An Instacart shopper is getting called a hero for sharing a story about a delivery that led to her checking on an elderly customer.
TikTok user and Instacart shopper Jessica Higgs (@jessicahiggs3), recently reposted the viral clip, which has racked up over 2.3 million views. The original clip—shared three years ago—garnered more than 19.3 million views.
“If you see something, say something,” she wrote in the overlay of the video.
Why this Instacart order didn’t go like the others
She starts by explaining that she was completing an Instacart order for a woman’s elderly father, who couldn’t shop for himself. Right away, she had a feeling that this delivery might be different.
“I do the order, I’m going the extra mile for this customer, like I always do,” she said. “But for whatever reason, this time I was going even farther.”
She got to the house, expecting to leave the groceries on the porch like usual. But something didn’t sit right. The customer told her it was fine to leave them there—but Higgs felt the need to do more.
“Something was telling me, no, you gotta help this man out,” she said.
Despite the rule against entering someone’s home, she followed her instincts and brought the groceries inside, setting them down wherever the man asked. Then, she noticed something troubling.
What was wrong inside the home?
“I was in there maybe 5 feet, and I got dizzy,” she said. “There’s a propane tank in there… I said, there’s gotta be a leak.”
She messaged the daughter through the app, explaining that while it might be “unprofessional” to speak up, she was genuinely concerned.
“I said, he’s not doing good. He’s sick,” Higgs recalled. “He might not be doing good because of this leak.”
The daughter responded quickly and said she’d send her son to check on the situation. Later, she updated the tip—from $14 to $100—and left a comment that shook Higgs to her core.
“Thank you so much,” the comment read. “Once my son went to check on my dad, it turned out it definitely was leaking. You definitely saved my dad and my younger son’s life.”
Fighting back tears, Higgs concluded, “If you see something, say something. I did. And I’m so happy I did.”
What Instacart says about shoppers entering customers’ homes
According to Business Insider, in 2023, more than 600,000 people worked for Instacart and “hundreds of thousands” for Walmart’s Spark.
And while platforms like Instacart are built around speed and convenience, stories like this show there’s more to it than that.
For some customers—especially older adults or those living alone—the person dropping off their groceries might be the only outside contact they have that day.
That said, shoppers are expected to deliver groceries to the customer’s address, but they’re not required—or encouraged—to enter the home. This guideline, Instacart says, exists to protect both shoppers and customers.
Still, as this story proves, human judgment can make a real difference when something feels off.
Viewers react to her story
Many commenters were moved by the video and praised Higgs for what she did.
“A woman’s intuition is a superpower,” one user wrote.
“It’s NEVER unprofessional to try to help people,” another added. “You absolutely did the right thing!!!”
And for some, it wasn’t the first time they’d teared up over this moment. “Three years in a row this video has made me cry,” one person shared.
@jessicahiggs3 I will always share this gem. 3 years ago. And my life has changed so much. Thank you everyone! @Instacart #fypviral ♬ original sound – Jessica Higgs
The Daily Dot has reached out to Instacart and Higgs via email for comment.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
