Judge a man by the way he treats those who have nothing. You must have heard this quote several times in your life. Each one of us may have a lot of good qualities and great qualifications. But the way you treat others is what makes a kind and good person. There are a lot of situations in the news where we see how waiters, servants, and drivers are ill-treated by individuals. The topic is ‘Should You Tip InstaCart Drivers?’
Those who ill-treat them feel that their actions are not taken into account. Usually, most of the restaurants don’t give importance to the safety and security of these staff members. The employers just ask them to tolerate such behavior. Though there are laws in their favor, wasting time in the court hearings will lead to the wastage of their time, money, and energy.
What is instacart?
It is an online app used to get your groceries delivered to your doorstep. You can order whatever you want from it. Even if the nearby store does not have some items, they will ask if the remotest alternative works for you or not. If it works for you, then they provide you with the alternative of the unavailable product.
Tipping Instacart drivers
Just like you tip at the restaurant or to any other service provider, you do so to the Instacart drivers. You will understand further why is it very important to do so.
Is tipping a good habit?
- Being a good human
You may be considered a good person if you tip. It means that you think of others. When you give a tip, it conveys to them that you liked their service. You might be aware of the fact that they are not treated very nicely by their superiors as well as their customers, most of the time. So, when you show some compassion and politeness, their faith in humanity may be restored.
- More trustworthy and reliability
When someone tips, it indicates that their parents have raised a child correctly. You can rely on the person and make good judgments about him/her. You can be grateful for all the financial stability that you have. Only when you give a portion of what you have to others, will you feel the happiness of seeing others smile.
However, some of your stingy friends might question why to tip if they are getting their salary. But when you come to know about the proportion of the efforts that they put in and the income that they receive, you will be in shock. But since it is important to break your bubble, let us go ahead to know their salary.
How much is the salary of Instacart drivers?
You must have your groceries delivered by Instacart drivers in for as little as 4 dollars. Now, if that is the delivery fee per delivery, then imagine their salary. Their salary is performance-based. So, the more deliveries they do, the more money they receive. It also depends on the number of things you order. They receive 0.30 dollars per item. But this paying system does not take into account that some commodities are heavier or bulkier than others.
So no matter how much effort and weight they carry, all they receive is 0.30 dollars only. As you may feel as well, such a system of paying is not fair. But due to their financial struggles, difficult life events, they need to bear with them and continue doing their job. Even though they spend extra time delivering the goods; they get paid the same amount. It means that they are not getting paid to put in the extra effort and time to deliver the groceries.
You also need to think of the efforts that go into the delivery of your groceries. Since not all apartments are on Google Maps, they need to put their efforts to find your apartment. Further, they need to coordinate with you as well as their seniors too. They also need to focus on riding their vehicle. They also have the pressure of reaching on time.
How does your tip affect them?
- No payment for more time allotment
If more time is wasted in looking for the location, then it leads to less delivery and hence low income for that day. There may be some times when they don’t get any orders. It means that their income is really unstable and there might be some days when they don’t earn at all. You need to respect their efforts and help them sustain. They are saving a lot of your time and energy. They help working mothers and busy professionals to eat healthy without the effort of going to the market.
When there is high traffic, their time is spent unnecessarily but the Instacart etiquette is such that they don’t pay their drivers for the wasted time. No matter how much they struggle, all they get is 0.30 dollars per item you order. Their vehicle maintenance is also not given. Their income is anyhow low and they have to give the vehicle maintenance from their pocket. This is why Instacart tipping 2021 becomes important.
- No payment for the efforts and hard work
They carry several kilograms of groceries at a time and have to ride long hours to reach their destination. They also need to take care that no goods are harmed or crushed during the delivery. They also don’t get anything when their precious moments are wasted while they wait for their next order to come. As you know that they also have to pick the groceries from the shop, so there are times when they also have to wait in line for a long time to get your groceries.
- No remuneration for medical expenses
When you give them the tip, it adds up to their income. They are also motivated to give you their best service. You are barring from the mental stress and pressure of constantly working hard. You are giving them more time to spend by themselves and by taking care of themselves. Their working hours are so long and tedious that they don’t even get time to visit a doctor or take proper rest.
There are some times when the weather is not very good. They need to keep working no matter what. It may be snowing heavily or it may be scorching heat. They have to carry the weight of your groceries in any of such conditions and deliver them to you. If your building does not have an elevator, then more effort to deliver your groceries.
- Cessation of income during a pandemic
During the times of pandemic, delivery services were completely shut down. It affected them to a lot of extents. To serve their family, they obviously would have taken up odd jobs. Hence, when the services are resumed, it is important to tip them well so that they can make up for the loss. No concessions were given in the school fees or any other expenses. So, they might have taken debts from others to make the ends meet. All these aspects make it very important to tip them well.
Sometimes, you may not understand how much a few dollars can mean to someone else. They mean a lot to them. Only when you are going to be nice to them, will this niceness come back to you again some way or the other. So, it is high time that you let your tip affect them positively.
How much should you tip instacart drivers?
Now, you know their struggles, such a question should not enter your mind. You can pay them as per your financial capability. The more it is, the better for them. But you should consider how much you can afford and only then give it to them accordingly. There is an option in the app to give a 5 % tip to them. But you can give more tips since they struggle so much for your comfort and health.
The tips that you pay online or in cash entirely go to the drivers. No percent is cut from this amount by the company. If your mind changes to tip them more, you can always change the tip amount a day after you get your groceries at your doorstep. If you have ordered a pickup from Instacart, then you won’t have an option of paying the tips to them online. In such situations, you can give them tips in cash.
How do tipping Instacart drivers benefit you?
- When you do good actions rather than teaching your children or near and dear ones, you are setting a good example.
- You are practicing what you preach and this is what makes you an effective role model.
- When you can share a portion of what you have, it shows that you are an empathic person who thinks of the welfare of others.
- If you are getting happiness by giving tips to them, you are benefiting your mental health as well.
- You are letting your body release dopamine and other good hormones that further enhance your physical health.
- It means that you are saving thousands of money that might otherwise go into the doctor’s fees and counselor’s therapy treatments.
Conclusion
Hence, you should tip Instacart drivers. Only when you do well for others, do you also receive the happiness of being good to them. It not only benefits them but also to you as well. One simple action is enough to restore faith in humanity and bring a smile to a lot of such workers. So, do you still think that one person cannot change the world? You can try being that one person and see how such prosocial actions of yours benefit you in mysterious ways. Be that perfect role model for your kid and a nice human being to another fellow being just by tipping at least two dollars to them.
