We recently had an article written for us by Splend titled “pro advice to earn more tips with on demand driving”, which gave 5 ways you could earn more tips. These were great suggestions that would not only earn your more tips but 5 star ratings also.
In this article I am going to tell you how I personally have maintained a 4.99 rating on Uber after over 1000 trips and a 5 star rating on Bolt with some really basic strategies.
I see a lot of drivers online talking about how they don’t care about their rating because it doesn’t make a difference and they only care about how much money they make.
In one sense I agree. I don’t care about my star rating either, just like I don’t post on social media to get loads of likes. What I do care though is doing a good job and more importantly keeping my job which is determined by your rating.
If you have a low rating, you are clearly doing something wrong. If you continue to have a bad rating and it drops too low, you do risk being deactivated. Without access to the Uber, bolt or any other rideshare app you might be using you will lose to ability to earn money.
What Exactly is the Minimum Star Rating for Uber Drivers?
It is unclear what the minimum star rating for an Uber driver is, as Uber have never revealed the magic number, but the information online mainly based on a leek documents from 2015 indicates to this being 4.6. According to Kate Parker, Head of Safety Brand and Initiatives:
Riders may lose access to Uber if they develop a significantly below average rating.
So even though you are not interested in the popularity contest aspect of the star rating you have to be smart and play the game, because ultimately it is the star rating that holds the key to you being able to access the platform. Fortunately, Uber don’t have a one strike and you’re out policy and allow you the opportunity to improve your rating before you are deactivated. Kate Parker went on to say:
Riders will receive tips on how to improve their ratings, such as encouraging polite behavior, avoiding leaving trash in the vehicle and avoiding requests for drivers to exceed the speed limit. Riders will have several opportunities to improve their rating prior to losing access to the Uber apps.
What are the Best Tips to Keep a High Rating?
In the article previously mentioned, splend gave us 5 pro tips which where:
Let Them Navigate – Ask the passenger if they had a preferred route.
Offer Candy – Having individually wrapped sweets available is a nice touch.
Keep It Tidy – Make sure your car is clean and presentable at all times.
Music – Keep the volume at a comfortable level and don’t play anything offensive.
Temperature – Not too warm and not too cold and ask the rider if you are not sure.
These are all good practises but in my opinion, it’s the fundamental that will stand you in good stead in the long run. It is the basics that you will do every single time with every single passenger that will make sure you always maintain a high star rating.
What You Should Do Every Time to Guarantee a High Uber Rating
Friendly Greeting
The first stage of every trip is when the passengers enters your vehicle.
As private hire drivers we pick up passengers day in day out. It’s our job. But even still, there is always a sense of anticipation as you sit there waiting for your passenger to enter the car.
Imagine then how the passengers feels, especially a female passenger early morning or late at night in the dark as she enters a strangers vehicle.
A friendly greeting is the best way to put the passenger at ease. Show them from the first exchange that your not some kind of weirdo and that your in fact their friendly driver.
A warm “good morning” and a smile is it all it takes to make them feel at ease.
Using an observational approach is also a great way to spark an initial friendly interaction with the rider.
If they have kids with them, give the kids some attention. Parents love that!
If they get in the car with a bag of food shopping. Comment on how nice it smells and ask if there’s any for you.
If there is anything that you can make a little comment on to get a smile or a laugh from the passenger, then you have set the tone for the rest of the journey.
Always Get Out of the Car to Open the Boot and Help With Any Bags Or Luggage.
This is something I see private hire drivers not do and it drives me mad. Every day when I’m out on the road I see lazy drivers sitting in their car as a female passenger opens the boot to put in or take out bags and luggage. And I’m not saying you should only do this for female passengers. You should do this for everyone. It’s just common courtesy. I can imagine the drivers that don’t do this are also the kind of people that wouldn’t hold open a door for someone behind them or the kind of drivers that drive around London honking their horn at every opportunity they get. It’s just wrong and you shouldn’t be one of those people. This is just about being a decent human being. Take some pride in what you do guys.
Give the Smoothest ride Possible
All the passenger wants is to get from A to B in the safest way possible. If you do that, then it’s very likely you’ll get 5 stars. Some of my best tips have been from passengers that were completely silent the whole ride and at the end thanked me for such a smooth relaxing journey.
You should drive the car like you have a child asleep in the back in a car seat. Passengers shouldn’t have to be jerked around because your taking corners too fast or slamming on your breaks. They should feel safe at all times in your car.
You can drive as fast as you want on your way to pick them up, but once they are in your car, your not in a race. There’s no real rush to get them to their destination as quick as possible for you to go find another trip because Uber will give you another trip before you have completed the one you are on anyway.
Warm Goodbye
So you’ve helped the passenger with their bags.
You’ve given them a friendly greeting and made them feel at ease.
You’ve given them a nice smooth relaxing ride.
Now all that’s left is a warm goodbye.
When you reach the destination, you should thank the passenger and wish them a good day/night. It’s a really nice touch which will leave a good impression and more than likely 5 stars.
If there was something during the journey the passenger wasn’t happy with and was thinking about giving 3 or 4 stars, ending the journey with a thank you and a warm goodbye could also be the difference of swaying them into giving you 5.
Aim to Be the Best Private Hire Driver you Can Be
Doing these 3 things every time with every passenger will make them a habit and become effortless. You won’t even realise you are doing them but to the passenger you will stand out as an exceptional driver that they will want to reward.
I hear customers complain daily about a bad driver they had so when they get a good one like you, you stand out and leave a lasting impression.
At the end of the day, we are in the service industry and a big part of our job is dealing with our paying customers in a professional manor.
Take pride in your work and you will appreciate it more and so will your customers too.
