I have explained in detail - in both layman’s terms and statistician’s terms - how woefully flawed and statistically invalid the driver rating system is. The response is always the same. They say they’re pretty darned happy with their flawed rating system. And when I have offered my consulting services to help Uber develop a rating system that produces statistically valid data, I’m told they’re not interested and that they don’t hire consultants.
If I didn’t have to travel more then a couple of minutes then I wouldn’t concern myself with the destination. But if it was more then a five or minute driver to pickup, (driving for uber) I’d insist on it. I’m not driving several miles for a measly fare.
Every driver everywhere would like to be able to only take profitable trips. It’s never going to happen.
Wait until the grocery store crowd gets hip to Uber/Lyft. Grocery runs are the worst.
Your description here is more like what true ride sharing is supposed to be. Uber and Lyft are not ride sharing at all, which is why the major media outlets across the country now refuse to call the industry “ride sharing.” Instead, they now refer to TNC companies as “ride-hailing.”
Your description also is more representative, although not completely, of the Sidecar business model. I truly wish Sidecar had the means that Uber does.
But the main crowd interested in these types of services don’t care about all that you’ve described. They simply want to push a button, get a car to them, and go on their way.
I’ve also written them with pretty clear and detailed analysis of their flawed ratings system, as well as the way they regard it in decision making. I’ve gotten the same canned response, that they think its wonderful and love it and have no plans to change it.
My guess is that there is only one person who has the power to change that system, and none of the people we talk to have that power.
Based on the way this company operates, it would appear that its not just the drivers who are treated as peons. I doubt anybody we talk to has any juice to make any constructive recommendations.
Very insightful. I tend to agree. I’m just waiting for someone to launch a better system. UBER, as is, doesn’t figure too large into my overall business. Mostly because I have scheduled private clients, there’s limited opportunity to use UBER.
Part of the cost of doing business is doing things, occasionally, that aren’t profitable, you make it up elsewhere, such as surges, etc. It’s not like you are going to be doing them all the time.
drivers shouldn’t be rated period, only a report for bad driving or behavior and leave comments. many think they are rating uber not just the driver, and i see dings on surge pricing pin drops and uber gps map more than anything.
The rating system should be pass/fail, nothing else. And if the customer chooses the fail option, then they should be required to fill in the feedback form with an explanation.
Here’s the problem I have… Uber gives me an address to pick someone up and the rider is not at that address. One guy I picked up was 5 blocks away from the address it sent me. I know he couldn’t have moved far after he requested because I was only 3 minutes away to begin with. Any thoughts?
Black cars or sedans or limousines (whatever you want to call them) don’t operate like taxis. Hired sedans go from appointment to appointment. Drivers like me start with the first appointment and conclude their day with the last appointment.