After each Uber ride, you can generally rate your driver. For the most part the ratings are 1-5. For a short while in Austin Uber was testing having riders rate their drivers with emojis.
- As Uber signs on more and more drivers, they institute minimum ratings that drivers must maintain in order to stay on the platform. Uber’s local customer service may also reach out when you give an especially low rating.
- Those minimum ratings can increase. So drivers do want to be rated well. That’s why you’ll see some cars offer bottled water or candy for instance.
In certain markets Uber has offered UberVIP where if you’ve taken enough rides in the market you can opt to only have the highest-rated drivers. However that can mean longer waits for a ride.
Uber drivers rate you as well. Although it doesn’t matter nearly as much. Consistent problem customers can be invited to no longer use the platform — and either get a new phone or take up with Lyft instead.
A rider’s number is more of a curiosity. Uber will tell you your number. You used to have to ask. Now it’s in the app. And in fact they will now give you your average rating to two decimal places.
My average rating is 4.77:
Now, I have only tipped a driver once. That was near the Seattle airport when someone in my party got sick in the car. They didn’t make a mess, but it was still pretty gross and I felt I had to make good.
One of the unique selling propositions of Uber is that it’s cashless. You get in, you get out, there’s no friction in the process. I wouldn’t object per se if there was a tipping function (the way there is in the Starbucks app) even though I do not like tipping culture. But I am not going to start carrying cash for that purpose.
Some drivers report in their discussion forums that they rate down customers who do not tip. In my case it hasn’t hurt my score. And I do not think I would care if it did.
Want to know your score? Here’s how:
- Open the Uber app.
- Choose ‘Help’ from the menu
- Then ‘Account’
- Then – about 10 items down – “I’d like to know my rating”
You’ll be offered a screen that gives you the chance to see your average rating from all the rides you’ve taken.
Want to know how your next driver rated you?
- Check your score before the ride
- Check your score after you’ve received your next rating
- Do math
Let’s say I’ve taken 20 rides and have a 4.50 rating.
- If I have a 4.52 rating after the ride, it means the driver gave me a 5.
- A 4.48 means the driver gave me a 4.
- A 4.43 means the driver gave me a 3.
- A 4.38 means the driver gave me a 2.
- A 4.33 means the driver gave me a 1.
An unchanged rating means you haven’t been rated for the ride.
(HT: One Mile at a Time who has a 4.6 rating.)
4.91!
I’m a 5.0; I tip occasionally.
Only used the service twice so far. It now says I have a 5.0. It said 4.0 when I checked it a few weeks ago.
5.0. I use Uber frequently when I travel in the US, Mexico and Europe. I have never tipped.
My experience with Uber customer support has been remarkable.
4.94, never tip.
5.0 & I did not know that I should tip. All my rides have been to come home from drinking or to fetch my car at the bar the next day. I drink just enough to fail a Breathalyzer (70–100 mg/dl a.k.a. .07–.10%.) Tipsy, never stupidly or sick drunk.
4.92 & never tip.
Gary, how do you find how many times you have used Uber? Trip History tab only goes back so far.
Afrer over 200 rides, have a 4.83 and never have tipped nor ever will I tip
I can see this becoming a dating tool, a banking tool etc.
A good Uber # is a great date, a great credit risk etc. I am still unbanked.
We have our tip included via the Uber app. Do the drivers know ahead of time what riders have included the tip and the percentage? If so, tipping well may garner quicker service,.
4.85, never tip, but I always tell the driver I rate them 5.0 because I know how important it is to them. Many of the drivers then immediately reply with “and 5 for you as well”. Little psych trick.
4.88 rarely tip
Hmmmm. Got a 5. While I generally agree tipping should not be encouraged and cash tipping subverts the whole issue of simplicity that Uber has brought about, in some countries (central America) I’ve taken to giving a driver an extra $1 or two, and almost have to force it on them. The cost of rides can be so low (under $5) I figure the driver should get a bit more and a buck to him means a lot more than a buck to me.
I’m wondering if the score presented online is accurate. Example: I use Uber quite a bit, sometimes more that 2-3 times a day. My score yesterday AM was 4.91. After 2 rides yesterday I checked again this morning.. still 4.91. Does this mean that score are, A) not updated instantly or B) not affected if a driver chooses not to rate me? It really doesn’t matter much to me, and as a general rule I don’t tip also, but I would question the accuracy of these so-called scores.
