It is essential to set limits on jobs you’ll take before they come up but be flexible. Be Positive and Focused. First, let all totally unreasonable batches go. Don’t complain about or dwell on them; just let them go. Some people think we get paid by the hour or it is a charity and people love to shop for them for nothing. Let’s let them believe that for now and move on. There are plenty of good shops, let’s focus on them. There are a couple rules, and you must draw your line in the sand. It comes down to two things: Minimum $ dollar amount, Maximum Miles, and location. My formula helps to decide what jobs to take so there is no time wasted missing good jobs. This formula helps with new all On-Demand Shopping because you compete with other shoppers in real-time to pick up good batches from the app.
Formula: Min $(Distance Max) Near Base
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A formula makes it easy to analyze shops quickly and not take jobs you wish not to have. Also, having a final goal helps keep perspective. A minimum cannot accept any job under ten dollars; I prefer not to take jobs with no tip or super low tip. Often low or no tippers are the people that do not respect your time. However, if it is a big payout and a short distance, I will accept your crappy tip. So set a minimum amount you will take for any shop or delivery. Bam, don’t look at those shops. Those shops are for someone else. Often Instacart will bundle smaller shops if no one picks them up. More about that later.
Zones at Instacart are huge, so decide what store or stores you prefer to shop in your Zone. I have a friend who shops primarily in one store and does very well. She knows the store and the area well to shop quickly. You can shop for lots of stores in a tight area. Distance is the primary factor: from you to the store and distance from you to the drop-off. Position yourself to be close to as many stores as you like to shop so that when a shop comes up, you can pick it up quickly.
The last factor is the delivery area. There are bound to be areas you prefer to avoid delivering. You should have a higher minimum for Highrises and downtown because these shops take longer, and parking can suck. However, corporate jobs can be big payouts, so take them when the payout is good. Downtown, in any city, can be challenging to find parking and carry a big load in the freight elevator. So, only if you are being paid adequately, take difficult shops. Remember, familiar stores and areas are more manageable; the point is to do as my shops as possible in the time frame that pays the most. Knowing your locations will help you make the best choices.
Look at your shift as a whole rather than as individual shops. You will have a good day if you have less-than-stellar shops throughout the day but are constantly working. Sometimes a few batches give you your minimum, and the rest is gravy. And other times, you slog away at small shops with minimum payout and maybe one large order. You still have a good day because you hit or surpassed your minimum.
Here is a list of factors that help me decide what to pass on and what to take
It’s really slow
Weather
location: pretty, dangerous, time-wasting, nice drive
Easy Shop, familiar store delivery area
Delivery Only
Bored
It’s very busy: calls come with no wait time.
Difficult Shop: Store that is always busy; long lines, unfamiliar.
Poor Parking
Ticket Area: downtown, with little or no parking
Lots of School Zones: slow, lots of distractions
Close: near home and close to stores
Driving Fully toward a preferred area
The goal is to stay busy and, if not, remain prepared in your Zone. Evaluate each Shop individually and accept or don’t based on your limits. Remember, with lots of small shops or a variety of small and one large, you can make your minimum. If there are only small shops, take the best one and move on and stay positive and open to opportunities. Be safe and enjoy yourself.
Please share if it will help another newbie. Please check out other posts to help you save time and make the most of your day with Instacart and other delivery jobs.