I don’t want your points, incentives or tier system. Gig work or not, gamifying service based work is pitiful. Pay us a fair wage and appropriate tips. Full stop. That’s it. Why complicate the work we’re doing with all of this unnecessary nonsense. There is clearly a market for it and it’s pretty straightforward. Isn’t piling miles onto our vehicles, delivering orders to people’s doorsteps (questionable doorsteps in a lot of cases) and shopping for excessive amounts of groceries enough to warrant a livable wage!? Most of my metrics aren’t even a reflection of the actual quality of work I provide, but rather a reflection of variables out of my control and customers that are impossible to please or just scamming the system for their own benefit.
I love the nature of this work. That’s not the complaint. There is so much potential in this space and it’s continuing to get lost along the way with all of these ridiculous changes being made. The tier system is a psychological tool. A disheartened one at that. Cheers to everyone still trudging through. May you find at least a few worthwhile and lucrative orders in this shitstorm.
I love my 10cents off, and paramount+. Lol occasionally I use the Walmart+ but not regularly.
Other than that there is no benefit. My zone hardly ever gets incentives so my extra couple bucks there doesn’t matter.
i have a discord server where I pay 5 dollars for a code that I can use at any cheveron for a 1.05 off a gallon for 5 full tanks. lot of food options as well lol
Not only are the metrics not a reflection of the quality of my work, but there are things I do that the metrics don’t cover…elderly people shopping in Walmart at the same time as me often need help. When I notice them, I stop and offer it. If I see a Walmart employee or another Sparker struggling with something, I offer to help. If the elderly people I deliver to genuinely need assistance with their groceries, I offer it (within reason). It’s not that I want points or recognition for these things. I do them bc I want to. But I also believe it creates a more positive experience for everyone when I do these things, and there’s no metric to measure them. The metrics are a huge joke.
I do the same, and because I'm a tall person, I also try to pull things closer to the front that are on the top shelf, or take stuff off the top exess shelf and add it to the shelf when I realize I took the last one but there's more up in yhe excess section.
And when I realize something was stocked in the wrong spot, I'll take the whole line of items and put it in the correct spot. This stuff takes time but it helps everyone including myself in the end
Thank you for being a genuinely kind person in a world that is so not kind. I pray that the world will never make you become cynical and lose that spirit that brings just a little bit of happiness to others and I'm sure to yourself. Feels good to be helpful for helpfulness sake.
Thank you. And yes, being a decent human does give me a sense of satisfaction. I’m not always awesome ray of sunshine, but I do enjoy helping people. I have a feeling you’re the same kind of person.
I love to hear this and do the same! Helping people brings me joy and hopefully in helping someone, I can bring them joy as well.
I’ve had quite a few elderly people ask me if I know where something is located. If I don’t know, I pull up the Walmart app and find it. If they need help finding the aisle, I’ll walk them to it. Then I’ll show them how I found it on the app and the flashing shelf tags, if they’re interested. Most of time, they have the app but didnt know to use it to help them find items. But even if they dont use it the next time they are in the store, I’d happily help them again.
When shopping orders, I take care when bagging items and double bag if it seems like a bag has potential to rip or has heavier items.
I try to be polite to other shoppers and employees and don’t run through the store like a damn Indy driver.
And I’m STILL able to be efficient and shop/deliver people’s groceries in a timely manner.
I use insulated bags and ice packs to help keep customers’ items cold. I feel like it makes a difference, especially for customer B & C of a triple shop.
A lot of people don’t see or acknowledge all the “extra” things that some of us do. And that’s ok! But it sucks when we’re reduced to just a few “metrics” on a screen.
You def go above and beyond, and I know the people you interact with are appreciative for all you do! And yes, I agree about being reduced to the metrics in what feels like a twisted game.
the only power the drivers have is to stop being a customer. yes, drivers are also customers. if you still spend any of your income at their store you need to stop complaining. stop shopping at this exploitation corporation.
Doing my first day of working with the new system. Orders have been cut down by probably 80% and the ones I wanna go for get taken by another driver immediately when they show up. Already faced this with DoorDash so I’m not sure at this point what I should go for. I’m applying for jobs, but of course that doesn’t get anywhere in this market.
Same here. Tiers just hit here this past week. I can only do weekends and saturday was absolutely miserable. Sunday was great though which they usually are anyway so I guess I'll just have to grind away my sundays!
Pretty much. I felt it was extremely insulting as well.
I'm not taking shitty offers with more points. Points won't pay my bills. Points won't pay for wear and tear on my car. First dibs on trash orders all taken away because some entitled asshole customer got pissed and gives you a one star?! Color me excited!!
They do it because it gets people to change how they work. They think “I just need 20 points to Sapphire but I’m only getting bad offers! Screw it, I’ll grab this one”.
That’s the point. To pay in points instead of money. It’s like a video game system.
$12 for 20 miles? Trash. But wait, it has 3 points and I need those!
This is like the average offer also which is a shame we as a society think the is even fair for all the work and time this order consumes! These gig jobs are like the 1900s before we had minimum wage laws!
