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Do you drive for more than one ride hail company? I assume that's common?

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King1Midas
39
 Posted 5 years, 6 months ago

How does it work?  Just download multiple apps and drive? Does this mean every driver has like 10 apps running at the same time?

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    StevenL-NYU
    152 Driver Driver
     5 years ago

    Yes, but not to the level you'd think. Most drivers, at least from what I know, maybe use two apps. They can be signed up for multiple, but really just two. Here are the reasons:

    1) Maintenance of the accounts: Paperwork, background checks, etc. can be a pain. You'd think it isn't, but it is.

    2) You don't need it. If you have three apps, it doesn't mean you get three times as many ride requests. When it's busy, it is busy. When it isn't, it isn't busy no matter which apps you have going on your phone.

    3) In most markets, there aren't thay many options. Uber and Lyft - pretty much it. There are only selected cities (the largest ones) where there is a third player

    4) Streak bonuses. Riders have no idea of this, but there are loyalty bonuses with these rideshare companies. You get bonuses from completing X number of riders a week, for example. So you want to stick with one app as much as possible. Maybe have one more as a back up, but you really don't need more than that.

    Yes, there are apps that enable you (or at least attempt to enable you) to manage multiple but none of them work that great.

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    Ghollingsworth
    51 Rider
     5 years ago

    I can imagine the overhead nightmare managing two apps as a driver.

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      SyedAli
      237 Driver
       5 years ago

      It isn't bad. You keep both apps running.  Then while you are waiting, you just wait for the ping from either app.

      The only tricky part is, when you accept a ride, you just have to make sure to turn one off so you won't get another ping mid trip.  Then again, you can always just cancel those. As Uber nor Lyft really penalizes drivers for cancellations (at least anymore), it isn't that big of a deal if you forget to turn one off.

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    CWalcutt75
    259 Driver
     5 years ago

    Yes, the driver just downloads multiple driver apps and just switches between them.

    When they are driving customers, they need to turn off the other apps so they don't get pings they can't respond to. It's a pain when you have multiple.

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      ChrisWeston
      95 Rider
       5 years ago

      Can't you just keep them all open and just ignore or decline other requests?

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        LG-PA
        810 Driver
         5 years ago

        It is easier to just turn the other app off once you accept a ride requst (you are happy with on the one)

        Why would you want to be bothered with pings for requests from Uber as you are already in route with a passenger and vice versa?

        I sometimes leave the other one on even after accepting a request from the other, but I do that only when for example I acceped a ride and it is a long time to get to passenger, in this case  the oter app stays on in case a request from that platform comes in and is half the time to get to the passenger, that is when I accept the shorter duration and cancel original. I do not do this too often, but it is a tool in the tool box I go to sometimes.

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        CWalcutt75
        259 Driver
         5 years ago

        You could, but it'll ding your acceptance rate.  If you say no to too many requests, bad things can happen. or lose perks.

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          LG-PA
          810 Driver
           5 years ago  (edited 5 years ago)

          Hi,

          What bad things can happen if a driver declines too many requests?

          I do not even think acceptance rate is counted against a driver for any of the quests, etc. Perhaps there are some perks for drivers that complete 100's of rides per week and they have to keep acceptance rate high, but I really can't put my finger on any.

          If you deline too many Uber requests, system will just ask you if you want to be on line or not and you just click Yes, Go On Line

          Lyft will perster you a bit through text messages and emails, but that is easily fixed:

          To stop their texted nastygrams: you need to text a word STOP to 46080

          Then as soon as you get a reply back from Lyft (fraction of a second) send "2" back to them and that will taka care of text message pestering.

          Lyft's emails - such as the one I received today look like this:

          "Account Update

          Passengers rely on drivers to provide a dependable service, and it's important that you're there for them.
          We've reached out to you several times a…

          Read more...

          Hi,

          What bad things can happen if a driver declines too many requests?

          I do not even think acceptance rate is counted against a driver for any of the quests, etc. Perhaps there are some perks for drivers that complete 100's of rides per week and they have to keep acceptance rate high, but I really can't put my finger on any.

