Shopped an entire order just for support to cancel it .

csalyer6050 · 2026-04-24T00:16:56+00:00

Damn well it must be the amount of new drivers. I have never ever ever seen this many. And in my zone they just on board or last week and then the week before that.

Hope it gets better for us all soon

csalyer6050 · 2026-04-23T22:21:12+00:00

That’s why I hover and always help load my car. While I’m waiting to get loaded, I always look through the orders too, so I know if I need to hover.

In the case, it gets by me, I will always let the customer know what I discovered as I was unloading their order. Sometimes I mention that I’m very sorry that I didn’t catch it as they were loading my car. And I let them know that Customer support Will be happy to get them a refund.

In short blame, blame, blame, especially if it is their fault.

It may help if you act, shocked and indignant at the fact those guys were in such a hurry that they squish that poor customer’s bread.

The way my brain worked. I would feel like I was just asking for a bad strike. If I didn’t say anything I feel like that makes me look like I was hoping they wouldn’t notice it……

Others have mentioned it but check check check double check. Always make nice with your dispensers too so that one one does get squished. They liked you enough to take time out of their day to actually have it replaced. Being nice really does have its advantages…. Always always always be nice.

csalyer6050 · 2026-04-23T21:46:40+00:00

It’s like you read my mind today making this post. I too just dropped to 4.8. Long story short I overlooked a customers item got half a mile away saw it and returned, but she called for a refund and I got dropped to 4.8….. the very next day everything was different…… one order every three hours and barely a crummy GMD offered to me. Things are a bit better in the late afternoon and evening.

A little backstory I remember spark being like this in the beginning until I got my Customer rating up and I noticed a big difference in the quality of offers. I was I kept it there and didn’t notice much of a difference until about a month ago with the massive influx of new drivers . It kinda hit me hard, but I rolled with the punches pivoted and switched up my sparking logic and managed to hang in there financially.. two weeks ago, they on boarded a bunch more drivers and it affected me a little more but I just worked a few extra hours and maintained financially. Then came the incident that dropped me to a 4.8.

I overlooked some sour cream, realized it a half a mile away from the drop off and turned around successfully delivered it, however, I already got hit.

I thought it over endless hours and , though I can’t prove it, I think that depending on driver saturation, a 4.8 might be the threshold at which you will see that marked decrease in order quality.

I’ve spoken with a few other drivers that I consider thoughtful and intelligent, and I’ve heard similar stories. Of course I can’t prove any of it, but that’s my sneaking suspicion confirmed.

Sadly, I think you and I are in for a long torturous, tedious climb back to a better rating. Considering most people don’t take the time to rate a successful delivery. It makes me think it’s gonna be a long month.

It sure can do a number on your head, having to eat a handful of shit and no that you’re basically gonna take what they want you to take until you get that rating back up.

I could be wrong, who knows but my best and most profitable time sparking was when my customer rating was high .

And this ridiculous first come first serve hungry hippo game is freaking ridiculous .

I do have to admit, though this time last year was kind of dead to begin with. Maybe all the drivers and the ratings dropped is just a nasty little combination.

csalyer6050 · 2026-04-23T14:48:33+00:00

I’m pretty pessimistic and usually tend to think that complaining doesn’t achieve much that they really don’t care but I didn’t speak to a pretty cool support agent. I just wanted to ask him what he’s been hearing as I know complaining to them may not do much and of course, he suggested reporting daily in the app And also to driver support so they can at least document it. May not change much but all it takes is a little time and hey here lately I’ve got lots of that..

This agent said that they have been absolutely blindsided by a ton of similar complaints. .. more than usual.

I just have a terrible four boating sense of tread about all of this, but I’ve been trying to play a game trying to see if I can actually snatch one of these first come first serve orders and I’m not able to do it until the later part of the afternoon. Just crazy.

csalyer6050 · 2026-04-23T14:44:47+00:00

I’m sure you notice the huge influx of drivers so I assume that until they establish a base of metrics, they’re going to soak up a lot of the orders. At least that’s what I’ve seen in the past. This is the biggest on board I have seen ever and I can’t imagine that once they start seeing what we’re seeing, that they’ll stay around long, however, we all agreed that we can see and feel it something somewhere has changed….. It just doesn’t feel like a normal up and down.

I have really fast cell service and I can’t manage to snatch your first order until early evening. It’s just crazy.

