If you use Instacart for groceries what do you tip?

[Anonymous]

If you use Instacart for groceries how much do you tip?

[Anonymous]

20%. More if the order has a lot of items they need to find in the store, or a lot of heavy items (cases of drinks, etc).

[Anonymous]

For an order with only room temperature things that I do not need for a long time, I tip $10 and do non-priority to let the person bundle with other orders.

Otherwise, $35 seems to be enough someone local will take a priority order quickly, without being so high that someone is trying to commute from the far reaches of the state (and take hours to complete the order). If there are many or complicated items, then I find it is better to add on an extra $5-$20 afterwards rather than bump up the promised tip in the beginning.

I ask the daytime workers about tipping, and they say $80 is a good tip that they expect from something like a Costco run with heavy items.

During an evening commute, I notice $20 is enough if the order is simple with not too many items.

I always do a set amount, not percentage, to reduce the chance of a bizarre replacement to increase the tip.

[Anonymous]

NP - I’ve always been confused about ordering groceries and other items for pickup from the store (Giant, Walmart, Target, etc.). Could someone please explain this to me? I’ve been too scared of doing the wrong thing and inadvertently taking advantage of the employee (which is the last thing I want to do) so I’ve avoided it altogether. There are times, however, it would be really helpful, so I’d appreciate it if someone could tell me how it’s supposed to work.

I thought that when stores first started pickup during COVID, they forbade their employees from accepting tips. Then it seemed like you were supposed to tip them, but it was unclear how much. It doesn’t make sense to tip as much for groceries that you get as for groceries being brought to your house, so if you’re supposed to tip them I don’t know how much would be appropriate. Moreover, if the store employee is paid hourly, I don’t really understand tipping because the store is paying them to do whatever the store directs during their work hours, and if the store tells them to spend that time filling customer orders instead of stocking shelves, running registers, mopping up spills, answering customer questions, etc., there may be a cost to the company, but the employee is still getting paid for their assigned work, same as if they were assigned any other task.

Finally, if we tip employees for the services the store offers, what’s to keep the store from reclassifying its employees as tipped workers, freeing the corporation from its obligation to pay minimum wage and shift the responsibility for the employees’ wages to the customer (on top of the purchase price for their goods), most likely lowering the employee’s income? This would be great for the company’s bottom line, but it would be at the expense of both customers and employees.

[Anonymous]

When I do my once a month Costco order through InstaCart, and am spending $500-$600, I tip 10% (they are done in under an hour, and that's a good wage). I don't use InstaCart for regular weekly groceries

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP - I’ve always been confused about ordering groceries and other items for pickup from the store (Giant, Walmart, Target, etc.). Could someone please explain this to me? I’ve been too scared of doing the wrong thing and inadvertently taking advantage of the employee (which is the last thing I want to do) so I’ve avoided it altogether. There are times, however, it would be really helpful, so I’d appreciate it if someone could tell me how it’s supposed to work.

I thought that when stores first started pickup during COVID, they forbade their employees from accepting tips. Then it seemed like you were supposed to tip them, but it was unclear how much. It doesn’t make sense to tip as much for groceries that you get as for groceries being brought to your house, so if you’re supposed to tip them I don’t know how much would be appropriate. Moreover, if the store employee is paid hourly, I don’t really understand tipping because the store is paying them to do whatever the store directs during their work hours, and if the store tells them to spend that time filling customer orders instead of stocking shelves, running registers, mopping up spills, answering customer questions, etc., there may be a cost to the company, but the employee is still getting paid for their assigned work, same as if they were assigned any other task.

Finally, if we tip employees for the services the store offers, what’s to keep the store from reclassifying its employees as tipped workers, freeing the corporation from its obligation to pay minimum wage and shift the responsibility for the employees’ wages to the customer (on top of the purchase price for their goods), most likely lowering the employee’s income? This would be great for the company’s bottom line, but it would be at the expense of both customers and employees.

I usually order groceries online for pickup. For most of 2021 through 2023 at Giant in Falls Church, for about a year at Giant in Vienna, and recently at a Harris Teeter in Manassas. I do not tip at all. I do tend to tip just about any time a situation calls for it, so I'm pretty sure I'm not tipping because when I first ordered online it said not to tip. I don't remember this in a distinct way, though. No one has ever seemed to expect one, and I have noticed that others picking up their groceries often don't even get out of the car so there isn't even an opportunity for them to hand it to the person bringing out their groceries before they close the trunk and walk away.

So ... with regard to your thoughts about all of this stuff policy-wise ... you are overthinking it. Just don't tip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP - I’ve always been confused about ordering groceries and other items for pickup from the store (Giant, Walmart, Target, etc.). Could someone please explain this to me? I’ve been too scared of doing the wrong thing and inadvertently taking advantage of the employee (which is the last thing I want to do) so I’ve avoided it altogether. There are times, however, it would be really helpful, so I’d appreciate it if someone could tell me how it’s supposed to work.