I’m now getting a little spiteful on this… after I was rated down by a driver, I was furious…. I say hello, I’m polite, ask how they are, say goodbye… but it was a short trip, so perhaps they didn’t like that – or the lack of tip.
So now I wait to see my score, and then score them accordingly. If it goes down – so does their score.
It’s pure spite I admit – but the world has gone made if i’m being penalised for being a friendly, considerate passenger who – god forbid – uses their service!
yes tony you are a cheap uber rider
you expect the driver to spend a half hour getting to you in rush hour
then take you around 2 miles and he only gets $3
id put you at a 1 star too
and people who do not tip and only go 1 or 2 miles are the worst riders
I always give those guys 3 stars if they tipped and do more then look at their phone id give em 5 stars or on a decent trip not a 2 mile ride in rush hourc
paul — sounds like you have a problem with the platform, not the riders. screw you for rating down people who aren’t doing anything wrong.
Fuck you for teaching people how to abuse the system.
My Crotch is right, or not, whatever
4.97, I am polite but never tip and have always rated 5
Someone here (Amy) said they include the tip in the Uber app but tipping on the app isn’t possible unless you’re using the taxi option. It is cash tip for UberX and black car service only, unless she is confusing it with Lyft who does allow in app tipping.
I live in DC and the drivers are getting really rude about the not tipping and then hitting me hard on my rating. First, I never take UberX unless I have tip money because it is not expensive to use UberX but Uber black car, I don’t always tip unless I have suitcase or bags which they have to put in trunk. For those times, I have planned ahead and have small bills like a $5. During my normal life, I find I need a ride a lot but I don’t always have the cash on me and I’ve discussed it with a few drivers and every one said it was up to me and they didn’t expect tips driving Uber Black Car.
This week using Uber Black Car, I had a 4.85 then after next ride 4.83, next ride a couple hours later I had a 4.82. The first driver chatted the whole trip pleasantly and it was over $36.00 trip. The only thing I did that could have upset him was not tipping. I didn’t do anything like slam the door too hard, didn’t drink their water or leave any trash or break something. I don’t tell anyone what route they should take, I greeted drivers by their name and said thank you. Next driver where my score ended in 4.82 I didn’t chat with since he didn’t seem interested and traffic was getting busy. I still greeted him by name and said thank you but didn’t tip because again I didn’t have any cash. My trip cost $41.00.
Today I had tip money and so I took UberX, I tipped both drivers $5 even though the 2nd driver was a pretty bad driver but at least he didn’t speed. My score remains at 4.82
so I’m not happy because probably neither friendly UberX driver rated me. Personally I blame Uber the company for not allowing tips in the app.because it hurts both driver and now the rider gets judged harshly with a low rating. I tip every taxi driver when I pay them with my credit card 25% in the cab and I have to flag them down or find a taxi stand because not one taxi has ever responded to pick me up using the Uber app and I also downloaded the D.C. Taxi app and no taxis are ever available on their app either. I’m really wanting other travel options while the metro system is being repaired because Uber has gotten under my skin with their stubbornness of not putting tipping options in the app. If you read their new terms of service they say tipping your driver is great and you can do it in cash. Not helpful Uber.
I get sick and tired of the tip / leech culture. If you don’t like what the job pays, go flip burgers or shovel sidewalks. A “tip” by definition is a gratuity and depends exclusively on my free-will decision / evaluation and whether or not I happen to have cash on me. If you think you are entitled to something extra, go line up at the food stamp office.
I do as Tony mentioned. If possible, I wait to see what I was scored. If it goes down, they get a “1”. If I score them a “5” before seeing what they scored me and I later see my score had gone down, I go and adjust that “5” to a “1”.
It’s not true that you can tip in the Uber app like someone else mentioned here in comments, nor is the tip included. Take a look at the NEW Uber terms or FAQ and it says, tipping your driver is great and you can do it in cash. Lyft does have tipping in the app and Uber allows tipping in the taxi option only. I don’t agree with Uber’s stubbornness of not adding tipping in the app because now it’s getting unfair with drivers taking it out on riders giving them a low rating for not giving a tip.
