The Home Shopping Network or the Network for Home Shopping

 

Last week I wrote about the prolific number of job advertisements across a number of sectors and the disappointing jobs report for the month of August. Strangely enough I received two atypical but related pieces of mail over the past several days – one trumpeting $350 in compensation for working Election Day and the other a clarion call for Instacart Shoppers.

Now I’m old enough to recall when the polling places on Election Day were staffed with volunteers, rather than paid gig economy workers. And $350 a day is tempting, except you don’t have a say in where you are assigned. And if you live in a large county as I do, you could be sent as far as 30 miles away.

And in full disclosure I had little or no idea what an Instacart Shopper was, so I did some research.

As it turns out, they’re akin to personal shoppers for groceries instead of clothing and accessories and subsequently deliver them to the customer’s homes. The average pay is $20 an hour plus tips and the best of breed in this category can make up to $50 an hour. Most who toil as Instacart Shoppers do so as a side job and as you can imagine, during the pandemic lockdown where many were petrified to leave their homes, demand for these folks skyrocketed.

In truth we tried home delivery for groceries one time – but that was direct from the store as opposed to an independent contractor. Out of roughly 30 items, they managed to foul up nearly 14 of them so that ended that brief experiment.

But I digress. I did locate an article where one veteran Instacart Shopper detailed his top customer-related pet peeves during his deliveries.

1.       As with most delivery positions, getting the correct address is probably critical – so arriving as a deserted building or a vacant lot when you have a trunkful of perishable foods presents a serious problem.

2.       Lousy tips. Instacarters derive much of their total income from gratuities. So, when a customer skimps on a tip it’s literally money out of their pockets. Just ask any waiter about bad tipping and you will likely get an angry thesis.

3.        Adding to orders after the fact. Last minute additions are okay, just as long as it doesn’t turn into an episode of “supermarket sweep” at the end. One driver recounted how a customer added 11 items just as he was approaching the register for check out.

4.       Requests for alcohol and cigarettes. Many states have prohibited Instacarters from purchasing alcohol and cigarettes for customers. So many drivers take a “just say no,” stance.

So, after thinking it over I think I’m just going to perform my citizen’s duty and cast my ballot on Election Day, rather than man a desk as well as a pledge to continue buying my own groceries.