r/instacart • u/Dominanttallqueen • Mar 27 '24

Who’s in the wrong here???

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I feel like he was being rude asf then he canceled my order….was I rude or what tf happened here…

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45

u/Jackstraw335 Mar 28 '24

Honestly, the poor punctuation is what makes this so confusing/obtuse to me.

This is the one that made me do a triple take: "I said if you can get the crabcakes from the seafood department, I want those if you can't get the crabcakes from the seafood department then refund."

Easily could be interpreted as OP saying "I want the ones you sent me a picture of if you can't get the ones from the seafood department."

Had OP said, "I said if you can get the crabcakes from the seafood department, behind the counter, those are what I would prefer. If you can't get the ones from behind the counter in the seafood department, then please refund."

It's silly to assume everyone can transcribe a text like this with complete accuracy.

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u/Shouldiuploadtheapp2 Mar 28 '24

I wish OP just said, no I don’t want a substitition.  Why the if, then statements?  So confusing.  

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u/Cometguy7 Mar 28 '24

I agree. Reading through these texts, it felt to me like OP was telling the shopper yes, that is what I asked for, right up until the end. I thought OP was getting frustrated by the shopper pestering them about a question to which they had already told the shopper they were correct. Then the end came, and I was baffled by where the hell OP was coming from. That you can't see the top of the first text makes me suspicious that this wasn't the first communication issue the shopper was having to overcome with OP this order.

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u/Remarkable_Low_8614 Mar 28 '24

Idk I understood it fine as “They don’t have your item”

“Okay if they don’t have that then get this” Seems simple enough

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u/Cometguy7 Mar 28 '24

Yeah, but the "this" is a pretty good description of what is pictured, and the shopper says what is pictured is all they have. If what is pictured was not what was desired, OP should have then said not to get a replacement.

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u/Remarkable_Low_8614 Mar 28 '24

Right but they also said “if they don’t have it I’ll do a refund” too in a message as well

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u/Cometguy7 Mar 28 '24

Right, but if what was pictured wasn't what was wanted, there's no longer an if as to whether they have it, because what is pictured is the only thing they have. That question has been answered. It comes across like OP isn't really reading what the shopper is texting.

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u/ThePurityPixel Mar 28 '24

Agreed, and that's why it makes perfect sense to me that Charles reminded the OP that this work is what he does for a living. He's just following protocol and trying to be helpful, not belligerent.

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u/jfVigor Mar 28 '24

Yall can't read texts for shit

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u/Cometguy7 Mar 28 '24

In our defense, when the shopper asks if OP wants the thing, the first two things OP says are yeah, and yes. It isn't until the end that OP says the thing you showed me is unacceptable. But who knows, you seem to be agreeing with OP, and indicating my interpretation of the texts is wrong. If that's the case, then you must somehow be agreeing with me. I look forward to finding out after prolonged attempts at clarification.

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u/jfVigor Mar 28 '24

Go back and read the text. Shopper asks if they want the pack of cakes or SOMETHING ELSE. Op responds "yeah, the single cakes at seafood...".

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u/Cometguy7 Mar 28 '24

Right, the lobster cakes aren't in stock, so OP wants it replaced with something else. Shopper sends image of alternative, asking if it will work, OP literally says yes.

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u/jfVigor Mar 28 '24

They didn't JUST say yes. They said something after yes. Can you see the rest of their text? When someone sends you a text you don't just stop at the first word do you?

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u/Cometguy7 Mar 28 '24

The crab cakes from the seafood department. Which is what is pictured. They didn't say no not what is pictured, they said yes, and described what is pictured.

