Is this a real problem though? I think everyone could agree at least 1 percent of customers, if not more, can be rotten. Ban them and move on.

I think it’s despicable to bait and switch the tip but let’s face it, some people just aren’t honest. My grocery delivery experience has been somewhat disappointing. Can’t get a slot from my preferred vendor, Peapod, in their two-week window so I settled for Instacart with limited store options of Shaw’s or BJ’s which were nine days out. I ordered a ridiculous amount of product and was disappointed in some of what I received. I thought the substitution or lack of it was somewhat ridiculous. I ordered special eggs and cheese but didn’t get any of these staples. With so many items on my list I couldn’t keep up with the interaction required during the picker’s trip. That being said I got most of what I wanted but still needed to go out to replenish what was missed. I believe this delivery service won’t go away but will be automated with micro-fulfillment in dark or semi-dark stores very quickly over the next several years because the new normal will be fewer trips to the grocery… Read more »

This is a real problem and there isn’t an easy solution. Ideally, once a customer submits a tip, they should only be able to increase the tip for great service. If the experience with the shopper was bad, they can give the shopper a bad review and report it to the delivery services company. Delivery service shoppers are exposing themselves to more risk by shopping in stores and the money isn’t great. Having tips removed from the order after the goods are delivered is like stealing from the shopper.

This is really scummy behavior from a minority of customers.

If a tip is offered before the order is placed then Instacart should not make it possible to reduce the amount or at least should make it hard to change by making customers call in or email in with reasons for the change.

Alternatively, workers should be able to see customers who have reduced tips so they can decide whether to accept an order or not. Some kind of customer rating system may also help in this regard.

I agree with Ben, the rating system seems like a good place to start.

In these times with demand for a service that is so high, I think that Instacart could certainly institute a flat tip that is required for its shoppers. However, tipping off of the dollar value of one’s cart seems a little off in that scenario – perhaps a flat tip based on the time it takes to fulfill and deliver would be better received. This way people buying high ticket items aren’t penalized and it would discourage people from buying just a few items at a time.

Appalling! Rate the customers like the ride share companies do, then FIRE them. However, retailers and delivery companies need to make adjustments to their systems, for example, increasing the service charge to include a reasonable gratuity, say 15 percent.

Even beyond the small group of customers that is probably awful overall, those shoppers that are putting their lives at risk should be protected because their livelihood depends on it. While many customers recognize this and hopefully are tipping above and beyond, there are still levers that Instacart can pull to be protect their workers. Minimum dollar amount tips for each order makes sense. These minimum dollar amounts should scale based on the size of the order since there is likely a correlation between size and time spent shopping for the groceries.

DISTURBING.

We received two orders before Instacart totally crashed and burned. Each time there were minor mistakes that given the situation were totally acceptable. We tipped generously.

Bad times can bring out the worst in people or the best. Unfortunately, these are (hopefully limited) examples of the worst.

The situation is exactly like Annaliisa Arambula said, “I don’t pretend to be a hero, like a nurse in a hospital … but I literally am exposing myself [to coronavirus]…” I hope all people remember and respect that.

Lastly, this is yet another corporate failure allowing the possibility of no tip until their eyes were forcibly opened by a widespread problem. Wake up corporate management!

Simple. Lifetime ban. Passport revoked. Any previously earned merit badges or gold stars revoked. Prime and Netflix memberships revoked. Emblazoned with a scarlet letter on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Ban these people. I have no tolerance for this. Instacart should automatically add a non-negotiable tip to the order that is fair to both the customer and the shopper. And still give the customer a place to add an additional tip if they like. Instacart shoppers are doing what we choose not to do and they should be compensated for putting themselves out there.

Imagine if Instacart or any other brand valued customers not just on their spend, but on their behavior towards employees and their tips. It would create alignment between customers, the brand and the brand’s employees. The trifecta of loyalty.

A tip offered at the time of order placement shouldn’t be allowed to be changed. If there is a dispute over the order, then Instacart needs a dispute resolution method to solve that. I’ve done a few Costco deliveries which are Instacart, and given the circumstances everyone is in, I waited for delivery slots once and the order was five days out. More recently it was all like clockwork with only a two day wait. I do wonder how much Instacart is marking up the order (I get the services fees — but they do say prices can be higher than in-store) as it sure does seem a noticeable amount more expensive than my usual in-store Costco run. Point being I suspect that there’s room in there for Instacart to make this right for their employees/gig workers.

Why isn’t Instacart simply requiring a tip range to be selected before the order is sent out? This guarantees that a minimum tip is always included, and eliminates a bait and switch scenario.

Asking someone to risk their lives by shopping for you, then stiffing them on a tip, is a special kind of evil.

I agree that a lifetime ban for these shoppers is appropriate because their behavior is awful. Anything else? Yes. The Grocery Gods will not be happy. What goes around comes around.

A rating system for customers is part of the solution. I think part of the challenge is that consumer expectation is too high right now for the price charged. Is personal shopper service now supposed to have an “essential service” level of reach and availability? I personally don’t use them right now because there are elderly and immune-deficient audiences who absolutely need this. The personal shopper is at a much higher risk of getting sick given they have to spend so much time in the store and managing substitutions for basically minimum wage per hour.