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.
When you consider that this company has never turned a profit from day one, how is it possible to have this value?
Normally a company with this spreadsheet would be talking about bankruptcy in that they spend all the additional investment dollars to help cover their losses with red ink continuing to flow and no plans to change any time soon (that we know).
A general refusal to increase pricing (although the guaranteed pricing scheme has clearly increased their percentage of profits) and still cutting pricing in some markets - if only we knew their long term plan, perhaps it would make more sense.
Are self driving cars the answer? I think not, or i can guarantee you it won't be the lovely new cars they're currently using as test cars (such as Volvo's) No possible way these rates could support "those" vehicles even without the cost of a driver IMO.
The one thing i hope the self driving cars will demonstrate to Uber is just how poorly they're paying their current drivers, and thus the reason for the 6 month career of the average driver.
Currently there is still an inrush of "newbies" that have to go through the process of "finding out for themselves" how Uber/Lyft actually pay, and once they've filed their taxes it's easy to see that the current compensation plan will eventually fail. Becuase of the "newness" of Uber and all the publicity, Uber and Lyft currently enjoy a steady of flow of new drivers, so the reality that the average driver stays on the system less than six months has not hampered their growth.
However, this will not always be the case. All it will take is a few expose's on a national news program to bring the reality crashing into the forefront of everyone's mind. (Can't believe no one has done it yet, but perhaps those advertising dollars keeps the news folks away from the story)
Yes, I do driver for Uber/Lyft although only on an infrequent basis. And yes, if you've learned how to plan your time and location, you can make more than most of the estimates. And yet, when you file your taxes at year end, the reality that you don't have to pay income tax on your earnings after taking the standard mileage deduction is first viewed as "cool, i don't have to pay any taxes on this 10K from Uber"... until you look at what has happened to the value of your car and the additional expenses you've incurred for maintenance items.
Can you make money? Under the current situtation, the ONLY REAL WAY is to drive an inexpensive car that provides high MPG with limited repairs and then, and only then, can you make a few bucks. That's not my personal situation - i'm driving a $52K Explorer which I also use for my full time profession which also requires a ton of annual miles (40-50K) so the only benefit I gain is that the car pretty much gets written off completely. However the reality is, I'm still spending the money, still making the car payment, and all the deduction means is that I don't have to pay income tax on that portion of expenses. Nothing more, and nothing less so don't ever be fooled into thinking the expenses aren't real just because you're able to avoid taxation!!! I'm always amazed when I hear people say things like" Oh, they can write it off"... as though it costs nothing as long as you can write it off. OH how I wish it were true!!!
This is very easy to calculate. Open your Uber passenger App. Enter your pick up location as the ettenheim address you listed and then enter the Train Station as your destination.
The App will immediately give you a price!!! The only reason that price would change is if a Surge is in effect at the time you actually take the trip.
According to TechCrunch magazine, it's rolling out nationally TODAY. I would assume if you have the passenger app you will likely get a notice. I haven't seen one yet on my APP.
It's 30 trips up to $15 each for a value up to $450 for $299
It's 30 trips with a value up to $15 each, so that would be $450 for only $299
Your point is well made and never having given a thought to the "full time drivers" and how they must feel - especially since I plan to retire in a couple of years and then will do Uber much more often - probably enough to be considered a full timer.
My point certainly wasn't that Full Time Driver's are any more or less accomplished than myself - definitely wasn't where my head was going - but rather that some individuals would dare to treat certain professions, such as Uber driving in such a way as to suggest it is a menial or poor choice of employment.
It varies by market and that is directly from Uber. There are some markets where a lower rating is acceptable becuase the prevailing attitude amongst passengers in those markets seem to be generally rate lower than in other markets. I know from traveling as a passenger I've had drivers pick me up with 4.2 ratings which really surpised me and in conversation i could tell they were not a "new" driver. Las Vegas was one of those markets and I'm often in Dallas, TX where it seems lower ratings are acceptable. However in MOST markets it seems that 4.6 is the cutoff line. I've heard that if an experienced driver gets that low they sometimes offer a "class" that you are required to take dealing with "how to improve your ratings" and they'll allow you to stay on the system.
Needless to say, I'm thankful that after a couple thousand rides I'm still at 4.93, but without a doubt, it takes effort!!!
I'm not exactly sure what you meant by that... i do consider myself highly successful and as far as Uber is concerned, based on my experience and ratings, I would say you'd have to agree. And as a professional sales rep for 30 years, I'm fairly good at handling people.
So, exactly what are you thinking?
No. WE have no idea if you're a driver or not when a passenger request arrives. UberBlack is limo service that is available in larger markets and the premium level of service. Uber X is basic, Uber XL will generally seat 6 passengers, Uber Select is premium cars such as Audi, Bmw etc... and Uber Black is limo. There are also some markets with other options such as SUV which is typically an escalade or similar, and in selected markets there are other options such as Infant seat or underage passenger etc...