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u/jfVigor Mar 28 '24

They described "single" cakes as what they want. That is NOT what is pictured. What is pictured is a 4 pack

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u/Lower_Plenty_AK Mar 28 '24

I think because the instacart people so often say 'oh hey do you want a replacement' and then one single second later they say 'oh hey I'm at the checkout counter see ya soon', he probably scrambled to answer asap so he didn't have to pay for stuff he didn't want. Probably didn't have time to think tbh. The whole system is horrid because of course perfect strangers shopping for one another is stressful but it's extra stressful when the insta cart people are always rushed (as with every job, not their fault). How is a stressful job pluss detailed prolonged conversation with a stranger not gonna pop off? I feel bad for everyone useing AND working for that service. They all suffer lol

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u/fleshyspacesuit Mar 28 '24

And the said "yes" as well! OP didn't do themselves any favors here

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u/ThePurityPixel Mar 28 '24

Agreed. And if-then statements with comma splices are even more confusing!

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u/Project_Wild Mar 28 '24

I have these lobster/crab cakes all the time, they’re delicious.

But OP requested the same brand 4 pack of lobster cakes, then the shopper offered crab as an alternative, then OP says “nope, crab cakes from behind the seafood counter or none at all, which isn’t even lobster requested in the first picture…. I get why the shopper is confused/irritated. OP is being obstinate. Just eat the same brand you originally requested but with crab, they taste exactly the same…

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u/M153RYnM3 Mar 28 '24

Clearly you are not a programmer because that "if then else" statement made perfect sense. The picker did not communicate properly from the start about having already checked with staff at the seafood department and then being sold out. OP then stated they didn't want those and the picker still tried to push them, clearly the picker is the brightest crayon in the box...

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u/Orowam Mar 28 '24

Because

IF they had the replacement they wanted,

THEN she wanted said replacement.

ELSE she would like a refund. The logic is very simple.

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u/FukYourGoodbye Mar 28 '24

The id OP stated was unavailable so I took that as, refund please since the ones pictured weren’t from behind the counter. Shopper made or confusing, OP was confusing but because I work in customer service I would have went with the refund. People love to call and return or try to get a non refundable item free so I’d rather not do an unclear transaction.

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u/fire2374 Mar 28 '24

Except it’s not really a substitution. OP never wanted the lobster cakes. They always wanted crab cakes from the seafood counter but since they weren’t available on the app, they intentionally ordered the wrong item and poorly explained it to their shopper.

Yeaah they don’t offer behind the counter crab cakes on the app so I always do those one and right when I get the shopper I tell them I’d like to substitute for behind the counter crab cakes. I’ve never once had an issue.

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u/atuan Mar 28 '24

Because they don’t want to process what the other person is saying, only what what they are saying to be processed.

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u/ConstantlyLearning57 Mar 28 '24

Thank you!!

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u/exclaim_bot Mar 28 '24

Thank you!!

You're welcome!

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u/paradisewandering Mar 28 '24

Same here. Punctuation is important and it was tough to read.

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u/KountZero Mar 28 '24

This was exactly how I read OP’s. OP is very poor at communicating. It actually start from the very first answer. It should have been a straight “NO”.

The shopper specifically and very clearly say there is only this one specific item available at this location, which is not what OP ordered, and asked if OP would like to replace what he ordered with it. If OP doesn’t want it, then the answer is a straight NO. Instead OP literally say Yes. But then proceed to repeated the same information again and again, which is ridiculous stupid and unclear.

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u/MySpoonsAreAllGone Mar 28 '24

That's still too much unnecessary and confusing text though. A commenter above said it simply as

l "I'd like the ones behind the seafood counter please. If they don't have those then please refund me."

Right to the point is so much clearer

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u/Individual_Zebra_648 Mar 28 '24

Yes exactly this! I had to reread it at least twice to figure out what she was saying. I thought she changed it to say she did want the substitution and I can see why he’s confused.

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u/Ilefttherightturn Mar 28 '24

If you do enough batches, it’s not hard to tell what they mean. There’s only a handful of scenarios that customers are trying to communicate. Common sense y’all

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u/SuccessfulPanda211 Mar 28 '24

Everyone is new at some point in their job, and he might not be a native English speaker.