I don’t take UberX unless I do have cash on me because UberX is inexpensive and I know the drivers don’t make a lot but Uber black car is not cheap and I have had a few conversations with Uber Black Car drivers about tipping and what the etiquette should be and the ones who I asked said that they are professional and don’t expect a tip especially if Uber doesn’t make app tipping available. I still give them a tip if I have cash on me, but that is IF I have cash. Sometimes I take Uber unexpectedly and I don’t have any cash. Sometimes I take Uber Black because I want a more professional driver driving me when I have to go to areas with a more complicated traffic situation. I have had quite a few bad UberX drivers; some made huge driving mistakes and I refuse to chance it going to some extreme traffic areas here.
Now the driver attitude seems to be changing here in DC. And I’m getting rated harshly, I began this week with a rating of 4.85,,took Uber Black for over $36.00 trip and didn’t tip; my rating then changed to 4.83, my driver had pleasantly chatted the whole trip, and I am behaved, I never make a driver wait, I include my destination, don’t slam the door, don’t eat in the car, don’t drink their water, don’t leave trash, don’t use my phone, don’t tell them what route they should take…but I didn’t leave a tip. So bam, my rating took a hit.
A couple hours later I took Uber Black again but I don’t chat with driver because he doesn’t seem interested and traffic was getting busy. I kept with my code of conduct greeted him using his name and thanked him but I again didn’t tip on over $41.00 trip. Checked my rating and it went down to 4.82.
Today I got tip cash and took 2 UberX rides and tipped both drivers $5.00 each and neither driver must have rated me because my rating stands at 4.82 so it seems to me I’m fighting a losing battle. I’d use a regular taxi if I could get one to come to where I live. None are ever available and the DC Taxi app says the same thing, unless you can flag one down there are none available through the app and I live on Capitol Hill.
I’m not into this rating system without accountability for both rider and driver. You should have give a reason for low ratings. I’ve heard riders giving a 1 or 2 star rating for a driver playing music they didn’t like; that’s not right either. Both need to know the reason for a low rating because I read forums where Uber drivers say they don’t pick up riders who have 4.7 ratings and drivers get deactivated for an overall low rating. I appreciate these services but it is stressing me out at the moment.
Can you please delete one of my 2 comments? I didn’t think the 1st one posted because I had a typo in my email address, so I posted close to the same thing again. Sorry
I’ve considered long and hard the tit-for-tat tactic that J.C. and Tony mentioned and why shouldn’t I? However, the system is getting polluted and messed up with retaliation by both driver and rider. Uber’s rating system is now a stupid system that feels like high school politics. I’m thinking of bailing when I come up another reliable, better option. I’m waiting on an answer from Uber after I contacted them about my experience. Considering Uber called me on the phone once after I gave an Uber Black Car driver a 3 star rating and wanted an explanation for the rating; I deserve the same kind of explanation but I don’t think they will address it. If they cared about what people thought, they would’ve added in app tipping instead of emojis and praise for the driver.
The people who don’t tip are the same people who expect you to wait as they shop for beer and take 3 detours to pickup their drunk friends. They’re called millenials. Thr minimum fare is $2.62. Wake up and act like a human instead of an entitled millenial who thinks Uber drivers are personal assistants. People who have been raised to be functional human beings tip. When I get one of you people who are so proud they are cheap and get a thrill screwing over a driver I give you 5 starts today then change it to 1 thr next day.
@ John123, and I do the same. I check my rating the day after. If it dropped, I go and change yours to 1 star.
I just started checking my rating a few months ago. I had a perfect 5 star rating after my first 15-16 rides but after checking it lately, I noticed I was getting 3-star and 4-star reviews.
I’m nice to the drivers, don’t chat unless they do and am always ready when they arrive, so I really don’t appreciate being rated poorly.
I’ve started checking my ratings now before rating a driver and if they give me a 3 or 4 star rating, I just give them a 1 star rating in exchange.
At first I felt bad, but the truth is, they’re abusing the system, so it is worthwhile to stop or punish them for doing so.