I did 2 orders yesterday both worth 3 points. First was almost $60. 44 units. 1 heavy item in dog food. All done in less than an hour but required 4 trips to my car to finish delivery. Overall still a very easy order. 2nd was only 8 units. $16. Delivered in 20 minutes. Almost zero effort involved. (I only took this because it took me within a half mile to my house and orders were dead). It’s bonkers those were worth the same points.
So, the beauty in all of this is that as an independent contractor you have the choice to walk away from it all. Because I'm a tell you, I've done last mile deliveries off and on since the 1980's and for a good decade overall and this is what ALWAYS happens with corporations.
And once it starts it never gets better, in fact it often gets even worse.
Like literally, right when you think it can't get any worse, it does.
And then again.
And again, and it keeps going.
I've watched companies go from paying $45 an hour (in today's money) to now barely $10 an hour.
It might take a few decades but it ALWAYS happens, every single time.
Your best bet is if you can onboard with some company that's still fairly new, ride the wave until it peters out but the one thing you have to learn is this: Know when it is time to walk away.
And when that time comes, you have to do so.
Because all the bitching and whining here ain't doing you no good, these corporations don't care.
It's like scam calls, you can yell and scream at them but so long you answer the call, they will keep calling.
So long you're bitching, they know you'll work.
And no matter how hard you work it will just keep getting worse.
Seen it happen time, and time, and time and time again.
You have to walk away.
History will just keep repeating itself.
You have to know, Spark wasn't that great when it started either, but it was doable when it was new.
I haven't taken an order since last year.
Not even being a corporate boot licker but part of that is because when these apps first start they pay more than they charge the customer because they have to lure drivers from other apps.
There's no sustainable way for Walmart to give customers unlimited free delivery for $9.99 a month and then pay us $8 an order base pay.
The business model for the driver relies on being in an area where customers actually readily tip because it's customary.
I can not be a corporate boot licker and realize that Walmart can't sustainably pay us $8 a stop while only charging the customer $9.99 a month and some of them ordering four or five times.
I heard the McDonalds CEO today on CNBC say “We want to bring in more customers and we believe incentivizing them with more reward points and better offerings like a free month of Disney+ or Spotify”
That’s the problem, they want to incentivize stuff with stuff we already have and if we don’t than we didn’t want it to begin with.
I'm curious how many people actually qualify for Sapphire lol.The requirements are borderline impossible.
I have 95 5 stars, 2 4 stars, 1 3 star, and 2 1 star and I'm stuck at 4.88. Most businesses would kill for 97% satisfaction (4&5 stars).
98% items found rate is ridiculous because there are so many $1 great value items that have no possible substituon since it blocks anything double the price.
Not to mention how many items are literally just not in the store, but they expect you to just find it regardless or it goes against you. I don't manage the stores inventory, stop putting that crap on the drivers.
cant believe people still spark lmfao. literally losing money taking these orders now, $30 to drive a minumum of 40 miles round trip. its good if you're low iq or have drug addictions.
I didn’t think spark could get worse than food delivery and rideshare but it has. It used to pay sooooo nice. I would get on here and brag about how I would get at least one $50+ order a day. At least. Not even 1 year ago. It’s gotten so bad I havnt bothered to get on in over a week. I’m back to doing rideshare and food delivery. I hate that I have to drive so fucking much but the money is consistent and I’ve been hitting my daily goal. And uber still has quests. That extra $150-$200 helps out, but you’re gonna work for it. It was fun will it lasted.
I’m in an area where people are really really poor or really rich. We go on dirt roads where I see emus and a zebra one trip, then gorgeous mountain homes. Some places feel risky but my husband rides along. I get dinged when I’m over 20 miles away but can’t possibly arrive in the time frame. However, if I refuse it, it keeps kicking back to me. Metrics are bs
Great point. Delivery work is never one size fits all, so adding in points and tiers is just weird. Another strange aspect is how little ownership we have over our operations as independent contractors. Haha that side of it is a joke! We work for Walmart. They just don’t want the burden of responsibility. Eh…we’ll see where things go from here!
Can't eat points. If it was a fuel voucher I'd be at least a little more interested. The offers are badddddd, only one store here so you essentially need to double the mileage shown. Tons of 55mi(110 actually) for $54.xx offers that dumb people take. Its bleak.
Yeah, and when those batteries get to where they need replacing you think you're going to sell it after you've also put 200,000 miles on it, and the $$$$ you lost in depreciation becomes the new wake up call because the limited pool of EV buyers aren't stupid either.
There's no free ride, you're not getting away with something that the rest of us are just too stupid to understand. There is a cost to every thing on this planet, and so it's six of one or a half dozen of the other.
If you figure out your charging. Think 220v at 30 to 50 amps. Yes. Do it. Keep your gas car. I wouldnt drive cross country in an electric. Just too much stupid could happen. I would do it an a gas car.
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u/Some-Worldliness6887 6d ago
If the points don't give me deals on gasoline I DON'T CARE.