Working as a delivery person means dealing with heavy loads and sometimes difficult customers . But some cases are just too much—like the outrageous request shared by Redditor u/Aggressive_Candy_345 on r/InstacartShoppers .
One guy bought 168 bottles and 14 jugs of water and insisted that everything be carried up 17 flights of stairs. When the shopper raised concerns, the customer showed he wasn’t willing to compromise at all and threatened to file a formal complaint if the order was canceled. No tip, no sympathy, just pure arrogance.
Gig work is hard, and a huge reason for that is the customers
Instacart shopper wearing mask and red cap carrying groceries in a crate, highlighting customer demands and tips.
But this one seems especially evil
Comment highlighting customer harassment over a low $8 order, related to Instacart shopper tip demands and heavy water delivery.
Text message from customer demanding Instacart shopper deliver water to 17th floor due to broken lift, hinting at tip request.
Text exchange about customer demanding Instacart shopper carry 22 water bottles up 17 floors, hinting at tipping.
Text message exchange showing a customer demanding Instacart shopper deliver water despite no other lift available.
Text message demanding all water bottles be delivered using stairs, reflecting a difficult customer request for Instacart shopper.
Text message exchange about contacting Instacart support and canceling order amid customer demands for tip.
Text message exchange showing customer indirectly asking for a tip while demanding Instacart shopper drag water up 17 floors.
Rows of green glass and plastic water bottles on store shelves related to Instacart shopper carrying water demands tip
Text about an Instacart shopper dealing with customer demands and harassment while dragging water up 17 floors.
Lists showing various quantities of water packs and bottles related to a customer demanding an Instacart shopper drag water up floors.
Gig economy workers often feel expendable
The fact that this particular customer felt like he could treat the delivery person the way he did, saying he will just hire the next in line if they refuse, kind of represents the state of the whole sector.
Gig workers for Uber, Instacart, and other services made less money on average in 2024 even though the number of hours that they worked rose, according to a report by analytics company Gridwise.
For example, Uber drivers’ earnings for 2024 fell 3.4% to $513 a week, but at the same time, they worked 0.8% more hours.
Lyft-ers, meanwhile, worked 5.4% fewer hours in 2024 and saw their pay decline even more — by 13.9% to $318 a week.
Instacart shoppers saw their pay decline 8% (to $194), however, their hours also fell 4.9%.
The only app where workers earned a fair amount more money for the same or less work was Favor, a service owned by Texas supermarket H-E-B that delivers online orders for the chain. Its workers saw their pay rise 3.4% to $155 a week in 2024 as their hours worked fell 13.1%.
An Instacart spokesperson called the numbers “inaccurate and misleading.”
“Shopper earnings remain steady across the … platform, and we continue to hear from shoppers that Instacart creates rewarding, flexible earnings opportunities that allow them to earn on their own time and their own terms,” the spokesperson said.
The gig economy’s future isn’t just a question of scale, it’s also a question of values, and policymakers need to ensure it evolves with dignity, equity, and transparency. However, if you’re working in customer service , every once in a while, you’re bound to run into someone obnoxious.
Screenshot of an online discussion about a customer demanding an Instacart shopper carry water up 17 floors.
User expressing disbelief over a customer demanding Instacart shopper to carry water up 17 floors, questioning tipping expectations.
Comment thread discussing customers trolling Instacart shoppers by ordering water without elevator access, involving 17-floor climbs.
Customer demands Instacart shopper carry water up 17 floors, highlighting indirect tipping and difficult delivery conditions.
Screenshot of a forum discussion about an Instacart shopper asked to carry water up 17 floors and the low payment offered.
People were absolutely appalled by the customer
Screenshot of a forum comment joking about an Instacart shopper having to drag water up 17 floors.
Screenshot of a user comment about tipping a shopper who carried water up 17 floors for Instacart delivery.
Comment discussing an Instacart shopper being asked to carry heavy water up 17 floors, highlighting customer demands and tipping issues.
Screenshot of a Reddit comment criticizing a difficult customer who asked an Instacart shopper to carry water up 17 floors.
Customer demands Instacart shopper drag water up 17 floors, raising questions about tipping and worker treatment.
Comment on Reddit suggesting to replace water with a Brita filter, referencing Instacart shopper tip demands.
Comment from Peachcream69 on a forum discussing customer demands and Instacart shopper experiences with carrying water upstairs.
Screenshot of a user comment discussing the hardship of Instacart shoppers dealing with demanding customers and gig economy challenges.
Screenshot of an online comment about a customer demanding an Instacart shopper carry water up 17 floors.
Comment about climbing 19 flights of stairs carrying water, relating to customer demands on Instacart shoppers.
Text post on social media stating refusal to deliver water up 17 flights of stairs by Instacart shopper amid customer demands.
Screenshot of an online comment calling a customer entitled for demanding an Instacart shopper drag water up 17 floors.
Comment on a forum discussing customer demands for an Instacart shopper to carry water up 17 floors and tip expectations.
User comment discussing difficulties faced by an Instacart shopper delivering water up 17 floors and customer demands.
Comment expressing refusal to carry water up 17 flights of stairs, relating to Instacart shopper tip demands.
Screenshot of a Reddit comment criticizing the wastefulness of buying bottled water in relation to an Instacart shopper’s demanding delivery.
Screenshot of a Reddit comment expressing refusal to help with customer demands involving Instacart shopper dragging water up 17 floors.
Screenshot of a Reddit comment expressing frustration about a customer demanding an Instacart shopper to drag water up 17 floors.
Comment expressing refusal to carry water up 17 flights of stairs, related to customer demands for Instacart shoppers.
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