How to Perfect your Passenger Rating

When riding in any rideshare service, both passengers and drivers have the opportunity to rate each other after each ride. The ratings are usually out of five stars and allow services like Uber and Lyft to monitor drivers and passengers to make sure they are acting in accordance with rideshare policies.

For drivers, having a bad rating can determine your future with the company. For Uber and Lyft, when a driver rating goes below a certain threshold, your driver account is disabled. For passengers, you will not be able to use the service.

While having a low rating may not impact a passenger as much as a driver, it can sometimes affect how many drivers accept your ride requests, as well as how fast you get a ride.

Here are some ways to make sure you have a good passenger rating!

1. Arrive on time. This is the biggest reason why drivers will give you a less than 5-star rating. It is annoying and inconvenient for drivers to wait at your pickup spot longer than a minute.
   
   

2. Be friendly. Giving your driver a nice greeting, such as “hello” and “how are you” is a courteous way to greet the person who is driving you.
   
   

3. Don’t throw up or act overly drunk. This is an obvious one. Many rideshare drivers are aware they will be picking up intoxicated passengers after a night out. Be courteous that you are using someone else’s vehicle, and if you’re too drunk, think twice before ordering an Uber or Lyft.
   
   

4. Keep distractions to a minimum. Like any driver, it can be distracting when your passengers are engaging in too much activity. This can include talking loudly on the phone, or playing loud music.
   
   

5. Limit your PDA. Your rideshare driver should not have to witness you making out with fellow passengers in the back of the vehicle. This is distracting for the driver, and also inconsiderate. Drivers may not say anything to you during the ride, but it may impact how they rate you afterwards.
   
   

6. Don’t change your destination. There are some circumstances where it would be acceptable to change your destination, of course, but in general, if it goes out of the driver’s way, they can be frustrated when passengers change their final destination. The same goes for requesting multiple stops on a trip, while it is allowed, try to keep it to a minimum.
   
   

7. Don’t smoke in the vehicle. This is somewhat implied, but unless your driver says it’s ok, you should never smoke while riding in a rideshare vehicle. Smoking may be distracting for the driver and can impact the smell of the car.
   
   

Overall, the basic guideline is to be friendly and courteous to your driver. And when your driver goes above and beyond to make your trip enjoyable, feel free to reward them with a five-star rating, or through in-app tipping.

Felicia is a Multimedia Guru at RideGuru. She recently graduated from Bentley University with a B.S. in Marketing and minor in Computer Information Systems. She is an avid rideshare user who enjoys both domestic and international travel.