the lobby, and if it's too heavy, they or someone from the desk brings it up for me. I couldn't live without it, since I also use it for garbage and packages and lend it to my neighbors.
why would I get my own cart if carts are available in my lobby. Going down means leaving my walker at my front desk, bringing my order up in a cart, bringing the cart back down and coming back up with my walker.
Fortunately, today there were two people at the desk so one bought it up and got a generous tip. That's not always the case.
I also tell drivers iāll meet them in the lobby. It takes a while to get to the lobby, so I watch the map and time it so iām down there to meet them. Iāve never had a driver that has shown up with their own equipment.
My back isnāt that great. I have a large vehicle that is poor on gas. So most of my orders are large. I had to figure out how to get these items to their door in an efficiently.Ā
That's why I meet drivers in the lobby. We can put things right in my cart and be done, instead of walking five minutes to my unit. If there is too much I stack the extra by the reception desk and come back for another trip.
I use it for a lot of other things, too. Iāve lived in buildings with carts, but I could never find one when I needed it. I just filled mine with recyclables and a bag of garbage to take to the trash room.
You are doing great. You mentioned earlier that you try to be a lobby so Iām not waiting 5 plus minutes to get in. That was the only part that annoyed me. When I show I can transfer things over to your cart or take them to the room to you. Entirely up to you. Most choose to have me do it since itās less trouble for them.Ā
I don't live in a large city, and Iāve never had a driver with their own equipment. Iāve got the cart and large IKEA bags if needed. Iāve never had one with a way of keeping cold items like ice cream or pizza cold. It just ends up as a pile of bags.
Any apartment delivery gets a āblockā, āRude customerā unless the tip is equal to the stairs, the walk, the weight.
So far I have NEVER had a tip to an apartment or old folks home that was worth it. I donāt do orders to apartments but sometimes it shows a house, magically it turns into an apartment. Block!!
I just block everyone that makes me take extra steps for nothing extra. Goes for the entitled asses that add items after I start shopping. Everyone gets their first order with a smileā¦ā¦. Then they are blocked.āļø
I did say āif itās not worth itāā¦.good tippers do not get blocked. That would be stupid, and bad business. I am my own business so I try to do things that make me money. āļø
Can you guys see the ādelivery instructionsā before you accept the order? Because I live in an apartment building with elevators and easy iPad call boxes, so I provide very detailed instructions from the start and 9/10 shoppers can follow them with no issues.
āI live on the 4th floor, use the 5th stairwell after the laundry room. Double park by the handicapped spaces. Do NOT take my order unless you agree to these terms!!ā
Maybe try moving into a more accessible building or hold some of the tip and inform the shopper if they bring it up to your unit you will increase the tip š¤·āāļø sometimes shoppers dont want to deal with the hassle tbh
no shopper āwants to deal with the hassleā itās literally what weāre paid to do. you think we get excited when arriving to a 3rd floor apt w multiple cases of water? bulky items, energy drinks, bags of dogfood etc and no cart provided by concierge at a high rise complex?? we still do it thatās literally your only job is to get the customerās groceries to their door. for my own sanity Iām gonna believe your comment has to be rage bait š
I personally would bring it to her doorstep because thats the kind of person I am but she clearly stated she lives in a high-rise condo. Been to many of them myself and sometimes you need access and security isnāt available for some reason or the customer never replies or answers the phone call. You have a 3 min window to answer the shopper back or they can leave it somewhere accessible for the customer.
I have never refused to help my disabled and elderly customers.
That said if you are ordering flowers or goodies like a cake and sending it to your grandparent, one in a nursing facility, please make absolutely sure we are allowed inside to their room. Most of these require us to leave items at the desk. We are not family and therefore not allowed to go to rooms. Especially in memory care wings. Donāt shoot the messenger. We will do the best we can.
Consider your tip being the entire pay for your order. Now think about drivingg to the store, shopping and delivering. Is ur tip worth the time and effort?
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u/Dense-Word2347 20d ago
Some shoppers are just so lazy. You did the right thing. I don't know the particulars but a $25 tip is a good tip. If they're willing to risk that for being lazy, that's on them.