While the idea of delivering for a living sounds easy on paper, it’s anything but when dealing with dangerous environmental hazards, especially during the wintertime. Yet, for some reason, some pompous folks assume it’s the courier’s duty to bring them their groceries or packages, no matter the cost. Unfortunately, for one Instacart customer in southwest Ohio, their Shopper refused to risk their safety for a delivery.
On top of having a poorly shoveled driveway with hardened snow all the way to the entrance, the homeowner didn’t clean the stairs leading to the front door. Each step was covered with a clearly visible thick sheet of ice and lacked any railing. Needless to say, the Instacart Shopper wasn’t going to attempt that dangerous ascent and instead informed the customer about the icy stairway hazard. “Leave it by the sidewalk,” they responded, so the Shopper did just that.
Next thing the driver knows, though, they receive a lower 3-star rating, all “because I didn’t risk breaking my neck,” they remark. Even after contacting support, the agent agreed that no Instacart Shopper should be forced to climb extremely icy stairways; unfortunately, they claimed they couldn’t change the driver’s rating. As a result, the Shopper was more than annoyed.
“So… we’re expected to gamble injuries for a perfect rating now?” they questioned, venting their stress on r/InstacartShoppers. The reason they’re so upset about the rating is that they claim to be a “Diamond Cart shopper,” but the customer’s 3-star review lowered their driver’s reputation score.
Someone in the Shopper’s post’s comment section suggested making a premade message to send to the customer in case the driver encounters environmental hazards at a house again. However, one Redditor made a good point: “People who low star don’t care if you send them this bogus message lol theyll just screw you anyways.” “People are so lazy and entitled sometimes. Also ignorant,” added another.
Plenty of other users shared their stories in the comments about dealing with very petty and arrogant customers who refused to clean their paths and driveways before requesting a delivery. It’s sad and annoying, but some people just can’t be helped to even keep their own home clean and safe for themselves, let alone an Instacart Shopper.