Wait a few days then change their rating. Uber has set it up so riders have all the power. They see the raring you give them after the fare and will respond accordingly. If you start rating them down and you drop below 4.58 they’ll take you offline. Meanwhile the rider can is only pulled off Uber if they are overrly racist, violent etc and you have proof. It’s a rigged game
I’m a driver
You use us because we’re so cheap but operating a vehicle is expensive. Uber takes 28% off the top, then Uncle Sam, then operating the vehicle. Never mind all those goodies you guys like so much.
You need to tip a couple bucks. It’s just polite and helps offset the steeply discounted service you’re receiving. You tip someone who walks a plate to your table but not a private car. Ridiculous.
And yes some drivers rate you 1 star if you don’t, I don’t but many do and if you drop low enough you’ll find not a lot of drivers are going to pick you up. Also, it’s just the polite thing to do because you KNOW your driver isn’t taking home very much. It’s $2, get over it.
@ Lyft Monkey: Instead of being a whiny little bitch because you’ve made poor personal choices, you should focus on getting Uber to put tipping into the app.
Your analogy about tipping restaurant servers is beyond lame. Their tip can be put on your card. Try eating somewhere other than McDonald’s and see.
The bitch and troll in diapers here friend, is you. You offered nothing constructive to the thread other than personal insults and attacks. It’s beyond cowardly and weak to hide behind your computer making puerile statements. In that light, wipe the Cheeto dust off your bloated beer stained shirt, move out of Mom’s basement and learn how to be a big boy and use your indoor voice.
@ John123: Your momma must be proud of you that your personal success story involves begging for tips. Suppose that’s why they fired you from the McD’s drive-thru where you also felt entitled to a customer’s spare change. You are nothing but a panhandler on wheels.
@J.C. This is like a cat playing with a mentally challanged mouse. If you can’t even form coherent sentences or track the subject at hand please listen to the attendant in the white jacket, take your meds and go back to your cell. White trash shouldn’t try sarcasm. You have neither the intelligence nor wit to keep up.
@ John123: Poor John, the Uber beggar. You could solve all your struggles and eliminate your need to beg by learning to stretch your food stamp allocation until the end of the month. Not like a real job awaits a dimwit like you. Must suck being you and having doors slammed in your face once they learn you are still on parole.
Sweetie, you just aren’t making sense and more importantly you are boring me. Bye Bye!!
Came across this thread when searching for advice on being rated as a passenger. I noticed my frequent routes have increased in price. I read on the internet that Uber began an experiment on 5/27 to increase costs for regular customers to see how much they would tolerate.
The cost first went up 20%, then 25%, then 30%, now about 35% over the past few days. This is for the same trip at the same time. It used to cost $13 or $14 for a 21 or 22 minute trip of about 15 or 18 miles. Suburban highways, light traffic. I asked Uber about this but did not get a direct response. I read this on Reddit from a site called NeuWin or something like that. It came up on a Google search entering words like “recent Uber rate increase for passengers.” I did not take the usual route. I went a different way. The cost for about 10 miles was $14. The next day at the same time it went up to $17.50. I did not take it. Has anyone else experienced this? This site has been helpful. My rating is 4.94. I don’t know why it went down from 5
Uber doesn’t pay very, keeps 40% of the pay, and doesn’t compensate for fuel or any other related expenses.
tip your Uber driver
That’s your problem, not mine.
Put tipping into the app and you will get more tips. You need to pressure Uber in that aspect, not your customers. Otherwise brush up on your burger flipping skills.
I’ve only done 3 uber rides so far but it’s saying that my aerase rating is “none stars.” Is this because they forget to rate me or I’m too new?
85% of riders dont rate younunless you beg. Millenials are better about rating but the yield it like a sword
Billy, I can’t tell if you’re a driver or a rider but as a rider I haven’t been rated probably for at least my last 4 months. May be less important to the drivers to bother rating riders these days? I have no idea.
That’s very strange. As a driver I’m forced to rate each rider to close out the fare. The only way I can bypass that prompt is to close and re-open the app.
Regardless, ratings are much more important to drivers than riders. It sucks that riders who had a great experience dont rate you as often as those who are impossible to please. All riders should have to rate drivers just like drivers. It would keep the rating well above the crucial 4.58
My app also forces me to rate the driver either at the end of the ride or, if I ignore it, when I next open the app.
