# Instacart Scheduling



## junbug7 (Jun 22, 2018)

Hello all,

Instacart requires shoppers to work 90 hrs within 3 weeks OR 25 hrs within 3 weekends. If these hours are met then shoppers have priority of scheduling shifts a week in advance starting Sunday at 9am. If not then you lose that privilege and can only pick up a shift a day in advance.

I started in July, and I did have 5 reliability issues in July due to late changes to my schedule. So I got bumped from Early Access until I work 30 days without any reliability issues to clear those prior issues. That wouldn't be a problem if I could find a shift to work. Idk what specific time to check so I check all throughout the day but, 9 out of 10 times there's nothing. I'll never get 90 weekday hours at this rate.

Has anybody else been through this, Is there a certain time when the shifts are released each day??

.


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## Z129 (May 30, 2018)

I'm in the middle of the same thing for two reliability reports. Getting hours is real difficult.

Shifts are released on 9am on Monday for people with early access and at 9am on Wednesday for people without it. The rest of the time it is totally random and is generally just other people dropping blocks they grabbed on Monday or Wednesday.


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## AuxCordBoston (Dec 3, 2016)

junbug7 said:


> Hello all,
> 
> Instacart requires shoppers to work 90 hrs within 3 weeks OR 25 hrs within 3 weekends. If these hours are met then shoppers have priority of scheduling shifts a week in advance starting Sunday at 9am. If not then you lose that privilege and can only pick up a shift a day in advance.
> 
> ...


What do you think about doing Instacart? Like it? Customers are difficult? I signed up but never started. Just curious.


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## Z129 (May 30, 2018)

I don't know if you just want the op's feedback or if you're open to general comments but I like it for the most part. 

Some customers can be over-the-top picky. Like OCD-level picky. But that certainly doesn't represent a majority of the customers. 

It's walking around a grocery store getting items on a list and then taking those items to the customer. It's pretty darn easy. Tips are very common and they add up. Non-tippers are rare but they do exist. 

It is a nice break from rideshare but rideshare is easier. Together they work great. The ease of rideshare combined with actually having to get out of the car and walk around to shop for groceries and deliver them.


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## Woohaa (Jan 15, 2017)

Z129 said:


> I don't know if you just want the op's feedback or if you're open to general comments but I like it for the most part.
> 
> Some customers can be over-the-top picky. Like OCD-level picky. But that certainly doesn't represent a majority of the customers.
> 
> ...


Talk to me after you get a batch filled with nothing but gallons of water jugs that you have to lug up several flights of stairs in an apartment complex with NO elevator.


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## Z129 (May 30, 2018)

Woohaa said:


> Talk to me after you get a batch filled with nothing but gallons of water jugs that you have to lug up several flights of stairs in an apartment complex with NO elevator.


Hey, no complaining. You got $0.40 for all those water jugs.


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## Goongpad77 (Dec 6, 2017)

junbug7 said:


> Hello all,
> 
> Instacart requires shoppers to work 90 hrs within 3 weeks OR 25 hrs within 3 weekends. If these hours are met then shoppers have priority of scheduling shifts a week in advance starting Sunday at 9am. If not then you lose that privilege and can only pick up a shift a day in advance.
> 
> ...


I tried Instacart for a while and granted I made some good money, but their scheduling requirements are strict. The least flexible of all the gig apps. I wanted to work part time during the week, but if you don't meet those scheduling requirements you're screwed... they really want full-time employees. Customers can be ultra picky and difficult. Reliability incidents blow and I had quite a few customers report large orders as missing... tons of wrong damaged item reports. They got their food and there was nothing wrong with their items! Lots of scammers shop Instacart...I took a break after those incidents. Now I pick up a couple hours occasionally.


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## junbug7 (Jun 22, 2018)

AuxCordBoston said:


> What do you think about doing Instacart? Like it? Customers are difficult? I signed up but never started. Just curious.


