RIDEGURU
Just wondering, now that Uber has rolled out the "new way of surging" in many major markets, I'd like to hear from some drivers who are in those markets.
How is it working for you? Do you love it or hate it or perhaps it makes no difference? Have you been able to capture surge rides from outside the surge area as a result of Uber now paying ALL drivers in a surge area the token amount on their next ride regardless of where it is.
How has it affected your income, if at all?
Comments
Boston. I've been trying to track this myself, but I have a mixed feeling about it. Some of the changes Uber proposed sounded promising (e.g. longer surge times, if you leave the area it sticks with you, etc), but I don't really see any material changes and benefits on a daily run.
Also, this may just be me, but I am seeing surge areas that are localized and super tiny. I also noticed that the surge disappeared completely in areas I used to see it like at Hanscom (local airport) and during rush hour traffic. The areas are so tiny that even if I am relatively close to it, they made pretty much impossible to chase it.
I feel like Uber is rearranging the surge areas more intentionally than before. I feel like before, the marks were placed where it was busy, like when there were a lot of riders. but now? I feel like they are ust being placed on random locations to shift us drivers around.
For example, I noticed that surge appears in places wher…
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Boston. I've been trying to track this myself, but I have a mixed feeling about it. Some of the changes Uber proposed sounded promising (e.g. longer surge times, if you leave the area it sticks with you, etc), but I don't really see any material changes and benefits on a daily run.
Also, this may just be me, but I am seeing surge areas that are localized and super tiny. I also noticed that the surge disappeared completely in areas I used to see it like at Hanscom (local airport) and during rush hour traffic. The areas are so tiny that even if I am relatively close to it, they made pretty much impossible to chase it.
I feel like Uber is rearranging the surge areas more intentionally than before. I feel like before, the marks were placed where it was busy, like when there were a lot of riders. but now? I feel like they are ust being placed on random locations to shift us drivers around.
For example, I noticed that surge appears in places where I know it isn't busy and there aren't many riders. I suspected they do this because there are too many drivers congregated in certain areas nearby, and they pop up a surge nearby to break us up.
Am I crazy? No, you can't call me crazy when dealing with Uber. You can't pass anything by them.
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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 maj…
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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.
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what are ghostly surges. ones that disappear?
I am NOT HAPPY to be forced to pickup POOLs, just to keep what I am already entitled to, surge bonuses.
How can they do this? Total BS.
I am SO thankful we don't have pool rides in our market.... SO THANKFUL!!!!
You have UberX, but you don't have UberPool? Wow. You know we can't turn Pool off anymore, right?
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.
Even if Pool or Shared rides could be turned off in the app what difference does it really make when during ride request it displays what type of ride that is and you can just decline it?
Does anyone know if on a shared or pool ride (if a ride is going to be long) does it splash up a banner of 45 min plus? like it does on X and regular Lyft? If it did I would be more inclined to take a Shared ride as Lyft pays the same on those as it does on regular Lyft rides.
I was passing by the Newark Nj airport late at night heading home to PA with a destination filter on, and got a request from Lyft to grab someone at the airport (note: I was not sitting on the stage lot) probably I got the request because there were no drivers on the stage lot at 1:00am on Wednesday night. Typically you can't have destination filter set and be in airport ques at same time. The request was for a shared ride so I declined it as I had no idea how long the ride was going to be (though it was probably in the direc…
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Even if Pool or Shared rides could be turned off in the app what difference does it really make when during ride request it displays what type of ride that is and you can just decline it?
Does anyone know if on a shared or pool ride (if a ride is going to be long) does it splash up a banner of 45 min plus? like it does on X and regular Lyft? If it did I would be more inclined to take a Shared ride as Lyft pays the same on those as it does on regular Lyft rides.
I was passing by the Newark Nj airport late at night heading home to PA with a destination filter on, and got a request from Lyft to grab someone at the airport (note: I was not sitting on the stage lot) probably I got the request because there were no drivers on the stage lot at 1:00am on Wednesday night. Typically you can't have destination filter set and be in airport ques at same time. The request was for a shared ride so I declined it as I had no idea how long the ride was going to be (though it was probably in the direction of my home). As soon as I declined it another ride request came from the airport but it was a regular Lyft ride and had a 45+ min banner so of course I took it and ended up driving a passenegr to Robbinsville NJ which was a 42 mile ride towards my house.
I also can't tell if Uber will spalsh a 45min plus ride even on Regular Uber X when destination filter is turned on
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Huh. I am curious as well. Please report back if you figure it out.
- UberPool maybe does NOT show the 45 minute+ because the ride may not have the subsequent pickups identified yet. So they basically don't know if it'll be 45min+, so they just don't tell you. I suppose if the first ride is asking for 45min+, they could tell you. (After all the ride won't get shorter due to additional pickups.)
I suppose it's possible Uber is trying to avoid false negatives, i.e. not showing the flag but the ride ends up being 45+.
- I think I have seen the 45 min splash. I use DF when I work downtown and need to go home to the suburbs.
I think this move by Uber is a desperation move because I hear Pool has been a dud. Riders don't care to save a buck to share the ride and extend their trips by 50%. Uber still wants it to work because it gives them the most profit and it's a way to support users with limited drivers.
I hear you brotha. I dread those Pool trips now. I try to be numb and not think about it. After all that's what Uber wants us to be. just mechnially driving to where the app says we go
As a part time driver I never relied on the surges too much, however I would be more willing to pick up a pool or X pasenger when a multipler was 1.9 or more, in the urban settings in hopes of it being a longer ride. Such pickups in center city, etc, usualy come with (stop signs, pot holes, red light cameras, traffic, etc.)
Now that the multiplier got changed to a set insignificant dollar value, I decline all rides coming from surging areas especially pools as making an extra $1.75 on a ride that may take me 30-40 minutes after all is said and done is just not worth my time. I rather be on a highway 70 miles per hour completing a 15+ mile ride and not be stuck on pothole ridden streets with traffic