An Instacart shopper has a message for customers: please, don’t ask your shopper to enter your home.
In a now-viral video, TikToker and Instacart shopper Ella (@five_star_shopper) recounts an experience of dropping off an order with someone who instructed her to enter their home. She explains her safety concerns and what Instacart can do to make this more clear to both drivers and customers.
The TikTok has over 57,000 views as of Saturday.
@five_star_shopper Bringing items inside is not something that is required of a shopper, and we need @Instacart to make that clear. #instacart #instacartcustomer #instacartshopper #fyp #fypシ #psa #answer #fyi #doordash #grubhub #ubereats #deliverydriver #groceryshopping #safetyfirst #customerservice ♬ original sound – Ella
In the video, Ella says that she accepted an order and looked at the delivery notes. The notes told her the door was open and that she should “just walk right in.”
“Uh, no thank you!” Ella says.
She goes on to explain that she had never delivered to the customer before, that the customer in question was a man, and above all, Instacart shoppers are technically not supposed to go inside customers’ homes. There are many reasons for this, but as Ella tells it, one of the chief reasons is shopper safety.
However, she says that customers are frequently not aware of this and will get “violently angry” if the driver does not follow their instructions of entering their home.
“I am well aware of the issues that this brings up for handicapped, disabled, or elderly customers,” she says. “For many of these individuals, Instacart is a vital and essential service, and they need a little bit of extra help. Some shoppers may be comfortable with [entering someone’s home], but many are not.”
In conclusion, Ella says that Instacart is unclear with customers on the topic, leaving the shoppers to fend for themselves when it comes to customer complaints.
Commenters supported Ella, sharing their own feelings on the topic.
“Anyone who gets violently angry at you for you feeling unsafe around them just proves you right,” one user wrote.
“As a client, I wouldn’t leave my door unlocked and tell someone to go on in especially if I’ve never met them,” a second user stated.
Other commenters wrote that they will occasionally bring orders inside, but only under specific circumstances.
“I have a few elderly repeat customers that I bring their items inside but only after they ask. because most of them are in wheelchairs,” one TikToker shared.
“I do for elderly, but only if they meet me at the door,” a further user added.
Ella agreed with this user, writing, “I have 2 older ladies who live alone that I will do it for. But I’ve delivered to them countless times, and they know that other shoppers might not!”
Instacart itself commented on Ella’s video, too. The company wrote, “We care about your safety and want to confirm that shoppers are never required to enter a customers home.”
While Ella thanked Instacart for the clarification, others thought the company needed to go further.
“Why not have a disclaimer explaining that shoppers can’t go inside of the customer’s home & require customers to click it to acknowledge?” a TikToker asked.
“Maybe MAKE SURE CUSTOMERS KNOW THIS!!! because this can put drivers in unsafe situations,” another user agreed.
We’ve reached out to Instacart via email and Ella via TikTok comment.
Update 2:30pm CT July 2: In a TikTok DM to the Daily Dot, Ella reiterated that she wants Instacart to clarify customers’ expectations of their shoppers.
”It’s about managing customer expectations,” she wrote. “Instacart needs to make it abundantly clear to all its customers that shoppers are not required or expected to enter a customer’s home. One shopper might feel comfortable but the next might not; and their ratings, safety, or overall standing as a shopper should never be in jeopardy as a result of that decision.”
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