Understanding Instacart's Shoppers and Customer Ratings

Instacart is a popular grocery delivery platform that connects customers with local shoppers to deliver their orders. The relationship between customers and shoppers is crucial, as it directly impacts the shopping experience and overall satisfaction. A key aspect of this relationship is customer ratings, which play a role in how orders are distributed, but can a dissatisfied customer prevent a shopper from receiving this customer's future orders? Let's dive deeper into this topic.

The Role of Customer Ratings in Instacart

When a customer rates a shopper, the rating contributes to the shopper's overall performance metrics within the platform. However, Instacart does not have a publicized system that allows shoppers to block or filter out specific customers based on their ratings. Shoppers receive orders from a variety of customers, and their ratings primarily reflect their standing within the platform rather than restricting access to certain customers.

Significant issues with a customer can be reported, but this typically does not result in a direct blocking mechanism for future orders from that customer. For instance, if a customer has a terrible experience, they can report problems to Instacart, and the shopper may be temporarily removed from receiving that customer's orders. However, as we will see later, the shopper is likely to receive orders from other customers.

Shoppers' Access to Orders

Instacart shoppers do not have the ability to see all available orders to accept. Orders are posted quickly, especially for good ones, making them hard to catch. If a shopper faces issues with a particular customer, they have the option to report the problem to Instacart and even block the customer after delivery if necessary.

There is a rating threshold to consider: shoppers need to maintain a 4.7 or higher rating to see orders first. If a shopper consistently receives low ratings, they may not be eligible to see batches of orders. This is often the case with new shoppers who are still learning the job and tend to have a lower initial rating. Over time, their ratings will improve as they complete more orders and learn the ropes. If a shopper's rating falls below 4.7, they will not see batches unless they are in a specific category, such as a bad batch (for instance, a customer who didn't leave a tip or lives 15 miles from the store with no other available shoppers).

Real-World Experiences

From personal experiences, many shoppers have encountered situations where they had a horrible experience with a customer but were still offered the same customer's future orders. For example, one shopper had a terrible experience where a customer never delivered an order. After contacting Instacart support, the support team informed the shopper that the customer would not be able to accept their orders anymore; however, the very next day, the same terrible shopper was available to receive the order. This highlights the reality that even with reported issues, the shopper may still be offered future orders from that customer.

However, it's important to note that Instacart does have mechanisms in place to protect both shoppers and customers. Shoppers are encouraged to maintain a 4.7 or higher rating to stay competitive and see batches first. Low ratings can lead to fewer opportunities, ultimately pushing bad performers out of the system. New shoppers with low ratings often start to get formal rejections from orders, leading to them leaving the platform due to the lack of opportunities.

One key takeaway is to rate shoppers who provide a good experience with a 5-star rating whenever possible. Shoppers with consistently high ratings are more likely to be offered batches first, improving their chances of success.