{"id":6260,"date":"2020-09-25T07:28:27","date_gmt":"2020-09-25T11:28:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.silvercentury.org\/?p=6260"},"modified":"2020-09-28T20:04:31","modified_gmt":"2020-09-29T00:04:31","slug":"hire-a-shopper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/78.142.243.82\/~silvercentury\/2020\/09\/hire-a-shopper\/","title":{"rendered":"Hire a Shopper"},"content":{"rendered":"

My college-age daughter is home. With orders to shelter in place, she lost her campus job and her restaurant job, and few opportunities were available when she arrived back in town. So she gamely decided to be an Instacart shopper.<\/span><\/p>\n

I found this amusing because she\u2019s never shown much interest in food\u2014has, in fact, elevated picky eating to an art form\u2014and never once offered to shop for our family groceries. And it wasn\u2019t long before the first call came in.<\/span><\/p>\n

DAUGHTER: Mom, is tarragon the same as oregano? <\/span><\/p>\n

MOM: No, why would you think that? <\/span><\/p>\n

DAUGHTER: I know sometimes things go by different names, like coriander and cilantro. (She knew that, wow!)<\/span><\/p>\n

DAUGHTER: (Twenty minutes later) Mom, what is a shallot and how big should it be?<\/span><\/p>\n

DAUGHTER: (Ten minutes later) Mom, where would I find chives?<\/span><\/p>\n

So, I\u2019ll admit I had a few laughs at her expense. Maybe more than a few. By her second trip, she didn\u2019t call me at all. I was impressed. She did a few orders each day and was starting to earn some money. <\/span><\/p>\n

I wondered if I should give it a try. After all, I worked as a culinary professional for a decade, so I know my produce. I fed myself and my family for several decades and, above all, I love to shop. I know all the local stores, and I can work a grocery run into my schedule. It could really help someone who wasn\u2019t leaving home. I signed up to be a shopper.<\/span><\/p>\n

A prospective shopper answers basic questions and consents to a background check. You need to have a clean driving record and no arrests. You agree to the hygiene rules: always wear a mask, sanitize hands before shopping and wipe down the cart handle. To deliver prescription medications along with a grocery order, you need to pass a HIPAA test to show you understand patient privacy rights, as well as agree to Instacart protocols for leaving prescription meds with an adult. <\/span><\/p>\n

There is also a food-safety lesson that tests the shopper\u2019s knowledge about keeping hot foods hot and cooked foods at a safe temperature. Instacart asked me to submit a photo of the cooler I\u2019d use to transport temperature-sensitive foods, and, when it was accepted, I was good to start shopping.<\/span><\/p>\n

With my first order queued up in the app, I swiped on my phone to start shopping. First items are customers\u2019 priority items; I was sent to frozen foods. Nope, that had to wait. No one would start there, would they? OK then, paper towels. Not a big selection, so I grabbed one and scanned it. Wrong item, try again. Wrong item. Click: can\u2019t find item requested, find substitute. Done. <\/span><\/p>\n

The next few items had me zigzagging all over the store. Fortunately, the app supplies the aisle numbers with the items. My inexperienced daughter was able to make good choices because there\u2019s a photo of the item requested; when the bar code is scanned, the app tells you right away if there\u2019s something wrong with your choice. For example, if a customer requested low-fat hot dogs and you scanned all-beef hot dogs, it lets you know. If a substitute is necessary, the app will text the customer with the available substitute, so the client can approve or cancel the item. <\/span><\/p>\n

I quickly learned that keeping six feet between myself and the next shopper slowed me down. Ditto with the required weighing of each produce item. Then there are quirks: for instance, customers may ask for six pieces of fish but then reject them because they wanted less than two pounds. <\/span><\/p>\n

On my maiden mission, the customer texted to tell me not to drop off the order for another hour or else to cancel it. I was an hour-plus into my trip with a cart full of carefully weighed meats and produce. What was I to do? Leave the cart? I opted to wait him out and killed time listening to my audiobook. <\/span><\/p>\n

But first I called my daughter for advice on whether I should comply or stay the course. I also had to ask her to bring a phone charger because running the app ate up my phone battery.<\/span><\/p>\n

My second mission was also rocky. Again, I called my daughter. (Who\u2019s laughing now, Mom?) My customer wanted to add items to the list and I didn\u2019t know how. Also, my Instacart payment wasn\u2019t going through at checkout. The groceries are paid through the app and my phone wasn\u2019t connecting the way it was supposed to. I panicked, looking at the people who were in line behind me, glaring. Finally, something clicked and I was able to get out of there to deliver the groceries. Only I forgot to take a photo of the groceries on the bench where I left them. Maybe I\u2019m not cut out for this after all?<\/span><\/p>\n

When you\u2019re at the store next time, look around for the professional shoppers. Some wear Instacart shirts or lanyards. They\u2019ll be glued to their phones and scanning cans and bottles. Don\u2019t engage; they are on the clock. It\u2019s better for them if they finish quickly and move on to their next order. If you use a shopping service, keep my experience in mind when you tip. It\u2019s not as easy as it looks!<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My college-age daughter is home. With orders to shelter in place, she lost her campus job and her restaurant job, and few opportunities were available when she arrived back in town. So she gamely decided to be an Instacart shopper.…<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Hire a Shopper<\/span> ›<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n

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