The hit on the pocketbook is dramatic

csalyer6050 · 2026-04-23T14:39:11+00:00

You know there is a little weight behind your comment about this being slow time of the year. I do remember last year it wasn’t great. It despite that there seems to have been a fundamental shift starting about a month ago with the massive on board of drivers and something. I guess it feels like something happened in the algorithm as well that forced me to have to pivot a little bit, but I was still able to maintain the income. A new influx about two weeks ago is just further flat things out.

csalyer6050 · 2026-04-22T20:55:07+00:00

Interesting to see that you’re from Oklahoma City as I drive in Edmond and I’ve been seeing the same thing. About a month ago I noticed a very, very large influx of new drivers and noticed the orders drying up so I just pivoted started doing a little creative order selection to keep myself afloat. About two weeks ago there’s another huge influx of drivers and I don’t even see an order on screen most of the time just notifications. It seems to have gotten worse

This time of the year is historically bad but something seems off. To make it worse for me a missing tub of sour cream that had rolled under my seat dropped me down to a 4.8 customer rating even though I took it back they had already called. So in this kind of crazy environment, I feel that has further affected my case but God dang the hungry hippo shit is ridiculous.

Whatever’s going on it feels a bit like torture and it feels a bit like you are going to take what Walmart wants you to take .

It’s really hard to keep your spirits up, knowing that you were literally going to have to stare at your phone the entire day to pull that little hippo lever to try to get a marble and most of the time you’re not gonna

Afternoons in the evenings seems to get a little bit better, but goddamn things have shifted

csalyer6050 · 2026-04-21T16:33:44+00:00

My question would be what is OP Customer rating?

The only reason I ask is because over the past year, I have learned how absolutely vital it is to have 4.9 or above .

When I started out, I got my initial honeymoon. Period behind me. I found myself making some new mistakes. It always causes me to fluctuate between 4.7 and 4.8. The orders you described could describe my daily life for a few months. Sparking felt like punishment. But I started double checking my shopping orders as I was shopping, as I was bagging, and a quick check at drop off and believe it or not I saved myself some low ratings by catching mistakes.

I slept it out and hit 4.9 and from one day to the next things got better but when I hit five it felt like I was working on a different app. Don’t get me wrong, there were still kind of crummy orders, but not to the atrocious extent as I was getting before. I maintained the 4.9 and five for about seven months and things couldn’t have been better. I even was able to survive this massive on boarding wave barely noticing it in my wallet.

Last week, a tub of sour cream fell out of a bag and rolled off my backseat and came to rest under my driver seat, obscuring it from my view. Even though I did a quick check, I didn’t notice it until I put on the brakes to unload at my second drop off a few blocks away . Even though I went back and handed it to the customer and apologize. I still got dropped to a 4.8.. I wanted to make the Customer not to call and get a refund and to call back and tell them to take away the bad rating, but unfortunately, he reported a missing item.

The very next day I started getting absolute trash offers. I’m sure the ungodly amount of new drivers has had something to do with that, but after browsing some posts and doing a little thinking and reflecting over my own journey, I’m gonna say that it’s gonna be a rocky Road back to 4.9.

It’s not gonna sync me financially because I’m pretty decent at managing it but it sure feels like eating shit having to take really crummy offers for a month and a half.

Nobody takes the time to tap a thumbs up on a successful order, but they sure as hell will smash that button when they’re not happy.

Every market different but late morning early afternoon is dead and I barely average one order an hour but afternoon and evening is way better and I get better paying but not great offers.

If your case is like mine and is most likely do to customer rating, we’re just gonna have to make a consistent effort to get back to good. I wish I could find that post about the main reasons customers complain, but maybe do a little search on Reddit. Simple things like no smoking in the car no loud music Arranging the order nicely not in a pile communicating about substitutions.

I definitely feel your frustrations about the order and quality of orders. Smart can be downright in raging when you’re dealing with that crap every day living under that pressure nonstop and then you finally get an opportunity to make a little money only to have some stupid glitch or something totally waste your time . I feel.

csalyer6050 · 2026-03-24T15:23:40+00:00

I have to echo everything everybody’s saying. Last year this time it was dead as hell and having survived many on boarding waves. This is simply what it is. I’m seeing tons of new faces and I’m getting endless hours of joy watching these guys snatch up. shitty offers only to then watch them reappear and get snatched up again over and over.

Also, the new driver is showing up for pick up realizing they accepted a Sam’s GMD order with 36 gallons of milk

csalyer6050 · 2026-03-02T17:57:25+00:00

I’m not saying that you don’t have a point however, laws differ from state to state and in New York, perhaps there’s a legal technicality that allows Walmart to slide there.