I thought that when stores first started pickup during COVID, they forbade their employees from accepting tips. Then it seemed like you were supposed to tip them, but it was unclear how much. It doesn’t make sense to tip as much for groceries that you get as for groceries being brought to your house, so if you’re supposed to tip them I don’t know how much would be appropriate. Moreover, if the store employee is paid hourly, I don’t really understand tipping because the store is paying them to do whatever the store directs during their work hours, and if the store tells them to spend that time filling customer orders instead of stocking shelves, running registers, mopping up spills, answering customer questions, etc., there may be a cost to the company, but the employee is still getting paid for their assigned work, same as if they were assigned any other task.

Finally, if we tip employees for the services the store offers, what’s to keep the store from reclassifying its employees as tipped workers, freeing the corporation from its obligation to pay minimum wage and shift the responsibility for the employees’ wages to the customer (on top of the purchase price for their goods), most likely lowering the employee’s income? This would be great for the company’s bottom line, but it would be at the expense of both customers and employees.

Instacart is not store employees. They’re like gig workers. They live off tips.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For an order with only room temperature things that I do not need for a long time, I tip $10 and do non-priority to let the person bundle with other orders.

Otherwise, $35 seems to be enough someone local will take a priority order quickly, without being so high that someone is trying to commute from the far reaches of the state (and take hours to complete the order). If there are many or complicated items, then I find it is better to add on an extra $5-$20 afterwards rather than bump up the promised tip in the beginning.

I ask the daytime workers about tipping, and they say $80 is a good tip that they expect from something like a Costco run with heavy items.

During an evening commute, I notice $20 is enough if the order is simple with not too many items.

I always do a set amount, not percentage, to reduce the chance of a bizarre replacement to increase the tip.

They expect an $80 tip? Good luck to them. That’s insane.

[Anonymous]

20% for Costco, which is the only time I use it.

The 20% tip I pay is absolutely worth the time savings for me. Costco is easily 30+ minutes each way and then there is the time spent traipsing about the store, checking out, etc. So worth it. We always seem to get the same couple that works together and they always bring things up to our condo, unload neatly, and are very friendly. They're great.

[Anonymous]

Like a PP said, Instacart are not the store’s employees. Cmon, do some of you live under a rock?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:20% for Costco, which is the only time I use it.

The 20% tip I pay is absolutely worth the time savings for me. Costco is easily 30+ minutes each way and then there is the time spent traipsing about the store, checking out, etc. So worth it. We always seem to get the same couple that works together and they always bring things up to our condo, unload neatly, and are very friendly. They're great.

You have them unload your groceries in your home? That is next level weird. My instacart shoppers just leave my stuff in front of my door and that’s what I like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:20% for Costco, which is the only time I use it.

The 20% tip I pay is absolutely worth the time savings for me. Costco is easily 30+ minutes each way and then there is the time spent traipsing about the store, checking out, etc. So worth it. We always seem to get the same couple that works together and they always bring things up to our condo, unload neatly, and are very friendly. They're great.

You have them unload your groceries in your home? That is next level weird. My instacart shoppers just leave my stuff in front of my door and that’s what I like.

No! They unload at my front door. Other drivers dump things in the building lobby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP - I’ve always been confused about ordering groceries and other items for pickup from the store (Giant, Walmart, Target, etc.). Could someone please explain this to me? I’ve been too scared of doing the wrong thing and inadvertently taking advantage of the employee (which is the last thing I want to do) so I’ve avoided it altogether. There are times, however, it would be really helpful, so I’d appreciate it if someone could tell me how it’s supposed to work.

I thought that when stores first started pickup during COVID, they forbade their employees from accepting tips. Then it seemed like you were supposed to tip them, but it was unclear how much. It doesn’t make sense to tip as much for groceries that you get as for groceries being brought to your house, so if you’re supposed to tip them I don’t know how much would be appropriate. Moreover, if the store employee is paid hourly, I don’t really understand tipping because the store is paying them to do whatever the store directs during their work hours, and if the store tells them to spend that time filling customer orders instead of stocking shelves, running registers, mopping up spills, answering customer questions, etc., there may be a cost to the company, but the employee is still getting paid for their assigned work, same as if they were assigned any other task.

Finally, if we tip employees for the services the store offers, what’s to keep the store from reclassifying its employees as tipped workers, freeing the corporation from its obligation to pay minimum wage and shift the responsibility for the employees’ wages to the customer (on top of the purchase price for their goods), most likely lowering the employee’s income? This would be great for the company’s bottom line, but it would be at the expense of both customers and employees.

Don't tip the store employees, like Target, Sams or your local grocery store. I do this all the time and none of them expect a tip. If the store uses Instacart to fulfill then you would be expected to tip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:20% for Costco, which is the only time I use it.

The 20% tip I pay is absolutely worth the time savings for me. Costco is easily 30+ minutes each way and then there is the time spent traipsing about the store, checking out, etc. So worth it. We always seem to get the same couple that works together and they always bring things up to our condo, unload neatly, and are very friendly. They're great.

NP. I use it for Costco mostly as well. I love Costco, but I hate the trip there, the lines, the chaos. Glad to pay Instacart for this service, and our nanny puts everything away while we're at work. I usually tip a flat $20.