I like it. I think the money is better than Doordash and Uber. I enjoy supermarket shopping though, so that helps. I stay in contact with customers letting them know I'm doing their shopping and I'll alert them with any issues I have. I know the product & prices when offering replacements, and take pics so they see what I see. I haven't had any outright rude customers, some take longer to reply which cuts into my time but nothing that causes any major problems. I am extra nice to customers so they can leave me 5 star reviews for that $3.

I had 1 problem with a customer who wouldn't reply by message, or call back and half of her items were out of stock at Whole Foods. I replaced what I could and refunded what I couldn't and checked out. She actually marked all of those items as missing several days later. B***ch.

Yes, it does suck when they order like 6 24-packs of water. Lol I have a cart that holds 2 24 packs side by side perfectly and folds flat. $25 at Office Max on sale. Well worth the price.


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## AuxCordBoston (Dec 3, 2016)

junbug7 said:


> I like it. I think the money is better than Doordash and Uber. I enjoy supermarket shopping though, so that helps. I stay in contact with customers letting them know I'm doing their shopping and I'll alert them with any issues I have. I know the product & prices when offering replacements, and take pics so they see what I see. I haven't had any outright rude customers, some take longer to reply which cuts into my time but nothing that causes any major problems. I am extra nice to customers so they can leave me 5 star reviews for that $3.
> 
> I had 1 problem with a customer who wouldn't reply by message, or call back and half of her items were out of stock at Whole Foods. I replaced what I could and refunded what I couldn't and checked out. She actually marked all of those items as missing several days later. B***ch.
> 
> Yes, it does suck when they order like 6 24-packs of water. Lol I have a cart that holds 2 24 packs side by side perfectly and folds flat. $25 at Office Max on sale. Well worth the price.


Do you go to a specific grocery store in your zone and wait or do you drive around your zone?


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## junbug7 (Jun 22, 2018)

AuxCordBoston said:


> Do you go to a specific grocery store in your zone and wait or do you drive around your zone?


The app has Hotspots to be near. I get a lot of orders from Ralphs & Stater Bros. I go to the nicer areas, bigger orders and better money.


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## Goongpad77 (Dec 6, 2017)

junbug7 said:


> Hello all,
> 
> Instacart requires shoppers to work 90 hrs within 3 weeks OR 25 hrs within 3 weekends. If these hours are met then shoppers have priority of scheduling shifts a week in advance starting Sunday at 9am. If not then you lose that privilege and can only pick up a shift a day in advance.
> 
> ...


Once you lose early access it's pretty much like you've been fired. They really want full-time employees and they designed the system exactly this way on purpose. They can get what they want with classifying you as an employee...You can eventually clear reliability incidents, but for me it's taking forever.

I manage to score 2 or 3 hours here and there and have 15 more days to go. At this rate it'll be 2018 before I get my early access back. It's nice to make an extra hundred every couple weeks. Once you get a bunch of reliability incidents they just hire a new candidates to fill all the early access slots and just keep the cycle repeating. They can essentially shut you out and fire you without saying you're fired. They give you a tiny second chance. I think most just give up. You might be able to clear them better in your market.


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## vtcomics (Oct 9, 2018)

Goongpad77 said:


> Once you lose early access it's pretty much like you've been fired. They really want full-time employees and they designed the system exactly this way on purpose. They can get what they want with classifying you as an employee...You can eventually clear reliability incidents, but for me it's taking forever.
> 
> I manage to score 2 or 3 hours here and there and have 15 more days to go. At this rate it'll be 2018 before I get my early access back. It's nice to make an extra hundred every couple weeks. Once you get a bunch of reliability incidents they just hire a new candidates to fill all the early access slots and just keep the cycle repeating. They can essentially shut you out and fire you without saying you're fired. They give you a tiny second chance. I think most just give up. You might be able to clear them better in your market.


I just signed up tonight for Instacart. Reliability incidents : are these negative feedback issues related to the customer's order? Or something else? How does the "schedule" work? You pick hours and then must commit to be online and available during those hours? How do you manage this and do rideshare at the same time?


