Attn: W. Craig Jelinek (Costco)
Todd Jones (Publix)
Colleen Wegman (Wegmans)
Charles Butt (H-E-B)
Jason Hart (Aldi)
Rodney McMullen (Kroger)
To CEOs of Instacart’s partner stores:
We are speaking to you because your companies are constantly recognized as some of the best workplaces in the industry. You clearly make treating your employees well a priority, but as you’ve likely heard, Instacart Shoppers can not say the same about Instacart. Instacart Corporate continuously cuts our pay, has admitted to stealing our tips, and makes their disdain for us clear while paying poverty wages for work being performed on your property. It has become an extremely toxic working relationship, to the point where many of us can no longer afford to even accept orders at your stores, and we recognize this is having a direct effect on you and your customers, as well.
Earlier this month, Instacart Shoppers all over the country held a walk-off and demanded that Instacart return their app’s default tip amount to 10%. Not only did they ignore that and the wide media attention surrounding
it, but they actually retaliated against us by removing the last performance bonus we had left. Every time a customer rated us a perfect 5 stars, Instacart would pay us an additional $3, but that is gone now. For many of us working in your stores, this can mean a 42% pay cut.
So why is any of this your concern? We are in your stores each and every day. We deliver groceries to many of your customers who cannot get to your store on their own - new moms, disabled people, those who do not drive, and so on. We are, in effect, the face your customers see when they buy from your company, and we feel a very strong
connection to those customers.
Simply put, Instacart's universally-panned treatment of their Shoppers has a direct effect on your store's reputation and revenue. By lessening the default tip amount and removing performance bonuses, longtime shoppers are forced to work up to 42% more hurriedly for the
same pay. As in any workplace, this will result in errors, accidents, and weakened customer relationships.
This is a service job, and the service we provide is immeasurable to many of your customers. We aren’t just picking up an already prepared bag and delivering it. Instead, we shop on behalf of your customers directly, picking the best apples, and working out the best
replacement for an item out of stock. This is an actual skill that has built up in Shoppers over time. We then use our own cars and our own gas to bring these groceries directly to your customers.
In an ideal scenario we wouldn’t be dependent on tips at all. Instacart’s base pay should be high enough where the tip is actually just a tip. But due to Instacart’s repeated pay cuts over the last few years, many of us actually lose our own money fulfilling orders in your store. We urge you to research what’s going on - we’ve documented it extensively as it has happened, and the media has covered it at length.
By comparison, Amazon, which is Instacart’s biggest delivery competitor (and in many ways, your competitor, too), not only has a fair guaranteed base pay rate, but also defaults tips to 10% of the order amount or $5, whichever is higher. Instacart, on the other hand, defaults tips to 5% or $2 if the order is less than $35. It’s been thoroughly documented that the default tip amount in an app matters-- customers overwhelmingly tipped 10% when that was the default.
The net effect of Instacart’s decision-making is resulting in a decline in satisfaction and experience for customers of your stores, with no monetary or other benefit to you. We are asking you to join us in asking Instacart to return the default tip amount to 10% so we can resume providing a high-quality shopping service to your customer.
