store shopper

personal shopper

senior software engineer

trustee

product manager

Instacart

I’ve been with Instacart off/on since 2015. Within that time I’ve completed over 1000 batches/deliveries. The most concise way to sum it up is that -most days- you make $10/hour. The shopper is nearly paying Instacart to work. It wasn’t always this way. When I took a break and came back onto the platform, I delivered to a house on the Eastside of Seattle that could easily appraise for $5 million. The customer wanted bottles vs. cans of beer. The app did not specify this and allowed the cans to scan and accept as the correct item. After learning this, upon arrival, I offered to go back to the store and exchange. The customer accepted and asked me to pick up olives and egg noodles. I reached out to Instacart on my way back to the store to let them know. Now, normally shoppers would not offer nor do this, the customer would have to wait, likely be charged double, while another shopper went shopping and then delivered another order. I didn’t want to further inconvenience the customer. He was having company the following day for the Super Bowl and expressed such enthusiasm for his Packers, that I wanted to make it right. I’m a Seahawks fan and we weren’t playing that year however our time will come again. While on my way back, I arrived and parked at the store. Instacart told me to call back after grabbing the new beer and extra 2 items. I was already going out of my way and it was going to take just a few moments to grab those items and I asked the Instacart ‘Shopper Happiness’ rep if they would mind staying on with me. However, she refused to hold. Four minutes later, I called back only to be on hold for 25 minutes. During that time, I was live chatting simultaneously/clearly re-explaining the issue and asking how to exchange the alcohol. While I’m on hold and live chatting, Instacart keeps calling and (I’m guessing because I was chatting) my phone was having issues multitasking on their platform. I was able to pick up the calls from them only for those calls to immediately drop.
I believe it’s because of their platform as my phone (not any iPhone I’ve ever had) has ever operated in such a manner. I was communicating all of what had occurred in chat. After asking for a supervisor so many times in chat because the shoppers happiness’ rep didn’t know what to do, it became begging for a supervisor. Then I had to re-explain to the them. I was on the phone for over an hour. I have a mortgage and don’t have time to waste losing money. At the same time, I promised the customer I would return with the correct provision and the 2 extra they added on. I will say again, that Instacart has it set up so the customer would have to wait for another shopper to get the right items. Instacart needs to make exchanges doable-making it logical, rational and providing  properly trained staff with knowledge and integrity to follow through with genuine support for the shoppers out there. The shoppers represent the Instacart brand, it’s in their best interest for themselves if not for the shoppers to make these procedures possible. However, it’s a mentality of what’s going to make a buck and make it the fastest. Approva Mehta is and has been wealthy for quite some time and has lost sight of ‘real service’ meaning you take care of internal as well as external customers. Over the years the tips have creatively been robbed from shoppers, in full or incrementally. That’s a grossly unbecoming way to do business and quite shameful. We as people are our choices, no matter where or how we might hide behind appearances or things, we are who we choose to be at the beginning and end of the day. I don’t care for or respect those that take advantage of the vulnerability and kindness of others. Getting back to the story....After over 1.5 hours in the store (the second time) on the phone with Instacart, in chat with Instacart, chatting with a ‘supervisor’ with Instacart and having Instacart call only for the call to drop, they could not figure out nor had any exchange process available that would allow me to exchange the first case of beer for the other case nor did they offer a solution or way that I could purchase the olives or egg noodles. They could have simply funded the card.
See, all of this should be possible via a new bar code in the app. During this time, I never swiped ‘delivered’ as the batch was still in process, therefore it was still tied to the customers information, including payment information. However Instacart ended the batch before I swiped ‘delivered’. That should not happen and is not an accurate real-time representation of the work being performed. One thing vital in the gig economy is everything is in real time. I wonder how this affects metrics, data, levels of operation and transparency to shareholders, when Instacart is altering the appearance of what is occurring in real time??
During my second trip to the store, I had clearly communicated that the order had not been fully delivered before leaving the customers driveway. Long story is...I paid for the customers bottles of beer, olives and egg noodles. This order and issue took 3+ hours. $80 later I thought they would tip...I thought the time and care would matter at least (if not to Instacart for upholding their name as well as my own) to the customer. THE CUSTOMER KNEW I PAID BECAUSE I TOLD THEM. THE CUSTOMER DID NOT TIP. THE CUSTOMER DID NOT EVEN WRITE A REVIEW. I don’t have anything against those living in wealth or poverty however...how do you live with yourself and in that $5 million house with no conscience? That day, I learned that people and entities will take and take only to use and gain for themselves and that is how they use others to grow wealth and keep it. Now....I’m well aware many are not this way, of course. That day, I learned how grateful I am not to be that person and that I would rather have my dignity and integrity to lean on. I also learned not to let these people or entities use me to maintain their stability, structure and comfort while I lose mine. Instacart should be ashamed of their lack of support and greed. Something important: Most customers are thankful and grateful and that is the one thing that makes it fun. However, people used to tip $20 per order as a standard if not more. Thats not happening nearly as often or customers are tipping and Instacart is yet again silently robbing the shopper without the customer knowing. My guess is the latter. 

