I live in London, Ontario, Canada. We don’t have Lyft so I only driver Uber. Perhaps it will help a newbie. I was a newbie once also. I have learned much after 8 weeks. Perhaps my experiences will help someone else. I learn something new every day. I am making $500 - $600 a week.
- Don’t take yourself, this job or the passengers too seriously. Be yourself. Be confident without getting an attitude. Riders can sense attitude and will give low ratings because of this. My rating dropped to 4.60 but I have managed to get it back up to 4.78 and it’s slowly but surely rising. It’s harder to get it back up than to get it lowered by a 1 rating! Attitude is the difference between a 4 and a 5 star rating!
- Good conversation makes it more pleasant for everyone. I have a few things I use as conversation ice breakers. Here are some that I use: How’s your day going? Are you on your way to work? Are you on your way home from work? Great weather we’re having? Are you a student? (this is a university city). Sports are always great conversation ice breakers for guys. If they don’t seem interested in chatting or are constantly on their phones, stay quiet.
- Drive gently! Passengers don’t like quick acceleration or harsh braking. Plan lane changes well in advance. Don’t run amber or red lights. Don’t speed. Arriving 2 minutes early will not get you a better rating but could get you a poorer rating. If you drive everyday, your chances of an accident increase with every mile driven. Ignore the action of other drivers. Driving angry will get you in trouble or produce low ratings.
- I have found that adding a few amenities often bring positive comments. I put Werther’s candy in the armrests. I buy large bags of these at Costco for less than $9 a bag. People love them! I have phone chargers that will charge iPhone or android. I have Kleenex and hand sanitizer available.
- Smile often! Act interested even when you are not! Don’t disagree! Use the rider’s name (if you can pronounce it). Always confirm that you have the correct rider. Introduce yourself!
- Drive to your comfort level. If you enjoy yourself, it doesn’t feel as much like a job. I found that I didn’t enjoy working nights, so now I work straight days. I have problems finding numbers on houses in the dark and I don’t enjoy the bar crowd. The stress level is much higher at night. If I find that I’m not getting any pings, I go home but stay online. I get other things done around the house and I’m less frustrated. Eventually I will get a ride which usually leads to several others. I take every Sun and Mon off. I have a life besides Uber.
- Keep your vehicle clean. I get many comments about the cleanliness of my Nissan Rogue. It only takes about a half hour once a week and a few minutes each day. I buy the vehicle wipes at Walmart and use them when necessary. I keep an auto Frebreze in the vent holder. I go through the car wash as needed.
- Enjoy yourself! Riders will sense your enthusiasm and rate accordingly. When I started, I was too serious. I have learned to relax and enjoy myself. I don’t get angry at the passengers or other drivers. If this stops being fun, I will quit doing it.
- Don’t be obsessed by tips or surging. We get very few tips in this area. I don’t worry about it any longer. There is not much surging here during the day. I quit worrying about chasing surges. It often disappears before you get there and you have wasted gas. Often riders will cancel a ride booked with a surge.
I hope that someone can benefit from my comments. I felt very nervous when I started but I gain confidence every day. Here’s a comment that was left for me yesterday. “Great trip! Great conversation! Love that there are cell chargers in the back seat. Awesome Uber driver!”