Things Rideshare Drivers should have in Car

To be a rideshare driver, the most basic items that you require include a smartphone and a car. That would be enough to start your business. But once you are through with the basics and want to increase your quality of service as well as your income, you need to use certain other strategies.

When you think of the items which will be mentioned below, you might think they will not make much of a difference to the service; but for a passenger, it is those trivial things which make them cherish the experience, and thus improves your impression on them. Also, the items are not at all expensive. They are easily affordable and available, so you don’t have to hesitate to give them a try.

Another helpful thing about these items is that you can always deduct the items’ charges on your taxes since they have been invested in the business. So maintenance of the items would be completely free.

THE ADDITIONAL

You will come across many drivers who distribute items such as candies and chocolates to their passengers. Though they are a nice way to bring a smile on their faces, it is not a good business strategy when you think about the economic aspect of it. It might look cheap initially, but in a long-term, it is quite a lot of money, especially because you spend them on every passenger. This strategy can hamper your efficiency.

Also, it is not these small gifts that create a good impression of you in the passengers’ minds; instead, it is the experience they get while they are riding your vehicle that they remember, and by this experience, they judge your service.

WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS WANT

The primary step for any customer service is to put you in the shoes of a customer. That will sufficiently answer the question ‘what a customer wants.’ Some of the items that can help the passengers on their journey are as follows.

AUX Cord

Almost eighty percent of the passengers you pick up would like to hear some music on their journey. Some passengers might want to be able to play their music from their devices, especially during occasions such as party hours. For such situations, an AUX cord will come handy. Even if you have Bluetooth built-in in your vehicle, you should still be carrying one, because your passenger might get impatient while pairing their device with your system, which can always be trouble. It’s better to carry an AUX cord, as it is cheap, simple and easy.

Your passengers would love the fact that they have control over what music plays on their journey. It will not only give them the ability to customize the music that plays as per their taste, but also give them a feeling that it is their vehicle, which will, in turn, establish a good relationship between you and the passenger and, hence, increase the chance of him tipping you.

Charging Cords

Should a passenger ever have battery issues with their device, they would be thankful to you, to discover that you have a charging cord to help them charge their device. It does not always happen that your passenger needs one, but every once in a while you will come across a passenger who does. So it is better to be prepared for such situations. Charging cords are quite cheap and are readily available at any store, or online. An added advantage is that you can also use them for charging your device.

Bluetooth FM Player

In case your car does not have provision for AUX connection, a Bluetooth Transmitter is a good option for the purpose. You can not only use this device for music, but also for other purposes such as taking phone calls and getting navigations.

Trunk Caddy

For those of you who don’t know, the Trunk Caddy is an all in one organizer container that can be used to store multiple loose items all together. It is very compact and is quite a useful tool if you carry multiple items in your vehicle. Being a driver, you carry items such as clothes, shoes, umbrella, packaged food, mats, etc. It would not be a good move to keep these items randomly all over your vehicle because the passenger might get a bad impression of you. Therefore, it would be wise to buy a Trunk Caddy and store all your items in it and keep the caddy at a corner of your vehicle. Regardless of the size of your vehicle, the caddy will fit perfectly because of its compact design. A clean and organized vehicle is crucial to look professional.

Medical Aids

It is quite probable that you passenger might be having some health issues. He might be wounded or injured and might need some immediate first aid. Or, he might be feeling nauseated, and might even throw up in your car. It is necessary to be prepared for situations like this. Always keep a first aid kit in your vehicle, and let your passenger be aware of that beforehand. Your kit does not have to include too many medicines, but just a few items for immediate help, such as band-aids, antiseptics, cotton, etc.

Keep vomit bags as well, in case someone has to throw up. It would be good to let the passenger feel that you have got him or her covered if he or she might not be well.

Referral Cards

Here’s an excellent way to make some extra money. Referral marketing is the method of promoting services and products to new customers. Professionally speaking, it is unethical since you would be promoting your competitors if you are working for Uber, Lyft or any other service; but it would not hurt to keep some referral cards handy and let people sign up with your code, in case they haven’t signed up yet. You could also give a new passenger someone else’s free first ride code. It’s a good strategy to make some quick, easy money, at the same time, provide your customer with an excellent service.

The items mentioned above are not compulsory for you to be a rideshare driver. But if you have set a goal to be a great driver and you wish to set yourself apart from other regular rideshare services regarding income as well as quality, then you should think out of the box and improvise and customize your services based on your everyday experience. It might be difficult, but not impossible.