This is the same company that offered free PPE to shoppers only to offer masks that cause CANCER AND REPRODUCTIVE HARM, during a pandemic.

It’s hard because there is something so gratifying and meaningful about bringing people food. When you’ve lived in a food desert or haven’t had access to heathy food, you know what I mean and even in general.  However, shoppers should not be taken advantage of and the powers that be, do so without regard or consideration. It’s beyond disappointing and it’s completely Ethically Bankrupt.

I worked as an independent contractor for an employment agency, servicing as a Customer Care Professional for Instacart from 08/17/2020 to 09/20/2020 when Instacart ended their campaign with the employment company. A typical day at work involved receiving calls from customers who needed assistance with placing their grocery delivery orders, or needed to reschedule or cancel their deliveries, or needed to set up or cancel their Express Memberships. I learned how to de-escalate the situations where the customers were angry or frustrated because their shoppers quit shopping in the middle of the shopping trip and canceled their deliveries. I was able to comfort and encourage those who had ordered food but no shoppers had been assigned to the orders or the shopping had been pushed back time after time. Once I was able to help a blind man place his order for a week's groceries. I was able to log in as the customer and impersonate him. As he called out each item he wanted to buy, I found it and placed it in his cart, telling him the price and the weight of each item. When we were finished shopping, I told him the total cost of the order and he had me pay with the credit card he had on file. I did that and told him when to expect the delivery of his order. I really enjoyed doing this for him. It was an adventure. He said I was very patient and professional and helpful. While I serviced for Instacart, the leadership came from the employment agency that had placed me in this Customer Care Professional position with Instacart. They weren't always helpful, and often, when I had a problem with the tools I had to use and I told them about it, they had trouble understanding exactly what the problem was. I felt like I had to repeat myself over and over, but nobody listened to me or understood what I was saying. A couple of times I had to threaten to leave and find work elsewhere before they sprang into action and found a solution to the problems I was having. I really can't speak about the workplace culture, since I didn't work at the Instacart offices in San Francisco, CA. I worked from home. I can say that profanity and abusive behavior are not allowed by the company I worked for or by Instacart. We always strove to have a positive attitude. I could be feeling a little depressed at the beginning of the work day, but whenever I was able to solve a problem for a customer and received thanks and praise, I felt wonderful. The hardest part of the job was when I had trouble solving for the customer, had to put them on hold, and go to the Adobe production room to ask my team lead for help, only to have her not understand and I had to repeat myself several times before she "got" it and was able to help me. Times like that slowed me down and I think it made the customers think I didn't know how to do my job. There was another time when my Ujet caller ID flashed "Abusive Customer." After I answered with my usual greeting, a man started spewing profanities and insulting me. I hung up immediately. He did the same thing to other agents, calling back several times. I knew about that because they all alerted the team lead in the Adobe production room chatbox. This guy wasn't even a customer; he was just making prank calls. The most enjoyable part of the job was when I was able to de-escalate the situation, calm the customer down, and solve the problem for the customer. That made me feel victorious!