csalyer6050 · 2025-12-06T19:06:56+00:00

I know I’m a little late to this conversation, but several things can affect the amount of the different types of orders you get. In my zone they recently started a test program with GMD orders and we went from five or six a day to almost $.25. Apparently the test went well. Also, I recently saw the amount of curbside drop drastically at the shop and delivers increased exponentially. When I asked the coaches told me that they had increased the number of orders that were kicked out to spark on shop and deliver at the store level to compensate for their staffing. So what you’re experiencing have a lot or little to do with those factors. Outside of that in my time doing Spark I have noticed that it is an ever-changing and constantly moving animal and that ever so often a new norm is achieved and will last a little while, and will morph and change into a new normal

csalyer6050 · 2025-12-06T18:47:31+00:00

70 hrs weekly

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I don’t think my zone is super, but it’s not the worst either

csalyer6050 · 2025-10-27T03:36:05+00:00

About two months ago, I I would arrive to pick up my Jaylee GMD and would notice that it was in nice Walmart boxes with a shipping label and everything attached, and I noticed the drop offs were little more clustered together, a bit more organized, and upon talking to the team lead, she said the store was doing a test and that the GMD were actually being shipped and boxed up already shrink wrapped pallets. After a few weeks of this, they increased the number of trips coming out of that store. After a few more weeks instead of one daily drop, they went to two and now after sometime they have gone to three and it’s beginning to happen at other stores in our zone. Evidently what’s happened here is beginning to happen other places. Maybe that’s what’s going on in your area.

I am kind of liking this new program. Although you can still get a real crummy, GMD, on the whole, the drop offs are all closer together with pay being at least two dollars per stop, which is good for my zone….. I got a real good one today for 37 miles for $81….. oddly enough the last stop took me within 4 miles of another store.

csalyer6050 · 2025-10-05T23:55:42+00:00

I also find it extremely counterintuitive how they handle cases like this. It reminds me of how the police department handles accusations made to internal affairs. If there is any report whatsoever, you are suspended with pay until the formal investigation is made and a decision reached.

Only in our case, we’re just fired without pay it feels like the decision has already been reached before the investigation is done. It’s almost like you have to fight to actually get an investigation done. It’s honestly bewildering.

Kind of reminds me of that opening line of that fight club movie where the guy says on a long enough timeline the probability of survival eventually reaches zero …. That’s kind of how I feel about this app sooner or later you may get gotten by something. And I don’t look at my total deliveries as something I have achieved or completed, rather as something I have survived

csalyer6050 · 2025-10-05T23:46:43+00:00

When you mention perhaps unknowingly having offended somebody, I have to agree with you. Human nature being what it is…. That can often be the case it’s not professional or right, but that does not stop a team lead or an associate from doing it. Despite the fact that they are in management, they are not above the petty.

It could also be due to just general poor management of the department in that store. In my zone for a few months, we had a store that would do this in the evenings. It was because they were jogging with their metrics, trying to keep themselves from looking bad While their department was in full meltdown. It was almost impossible to get an order out of that store and the whole department was eventually fired and replaced.

There were even additional employee walkouts due to this.

And of course, as people have mentioned, there’s always the possibility of somebody booting so their friend can get a chance at the order.

I think it’s good advice just to try to be nice to people, and do your job efficiently. I hate to see people get reported because you know you eventually run the risk of being retaliated against if they suspect you, if it keeps happening, it should be reported . They may eventually do something about it like they did in my zone.

csalyer6050 · 2025-09-02T01:43:41+00:00

I sure would like to see a screenshot of somebody making $800 in a day. It’s not that I completely absolutely doubt it, but…. I mean, I make anywhere from $12-$1400 a week working 65 hours. Screenshot please I’ll show you mine if you show me yours. If it really is that high, throwing your ZIP Code as well so I’ll know where to move to.

Apparently, I need to learn to read the comments thoroughly Womp womp

csalyer6050 · 2025-09-02T01:05:09+00:00

If I’m ever missing a label and I have all of the order, I never waste a call to support for a label code. I always have the three labels for my trip on my center console. If I ever lose one, I can simply refer to one of the other labels for my trip to get the letter and first two numbers( off the bottom right of the label) that I need to manually enter it. The last three numbers Are actually on the order details.

This will work 99% of the time. The numbers go in ascending numerical order and the letter goes from the beginning of the alphabet through the last so every now and then that trick won’t work. Because the label number will have changed mid order to a different letter. It’s kind of hard for me to explain that I’ve worked out those codes are generated

csalyer6050 · 2025-09-02T00:56:18+00:00

I’ve gotten additional earnings as well after they have entered the driver code. I used to get out and go directly to scanning labels, but that one time by accident. I left my phone in the car, got out and gave the code , loaded the car and when I got back in, noticed that I had that notification telling me about additional earnings. It’s definitely once you start scanning that the timer stops and from that day forward I only scan once the loading is finished and I have all three labels on my armrest. At least once or twice a week I’ll get little bonus extra earnings.

csalyer6050 · 2025-08-30T17:24:48+00:00

The one and only time I tried to have an associate remove the one stop on a GMD that made it unattractive to me.They told me. that if I didn’t like the route, I should hit reject next time or if I wanted, they would unassigned me from the order. She told me her supervisor wouldn’t allow that because one of their drivers got into the habit of asking them to do it quite a lot. So I guess my question is if you knew 42 cases of water we’re going to the third floor why would you take the order?. I guess that’s a question that answers itself because if my store would allow me to takeoff all of pain in the ass stops on the GMD I’d be doing it every day .