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## Goongpad77 (Dec 6, 2017)

It’s tough multi app with instacart... If you cancel your hours within 6 hours of the start of your shift you get a reliability incident


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## Z129 (May 30, 2018)

Instacart is a good gig. IMO


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## vtcomics (Oct 9, 2018)

Goongpad77 said:


> It's tough multi app with instacart... If you cancel your hours within 6 hours of the start of your shift you get a reliability incident


How long is a shift and how do you sign up for them? I don't even see the hours link on the app anywhere? Maybe I need to receive the green card first...


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## Z129 (May 30, 2018)

vtcomics said:


> How long is a shift and how do you sign up for them? I don't even see the hours link on the app anywhere? Maybe I need to receive the green card first...


You have to pass a background check and have your bags approved for Instacart as well.


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## vtcomics (Oct 9, 2018)

Z129 said:


> You have to pass a background check and have your bags approved for Instacart as well.


Thanks. Bags approved? Sorry for all the questions.


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## Z129 (May 30, 2018)

vtcomics said:


> Thanks. Bags approved? Sorry for all the questions.


Yeah they require you to have bags to keep cold food cold. They will require you to submit picture of your bags to be approved. They don't have to be anything elaborate, just insulated.


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## vtcomics (Oct 9, 2018)

Z129 said:


> I don't know if you just want the op's feedback or if you're open to general comments but I like it for the most part.
> 
> Some customers can be over-the-top picky. Like OCD-level picky. But that certainly doesn't represent a majority of the customers.
> 
> ...


I would assume you'd have to know the store pretty darn well so that you're not stumbling aisle to aisle looking for some weird oddball item?



Woohaa said:


> Talk to me after you get a batch filled with nothing but gallons of water jugs that you have to lug up several flights of stairs in an apartment complex with NO elevator.


Instacart recently put out some new info about heavier items. Can't remember exactly what the gist of it was....



Z129 said:


> Yeah they require you to have bags to keep cold food cold. They will require you to submit picture of your bags to be approved. They don't have to be anything elaborate, just insulated.


Any suggestions where to buy these insulated bags? Amazon?


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## Z129 (May 30, 2018)

vtcomics said:


> I would assume you'd have to know the store pretty darn well so that you're not stumbling aisle to aisle looking for some weird oddball item?
> 
> Instacart recently put out some new info about heavier items. Can't remember exactly what the gist of it was....


It helps very much to know your stores.

Some stores will have the aisle the items is in right in the app. Others don't. Some just say things like "Pantry" or "Dairy."

And never waste time looking for something. If you can't find it right away, ask where it is.

I bought my bags off of Amazon. I also use a coleman cooler.


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## vtcomics (Oct 9, 2018)

Z129 said:


> It helps very much to know your stores.
> 
> Some stores will have the aisle the items is in right in the app. Others don't. Some just say things like "Pantry" or "Dairy."
> 
> ...


So I signed up for a couple hours and that prompted them to require me to provide pics of my insulated bags. Luckily and thanks to your heads up I had already ordered a couple from Amazon and was ready. Now let's see if I get any actual orders tomorrow!


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## Daniel Harbin (Sep 23, 2015)

I looked at instacart and decided it was not worth the time involved. Besides I want to decide on the fly to work or not and take off for a couple of months if I wish.


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## dlearl476 (Oct 3, 2017)

Daniel Harbin said:


> I looked at instacart and decided it was not worth the time involved. Besides I want to decide on the fly to work or not and take off for a couple of months if I wish.


Yep. The main attraction of driving is to work when you want and not when you don't. IMHO, you'd be better off getting a job at a supermarket if you wanted regular hours. Our local Smith's (Kroger subsidiary) has "Clicklist" shoppers that probably make $10-$12/HR and don't have to use their own cars to deliver, they just push a cart out to the parking lot.


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