Instacart is a failsite and I hate it. Tips?

[Dan Druff]

Anyway, while I have this online grocery shopping experience down to a science now, it's still frustrating and time consuming. I'll explain why.

Stock is low on a lot of items in general. Some of this is because people are hoarding things, and some of this is because people are cooking at home more and also using household items more often. So, for example, yeast has been very hard to come by (I had to buy it from eBay).

But even items in lesser demand than yeast still go out of stock often. So I go to both my grocery store website and Target's website. When one is out, I try the other. My grocery store will only deliver, and they're more expensive than Target, but I can get perishable foods there. Target is cheaper and allows both drive-up and shipping, but no same-day delivery. However, Target does NOT do any perishable items, and many items are restricted to drive-up/pickup-only or shipping-only. Some allow both.

So when I find something which the grocery store does not have and Target only ships but doesn't allow for drive-up (or is out at the local store), then I have to find $35 worth of total stuff to ship, which isn't always easy.

It also doesn't help that the grocery store's website is a buggy failsite with all kinds of issues. Target's is much better, aside from a dumb user-unfriendly issue where you need to use the app to choose the drive-up option.

Anyway, by the time I do the online shopping between Target and the grocery store, I find a long time has passed -- often longer than had I visited the store during normal times.

One good thing about the Target shipping is that you're getting it from their warehouse and not the local store, so the selection is much better, and things don't run out as fast. But some items simply won't ship, because they are too difficult (such as glass jars) or too bulky/heavy for it to be cost-effective for a relatively cheap item.

I will say that Target has been pretty good about not fucking up my orders.

The grocery store has already had a number of fails, including a week ago when they delivered our cold items lukewarm, and I had to get most of them replaced. They also stopped responding to e-mail (not sure if just me or everyone), so now the only way to get customer service for the grocery store items is to call and luck into getting someone on the phone. If I get someone, they're in the US and typically very nice/helpful. But sometimes it's an endless wait and no one comes on.

In short, this all kinda blows, but at least I'm able to get what we need without setting foot in a store, which has been the goal.

[Dan Druff]

I post-adjusted a tip for the first time, two days ago.

I have been tipping Instacart drivers $20 flat for each Costco order. This is because my orders typically contain about 10 items which are fairly expensive like steak, so a percentage tip is just stupid. They aren't spending much time in the store because I'm not presenting them with a huge list of things, plus they're likely shopping for other people's stuff at the same time.

Anyway, I adjusted my last shopper's tip down from $20 to $10.

That's because she forgot two fairly large/bulky items, yet marked them as found. So I got billed for a 24-pack of Perrier and a big two-pack of Shredded Mozarella -- about $40 between the two of them -- yet she didn't deliver either of those items.

I'm sorry, but there's no way you're forgetting that you didn't grab a 24-pack of Perrier or leaving accidentally that bulky thing in your car. She probably just hastily grabbed stuff on our list and marked everything as "found", without really checking it.

Since this happened with TWO items, I docked half the tip, in addition to requesting the $40 BACK.

The previous order, the driver (a different person) didn't deliver our $6 Artisan bread, which is also fairly bulky, but he was otherwise very good and tried really hard to get a replacement for something that was out, so I decided not to penalize him tip-wise. I just had the $6 taken off the bill. Also, it was just one item that time. In this case it was two, including one very large item (Perrier) which couldn't have been overlooked.

[Crowe Diddly]

They aren't spending much time in the store because I'm not presenting them with a huge list of things, plus they're likely shopping for other people's stuff at the same time.

Keep in mind most stores, or a lot of them anyway, make everyone wait in line to get in so as to keep capacity down, including instacart and other delivery people, so even if they only have to pick up a few things in the store, they still might be spending anywhere from 15 minutes to 60 minutes in line outside the store procuring your order.

[Dan Druff]

They aren't spending much time in the store because I'm not presenting them with a huge list of things, plus they're likely shopping for other people's stuff at the same time.

