Reply to If you use Instacart for groceries what do you tip?

Forum Index » Food, Cooking, and Restaurants

Reply to "If you use Instacart for groceries what do you tip?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=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.[/quote]

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. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics