As a driver, you work hard for your salary and expect some amount of tips for your extra income, and the most common tips from the customers are $2.50-$3 per ride. But there are instances where you might get lower tips like $1. The amount of tip you receive depends on many factors such as your personality, the way you interact with your customer and your driving skills might influence too. You might not know the best and easiest ways to get better tips from customers, so this article will help you to get rid of all your doubts.
Show hospitality to the customer.
One of the best ways to increase your income on tips is to entertain the customer using different strategies such as giving a joke card to the customer. Mostly in the evenings after a stressful and tired day after work or college passengers prefer a relaxing ride to home and finding a unique way to entertain them will help them to forget all the stresses for a while and that would be helpful for you to get a good tip.
Your appearance
You might meet different people every day, and most of them would judge you and your service by your outer looks no matter how excellent service you provide. So having a good appearance and neatness will bring you extra credits. Most of the experienced drivers recommend you to wear a pleasant uniform because the image created in the customer’s mind about you is significant when it comes to tipping. Have a cute haircut and dress in clean clothes, and that will be helpful to you.
Use the name of the customer
Winning the heart of the customer is essential to offer an excellent service and the way you initiate a conversation depends on how polite you speak to the passenger. Most of the drivers use the words sir or madam to call the customers, but most of the experienced drivers say that calling your customer with the name gives you good tips. One of the main reasons why it works is that it brings the feelings to the customer that you are friendly. For example saying, ‘Good morning Clara how can I help you’ will cheer up the person at the very first moment he or she meets you.
Facial expressions
Just like the way you speak to the customer, your facial expressions will also help you to get good customers. If you drive all the way to the destination with a miserable look on your face, the customer will not be satisfied with your service. So another important thing that you should keep in mind is that you should always keep a smile on your face and be friendly with your customer and that satisfaction in your customer’s mind will bring you better tips.
Offering a good service
Providing an excellent service is not only about taking the customer to the destination but also includes some other services such as listening to the customer and giving a proper response. The passengers might get different needs when traveling in a taxi. For example, if the customer wants you to stop near a coffee shop for a while, do it without any excuses and that will be a credit to your service. Also, you should be able to build flowing conversations with the customer. Sometimes you should be mindful of what kind of person you are talking. If the person is not a talker, limit your discussions, and speak in a way that it would not bother him or her.
Be who you are
Wearing a fake mask in front of the customer is not much favorable because it needs a lot of acting skills. Always be who you are and try not to imitate another person so you could get good marks from the customer. Share your honest ideas with the customer and be a genuine person in front of the passenger and that genuineness will bring you right tips.
Drive carefully
Don’t be in a hurry when driving unless the passenger says to drive fast. Most of the customers like a slow ride to the destination and always start trip slow and if the customer says that he needs to be in the place by a specific time, manage your speed and drive carefully. And always be patient when driving because a single mistake caused could be a considerable dissatisfaction in passenger’s mind.
Provide extra facilities
It is based on the features you have in your car. Provide some good services to the customer such as a cold water bottle, some candies, and some excellent music if they like. Especially a charging port will be handy to the customer, and there is a chance they might rate the facilities you provide and give some good extra cash.
Always be respectful
It is the most important thing you should have when it comes to controlling emotions. The customer you meet might not be the good person you expect. Always respect your customer even if he is a jerk. If a drunk person gets into your taxi make sure you drive him home safely and also never judge a person by his looks or dresses because your comments would hurt their feelings and there is a higher chance of losing a good tip.
Be unique
Not only your personality but your vehicle need to have an attractive and unique look too. Changing the car in an appealing way is a useful method to draw the attention of your customers towards you, and if they are impressed with your creativity, they will offer you extra cash for your talent.
Maintain all these qualities with you, and it will be beneficial for you to earn some extra dollars and always try to build your ways to increase customer satisfaction.