Keep in mind most stores, or a lot of them anyway, make everyone wait in line to get in so as to keep capacity down, including instacart and other delivery people, so even if they only have to pick up a few things in the store, they still might be spending anywhere from 15 minutes to 60 minutes in line outside the store procuring your order.

The Costco by me is huge, and when we were going ourselves before I decided to start using Instacart, there was never a line ouside. I know that some areas have that, but I've never seen one here.

I think the $20 tip is fine. They're also getting paid on top of that, and they're also likely doing multiple orders at once. These Instacart people are also making more money (even after vehicle expenses) than the Costco employees themselves, who have a harder job and are at greater danger getting COVID by a wide margin.

I'm all for fair tipping, but I'm also not one who tips huge just to feel great about myself.

[Dan Druff]

Hello Todd,

We at Instacart are deeply saddened by the series of disturbing and tragic events that have taken place over the last few weeks related to the violence and injustice toward the Black community including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others. The resulting protests have created a flashpoint for awareness, action, and change—one that we recognize is long overdue.

As we grapple with the senseless loss of life and continued systemic inequality, we’re stepping back to examine what more Instacart can do. We believe this work starts by supporting our internal teams, as well as helping black communities across North America. To that end, we’re investing $1 million to help support actionable change within both the Instacart family—including our shoppers and employees—and the broader community that needs our support right now.


Supporting our Shopper Community

First, we’re prioritizing the safety of our shoppers by investing $500,000 to support this important community. This investment will go towards compensating in-store shoppers and teams for any disruption to their shifts due to store closures or local curfews, as well as additional tools and features that support shopper safety.


Supporting Black Communities

Our mission is focused on giving people access to food and we believe we have an opportunity to more prominently show up for communities of color that are disproportionately struggling with food insecurity. Through our work with Feeding America and Food Banks Canada, Instacart is in a unique position to support underserved counties with the highest food insecurity rates in North America. To better support these communities, we’re making a $250,000 donation to go to food banks in the Feeding America and Food Banks Canada network.

As a company, we’re committed to speaking up and taking action against discrimination. In the spirit of this commitment, we’re donating $250,000 to the Equal Justice Initiative. The EJI is a non-profit organization that challenges racial and economic injustice on behalf of marginalized communities by confronting inequalities within our criminal justice system - offering support to those wrongly convicted, denied a fair trial, or offered poor legal representation.


Deepening Our Diversity & Inclusion Investment

The events of the past week have prompted much reflection about how we can make meaningful and lasting changes at Instacart to ensure the diverse voices across our employees, customers, and shopper community are heard and represented. From holding ourselves accountable to fostering an inclusive work environment to giving employees space to participate in meaningful conversations and activism—we’re committed to taking action within our own community.


We’ll continue to use our voice to be a positive force for change and look forward to continuing to listen, learn, and evolve as an organization.

Thank you,

Apoorva Mehta
Founder & CEO, Instacart

[SPIT this]

Uber Eats and Postmates are doing free delivery for black restaurants. Not sure what they do if they're half black.

[splitthis]

Uber Eats and Postmates are doing free delivery for black restaurants. Not sure what they do if they're half black.

Whites gonna quit using them fo sho.

[SPIT this]

Uber Eats and Postmates are doing free delivery for black restaurants. Not sure what they do if they're half black.

Whites gonna quit using them fo sho.

Why? They don't want zero delivery fees from certain restaurants? They're going to start driving their fat lazy asses to pick the food up themselves? Not happening.

[dwai]

Whites gonna quit using them fo sho.

Why? They don't want zero delivery fees from certain restaurants? They're going to start driving their fat lazy asses to pick the food up themselves? Not happening.

you racist

[SPIT this]

Why? They don't want zero delivery fees from certain restaurants? They're going to start driving their fat lazy asses to pick the food up themselves? Not happening.

you racist

I'm weightist. Big difference

[Daly]

You Jew customers need to be careful. They are also going to stop the practice where you fish with big tips and then adjust down to the minimum upon delivery.

They are obviously torn about it because in the end they don’t really care if you fuck Over the delivery people as they are not employees but they need them at this point otherwise they can’t generate fees for them.

