When you’re shopping for Instacart, one of the most important factors for success is to offer excellent customer service on each order.
One of the easiest ways to start off on the right foot is to send over a greeting message in the chat right as you begin to shop.
But what is the Instacart greeting message? If you’d like to find out, keep reading to see what I learned!
Key Takeaways
What Is the Instacart Greeting Message In 2022?
The Instacart greeting message is the initial point of contact between the shopper and the customer in the Instacart app in 2022. The shopper introduces themselves, and generally offers some guidance on protocol if items are out of stock. This allows the customer to feel comfortable reaching out to the shopper if they need anything during shopping.
There’s a lot more to the Instacart greeting message, so let’s examine what makes up a good one, how much shoppers think you should message customers, and more below!
Should You Use an Instacart Greeting Message?
The Instacart greeting message seems like a trivial piece of the puzzle, but it can actually have a huge impact on the shopper’s rating.
That’s because the message sets the tone for the rest of the order, and it shows the customer that their shopper is ready and willing to work with them.
As the writer at Medium says, “I found by introducing myself at the beginning of the order, I created an immediate connection with my customer…”
And the author at LowIncomeRelief.com points out, “Once the conversation is open, it’s easy to follow up with questions…”
If you’re a customer reading this, the Instacart greeting message is also a good opportunity to respond with any needs you might have.
For example, if you don’t think you’ll be able to follow along with the shopper the entire time, you can let them know you just want to refund anything that’s out of stock.
It’s easy to see how the Instacart greeting message opens a dialogue that can lead to a better shopping experience and a happier customer.
Happier customers are more likely to tip better, plus give their shoppers high ratings, and high ratings equal first dibs on better-paying orders!
What Are the Parts of a Good Instacart Greeting?
There are a few elements that go into a good Instacart greeting.
First, you should introduce yourself. A simple, “Hi there, my name is —, and I’ll be your Instacart shopper today.”
Some people leave it at that, but others go further.
Many continue with content about replacements, “I’ll do my best to let you know if anything needs replacing by messaging you here in the app.”
Next, a good way to end the greeting is to say something like, “Please let me know if you have any questions, or want to add anything to your order! Thank you.”
Shoppers tend to keep their greeting saved somewhere, so that they can quickly copy/paste once they accept the order.
Shoppers will often leave a nice greeting, and then no further interaction is needed; but the fact that they say hello and introduce themselves makes for a positive experience!
What If the Instacart Customer Isn’t Responding?
If your customer doesn’t respond to the greeting, they could simply be busy or aren’t paying attention.
Provided you don’t have any questions that need answering, the order should proceed without issue.
However, if you have greeted them and received no response, then messaged them about a replacement and received nothing in return, that’s a little thornier.
According to this Reddit thread, you should be safe picking a close replacement (the example given in the thread is Fuji apples for Gala).
You can message the customer again with a note letting them know about the swap (the chat log remains attached to the order after it’s complete).
If there is no close replacement and no customer response, it’s best to just refund the item.
How Much Should You Message the Customer on Instacart?
Instacart shoppers often discuss how much messaging is too much when it comes to the customer.
A good rule of thumb is to message them as little as is necessary. After the greeting, if they don’t seem responsive, keep the chat to an only-when-necessary basis.
Often, if customers are responsive to an opening greeting, shoppers tend to be chattier and ask more questions about specific items.
Should You Make a Custom Greeting on Instacart?
Custom greetings will land really well with some customers, but not-so-well with others.
Since you want to be universally appealing as a shopper, it’s a good idea to make a custom greeting, but don’t go too outlandish or over-the-top with it.
In fact, it’s recommended that you ask friends and family or a forum like Reddit for their opinion.
To know more, you can also read our posts on Instacart market basket, what are demo orders on Instacart, and the Instacart waitlist.
Conclusion
The Instacart greeting message is the first point of contact between the shopper and the customer, and it creates an immediate connection between the two.
For this reason, it’s important for shoppers to craft a greeting that is polite, friendly, appeals universally, and above all, lets the customer know the shopper is there for them.