RIDEGURU
Wes Kretzer (Wes)
Ride Apprentice from Aurora, OH
Weekend Uber Warrior
1602 Rider DriverWeekend Uber Warrior, experience with lighting and lighting fixtures/applications, Southern Gospel Music.
Activity
Posts by Wes
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Corona Precautions
Just wondering, if you're a driver that's willing to take the chance during these difficult times and continuing to driver, … -
Are you taking any safety precautions during this Pandemic while driving?
Personaly i haven't driven since the Pandemic started as Uber/Lyfting is a sideline occupation for me. And from looking at … -
With the impending changes, will YOU continue to driver for Uber/Lyft?
Yes, you can be SURE rates will increase to the customer, but you can also be equally assured that the … -
Did you continue to drive in spite of the protests in your city?
Several major cities experienced work stoppage this week in protest to low wages and working conditions with Uber. And yet, … -
Why do YOU think Uber is dropping the destination filter in some cities and changing the pay rates on destination rides in other cities?
Uber has announced it is withdrawing the destination filter in some areas (New York for example) and in other areas … -
Uber Sues New York - yet again!
So what do you think Drivers - Uber goes at it again in New York. Uber is suing New York … -
New Surge System Revolt Cleveland, OH
Did you catch the national news story out of Cleveland, OH? The new surge system just rolled into town and … -
Upcoming Rate Increase
Hey Drivers: We all KNOW that Uber/Lyft have been sneaking in a much larger share of the fares as compared … -
The Perfect Prius?
I've been considering picking up a used Prius to use exclusively for Uber/Lyft. But it seems that almost every used … -
New York Rates
If I'm not mistaking, Feb 1 was "D" day for New York when the new rates were going to be … -
Electric vehicles
I regular consider driving an all electric vehicle, but with severe range anxiety as well as the need to occasionally … -
Auto Off feature in newer cars when stopped.
Many of not most newer cars feature an engine cut off feature when stopped at a red light etc... where … -
Should we drive during the government shutdown?
I've seen numerous posts about how dead it is out there - which based on 3 plus years experience is … -
The "new" surge
So for those of you that now have the "new surge" system - where you are guaranteed a surge rate … -
As a Driver, will you buy Uber or Lyft stock when it becomes available?
It appears both Lyft (which has already initiated the paperwork to go Public) and now Uber is rushing to follow, … -
As a Driver, what were some of your moments when you had to say "I'm just the driver"...
If you've driven your share of rides, I'm sure that you, like myself, have had at least a few occasions … -
Cargo and other snack services for Rideshare
Are any of you selling snacks in your cars to passengers whether individually or as part of Cargo or one … -
Lyft Subscription Service
Today Lyft announces that their "trial" subscription service it going mainstream and for $299.00 a month you can receive up … -
The revised Uber Surge System
Just wondering, now that Uber has rolled out the "new way of surging" in many major markets, I'd like to … -
The "NEW" Uber Surge Format
Have any of your markets changed to the new method of surge? Where you no longer get "surge" rates for …
Featured Answers by Wes
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You need to call your agent to see if you can add "rideshare" coverage to your policy. In most states this is now available. I'm with State Farm in Ohio and it cost me less than $10 a month to cover two cars. You NEED this coverage as Uber/Lyft ONLY cover you when you're on your way to pick up and when you have a passenger. You do NOT have coverage when you're waiting for a ping, and if you got in an accident you would technically NOT be covered. Furthermore when adding Rideshare, particularly to State Farm, they then offer you full coverage and THEY deal with the insurance companies used by Uber/Lyft.
If your insurance company does not offer Ridehshare, I would STRONGLY encourage you to change to a company that does. It simply isn't worth the risk. Insurance companies don't want to pay claims!!! Don't give them a reason to deny you, becuase THEY WILL. I don't care how long you've been with them or who you know, the job of the insurance company is to MAKE A PROFIT, and the best possible way to do that is to avoid paying claims!!! Think about it and choose wisely!!!
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Why not use this very site where you are posting the question (www.rideguru.com) and let it calculate the fare for you???
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At least in our market that option no longer seems to be available with Uber. It is available with Lyft, but please understand, all it really does is send out a request in advance of your pick up time to the nearest driver. With Lyft, a driver can accept it well in advance, but if they're on a ride or not near the location, it will still default to the closest driver. It also does not protect you against surge pricing fyi.
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4.5 is not good at all. Keep in mind that, as a driver, we would already be kicked off the system for a rating that low. Honestly I've done a few thousand trips, I've never given a passenger a 1-2 rating, and I've only given a 3 or 4 on rare occasion when they truly deserved much less. There are drivers that are much less lenient, and I would offer a few suggestions to bring your ratings up.
1. Give a cash tip. This will almost ALWAYS result in a 5 star rating, even if you were a little late or generally obnoxious. Once your rating returns to more acceptable levels you could resume tipping on the APP, but a cash tip will be known BEFORE we rate you. Otherwise it can be a couple of days before we would even know that you tipped as they are not always instantaneous on our end.
