As a new Lyft driver, you will need to know how to use the Lyft driver app and with in-depth knowledge to fully appreciate all of its features. To start off, the app has “driver mode” and is a direct continuation of the passenger app.
The First Step
First of all tap on the small steering wheel icon in the top right-hand corner of the screen, this will activate the driver mode, and the icon will turn pink. What this does is turns the driver mode on so you can begin to receive requests.
From this moment on you are in period 1 mode. Period 1 is when you are waiting for a request. You can be driving or parked, in this mode.
The moment a request comes in, you will see a pop-up notification with an icon or photo of the passenger. If you want to accept the request, you must tap the screen within 15 seconds. If you miss this action or intentionally did not accept it, the popup will close, and the ride will be offered to another driver.
If you accepted the request, then you start to drive towards the passenger, this is period 2. Period 2 starts from the moment you accept a request until you arrive at the passengers pick up point, and while you wait for him.
Once you arrive at the passengers pick up the point, you press the “arrive” button which activates the fare. Period 3 starts the moment the passenger enters the car, and you start to drive off and finishes when you reach the drop-off destination. Once you have reached the drop-off destination you have two choices, press “cancel” to remain in the ride mode or press “confirm” to end it. Once you end it, you are effectively back in period 1 mode again.
Reviewing Your Income
Weekly income is based on a Monday through Sunday work week. A pay statement will total the weekly income based on this setup. First of all, you must have a direct deposit set up in your account. Once you have direct deposit set up your income will be sent there every payday. Via e-mail, you will start to receive daily, weekly and monthly statements of your income. The summary statement is detailed and categorized for easy viewing and understanding. Ride Category shows how many miles and how many minutes you drove and your tips. Earnings Category presents the amount you received from the rides you made and any bonuses. You will also view the number of cancellation fees and Lyft commission fees paid. The Time Category breaks down the total number of hours, minutes and seconds you were active in driver mode.
This breakdown into categories makes it easier for a rideshare driver to review their rides and earnings in one easy screen view. It also shows how much the earnings are before expenses and taxes.
It is important to maintain a constant review and record of all earnings and fees since this will be used by you in any future inquiries regarding income statements.
The weekly summary comes on every Tuesday and is set up like the daily summary so you can review your weekly earnings without having to interpret what you see.
Feedback Friday
On Friday’s Lyft sends an e-mail to every driver with the weekly comments made by passengers on their passenger app. All drivers receive a rating update as well. Ratings are important for a number of reasons; they let the passengers know what kind f driver you are and they let Lyft know if you are a good or bad driver, they also let you know if you need to make any changes. This e-mail is highly important and should not be ignored. Reviewing your ratings and reading what passengers state is the most important part of a drivers activity. You might think it’s the driving, but it isn’t, it’s the passenger’s perception of your driving that counts. The main issues to deal with are:
Prompt pick-ups, safe driving, comfortable rides, a clean car, a sterile environment, a conscientious driver, social interaction, good navigation skills, and a smooth drop-off.
Scheduling
It is possible to reserve hours through the app and set a weekly schedule; you do this via the app as well. Once you decide to schedule your week, you set the hours according to what you want. You can drive no more than fifty hours in seven days and minimum of four hours a day. The most you are allowed to drive is ten daily hours, and that’s understandable when weighing in fatigue. The last thing anyone wants is a tired driver on a long boring strip of countryside road. It is also advisable to set the schedule to coincide with prime time or with the hours you prefer driving, that way you know you will work when you want to work.
Scheduling is not mandatory; it does help with the management of your workload and it helps if you have another diary linked system that shows you when you are working.
GPS Navigation
The driver mode of the app uses a GPS system to update Lyft of driver activity. It also enables Lyft to calculate the rides and shows passengers where you are and shows the driver where the passenger is. The GPS system also manages the maps which show the driver where hot spots, surges and other information. Make sure you are in sync with the GPS coordinates otherwise you will get low start amounts. Some drivers add a third party system such as Waze or Google Maps, it helps to have another app supplying you with correct information.