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6 Reasons Why Your Uber/Lyft Passenger Rating is Below 5 Stars
Do you ever wonder why it takes so long for you to get an Uber or Lyft driver? Have you ever looked at your Uber or Lyft Passenger rating? Did you even know that you are also rated along with the drivers? What is your current rating? Is it a perfect 5-star rating? Probably not. In this post, I will break down the top 6 reasons why you may have a low passenger rating. Oh and you may be wondering what do I know about passenger ratings, well I’ve been driving part-time for Lyft over the past four years. I’ve had plenty of great passengers and some that I wish to never see again in life. Any passengers that we rate 3 stars or below, will never be paired with us again (similar to the rating system for drivers). Many of the items on this list can also be applied to drivers and why their ratings are so low, too! So, let’s get started:
1.) It’s Not You, It’s Your Guest(s):
Whether you are traveling with friends for a night out on the town or paying for your intoxicated companion’s ride home, your guests can screw up your passenger rating. There have been plenty of times when I’ve picked up someone who was not the account holder (and this is allowed on both driving platforms). Sometimes your guest may have a bad attitude (more on bad attitudes in a moment) or is offensive with their language, etc. While it is not you that’s acting up, the driver will more than likely give you a one-star rating at the end of the trip. It may be even worse if you are not accompanying your guest in the car. You know how people will judge their friends on how they treat waitstaff at a restaurant? Well pay close attention to how they treat their drivers, too.
2.) Intoxication:
Let me be explicitly clear that I do not condone drinking and driving. In fact, when you are intoxicated, you should either have a designated driver, use public transportation or order an Uber/Lyft. However, some people handle intoxication better than others. It’s one thing if you are a bit more talkative or quiet, it’s another thing when you hurl in the back of someone’s car. It’s even worse when you don’t tell them that you barfed and leave it for the next passenger to discover….yuck! I have heard storied from my fellow drivers about drunk yuppies riding in their Uber somewhere in Wrigleyville, yelling out the windows and being plain obnoxious. You better believe you will be getting a one-star rating from a driver.
3. Bad Attitude:
Let’s face it, we all know someone who is rude or demeaning to people who work in the service industry. Maybe you are tracking the car on the app and you notice that the car passed by your building. So you call the driver and yell at the top of your lungs. Maybe you are in a bad mood and the driver asks, “How are you doing?”. I get it, some people are more introverted or extroverted. Please don’t berate the driver for acknowledging your presence in their vehicle and trying to provide a comfortable ride to your destination. I know I’ve asked passengers if they had a preferred route and they say, “Nope” and then get upset when I take a turn down an unfamiliar street. And before you start ranting, yes I admit that many of our drivers are over-dependent on their GPS, but there are plenty of us that know shortcuts and faster routes to your destination, too! Nevertheless, if you are the type of passenger who rolls their eyes at drivers, barks orders at them, and/or just downright mean, you better believe you are getting a one-star rating.
4. You Like To Have Uncomfortable Conversations:
Every now and then, I get a passenger who wants to talk about how bad Trump is or the importance of securing our borders with walls as high as the Willis Tower. As politically active as you may be, please do not engage your driver on these topics. Chances are they will say something that you don’t agree with or just agree with everything you say in hopes that you will give them a nice tip. Your 7 minute trip is not a sufficient amount of time to discuss politics who you just met minutes ago.
It should also be noted that Lyft and Uber are not alternatives to Tinder, OkCupid or whatever dating app you’ve had no luck on in the past. I have heard of scenarios where a driver has picked up someone that matched and ghosted them on Tinder….awkward.
Keep these rides professional, if you are an extrovert, please pick a neutral topic to discuss.
5. You are a Micromanaging Back Seat Driver
As a driver, I always ask my passengers if they have a preferred route to their destination. If the passenger has one, then I will follow their instructions, that’s cool with me. What I don’t like is when people get in the car and tell me to drive really fast, make illegal u-turns, drop you off on Michigan Avenue side of a building (there is a Chicago ordinance about this), etc. It is my job to get you to your destination in a safely and timely manner. However, I am not going to break laws and risk getting a ticket for this $5 ride.
If at any point the driver is driving erratically, then you need to ask them to immediately pull over and report them to Uber or Lyft.
6. Slamming the Car Door
Last, but certainly not least, slamming car doors. We’ve all done it, unintentionally and sometimes intentionally. Please be respectful of our vehicles and don’t slam our doors. Not only is it irritating, it can be costly for some drivers. A fellow driver shared a situation with our facebook group, that one of his doors would no longer open and the mechanic concluded it was from aggressive door slamming. I understand that some people want to make sure that the door is securely closed, but you can do it without slamming the door. This may be one of the top reasons why a passenger may be given a low rating.
I would like to reiterate that many of the items on this list can be applied to drivers. By no way am I professing that our drivers are always perfect. However, it is important to point out the odd behaviors of some of our passengers. Nevertheless, I hope you will continue patronizing the rideshare services and that this will help you in the near future.
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