Uber Driver Ratings

What first sounds like an awesome idea where riders and drivers mutually rate each other to ensure an enjoyable experience to everyone slowly becomes the Uber driver's nightmare.

I remember starting off as a 5 star Uber driver (everyone starts with a 5) and then started seeing my ratings fall despite trying to do everything right and knowing that if your ratings fall to 4.6, Uber starts reviewing your account and you may get a notification before they finally decide to deactivate your account.

The problem is that alot of passengers don't understand the Uber rating system. A good ride to them may seem to be a 3 - 4 star which in ordinary terms would mean above average. But in Uber driver's language, anything under a 5 is a fail.

Unfortunately, Uber's system is more skewed towards the riders as they are paying the money. So unless you're around the 4.5 - 4.6 range I'd say not to worry. It's impossible to please everybody. But there are steps to improve your rating. You really got to give the passenger the impression that you are more than just a pick up and drop off service, but a service that goes beyond that and since taking those steps, my chances of getting a 5 star has vastly improved.

Here are some of the changes I made:
- Greeting the passengers with a friendly "Hello" "Good Morning" Etc;
- Offering them mints;
- Offering them water;
- Asking if the air conditioning is alright or if they want it adjusted;
- Checking if they want music;
- Checking if they have any preferred route or if they prefer to just follow the navigation provided.

And I think one of the most important one is ensuring the cleanliness of the car both external and internal and ensuring that there is no odour before picking up the next client. It can be a pain but a dirty car is a sure way of getting less than 5.

I have also heard of drivers walking out to open doors for their riders, but I find that slightly impractical. But if you do, I'm sure it will improve your chances of getting the 5 star rating.