I've had a few instances where I was clearly being "talked down to"... so I usually will casually mention my real profession during the course of the ride and that shuts that foolishness down altogether. And oddly enough, sometimes it's what I would have thought as the least likely of individuals that do it. The poor and downtrodden i have found are much quicker to make snide remarks when you would have thought it would be the wealthy and privilidged - at least that's been my experience.
If they look 18, if they're working a job and going to/from work, I don't question their age. My State Farm polciy doesn't have age limitations and that's who my rideshare is through.
However with that said, if an obviously young person entered my car, I would decline them explaining we are not allowed to take anyone under 18 without a parent etc...
Clearly the issue is with Uber. If they REALLY wanted to enforce their TOS, they would require the account holder to PROVE their age when opening an account. And they would REQUIRE the passenger name if different than the account holder along with their birth date. And that would be incredibly easy to add to the existing app.
But they don't, so we know that truth be told, Uber doesn't care, it just 'sounds good'.... and yet as drivers, we all agree, it really SHOULD be enforced.
Alternately Uber could offer transporation for say 12-18 year olds as an option on the APP... these ride requests would go to highly vetted, highly rated drivers and there would be a slight premium involved.
From what I've read, this was tested in some cities, but I've never heard how it worked out.
Great story and if we could just figure out a method to tie this so the lunar cycle or the ocean tides or something, we could cash in!!! LOL I remember one night a couple of years ago I picked up 5 passengers in my Uber X car (at that time) because there was no Uber XL available and I knew that probably wouldn't change. I disucssed it with the passengers and told them they shoudl really order two Uber X's... that it was an insurance issue not to mention comfort.
Anyhow, long story short, they were a family group and literally begged me to take them and promised they would be good customers and wouldn't sue if we got in an accident. Not that I believe that for a second, but needless to say I finally agreed and took them.
When I dropped Dad at his home, he slipped me a $20 bill. Nice! But when I dropped the rest of the group at their home (and this was a nice long ride as well) the lady slipped me a folded bill and I thanked her. As I drove away I flipped the bill open to find it was a $100 bill.
No, even though i would think the Cleveland/Akron OH markets are considered pretty large, we are not well suited to pool rides in this market geographically and I'm SO thankful for that. The fact that you can no longer turn it off is clearly a huge disadvantage! That's strong arming tactic on Uber's part FOR SURE... just like I'm hearing (although I haven't driven for a couple of weeks so I haven't seen it) that Lyft is no longer displaying "distance or time to pick up" which is a huge gamechanger for me. I will no longer drive for Lyft if that proves to be the case as 30 minutes to pick up is not that uncommon once you're outside the city and that's often to a college town where you'll get a minimum fare ride. Just can't afford to do that.
We've been experiencing the "ghost surges" in our market area for a while and it is exactly as you suggest - to get riders to move to that area. And of course, if you do happen to arrive in the surge, it will disappear within a minute or two.
Which is somewhat why I asked the question - i'm wondering, if you arrive in the area of the phantom surge and you don't get a ride, will the surge bonus stay with you until you arrive in a busier location and then do get a ride? I would have to assume that to be true, so assuming there are busy markets close to the phantom surges, I suppose it will be a plus.
On the down side, I'm guessing Uber is going to benefit big time on long rides, and the drivers will stand to benefit on the short rides since the surge token is the same in either case. And considering that EVERY driver located within a surge now WILL receive the token on their next trip, I would have to assume that Uber stands to actually take a loss overall if the majority of the rides come from outside the surge zone.
I'm sure they've tested it and have a relative idea of how this will work out, and honestly i'm kind of anxious to see it hit our market, but that's yet to be seen.
I am SO thankful we don't have pool rides in our market.... SO THANKFUL!!!!
Wow, that settles it for me. No more Lyft driving unless i'm in a highly populated area. In my home market area it's very common to receive Lyft requests that are 30 minute away which of course you don't accept. There's a college town about 30 minutes away and you can almost always know that those 30 minute pings are going to result in a minimum fair ride from the dorms to town - NO WAY I can afford to do that. At least Uber pays for pickups more than 15 minutes which barely helps to compensate.
I think they assume (and rightfully so) that prices will go up if the government gets involved because.... well.... IT WILL. LOL... it always does!
i truly believe that the majority of people are "good". I do find the differene between one neighborhood and another can be shocking and predictable. It is apparent at times what quitting school and allowing the government to be the wageearner in your home resulting in a poor life where taking advantage of others and "taking all you can' becomes a very sad way of life. Honestly I try to avoid those areas when possible, although I'll admit I've met some beautiful human beings who are struggling to work and make ends meet from some of the most deprived areas of the city. We can conclude there are "good people" in almost every situation, but I'll admit you'll find more "good" passengers in the areas that are less economically depressed than are in the ghetto. It's the sad truth and I wish it weren't so!
Thanks momof4, and we totally agree. It's a personal decision to be sure, but I just can't bring myself to do that.
Have you ever noticed how there are some evenings when almost everyone, or at least a large percentage of people tip, and there are other eveinngs when almost nobody tips???
I'm beginning to think it's the cycle of moon, i swear. I've seen this pattern over and over and I can't figure it out!!! LOL