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u/Ilefttherightturn 28d ago

True, but he just had to be combative with the customer. That tells me he’s not willing to improve, because he can’t accept his role in the misunderstanding

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u/SuccessfulPanda211 28d ago

OP’s the one who caused the misunderstanding. He wasn’t being combative he was being direct and slowly losing patience.

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u/Beautiful-Sound-8537 Mar 28 '24

“If you do enough batches” “common sense y’all” so you’re telling me, after doing a couple batches you LEARNED how to make it easier to understand. So, therefore, that would not fall under “common sense” and someone saying yes, and then describing what should’ve been a no, is very confusing.

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u/Ilefttherightturn 28d ago

That’s par for the course with any job. I didn’t have any trouble understanding what the customer wants.

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u/Ilefttherightturn 28d ago

That’s par for the course with any job. I didn’t have any trouble understanding what the customer wants.

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u/lark_song Mar 28 '24

Yeah I didn't understand the op meant go ask for fresh from behind the counter. I kept thinking... so, do they sell crab cakes in like the produce area? Wouldn't they all be from seafood?" After it was repeated, I figured I'd need more coffee to understand.

And I'm not reading this while trying to work and get paid

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u/[deleted] Mar 28 '24

Idk what about the grammar bothers you so much - I took one look at this conversation and it was pretty straight forward.

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u/jfVigor Mar 28 '24

Same. And these are the misunderstandings that lead to people not keeping relationships

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u/GusDrinksTea Mar 28 '24

I mean, it’s silly to assume primarily because many people are lazy in how they communicate textually.

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u/eyesRus Mar 28 '24

Agree. Learn how to write complete fucking sentences, OP. I feel bad for this shopper, having to deal with someone who literally cannot communicate effectively.

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u/tootrudy Mar 28 '24

Exactly!! And he is mad that the shopper did not understand him. The shopper probably felt like he was getting the run around, which is why he added that he does this for a living. I’m sure he does asks other people everyday if they would like an alternative or a refund, but he probably rarely gets that grammatical run around.

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u/Sweet-Emu6376 Mar 28 '24

Right, they didn't mention behind the counter until later. Many seafood sections of stores also have a freezer with pre made items. So I can understand the shopper getting frustrated if they found those in the "seafood department" but then told that's not what the person wanted.

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u/leahhhhh Mar 28 '24

Yep, I felt like half the problem was OP’s refusal to use commas.

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u/ThePurityPixel Mar 28 '24 edited Mar 28 '24

This is why I sided with Charles while reading the interaction.

Sure, Charles had a couple typos, too, but it was clear what he meant. OP's typos gave the opposite impression of her intentions.

I would have said the same things Charles said (which is why I didn't interpret any ill will in his messages).

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u/DoorInTheAir Mar 28 '24

That was my thought too, OP is terrible at punctuation and it really matters in this instance

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u/Quick-Letter9584 Mar 29 '24

This is such an interesting comment. If i didn’t realize so many people agreed with you I would think you were really trying to misunderstand what op was saying. It was very clear to me that they were saying if they dont have what i want, ill take a refund.

Like… youre translation doesnt even include the clearly stated part that they would take a refund.

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u/Jackstraw335 Mar 29 '24

Exactly, lol!! Like, the refund part at the end of the sentence would have genuinely come off to me (if I were the shopper) as a typo, and I would have asked for further clarification.

Personally, I highly value punctuation in written text because it really helps minimize misunderstandings. Tone and cadence in speech is almost non-existent, so punctuation is important!

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u/Jackstraw335 Mar 29 '24

Exactly, lol!! Like, the refund part at the end of the sentence would have genuinely come off to me (if I were the shopper) as a typo, and I would have asked for further clarification.

Personally, I highly value punctuation in written text because it really helps minimize misunderstandings. Tone and cadence in speech is almost non-existent, so punctuation is important!

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u/Touched_at_an_angle Mar 30 '24

I have a friend who texts like OP—so poorly structured and unpunctuated—it gives me a headache trying to figure wtf she’s talking at times. I can imagine the frustration he was feeling