2. NEVER make the driver wait more than 2 minutes, and most definitely not beyond 5 minutes. (Most drivers will leave at the 5 minute mark anyhow)
3. NEVER turn the sound system up to max!!! Drivers' need to hear things like sirens and horns etc... Consider your driver and also consider that it is their personal car, so they DO care about their sound system in general.
4. If you ask to make a stop, please be quick. Remember we make almost nothing when we're sitting still. We're doing it as a favor, NOT as an obligation. We don't HAVE to wait, so if your driver is gracious enough to do so, hustle yourself in and out of the store!
5. Don't put your feet in our seats. Don't get crumbs all over our seats. Don't get into our car wet or soiled without offering a seat covering (plastic bag would suffice).
6. Please tell us if you're sick. We'll gladly assist you, most of us have barf bags, and we will gladly pull over when it's safe to do so. PLEASE don't puke in our cars!!!
7. Please NEVER yell out the windows at friends or foes, and NEVER discard anything out the window.
8. Please don't bring opened alcohol into the car. It's against the law. We are NOT a limo, so it is NOT allowed. I don't care how special your occassion is, don't break the law!!!
9. Please bring car seats for the kids and babies. We don't have them, and you, as a parent, are responsbile to provide them.
10. Please make sure the address that the app found as your location is correct. YOU, not Uber, not me, but YOU are responsible for entering a correct pick up location. Consider walking outside to request the ride so the GPS in YOUR phone can correctly identify your location. Remember, it's YOUR phone that pinpoints your location and communicates that information to the Uber system, so don't blame Uber when it's not correct!
11. I know nobody wants to "wait"... that's the nature of American culture. But please, wait until you're really READY to depart before requesting a driver and have your shoes on and be ready to go when we arrive. Remember, WE MAKE NOTHING waiting for you, or driving to pick you up. NOTHING!!! So please be considerate!!!
12. Lastly, please don't eat Taco's and messy foods in the car. I know you think you're starving and that drive through Taco Bell stop smells SO good. But please - it is totally wrong to expect us to stop and clean our car in preparation for the next passenger (who is probably already waiting for us to arrive) to clean up YOUR mess. That will ALWAYS result in a lower rating.
13. Lastly, be considerate. Leave the car in better shape than when you arrived. We are NOT responsbile for your trash, your chewing gum wrappers, your candy papers, and I can ASSURE you the next passenger doesn't want to see them.
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Actually they aren't that prevalent in our area and unless it's a Tesla charging station, they aren't free (nor are they free any longer for the more recent Tesla customers)...
But I do feel the day will come when they'll be everywhere - in fact I suspect gas stations will soon add areas for charging (if they have room) and use superchargers that can do the job rather quickly) at 30 mins or less.
But for now - it's still an issue for sure.
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The threshold varies by market. It is a well established fact that certain geographies rate more liberally or more conservatively and thus there is no single number for the entire US. However the long standing number for reference and concern is 4.65 and we can assume once you see any version of 4.xx you should be mildly concerned.
Absolutely. I would take any animal except perhaps one that is soaking wet and muddy. Otherwise, come on in!!! I have leather seats so they're easy enough to clean if soiled, and a few dog hairs is nothing a vacuum won't fix.
Generally I keep bottled water in the door drink holders. Truth is only perhaps 1-15 riders actually take one. On longer rides I offer gum and mints as well, and keep phone chargers readily available for the back seat and front.
I will say however that NOTHING is as important as keeping your car spotlessly clean. EVERY day, all the time!!! At least 50% of my passengers comment on my car - that it's "so clean" that it's "really nice" and quite a few "nicest Uber we've ever been in" comments.
2K rides with a 4.96 rating, i feel blessed, but I also work to keep it that way.
Yes, absolutely, every time. If you don't, your bumper will be immediatey scratched up from passengers dragging their luggage across your bumper and you cannot remove these scraches from todays plastic bumpers!!!
Secondly it's the right thing to do and more often than not, leads to being tipped. If it's a senior citizen and I'm dropping them at home, I sometimes offer to take their bag to their front porch, particularly if it's a roller bag.
Being nice PAYS and honestly I'd do it either way. It's the right thing to do..
There is no chance of that happening - they HAVE to maintain your trip history, just as they have to maintain a drivers history. Uber hasn't said how long they will keep it, but we could assume it will be several years.
Asking Uber to delete trip history would be akin to asking your bank to "hide" a check or not show your check history. NEVER going to happen.
My suggestion if you're trying to "hide" a trip that you took would be to delete the app all together from your phone. When you're ready to use Uber again, download the app and sign in and it will instantly restore your account.
Most of the insurance cases I've been involved with or seen have been insured through James River Casulaty Insurance. You can always look at the "waybill" tab and see who is carrying the insurance for a given ride.
If you're using an IPhone, you can double click and immediately switch to any app - the Lyft or Uber app would be available as one of the first couple open programs that would show.
Yes, I feel your pain and know exactly what you're talking about!!!