Instacart is an American retail company that acts as an online grocery store portal. People can order groceries via the app or the website and then have them delivered to their respective destinations. So, the question is, how does Instacart work for apartments?
For apartment complexes, in addition to the address, you'll have to put in the apartment number, security gate code, etc. As long as you are providing all the necessary info correctly, Instacart will have no trouble delivering the groceries right to your doorstep.
Most often than not, both the customer and the delivery guy have to go through a lot of hassle just for the lack of proper communication. So, let's take a detailed look into how Instacart works for apartments to find out what to do to get the best possible service from them.
Does Instacart Deliver to Apartments?
Living in an apartment has nothing to do with Instacart rejecting a certain order. Indeed, a lot of the time they will not process your order without any specific explanation, but an apartment will hardly ever be the reason.
Instacart shoppers only take the orders that they can currently fulfil. So, if there's a shortage of personnel, they can't accept all the orders that they get. Under such circumstances, they will decline the extra orders as they deem necessary.
Again, if you live far away from the retailer that you're ordering from, they may decline your order if it's late. Think of it like this - you won't take an extra project right at the end of your work shift, will you?
The same goes for them. If they feel that they won't be able to deliver the products within time, they will simply choose not to accept it. And whether you are living in an apartment or the back of a car, doesn't influence that decision at all.
How Does Instacart’s Delivery System Work?
By now, Instacart is pretty much a part of the day-to-day grocery shopping spree in America. Every day, thousands of people rely on their services as it saves a lot of time, money, and energy for everyone. So far, Instacart has sold over 500 million products from 40,000 stores in over 5500 cities.
As for their general delivery policy, it's pretty straightforward. They have all the well-known product or grocery stores in your area enlisted on their site and app. So, you can order from your favorite stores anytime you want.
After you decide to check out your order, Instacart will connect you to a local shopper so that they can deliver your order. This shopper will personally be responsible for all your specific needs related to that order. If any item is currently unavailable or needs to be replaced, they will inform you to take the proper steps to resolve that.
Once you've confirmed your exact address, it won't take much time for Instacart to deliver the products to the designated address. However, depending on the weather conditions and traffic in your area, the time for delivery can often fluctuate a little bit. In that case, your shopper will notify you of such troubles beforehand.
Instacart also provides curbside pickup to their customers. If you don't feel comfortable giving out your address or if the store falls on your way home, this will work better for you. Just inform the shopper properly of such arrangements and don't forget to pick the products up in time.
How Does Instacart Work For Different Types Of Apartment Complexes?
There are not many differences between a normal Instacart delivery and an apartment complex Instacart delivery. However, with apartments, there's an extra layer of security arrangement that can delay the overall process if not handled properly. Here's how Instacart works for different types of apartment complexes to give you a better idea.
Gated Communities
In gated communities, there's often a security pass or code that mainly prevents strangers from coming inside the complexes. So, if you are getting some deliveries from Instacart, you need to notify your shopper of the exact code or pass from beforehand. That way, they can come in without any extra hassle and deliver the products accordingly.
Furthermore, if there's any extra security information that may come into play, you should make sure that your shopper is aware of them too. For example - even with the pass, the security guard may want to talk to you before letting someone in. So, be available for that and clear all sorts of confusion instantly to make the process easier.
Higher-Up Apartments
There's a lot of misconception that goes around with such deliveries. Apparently, a lot of people think that Instacart doesn't deliver to your apartment if you live in a high-rise building. This information, however, is not true at all since Instacart does indeed do deliveries like this.
Instacart doesn't care where or how high up you live. Their policy directly requires them to make sure that the products are delivered to the right place or apartment. So, unless you specifically provide different directions, the shopper will take either the elevator or the stairs to deliver the groceries to your apartment.
Underground Apartments
In many places, there are apartments below the ground level, and here's where it can get a little tricky. If your shopper isn't previously accustomed to such arrangements, it can lead to a lot of confusion.
So, you must convey the instructions as clearly as possible to them. Tell them exactly how and where to go to arrive at the apartment. If needed, tell them to contact you personally so you can guide them through the process.
Other than these three, all other types of apartments follow more or less the same procedure when it comes to Instacart delivery. Simply mention the correct address with clear instructions on how to find the exact apartment or floor. The shopper/delivery guy will do the rest.
How Does The "Leave at Door" Feature Work?
With the "Leave at Door" feature, you have the option of not having to interact with your respective shopper at all. It's quite self-explanatory at this point.
The shopper will not hand over the products directly to you if you choose to enable this feature. Once they arrive, they will leave the grocery bags at your doorstep and will notify you that they have been delivered. In some cases, they will keep a picture as proof to show you that the products were indeed delivered in time.
Recently, more and more people are opting to go with this feature as it provides more security than usual. Especially with the pandemic scare, there's no better alternative than zero physical interaction to ensure maximum safety for both the customers and the shoppers.
Will Instacart Shoppers Come Inside Your Apartment?
They will not. In fact, that's one of the strictest policies that every Instacart employee has to follow under all circumstances. Whoever delivers the products will either leave it at your door or personally hand it over to you, but won't ever come inside.
However, there's a little bit of an exception to this policy under some very specific conditions. If you happen to be physically immobile or if you're really sick, the shopper might come inside and help you out with the groceries. Other than that, it's not appropriate at all and if someone's accused and convicted of it, it can lead to serious repercussions.
Tips For Hassle-Free Grocery Delivery to Your Apartment
Apartment deliveries are already a little messier as there's a lot of extra instructions that you have to provide with it. However, here are a few tips you can follow to ensure a hassle-free delivery to your apartment.
Notify the Security Personnel from Beforehand
If you live in a gated community, chances are that there will always be a security guard posted out by the gate at all times. Most often than not, when the shopper arrives, they have to deal with the guard and then the guard has to call you before letting them in.
While that's cool and all, it's also pretty time-consuming. Especially for the shopper, it can be really frustrating if they have to spend hours behind a single order. In addition to frustration, it creates animosity between both parties.
So, as a customer, the least you can do is to inform the guard about the shopper's arrival beforehand. That way, they can drop off the delivery much faster and you can both move on with your day.
Constantly Keep Your ID on You
This tip is for the shoppers who deliver the products. Even though everyone is more or less aware of Instacart deliveries nowadays due to their increasing popularity, you should still keep your employee ID on you at all times.
By doing this, you will instantly get an access pass by most security personnel. Furthermore, if you don't have the proper ID, people may mistake you for a scammer and that won't be good for you. So, it's just easier to keep a hold of it at all times.
Tip Generously for Extra Troubles
It's important to tip the shopper appropriately for all the troubles they go through to deliver the products to your doorstep. And if they have to endure several security checks or walk multiple flights of stairs for a single order, you should tip a lot better.
Now, it's not compulsory to do so but it's just a decent thing to do. Plus, the shopper can see your tip when they are accepting your order so a good tip will be a great incentive to get a better service overall.
So, how does Instacart work for apartments? Turns out, except for a few extra instructions, there's not much difference in normal deliveries and apartment deliveries at all. As long as you can maintain a clear communication channel with your shopper, you won't have anything to worry about.