I been employed for about 6-7months as a full service shopper at this job and my advice is DON'T DO IT! I had several incidents, sometimes my app would cancel out everything on me if I accept a batch that was already accepted and I had to awkwardly wait over 30 minutes for the app to work again, another incident was when my customers messages along with the order got mixed up it had all of customer B for customer A's items, my car has gotten stuck in the mud and they didn't offer any type of assistance for that, I don't know the area I stay in well so when I delivered for one customer the only road my GPS kept redirecting me to was closed, this goes to say that the customers majority of the time are bad at responding, so to no avail of getting where I needed to go I had to refund the customer, I spent a hour on the phone with customer service explaining the issue, the store wouldn't let me return half of the items. Another issue (and this just happened two days ago) was when I had two customers, one I delivered to without a issue, I live in the Midwest so everyone except instacart apparently know how the weather was that day, it was so bad I couldn't even see anything directly in front of me, let alone my car ride pretty low so I was afraid I was going to run into a flooded area since my last order required me to drive in a wooded area, I was about seven Miles from the house and I had no choice but to pull over, before then my customer was already complaining about how long it would take me to get there from the designated location the app chose, so I contacted customer service and explained the situation, they told me to ask him if he wanted to cancel, and shortly after he did.  My third issue was that I was given the wrong address on the app, when I went to deliver the order to my second customer, it was strangely set up to where it would deliver me to the location, but the house wasn't where my GPS directed me. So I had to circle around twice to find this address, then I figured it may be the next set of houses behind the original location so I found the address that was on the app when I circled the third time, the instructions was to leave the groceries on the red table, when I went around to place the groceries on the red table, there turned out to be no red table, so I contacted the customer to let them know the situation (no response) so I waited for several minutes then finally I placed the groceries up front of the address provided from Instacart. I accepted another order and a few minutes later I get a call from customer service, she claimed the customer said I delivered the wrong groceries, I explained how I followed everything on the app as it was, then we hung up and she called back later with a different story claiming the customer never received their groceries, that it was delivered at the wrong Address, I again explained that I followed everything on the app as it was, while I was in the middle of shopping for the next customers, my account was randomly deactivated, and they used everything I just explained against me in regards to failure of delivering groceries, even though I went through all of this with customer service. After explaining to them the situation and even showed pictures of the address they provided, they still proceeded with their decision to keep my account deactivated.

As an Instacart shopper, I’ve gained firsthand insight into the challenging aspects of this role, as well as some positives.

**Cons:**
- The pay does not align with the time and effort required. Completing a batch often involves shopping for, loading, delivering, and unloading a full order. Many times, deliveries are to apartment complexes with complicated layouts, numerous stairs, and hard-to-find units. A single batch can take over an hour to complete, and it's disappointing when the payout is only around $6-15
- Low tipping practices are a significant issue. While I appreciate the tip transparency, it’s disheartening to deliver large orders where the tip is only one or two dollars.
- The now-reduced prevalence of tip baiting is a relief, but it does still happen. 
- Picky customers can significantly slow down shopping time, especially when they demand additional help with finding specific items. This added effort often goes unrewarded due to insufficient tipping, yet not complying can negatively impact your stats.
- Overall, Instacart generates billions in profits, but there’s a strong need for better compensation for the shoppers who do the hard work that drives these profits.
- you get timed for how long you're shopping for which is wild given the amount of crowds and lines.  this should be removed because there are elements completely out of shopper control when it comes to timeliness. this burden should not fall on shoppers. 
**Pros:**
- The transparency around tips is a positive step, ensuring shoppers know what to expect before accepting a batch.
- you can report tip baiters and instacart will do something about it
- shopper support has gotten much better in recent years so you don't get stuck at checkout, prolonging the delivery
- the app has evolved making a significant impact on shopper experience
**Advice for Management and Leadership:**
1. **Increase Base Pay and Incentives**: Management should prioritize aligning shopper pay with the time, effort, and challenges involved in completing batches. Introducing performance-based bonuses or mileage reimbursement could also boost morale and attract more shoppers.
2. **Improve Order Transparency and Fair Pay Structures**: Ensure that shoppers are compensated fairly for the complexity of batches, especially those involving multiple stops, large orders, or hard-to-access delivery locations.
3. **Enhance Support and Training**: Provide shoppers with better tools and resources for navigating tricky apartment complexes or handling difficult customer interactions. Additional training on optimizing time efficiency could also help.
4. **Reinforce Customer Accountability**: Consider policies that encourage customers to tip fairly and consistently. For instance, implementing a tip default percentage that aligns with industry standards could help address low tipping practices.
5. **Recognize Shopper Contributions**: Acknowledge shoppers’ hard work and dedication through regular appreciation initiatives, such as recognition programs or quarterly incentives. Building a culture of appreciation can significantly enhance job satisfaction and loyalty.

