"I didn't allow it to influence how I was going to give good service to my customers." Dealing with pandemic, shortagesĮarly on in the pandemic, when stores were routinely out of things like toilet paper, disinfecting spray and wipes, Woldhuis had a plan. "I went with my gut, wore a mask and took precautions," Woldhuis said. "An antibody test showed I had antibodies," he said. And he believes he had COVID-19 early on. Woldhuis was never afraid to shop during the pandemic, he said. "People were more appreciative when tipping just because of what we were doing and where we were going. "The pandemic definitely boosted pay," Woldhuis said. So all that methodical shopping paid off. "There were days and weeks, especially when the pandemic started, that there were hundreds of orders and not enough shoppers," Woldhuis said. And some customers only wanted Woldhuis to handle and bag items, he said.ĭuring the pandemic, Shipt orders were plentiful. When checking out, self-checkout is best because it's quicker. The baskets keep orders organized and separate. He bought his own baskets more than a year ago to set inside a shopping cart. "I am a Virgo and like things in their place. "I made sure things were organized so I didn't have to backtrack," Woldhuis said. Woldhuis takes time before each shop to make sure it's organized. "At the store, I also map out my shopping on the Shipt app so it would flow with how the store is set up." Woldhuis shops a Meijer store on 28th Street in Grand Rapids. "I've built a solid enough business where I just shop out of that store," he said. And shopping at one store and knowing the store is key. He also credits his delivery zone, which is mostly dense, making delivering efficient. "The best and easy way to maximize your income is shopping multi-orders at one time," he said. Woldhuis now works part time as a Shipt shopper, but his core methods are what he believes makes him successful. Williams also had a good 2020 - though not as good as Woldhuis - but said it was fantastic because orders were plentiful. "When things are out of stock, just keep at it and it slowly came together." "Communication was also of the utmost importance," she said. Woldhuis gave Williams a few pointers like scheduling beyond the schedule, picking up orders whenever you can, and shopping and building a rapport at one store. View Gallery: Shipt shopper makes six-figure salary shopping for others In the runner’s world he's known as the "Tutu Man" and has a Facebook page, " The Adventures of Tutu Man." On the page, Woldhuis describes himself as: "An ultrarunner who loves God, loves people, and loves to laugh! The tutu reminds me to not take life so seriously and I love to inspire people to smile!" People say 'Hey that's a great shirt.'"īeing a long-distance runner also likely helps Woldhuis quickly maneuver through store aisles. Generally, the clothes elicit some kind of response. "Customers would say they love it and they'd laugh," he said. He dedicates one room in his house, he said, to all these clothes. While out as a Shipt shopper, you might spot Woldhuis wearing a tutu or in a sparkly sequined jacket, colorful wig or funky hat. It's those outfits, Woldhuis believes, that bring smiles to the faces of his customers and people that see him in stores. Woldhuis would run in races wearing sombreros, other hats, or perhaps a doughnut or inflatable dinosaur costume. "I took my love of costuming and started doing some of it with Shipt."ĭressing up initiated from his love for running. "I get into costuming a bit and love fun clothes," Woldhuis said. Woldhuis looks like he has tons of fun at it, especially when he wears wacky outfits. Shopping for others, especially during the pandemic, was also meaningful to him because people couldn't get out, Woldhuis said. I leveraged all those strengths and went to work with Shipt." "It's all about service and communication," Woldhuis said. He credits his Shipt success to providing the best service and being a good communicator. "It fit well into my life at that point." "I found Shipt and worked at it part time," he said. In his mid-20s, he moved out west, living in Las Vegas. He returned to Michigan in 2015 and worked various jobs before the Shipt gig. That was in 2017, around the time Shipt, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Target Corp., entered the Michigan market, launching in Grand Rapids. Woldhuis became a Shipt shopper when he was looking to pick up some extra money. The 2020 earnings even garnered Woldhuis a spot on Parade magazine’s "What People Earn" annual report featured in early September.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |