Six ways to improve your rating as an Uber driver

• Keep passengers in the loop

All drivers get stuck in traffic at some point, but not all of them let their passengers know that they’re delayed. As soon as you realise that you’re going to take a little longer in reaching your pick up point, give them a call to let them know. The same goes for roadblocks or traffic en-route. Your passengers will appreciate the fact that you’re informing them, and are therefore much more likely to give you a great rating –  even if the journey took a little longer than anticipated.

• Learn to “read” your riders

Drivers with consistently high ratings are great at evaluating their passengers. Start to pay attention to the way your different passengers conduct themselves. Everyone –  whether they’re aware of it or not – gives off subtle clues that tell you what kind of mood they’re in, and what they need in order to have a pleasant journey. For example, if they put their earphones in as soon as they get into the car, they don’t want to engage in conversation. The better you are at reading your riders, the better you’ll be able to match –  and exceed – their expectations. 

• Take an Uber ride as a passenger

Whether you’re new to the job, or having been a driver for a while, taking an Uber ride as a passenger is a great way to observe how other drivers conduct themselves, and learn from them. Pay attention to how the driver behaves. What irritates you? What makes you smile? What did you find super helpful? You may end up noticing something about the way you behave as a driver that can be improved upon.

• Never ask for a five star rating

Asking for a five star rating is like asking a friend for a birthday present: it’s rude. Nine times out of ten, asking your passengers for a great review won’t result in a five star rating. In fact, it’ll only irritate them.  The result? They’ll give you a lower rate on account of being presumptuous. While you cannot control how a passenger will rate you, but you can provide them with an experience that will leave them impressed and happy. Let your passengers make up their own minds about what they’re going to rate you.

• Own up to your mistakes

Every driver makes mistakes. The difference between drivers whose rating is affected by their slip up, and those whose ratings aren’t, boils down to one thing: honesty. As soon as you realise you’ve made a wrong turn or missed an off-ramp, let your passenger know. Then apologise. If a passenger realises that you’ve missed a turn off, and haven’t told them, they’ll be much more angry than if you let them know what happened (and far less likely to take this into consideration when rating you).

• Get enough sleep

This may sound like a strange tip, but hear us out! If you’re driving while you’re tired, you’re more likely to make mistakes. In fact, you’re putting both your life, and those of your passengers, in jeopardy. It can be tempting to accept more shifts or drive for longer than you should if business is booming, but resist the temptation! What’s more, your response time isn’t the only thing that’s negatively affected by lack of sleep: your mood is too. And the one thing that’s sure to make a passenger give you a disappointing one star review is a grumpy driver.

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