Instacart is a platform that invests in whatever makes you feel good. It allows you to order same-day deliveries, as well as pick-up from over 300 retailers and grocers. However, what if you’re dealing with small orders from them? How much tip to give? How much is enough? Read on for the scoop.
The tipping culture
The culture of treating the staff who brought you your orders is popular, especially in the United States. Pew Research Center shows that this is rooted in their history. Behold, around seven in 10 adults in the country say tipping exists in more places today than five years ago.
Take a look at this: tipping for a household item you bought from the mall, acceptable. Tipping for a pilates class you just attended, acceptable. But tipping for small purchases on Instacart? Doubtful.
Supporters of the tipping culture everywhere argue that Instacart shoppers connect with independent contractors who cover their own gas, vehicle upgrades, and time, of course. But, how much is enough, no really?
Furthermore, the tip they get is not even sufficient to cover their entire expenses for the day, so they are saying that the culture must continue. They work hard to get those orders to their customers, from picking them up from grocers to handing the bag at the doorstep.
Then, the new stuff
Shoppers tell ridesharing media that tips should be based on convenience, “not how much your two items cost.”
Should this culture stop? Minor items ordered on Instacart are like the following: one-time use products, overnight essentials, and those for practical needs, among various others. Their costs are negligible, so the percentage you tip them would be spent on their necessities, too, so they wouldn’t actually be able to keep it.
A media outlet based in Cleveland is saying tipping culture is “awful.” Tipping culture should be thought twice, since if the item you get isn’t matched with your expectations, would you even conform? Even food magazines don’t believe in tipping, teaching the right ways to handle this.
“I landed in Cleveland for a work trip recently and stopped at my beloved Shake Shack before leaving the terminal. Although humans were present, orders were placed on kiosks. Before paying what I owed, I was prompted to leave a tip,” they stated.
With regards to Instacart, some delivery staff would not do their jobs at all. They would take those orders from the grocery and retail store and get them with you, sure, but still, customers are not satisfied with how they do it.
Instacart’s official website pointed out frankly, “Tips are optional, but a great way to show your shoppers appreciation and recognition for their excellent service.”
The takeaway? You are never tipping for how much you purchased or invested into, but for the time, convenience, and effort saved, or spared, right?
But, how much is enough? Turn your holiday season into unforgettable by signing up for that account today on Ridesharing Forum.