Many new drivers learn through mistakes, sometimes this is good but in many cases reading up the literature and going through the blogs written by experienced Uber drivers will help shorten the learning stages.
We present some tips how to avoid making mistakes on your first days driving for Uber.
Tip #1: Safe Driving
Remember this; you are a target, a target for law enforcement and dis-gruntled passengers seeking a soft, smooth ride. If you drive the way, you usually do, you will make mistakes. The first rule of driving passengers is passenger comfort and safety. Accelerating from standing motion should be smooth, not fast, driving just under the speed limit will also negate the use of breaking all the time and finally, parking in zones that won't get tickets or cause you to be in a hurry will create a more relaxed atmosphere for your passenger.
Tip #2: Gadgets
Before you start driving, you must ensure you have all the right gadgets that will make driving easier for you. Start by buying a good mobile mount and sitting it an area you can easily read and reach.
Buy a dash cam; you will need this for proof in accident claims as well as for unruly passengers, also by telling passengers that they are being recorded for insurance reasons make the passengers a bit more mellowed during the ride.
Tip #3: Concentration
Many new drivers look at their phone more than the road; you don't need to. You only need to look at the phone when waiting for a ride; then when using a navigation system in areas, you are uncertain of. By looking at the phone and not the street you are calling for a collision.
Tip #4: Passenger Control
You are not a taxi driver, and this is your car, your property, this is a rideshare not a taxi or limo service. Passengers get in one place to get out at their destination, that's all. They do not control you; they do not control the car. If the passenger wants music to climate control, they should ask, to take. By being polite but in control, you set the ride. Also, passengers are not GPS systems, they might know the route very well, and you may consider their suggestions. Just remind them that if you drive the way, they direct they must be prepared to pay any additional costs incurred by congestion or pay for the tickets and fines if a cop stops you for traffic violations.
Tip #5: Nervous Chatter
Many new drivers are not sure of the level of conversation and what to discuss. It's best to let the passenger set the pace and start the conversations. If there is a deathly silence, and not due to the passengers use of the iPhone or other reason, and you want to chat, find an ice-breaker sentence, but don't do more, let the passenger set the pace, or just drive in silence (with music or news).
Tip #6: Surge Chasers
Surges are when a large number of fares appear on one site at any given moment. These usually happen due to events, sales or standard work shift change hours. When they do happen, they are usually dealt with by drivers in the surge area. If you are not near a surge area and need to drive over ten minutes to one, don't bother. By the time drive to get there, the surge will be over.
Its better for new drivers to watch the patterns emerge, and then plan and practice surge placement. Eventually, you will find certain surges occur in patterns and can predict them.
Tip #7: Don't drive tired
Safe driving is about being awake and aware, the last thing you want is a tired driver driving you. If you are tired due to exhaustion, stop the shift, go home and sleep. If a power sleep of a few minutes is all you need, pull over and sleep.
Tip #8: Don't start the ride before the passengers are in the car
Many times a driver will arrive at a pickup, and the passenger will come out, and the driver starts the drive. Then the passenger suddenly realizes that something is missing or forgotten and goes back inside and might come out a minute or an hour later. BY the starting the ride too soon you piss off the passenger, get a low rating and yes, this is not fair but its how it works. Maybe one day passengers will pay from the moment the car stops and the passenger acknowledge the driver that they know he is there. Until that day, don't start the ride until the passenger/s are in the car, and the doors are closed.
Uber does allow a driver to drive off after a set period, so canceling a call due to "no-show" is the best option in these instances.
Tip #9: GPS navigation
Using Waze or Google is fine, but knowing your area is better. The shortcuts and varied routes that GPS navigation does not consider is sometimes a perfect answer to congestion. Also, by having the map in your mind, constantly updated, you have a better chance of dealing with know it all passengers.
Tip #10: Entertainment
Choosing the correct music or online service can be an issue with some passengers. The young fares try to control the music and level, which is problematic, especially when you want a good rating. So, there is a trade-off between ownership and annoyance. If you are not into loud, crazy music, then you must be prepared for bad ratings, which means choose your passengers based on their ratings and don't take unaccompanied teens.
Final words
There are more tips, but these are the basics. Sometimes the experienced drivers still fall into lapses of judgment, so don't expect every driver to be more knowledgeable, like everything in life, there are a learning curve and intelligence, sometimes they meet and match, other times they don't.