Instacart has the potential to make this job more rewarding by offering fairer pay and showing greater appreciation for the effort and dedication of their shoppers. We are the backbone of their success, and better compensation and support would reflect that reality.

On multiple occasions I have had to complain to instacart about negligent business practices. The first being that instacart assigned me several shopping orders that had already been shopped. When assigning orders, the app gives you access to customer information such as their home address for delivery. On multiple occasions, they gave customer information to TWO different shoppers (one of which was completely unnecessary). If I would not have noticed that the app assigned this order to someone AGAIN, the customer would have been forced to pay for the order again and I would have showed up to their residence without them expecting me. Please note the danger this could pose for shoppers; these customers have every right to be fearful when someone is showing up unannounced on their property, especially at their door with bags of unknown items. A customer could have pulled a gun on me or called the police for trespassing. I voiced these concerns to instacart customer support and they refused to rectify the situation, they even refused to reimburse me for gas wasted going to the store for an already-shopped order. Instead, a customer service agent ended the chat prematurely and would not provide a phone number. Instacart does not have a phone number available to speak to customer service, they only offer chat. I let it go. Most recently, I referred a friend via instacart’s $25 refers program. I did not receive the bonus. When I questioned this, they told me they had no knowledge of me referring someone (lie #1) even though a referral is issued via a shopper-specific CODE that can be searched on their end. I spoke to several people, including a supervisor named Hugo, who told me that my $25 would be issued in two weeks (lie #2). I waited a month but still no $25. I inquired again, but this time I was told by an agent in the chat, that kris did not meet the criteria so they could not honor it. Even though a supervisor told me previously that my money was on its way in two weeks. He mentioned nothing of the criteria being met by kris, which is information that I would not have (instacart would). He was negligent for not mentioning the criteria not being met before promising that my money was on its way (screenshot proof available). I waited an hour to be transferred to a supervisor, after requesting it multiple times to the agent and being told the wait was “too long”. He insisted that I disconnect the chat and call in the morning. He provided me a phone number that was not in service (good thing I checked while chatting him, huh?). I demanded to speak to a supervisor who had not reviewed the information and needed me to explain for the fourth time to instacart. While I was explaining, HE ENDED THE CHAT. With no resolution and without me having the chance to explain. The agent claimed the phone number was experiencing technical issues but I still cannot get through. I would have to chat someone again to discuss the matter, which I will not do. Instacart was negligent with customer information and has refused to rectify situations where their app/agents have failed.

I used to be able to pull in $500-$600 weekly on IC alone (which for me was a lot). Something changed in their system after December 2021 though and now I feel lucky if I can scrape together $100 in a week. For this reason, I've been seeking a new job for almost a year now to achieve some sort of financial stability in life.

Pros:
-Flexible work schedule/choose your own hours
-You're not tied to an office or the same location for your job, which can be refreshing
-Customer service is generally very understanding/helpful when you need to contact them
-Customers you're delivering to are generally very appreciative of your efforts (sometimes only verbally though)
-This job will definitely sharpen your problem solving/independence skills as so much falls on you to figure out with little to no guidance from IC.

Cons:
-"flexible hours" but only within the hours of operations of stores in your area, and there's a very clear time where orders will peak so it's not actually as flexible as it seems.
-Increasingly low batch pay + variable customer tips (depends on your area)
-You have to use your own car which means you're on the line for gas/repairs/maintenance, which seriously adds up.
-Being on the road all the time means an increased level of danger as motorists everywhere act in increasingly erratic/hostile ways on our roadways (got into an accident because of this job that forced me to buy a new car entirely)
-People will often not take maintenance steps for their home in advance of your arrival, so it's not uncommon during the winter for driveways/walkways to not be plowed or shoveled, or after big summer storms you might be required to remove debris blocking somebody's driveway to deliver their order.
-IC's app is not always the most forthright or accurate about the mileage you'll be expected to drive for any particular order. They don't count the ride to the store as part of your pay but even still, sometimes the mileage just doesn't add up and it ends up being more than you expected (especially if there's construction or closed roads, forcing you to take a different route). IC support will compensate you for extra mileage but at a very low rate, I thought it was 60c a mile but the last time I needed an extra mileage compensation it came out to be way less than that, so realistically any extra mileage below 4-5mi is simply not worth your time to get compensated for.