[Dan Druff]

You Jew customers need to be careful. They are also going to stop the practice where you fish with big tips and then adjust down to the minimum upon delivery.

They are obviously torn about it because in the end they don’t really care if you fuck Over the delivery people as they are not employees but they need them at this point otherwise they can’t generate fees for them.

The system is idiotic. They could fix it by stopping making tips determine your priority in delivery, and instead making tipping something you only do after-the-fact, which would also encourage drivers to do a better job. This would stop drivers from prioritizing based upon tips (which doesn't help Instacart any), and would allow Instacart to start charging for a premium delivery service where you are a higher priority.

This reminds me a lot of 1980s Vegas, where if you wanted a good seat at a show, you had to tip the mafioso-looking doorman. If you didn't, you'd get stuck way in the back. The better you tipped, the better your seat/table. When the 1990s great corporate takeover of Vegas started, the bean counters quickly realized that these leech doormen provided no benefit to the company, and were sucking money which otherwise could have gone to the casino and the show. They changed it to where you would buy your seating section in advance (and pay more for the better ones), and the exact location would usually be assigned either by computer or by some disinterested front employee.

[splitthis]

Whites gonna quit using them fo sho.

Why? They don't want zero delivery fees from certain restaurants? They're going to start driving their fat lazy asses to pick the food up themselves? Not happening.

Uh they are other services like door dash doh

[Sidewinder]

I've thought a lot about it and going to the grocery store is for peasants.

Whatever Instacart robs you for emotionally or financially on each transaction is worth the trade-off of driving to the store, parking your car, going inside and all the random subterfuge and annoyance that accompanies this.

[SPIT this]

Why? They don't want zero delivery fees from certain restaurants? They're going to start driving their fat lazy asses to pick the food up themselves? Not happening.

Uh they are other services like door dash doh

Uh oh

Xu says DoorDash and its sister company Caviar will highlight and support black-owned businesses and black entrepreneurs. They pledged to donate $500,000 to Black Lives Matter and use another $500,000 to create a fund managed by Black@DoorDash Employee Resource Group. A Dashers of Color Council will be formed to advise on issues facing black employees.

[Dan Druff]

I've thought a lot about it and going to the grocery store is for peasants.

Whatever Instacart robs you for emotionally or financially on each transaction is worth the trade-off of driving to the store, parking your car, going inside and all the random subterfuge and annoyance that accompanies this.

Okay, but you realize that many stores have their own cheap or free delivery service without marked up prices, right?

Fuck Instacart

[splitthis]

Uh they are other services like door dash doh

Uh oh

Xu says DoorDash and its sister company Caviar will highlight and support black-owned businesses and black entrepreneurs. They pledged to donate $500,000 to Black Lives Matter and use another $500,000 to create a fund managed by Black@DoorDash Employee Resource Group. A Dashers of Color Council will be formed to advise on issues facing black employees.

Never use any of those, all I am saying is many white will be looking for companies to don’t fall for all this shit because tired of the bs. They call deliver all the shitty food they want...

[SPIT this]

Uh oh

Xu says DoorDash and its sister company Caviar will highlight and support black-owned businesses and black entrepreneurs. They pledged to donate $500,000 to Black Lives Matter and use another $500,000 to create a fund managed by Black@DoorDash Employee Resource Group. A Dashers of Color Council will be formed to advise on issues facing black employees.

Never use any of those, all I am saying is many white will be looking for companies to don’t fall for all this shit because tired of the bs. They call deliver all the shitty food they want...

All those tech delivery companies are on board with BLM. It's like when tech companies started posting the rainbow flag when gay marriage was legal and conservatives said they would lol boycott them. Who are they going to use? Good luck finding an anti-LGBT tech company. Have fun living off the grid I guess.

So like I said, go ahead and pick up the food yourself like a poor person. Apparently you're already doing that.

[Daly]

First time at a grocery store not at rope drop in 3 months. It’s a gigantic shit show. These people are underpaid for sure.

[lol wow]

Wtf is wrong with you cucks first time at a grocery in 3 months seriously