More NEW SHOPPER Tips

CHECK "BATCH DETAILS" PRIOR TO SHOPPING

Do it religiously. Every batch. You're looking for any additional notes. Some notes will say "The location in the app is wrong. We are really at blah, blah, blah..." And if you haven't started shopping, like actually clicked the button, you can contact Customer Care and have that customer removed without penalty. The actual address could be way out of your way. This can be common in areas with new housing.

HAVE A FIRST AID KIT HANDY

Mine is a small clip-on designed for hiking. It's about the size of a fist. It has all the basic stuff you need. They're inexpensive and always good to have. You don't want to bleed on anything, ever.

HAVE (OR FIND) ANOTHER INCOME SOURCE

Do not wait for an order. Be productive with your time between batches. If you're not sure what else you want to do, buy a book on a topic you've always been interested in. Don't stop educating yourself. If you want to try photography, or become a public notary, or wash windows, you can do whatever. Your vehicle, your t-shirt, your brand - it's exposed in areas that people pay big money to advertise in. What I'm saying is that at the end of the day, if shopping was all you did and you made pennies, having learned something will offset the negative mood that usually comes with it.

NETWORK WITH OTHER SHOPPERS

You're either going to do this alone, or you're going to make some friends. I choose the latter. I'm friends with a ton of other shoppers. We've gone to the movies together. We've done dinners. Once, I was woken up at 2am to be DD for three shoppers drunk downtown. Being a shopper is as lonely as you want it to be, and for some, they're more comfortable being alone. That's cool too. Just understand that new relationships and connections are all around you.

BAG YOUR OWN GROCERIES (OR LEARN HOW TO)

Most shoppers underestimate the impact a good bag job can make on a customer. This is a visual communication to the customer that the shopper cared about their groceries. Many shoppers will pass the responsibility on to the store. And that it's not their job. We are all independent. If another shopper doesn't want to care about the final presentation, that's their business. But that's also how you will differentiate yourself, and it's an easy opportunity at increased tips.

RATINGS & COMMUNICATION

Customers don't rate you 5-stars for doing what everyone else does. They rate 5-stars because something about what you did stood out to them. They're rating you because they're noticing you. Ratings are what will link you to that customer for a future order. Ratings should be the focus, especially on those unicorns. You want more unicorns? Get great ratings from those customers. It's simple.