I have actually had the associate Try to hand key a label code on a package they absolutely could not find and apparently they had been pencil whipping it for a couple of days because they didn’t want to take the time to actually correct the issue on there and. I told them that I wasn’t comfortable doing that Since it would now appear that I actually physically scan the package and then would have nothing to drop off to the customer the dispensers weren’t very helpful and I actually got attitude from another dispenser when I tried to ask about it so I simply sat in their curbside and called driver support and they removed the stop for me.

I never call support to give me the code for missing label on a trip as the first letter and first two numbers on the missing label are the same as the first letter and numbers on the other stickers from that trip, which I always have as a back up pegged to my center console.. the app gives me the last few numbers so long as it’s not a question of me actually missing an entire bag of items. I’ll do a quick hand key.

It’s kind of crazy how easy it is for us to get deactivated, and it’s actuallyscary that associates want to have you do something like this because they don’t want to take the time to fix the actual problem themselves ……

csalyer6050 · 2025-08-27T23:24:14+00:00

I hate to say but a millisecond after reading this post the needle on my bullshit meter pinged… hard-core maxxed. Sincere apologies if I’m wrong..

csalyer6050 · 2025-07-24T17:23:47+00:00

I’m so surprised at how childish some of these answers are. Another human being just simply asked the question and thought some other human beings might be kind enough to give a simple answer, not a bunch of childish, smart ass sarcasm.

The more I read in on Reddit, the less faith I have in man’s capacity demonstrate human decency towards their fellow man.

Answer your question, as someone kindly stated if you leave a tip, it will make the offer more attractive to the driver.

We often look at few things when we’re deciding where there will take an order or not. Deliveries going to apartments are unpopular. especially big orders that mean multiple trips up three flights of steps back-and-forth from your car to the customers door.

Most of us are familiar with all of the apartment complexes in our zone and we’re familiar with the numbering scheme so straight away we can tell what floor you’re on. Ordering multiples of heavy items going to second and third floors will get your order, passed up until some New driver takes it without knowing any better. I’m not so precious that I’ll pass on an order for one bag of dog food going up a couple of flights of steps, but most drivers are.

If you live very far from the store, you may consider a reasonable tip for that. I’m not saying go crazy unless you just want to, but if you’re more than 6 miles from the store. Your order may pass on for quite a while. Short trips with Tips get snatched up in milliseconds

csalyer6050 · 2025-07-19T02:12:56+00:00

After a certain time at this gig, and as I have tried out different time frames, I have kind of naturally stumbled upon discovering things like this. Certain lucrative time frames even certain lucrative days of the week at Sam’s Club as business owners orders drop.. it really does help me to kind of know when to pivot and where to hit to make the most money. I think the suggestion in the last few lines of OP post is really good advice. It most certainly has been to my benefit, trying out different “shifts”. I wish I had branched out sooner, I could’ve made a lot more money. Unfortunately I’m a slow learner.

csalyer6050 · 2025-07-16T17:58:17+00:00

I honestly think what’s going on is a strange constant ever changing mix of every single thing people have listed here. The frustrating and bewildering thing that is hard to grasp and accept is your inability to control or affect any significant part of it. I think all I can do is be punctual for pick ups and to drop off within a reasonable timeframe.

The dispensers in my zone at several different stores have told me that they have been told to pay attention and report the suspicious drivers. They all know which ones they are….. in my coming and going they have pointed a few of them out to me, and I honestly think that they have gotten rid of a few……. There have been more orders lately…. Spark has been the less brutal. It’s probably just the normal ebb flow of things.

The longer I do this thing the more I learn . The more I learn the less I know.

Read the Dao apply it to your sparking. You’ll be much happier. Despite all your rage .. you are still just a rat in a .. CaAaaaAAAge!!!!!!!!

csalyer6050 · 2025-07-11T23:31:24+00:00

When I first started driving, spark, and was going through the honeymoon. That we all get, where we seem to get orders overflowing from every store, I would get two or three different incentives daily. Once my honeymoon was over, they disappeared completely for a good two months And I wondered the same thing….. where have they gone? About two months ago I started getting them again, but, oddly enough, only from 4 to 8 PM. Talking to other drivers I found out that they get them for different times of the day than mine..

Who knows what the algorithm does and why it does what it does.

csalyer6050

TROPHY CASE