Signed,
Instacart Shoppers:
A. Belle Graves
Aaron Mckenzie
Adam Lenning
Adrian LaRue
Adrienne Hawks
Adubz Wallace
Aimee Devereaux-Fringer
Aja Steptoe-Edwards
Alberta Helen Atkinso
Alex Arleo
Alex Traub
Alicia DiCorcia
Alisha Kobain
Alisha Prieger
Allison Menhennett
Ally Manzi
Alysha Alvarado
Alyssa Longobardi
Amanda Beck Moulder
Amanda Llanos-Giovino
Amanda S. Harris
Amber Bartel
Amber McClelland
Amber Penny
Amberlyn Evelyn Springer
Amy Davis
Amy Short
Amy Silverman McCarthy
Amy Vallett
Andrea Harrison
Andrew Williamson Hess
Angel Rose
Angela Rohloff
Angie Kufner
Angie Vallera
Ann Robinson
Anna Robinson
Anna Wilkinson Chester
Annie Berger
Anya Jolene
Apple May Inguito Erhart
Araceli Gomez
Ariana Marie Diaz
Arlina Marie Rechlin
Art Anderson
Ashlery Cameron
Ashley Johnson
Ashley Salazar
Ashliegh Ellinburg
Astrid Mills
Austin Krebill
Ayesha Zaman Khan
Bactisa Fletcher
Belinda King
Ben Sigas
Betina Foreman
Bo Dombroski
Bobbie Vaughan
Bonnie Binger
Bracy Atkinson
Breanna Brinkerhoff
Brenda Cohen
Brent Ward
Brian Sichelle
Brieanna Shockley
Britt Adele
Brittany Brown
Bronwyn Judith
Bryan Sanford
Caitlin Portzline
Cammy Hardwig Thompson
Candy Dellinger Zander
Carmen Burdier
Carol Chantiny
Carol Heyen
Carol Lynden
Cassidy Michelle
Cathy Coleman
Cathy Young
Cerena Cooper Conrad
Charlene Pinney
Charles Orlik
Chelli Evans Bassler
Chelsea Miller
Cheril Horacek Zavala
Chester Coleman
Chloe Deogaygay
Christie Stella
Christina L. Wideman
Christina Sprous
Christine Allen Gregg
Christine Saxbee
Christine Swartz Morra
Christopher Barnes
Cici Bee
Claire Buchanan
Clarissa Stewart
Cody Nguyen
Connie Sewell
Corinne Reeves
Cortney Strawther
Crystal Crowder
Crystal Meisner
Daisy Buitrago
Danielle Dassero
Danielle Perryman-Tittle
Darlene Perales
Daro Reo
Darrian Dowdy
David Hunter
David Walter
Dawn Clarke
Dawn Droney-Hall
Dawn Snyder
Debbie Wells
Deborah Dewhirst
Delaine Smith
Denae MsDiva Elle
Denise Ferriss Perry
Des Iree
Desiree Davis
Diane Whitley
Dianna James
Domoni Greatwater
Don Kaneitra
Donna Dudeck Withers
Dora Wooten
Dorel Lagunas
Dori Bean
Doshia Eagles
Doug Baker
Drea Riley
Elizabeth Denny
Elizabeth M Eley
Elizebethe Eckhoff
Elvira Hernandez
Elyse Knight
Emily Kemp
Emily M Negron
Eric Vallett
Erica Osborne
Erika Gaviria Garces
Erin Novak
Esther Elmore
Eva Destrucshun
Evelyn Rodriguez
Fernando Flores
Fran Valdes
Francis Tiara Grindstaff
Fredrick Morina
Gabriela Orueta
Gene DeWayne Dotts II
Georgia Torres
Gilbert Mauricio
Gina Kim
Ginger Anne Farr
Ginger Navarrete
Glen Meyers
GoGo Janet
Greta Huang
Grily Ureña
Hali Moore
Hazel Clements
Heather Bynum
Heather Daniels
Heather Holliday
Heather Lovvorn
Heather Sloat
Heddy Sanchez
Heidi Ho Carrico
Heidi Hunt
Hilary Parlin Gordon
Holly Fulton Burgess
Irannia Acebo
Ivy Vheinz
J.W. Tan
Jackie Carter
Jacqueline Gragas
Jacqueline Murphy
Jacqueline Ortega
Jaime Brown
James Kubiak
Jami Walls
Jamie Baxley
Jamie Holshouser
Jan Deleon-Mandar
Jana Ranee
Janelle Fehn
Janelle Galvan
Janet Devers
Janet Kadosa
Janet Stevens
Janice Hiroko Kasumoto
Jannah Nasrallah
Jannell Wagstaff
Jasmine Cole
Jason Hiser
Jason Sandoval
Jay Lee Marie
Jeanette Nelson
Jayna Carter
Jeff Daniel Rosenblum
Jen Marie
Jenn Sylvester
Jenna Valezquez
Jennessa Voss
Jenni McGlone
Jennie Mendro Furtak
Jennie Pelky KadrioskiJennifer
Jennifer Albright
Jennifer Keller
Jennifer Kennedy
Jennifer Meyers
Jennifer Rebecca Faught
Jennifer Stickle Fortin
Jennifer Ullerich
Jennifer Waddleton
Jeremy Meyers
Jess Lynn
Jessica Pumilia-Hafner
Jessica Seiders