          If you deline too many Uber requests, system will just ask you if you want to be on line or not and you just click Yes, Go On Line

          Lyft will perster you a bit through text messages and emails, but that is easily fixed:

          To stop their texted nastygrams: you need to text a word STOP to 46080

          Then as soon as you get a reply back from Lyft (fraction of a second) send "2" back to them and that will taka care of text message pestering.

          Lyft's emails - such as the one I received today look like this:

          "Account Update

          Passengers rely on drivers to provide a dependable service, and it's important that you're there for them.
          We've reached out to you several times about your substantial number of missed ride requests.
          If this problem continues, you'll affect our ability to keep the platform running smoothly.

          It's best for the community when you accept the ride requests you receive, or simply log out of driver mode if you need a break."

          And now the same version of that e-mail with how I read it:

          "Account Update

          Passengers rely on drivers to provide a dependable service, and it's important that you're there for them = [OK fine I agree with this]
          We've reached out to you several times about your substantial number of missed ride requests = [we can't legally make you do what we want you to do so we will keep sending you these emails every so often]

          If this problem continues, you'll affect our ability to keep the platform running smoothly = [you'll affect Lyft's bottom line, and we do not care about whether or not you make any money as the driver].

          It's best for the community when you accept the ride requests you receive = [we want you to chase every ping for every Shared ride; rides that will take you 20 minutes to get to the passenger and then do a 2 minute drive to get passenger to their estination; we want you to accept all passengers even if their rating is 3.5], or simply log out of driver mode if you need a break.


          I am hoping other drivers interpert these emaiils the same way I do and just delete them:

          -I am a contractor, and I will decide which rides I accept and which I decline, so Lyft can go pound sand

          My acceptance rate on Lyft is 2% this week, which is 1 percentage point lower than last :) - because I cherry pick my rides.

          Read less...

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    LG-PA
    810 Driver
     5 years ago

    A typical rideshare driver drives for at least 2 apps (Lyft and Uber), there are other ones out there, but having 2 makes good sense. Drop a passenger off, turn on both apps and you are now increasing your chance of getting a request any reducing wait time. Some passenegrs only use Uber and never heard of Lyft, Others got so fed up with Uber that they now only use Lyft, like having HomeDepot and Lowes across the street from each other, of CVS and Walgreens....On a slow day a request may come through for a pick up 10 minutes away, accept it and start heading towards passenger, leave the other app open in case a request comes through on that platform with ony 2 minutes away passenger, then you would cancel the original request. Just a few benefits of running both apps. Not to mention occasional network issues where one app acts up... and of course if you got into a fender bender where the app you were driving for at the time shuts you off until you send in pictures, etc for reinstatemen…

    Read more...

    A typical rideshare driver drives for at least 2 apps (Lyft and Uber), there are other ones out there, but having 2 makes good sense. Drop a passenger off, turn on both apps and you are now increasing your chance of getting a request any reducing wait time. Some passenegrs only use Uber and never heard of Lyft, Others got so fed up with Uber that they now only use Lyft, like having HomeDepot and Lowes across the street from each other, of CVS and Walgreens....On a slow day a request may come through for a pick up 10 minutes away, accept it and start heading towards passenger, leave the other app open in case a request comes through on that platform with ony 2 minutes away passenger, then you would cancel the original request. Just a few benefits of running both apps. Not to mention occasional network issues where one app acts up... and of course if you got into a fender bender where the app you were driving for at the time shuts you off until you send in pictures, etc for reinstatement. If car is not in bad shape you can fall back onto the other app. Turning the other app off imediately after accepting the request on the the first app is not alway beneficial

    Read less...

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    SidA-1
    40 Driver
     5 years ago

    Yeah pretty much. there's more to it though. for example, once i pick up a user on one app, i have to disable (or go offline) on others. it's a pain.

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      LG-PA
      810 Driver
       5 years ago

      There is an app Myestro or something like that that will actually swithch off the other app for you :)