As far as I'm concerned, IC can no longer be used as a standalone job (at least in my area). I will remain signed on as a Shopper for them even as I start a new full-time job in case I wanted to earn anything on the side, but that's about all it seems to be good for these days. A lot of work for not a lot of pay, at least it's flexible though.

Working as an Instacart shopper offers a flexible schedule with the ability to choose when, where, and how much you work. Shoppers earn money by fulfilling grocery orders for customers, including shopping and delivering items. While the flexibility is a major draw, pay and work-life balance are often cited as potential downsides. 
Here's a more detailed look:
Pros:
Flexibility:
Instacart allows you to set your own hours and work when it's convenient for you. 
Potential for decent earnings:
While it varies, some shoppers report making a good income, especially on busier days or with strategic planning, according to NerdWallet. 
Independence:
As an independent contractor, you're your own boss, managing your time and workload. 
Building customer relationships:
You can develop positive relationships with store staff and customers, potentially leading to a more enjoyable experience. 
Convenience:
You can work from your local area and potentially earn money while completing your own errands, according to some Instacart shoppers. 
Cons:
Pay can fluctuate:
Earnings depend on factors like batch availability, customer tips, and the time of day, making consistent income challenging, says one Reddit thread. 
Mileage and vehicle expenses:
Shoppers are responsible for their own vehicle maintenance and gas costs, which can significantly impact earnings. 
Potential for low tips:
Customers can remove tips, and some may not tip at all, affecting overall earnings. 
Competitive:
The app is competitive, with shoppers vying for available batches, potentially leading to frustration. 
Demanding:
The job can be physically demanding, requiring a lot of walking and lifting. 
Work-life balance:
Some shoppers report difficulty balancing work with personal life due to the unpredictable nature of the work. 
To make the most of Instacart:
Be strategic: Focus on high-paying batches and busy times to maximize your earnings. 
Provide excellent service: Good communication and attention to detail can lead to higher tips. 
Manage expenses: Track mileage, gas, and other costs to accurately assess your income. 
Consider it a side hustle: Instacart can be a great way to supplement your income, but it may not be suitable as a primary source of income for everyone. 
In conclusion, Instacart offers a flexible work opportunity with potential for decent earnings, but it's important to be aware of the potential downsides and manage expenses effectively. 


What is the best part of working at the company?
Forgive Mistakes you make so you keep shopping. I rent a car, pay rent, do extra stuff all while shopping 6-12 stores a day. The whole car gone, My account Hacked, (the scammers are good too) really reading the Terms and Conditions and understanding what Instacart doesn’t do can prevent a lot of hesitation. Flow in Motion. I rent car for 3 days and ended up keeping it 2 months. Very Lucrative

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Paying attention to items and knowing exactly what your grabbing. Bag Dog Food look like a box on the phone. That’s the difference in carrying everything at once or um..”Ima leave the basket here, come back n get this” OH yeah, never get your account hacked. I got suspended. I was the victim Twice. No rental like Awwww. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
I go to the grocery store for a bag of Sugar and some cookies with sour skittles. I will definitely get paid to get your stuff also. I don’t run people over. A hour too long, get help. Employees love helping us. Than you got employee who point to where it suppose to be. If you good at Addition and Multiplication than a light bulb will flick on in your mind about a certain number. Also rent a car, save your car the Everything. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
My profile specifically states from breakfast to midnight munchies. I have done a order at 0300AM. 

