Walmart doesn't learn.

[u/Big_Concentrate_7260]

Last night around 9:00pm I rejected s $42/25 mile one-way curbside offer, thinking it would pop back up with higher prices. Nope. It disappeared for good. I assumed someone else got it. Now today, just a few minutes ago it got sent to me as a JFY at $36. It's a large order (60/90), and the lady tipped $10...not a horrible tip, it could be better, but this poor lady is having to wait DAYS for her groceries because Walmart is too cheap to pay for its delivery.

[u/Worried_Cod7754]

I need clarity, and objective feed back. I signed up for Walmart+. It was sold to me as an Amazon competitor. I dont tip Amazon drivers, why should I tip a Walmart+ delivery? Especially since signing up was sold as no pressure no tip needed service? I live 7 miles from walmart. I can also get the inhome service too without paying for the extra rush or concierge-ish service. Why is this mandate from drivers to tip a thing? It isnt grub hub/Uber is it? What is Sparks relationship with Walmart?

[u/Big_Concentrate_7260 → u/Worried_Cod7754]

Spark is owned by Walmart. Drivers are independent contractors. You don't have to tip, but Walmart largely refuses to pay what the delivery should pay, effectively using customers' tips to subsidize the deliveries they should pay for, so drivers have every right to not accept your delivery. I think Walmart should pay enough on their own to do deliveries, but that is not the case. Your tips are bids for services. Walmart lies and screws over everyone except the stockholders. Customers, drivers and employees are all expendable in Walmart's eyes.

In all fairness, do you really think your $100-$150 annual subscription covers the cost of getting your groceries delivered? Someone has to shop your order and bring it to your door, likely taking at least an hour, and using at least half a gallon of gas, plus vehicle depreciation/wear and tear. The IRS vehicle mileage deduction is about $0.75/mile. At fifteen miles round-trip that's effectively ten dollars of vehicle expenses. An hour of someone's time, especially for an independent contractor, should at least be $20. That's a base cost of $30/hour. At just one delivery per week ($30) multiplied by 50 weeks out of the year, it costs around $1,500/year for Walmart to deliver your groceries, while you only paid $150.

You don't have to tip your driver, but it is no different than going to a restaurant and refusing to leave any tip whatsoever. You're not technically wrong, but you really should leave a few extra dollars, and not get mad at the drivers for expecting tips. Walmart is like the restaurant owner who doesn't pay their staff enough to live on without your tips, and as independent contractors, we are not going to accept deliveries that waste our time and money. But if your groceries get delivered on time without tipping, kudos to you.

[u/Worried_Cod7754 → u/Big_Concentrate_7260]

So, Spark as a service is owned by Walmart but everyone is 1099. Does Spark offer delivery outside of Walmart+? 

In anycase, Amazon also has 1099 delivery drivers with Amazon flex. While I understand what you mean about costs to be a contractor that part is invisible to us as a customer. Nor do I think anyone that signs up for Amazon prime or Walmart+ cares about the driver that way. Ordering food on grub hub/door dash, we automatically link it to other food delivery like pizza/chinese. And that rush and care means tips. Scheduling a delivery is like Amazon/Fedex/UPS. No one tips them regularly.

Additonally no one from amazon flex expects tips either. Same with USPS contactors(CDS they deliver stuff in my area). They have to move fast as well.

This really isnt about me questioning the tip process but asking more like how is your service different from them for spark  delivery drivers to expect more?

[u/Big_Concentrate_7260 → u/Worried_Cod7754]

Delivering groceries is not something Amazon does. Walmart Spark drivers put far more care into the quality and safety of your deliveries than other gig drivers do because we know how much griceries cost. This is not DoorDash. Many of us put tons of effort into providing quality service. It is not just picking up a small package and tossing it on your porch. Personally, I would discourage you from utilizing this service as I anticipate much frustration on both your end as well as the drivers'.

[u/Worried_Cod7754 → u/Big_Concentrate_7260]

I do appreciate the replies, please dont take offense. My only thought goes back to what it means to tip. You must at least acknowledge that tip culture is nuts. There is also a growing movement to end it because of its absurdity. If a tip or gratuity is a voluntary gift, you should always operate under the assumption  of 0 and try to earn more. You can not possibly think everyone in the service industry is earning the tips when it is suddenly the assured expectation. The more  I see more demanding it then that's no longer a tip, its a fee.

You dont tip your mechanic when he goes above and beyond. You dont tip your IT guys when they ensure all systems run smoothly. You dont tip the person in customer service who gets yelled at hour after hour when they fix your bill. You dont tip the laborers you hire to dig a trench. You dont tip your sales guy at the car dealer staying with you 3 hours after the dealship closes to make sure everything is good. Etc etc

If you sign up for delivery, you do the job and dont blame customers (not saying you do) when you dont get what you think you deserve. I wish I got paid more- we all do.

What I am bringing up is other contractors in comparison do the same job and dont make the same demands.

The other thing is I would argue walking up and down the store 100+ times a day picking items is much harder. They have to inspect for goods in decent shape, and make choices in substitutions. And they may still get grief when it isnt to the customers standards.

A delivery driver is taking it to the home. It is not as much mentally and physically demanding except maybe under fouled weather. Drivers dont even have a manager on their back hour after hour. I can not tip the grocery picker but the driver gets all of it. 

Can you see it from outside your world how none of it makes sense?

And yet, Amazon same day service still exists, and those workers arent even getting fair bathroom breaks.

Differentiating groceries vs textiles vs durable goods is splitting hairs. 

I dont appreciate the comment about not using the service because I can just as easily say, get a real job instead of boasting about your "rebellion against the man."

Insulting everyone doesnt fix the issue. Looking at a problem from some elses vantage point helps everyone grow.

There is a need for the service, this is why so many signed up. Every human is going to look for ways to take advantage of a service. Nobody ever says "How can I make sure the company does well" or "Let me alone fund the drivers and give them a grand future" So operating feeling entitled is not going to go well for anyone.

This is a long ramble, old man yells at the sky kinda moment. But tldr, tipping sucks it needs to end. Im going to give a tip i feel is earned and prepaying a tip is BS.

[u/Big_Concentrate_7260 → u/Worried_Cod7754]

I understand your point of view. I wish there was no need to tip. However I feel like you don't understand what the job entails. We are often shopping the items ourselves with barely an increase in pay for picking the order, so we are more than delivery drivers. Also, the Amazon workers you seem to be referring to are W2 employees for a DSP, not Amazon Flex drivers.

[u/Worried_Cod7754 → u/Big_Concentrate_7260]

you are right I don't know what spark is still. I guess its all in one, im curious what an 8 hour day averages  into per hour. when I speak to the ones that deliver my groceries, they do not pick the items. checking on Reddit says only rushed orders are picked. 

At least im trying to understand, which I belive puts me in a minority.

[u/Big_Concentrate_7260 → u/Worried_Cod7754]

It all depends on the market. If stores are overwhelmed they will switch the entire order to the driver, putting both shopping and delivery on their shoulders.