Jill A Gardner
Joanne Discala
Jodi Loendorf
John Krebill
Joline Ullom
Jon Reck
Jonathan Luxton
Jordan Anderson
Josh Johnson
Joshua Miller
Julia Lee
Julie Bruning
Julie Canfield-Bliek
Julie Curtis
Julie Lancaster
Julie Lynn
Julie Young
Kamwanna Berkley
Karen Humphries-Smith
Karen Lain
Karla Smith
Katelyn Connor
Katherine Rust
Katherine Vaporis Herron
Kathy Brainard
Katie Brown
Kaycee Gibson
Kayla Virgin
Keith Thompson
Kelley Blevins
Kelli Vilchis
Kelly Dawn
Kelly Denise
Kelly Marquez
Kelly Walter
Ken Merhar
Kerri Anderson
Khalid Barakat
Kim Chesser
Kim Fawley
Kim McMurray
Kim Osborne
Kimber Shilpetski
Kimberly Graffeo Grant
Kimberly L. Sharp
Kitty Nikolai
Kitty Shephard
KJ Doyle
Kosta Badger
Kristen Lang
Kristen White
Kristin Carey
Kristin Dennis
Kristin Tomasic
Kristy Scheidel
Krystle M. Rioux
La’Shara Boddie
Lacie Korsberg
Lala Muhammad
Larry Ciulla
Laura Dudley
Laura Smith Kok
Laura Zahn
Lauren Renee Doty
Lawrence Mojado
Layshon Suell
Leah Enking
Leia Cameron
Lola Renae
Loren Bray
Lorie Dial-Bowie
Louise Saler-Reinier
Luis Orozco
Madeline Sumner
Maerlyn S Barker
Maggie Love
Mahmoud Abdeldayem
Malaika Damon
Mando Behr
Maria Crawford
Maria Earl
Maria Elena Stephens
Marilyn Sawyer
Marisol Marquina
Marissa Lavroff
Mark Young
Marquise Gibson
Marty Hall
Mary E. Regalado
Mary Kelly
Mary Lucch
Matt Minkowsky
Matthew Lennon
Matthew Leo
Matthew Telles
Megan Garcia Alvarado
Melissa Deering
Melissa Grebe
Melissa Hales Schroeder
Melissa Oufaaiz
Melissa Rose
Melissa Truman
Mera Jimenez
Mia Kelly
Micah Judd
Michael Montgomery
Michael Sar
Michael Stewart
Michele Kabacinski
Michelle Green
Michelle Lee
Michelle OToole
Mike Smith
Misty Rzepniewski-Aguilera
Mohammed Najjari
Morganne Hackley
Nakia Sykes
Natasha Beck-King
Neener Paris
Netty Kock
Nicholaus Kiive
Nichole Nenninger Parkhill
Nicole Swift Krause
Nikoleta Hrabkovsky
Nura Akins
Nushna Pitt
Oscar Lopez
Paige Turner
Patricia Dougherty
Patrick O’Boyle
Paul Bolvari
PJ Knoetgen
Priya Girdharlal
Rachel Jenkins
Rachel Keesee
Rachel Pilgrim Boyd
Randi Rowe
Raquel Garcia
Raylene Brooks
Rebecca Naef Gwaltney
Rebecca Silas
Richi Conner
Riley Matlock
Ritu Saigal
Rob Isselbarcher
Robert Carter
Robin M. Pape
Ronald Wellington Jr.
Rose Aceret
Ryan Phillips
Salvatore Cucchiara
Samantha Brannon
Samantha Freeman
Samatha Jo
Sandi Conway Eisenmann
Sandra Bartlett
Sandra Wiggins
Sara Rakovic
Sara Savino
Sarah Anaraki
Sarah Christiansen
Sarah Eleanor
Sarah Lynn
Sarah Rebecca Witten
Sarha Orantes
Savannah Alizae Stone
Savannah Hefty
Schana Cummings
Scott Yarbrough
Sean O’Dell
Shandi Ghee
Shaneen Sykes
Shanele Dawn
Sharmaine Bennett
Sharon Harris
Sharon Maze-Goen
Shay N Shauna Lomas
Shay Wa
Sheree Conner
Sheri Rush
Sherri Ronan
Sky Conner
Stacey Charton-Haws
Stacey Miller Martino
Stacy Appiah
Stephanie Bush
Stephanie Hunter
Stephanie Seller
Steve Burns Jr
Steve Schofield
Sue Warady-Keene
Summer Green
Susan Cuffaro
Susan Vargas
Susannah Maynard
Suzanne Agnes
Suzanne Dufrane
Tamila Dorton
Tammicia Usher
Tammy A. McLane
Tammy Hunter
Tammy McCullum
Tanya Caviness
Tara M Khaskin
Tara Moreno
TaRita Taylor
Teej Budz
Terri Herstad
Terry Halvorson Jr.
Thereza De La O
Tia Mcfarlin
Tiffany Charbonnet
Tiffany Crook
Tim Holley
Tori Michelle
Tracey Cohen
Tracey Gunter
Tracey Vo
Traci Cheadle
Traci Pomeroy
Tracy Emerson Sirman
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Tracy Tracy
Twyla Robinson
Tyler Rex
Ursula Gumlaw
Valery Sanchez
Vanessa Bain
Vanessa Berge
Vanessa Reinoso
Vera Lopez
Veronica Sundram
Veronika Breedlove
Victoria Villalobos
Vida Aguirre
Wanda Garcia
Wendy Aldrete
Wendy Barthel
Wes Lawrence
William Boosta Freemon II
Wilma Ruiz
Yvonne Mitchell