Around 0500AM cut the app on. A lil after 0600AM I base my whole day on these orders. Bam around 11AM, I made money for car rental. Around 0200PM Bam I got daily rent x 30 days. Rent a Prius, I put literally 15-$20 gas only one time a day. I see the same employees over n over daily, sparking interest. Around 10PM, I feel like Lucille O’Ball, but than another order come 11:15PM um…..it’s up to you how much you wana make. Come 5-0530AM, APP is online. 

I know what a 9-5 W-2 is about and love the fact I finally found something that can put them days behind me.  I don’t have rental now, I’m not shopping, I do have some good work opportunities, getting hacked really humbled me. In a few days when I get a rental. See I live by a store. Do orders n go home. 10x a day. 

Saturday I did nothing but made more cash instantly that week. I woke up moving all fast trying to get to it. “I LOVE LUCY” I’m actually tired and need rest. It just happens. Monday - Friday time doesn’t exist, only quotas and Self Motivation.

Instacart overcharge their customers and  they severely underpay their shoppers if a customer tips on the app before the shopper provides the service Instacart will pay less unbeknownst to the customer. They will also send you onto 2 to 3 orders at once with up to 100 items at a time you were then expected to deliver at three different ways left extremely heavy items and in very many cases you will make $10 for these three orders you will spend more gas to get the items to the customers then you will make the only way you would want to do this job as if you truly like helping others as I did, but I really got very little support from Instacart their app froze all the time many many times the payment card they give you declines holding you up, which means you are spending twice as much time as you expected to on each order. You are also on a timer as you are shopping as you are driving and as you are putting the groceries away if it is a curbside Order many cashiers at the stores you shop do not at all like Instacart shoppers so they will be very rude to you. They will try their best to improperly bag. They will bring up items on the wrong order and then of course it goes against your ratings. The flexibility is good because you are able to choose the jobs that you want however, in the end, you will feel very taken advantage of by this company and very unappreciative by most of the customers and don’t expect tips when you get two people’s doors most of the time you do not get one, but Instacart will pay you Five dollars at times because they think you will get a tip, but in fact you usually don’t because the customers believe Instacart is paying me far more than they actually do. Instacart customer service is very unsupportive to their shoppers and most of them do not speak English if they do they don’t quite understand it so many times they do not understand at all what you were trying to tell them when you’re having an issue their app phrases, a lot leaving you standing at the checkout, looking idiotic, as if you don’t know what you’re doing when in fact that it’s just their app. They will keep you at standard writing even though you get tons and tons of compliments they keep you a standard writing because once you have platinum or diamond you get more benefits through Instacart so they will keep you at standard forever so they do not have to reward you in anyway. 

Instacart used to be a good side hustle, maybe when they first started, but now it has become just another nameless, faceless corporation that will exploit its independent contractors as much as you allow them too.

Let's get something straight: This is not meant to be a full-time gig, or even a reliable part-time gig. I view it strictly as an opportunity to make some spare change at my convenience. Most drivers don't take the time to actually calculate the time involved in shopping these orders or the ubiquitous wear and tear on your vehicle. If you are meticulous about only taking the orders (batches) that will allow you to make your desired per hour compensation goal, you can do OK with Instacart. The only issue is that most of the batches are now being bundled into 2-3 orders, which of course makes Instacart more money, but you take a big hit. This is why I only focus on single order batches that make sense from a time consideration, although there are lot of other variables involved. 

The other aspect about accepting 2-3 shop orders is that you are actually shopping for people that don't tip and who are being compensated by the other customers. If a $30 3-shop order comes in with a total of 60 items, break it down and do the math.  95% of the time you will end up working for minimum wage or worse. I have no idea why so many Instacarters are allowing themselves to be taken advantage of in this way, but there are people who are doing them. There is also Instacart's policy of the tips being calculated on the total price of the order. This means that if the store is out of stock on items, it doesn't matter that you actually spent more time looking for replacements and going back and forth with the customer, your pay will be reduced! Totally unethical and unfair for the workers. 

In conclusion, if you want a side hustle for some spending money, it's not a bad gig as long as you're careful about which batches you accept. It does take a while to get a feel for, but you'll soon realize that most of the time you're being hustled. And look out if you have to talk in person with customer service, you will get someone from a call center overseas with very bad English who is hard to understand, which can make the experience even more frustrating.

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