Besides, it’s so easy. I always rate my driver.
If you can’t tip your driver, then you’re rude and cheap,
Uber is taking close to 50% of the fare, then we have to pay gas, oil changes changes at Keats monthly, new tires evey 3-5 months. And if I’m driving 10 minutes to pick you up, and it’s. $3 ride, I loss money.
Don’t be cheap and rude.
You’re riding Uber because it’s the cheapest option.
If I don’t get tipped it’s 1 star rating.
Some rides we lose money and many rides we do are free.
@ Uber Driver: I don’t believe you get fares that are only $3.00. Sure you aren’t inventing stories? The cheapest I have ever been charged is $6.15 and that was less than 1/2 mile from my house.
I agree that barring unusual circumstances it is appropriate to tip. Still, I wonder if people who actually use Uber because it is so cheap aren’t the same folks who can’t possibly tip because they don’t have two nickels to rub together. Anyhow, I check my rating after every trip and if I see a driver has rated me below 5, I rate him a 1. A low rating doesn’t hurt me, but it can kill a driver.
The base fare after Uber takes its cut is $2.82. The fare you are charged is not the amount the driver receives. I have several base fares a day. He’s not “inventing stories” he’s presenting you with facts. So, you intentionally try to screw over a driver knowing it could take them off the platform if they don’t give you 5 stars? That is a major dick move. Is your ego that fragile? Not sure why you are trolling in here. Why don’t you go “flip burgers” why we try to improve our service to people who deserve it.
Also, if a person is so poor they can’t tip you wouldn’t be taking an Uber, you’d be taking the bus. Remember public transportation?
This whole issue is resolved IMO. Uber finally added tipping into the app. I would not expect a tip from you but I’d certainly give you 1 star and have Uber never match me with you again. Life is too short for people like you. Please go elsewhere. You bore me with your ignorance and self absorption.
@Baby Driver: If not for your extra chromosome, you might have been able to read what I wrote. I didn’t say I don’t tip.
Maybe in your ghetto or major metropolitan area there is convenient public transportation, but not in other areas. Whatever the circumstances, there must be a reason why, as you claim, so many people don’t tip. I don’t believe it’s because 85% of the people are cheap and out to screw you. Further, if Uber takes 50% of the fare, that’s your problem, not mine. People aren’t aware what your financial agreement with a Uber is. I’m sure the vast majority of Uber riders believe out if a $7 fare, you get at least $5. If you aren’t happy with what Uber pays you, go drive for Lyft. Or beg the McDonald’s manager to give you your old job back.
And it’s called reciprocity. If you give someone a low rating, you’ve no reason to turn whiny little bitch when they rate you low, also. What comes around, goes around. If it means you get kicked off the Uber platform, good riddance.
Why am I not surprised someone like you would disparage the mentally challenged and call your self out as a racist in one incoherent rant. Only ghettos have public transportation and clearly I must live in a ghetto which clearly is a bad thing.
Why are you in these forums trolling drivers? Did you take a fancy to some studly driver and he turned you down? Perhaps he decided he didn’t want to wait around for 20 minutes while you shopped for tiki torches on your way to Charlottesville.
I said 85% of people don’t rate you and corrected you on what the base rate is. Just facts. Perhaps you should brush up on your remedial reading at whatever penitentiary you currently reside at.
Again, the tipping issue has been addressed in the Uber platform and certainly in this thread. It should be closed. Your personal issues and clear self-hatred are for a forum in another group on another website. Please move on and go waste other people’s time.
@The Baby Driver: No wonder you have to rely on food stamps. Why would someone tip a turd like you? They take one look at your pointy little head and, if they can even get past the stench, find out you have the IQ of a retarded gerbil and realize you aren’t even worth the $3 Uber gives you.
Whiny little bitch snowflakes like you will eventually get dumped by Uber anyhow; it’s just a matter of time. You need to get a head start and start trying to memorize “Would you like fries with that Big Mac, sir?” now if you are planning on serious career advancement. Do it to make your parole officer proud.
I just noticed my rating this morning. 4.88? Eh. I don’t tip. Why? I take uber twice a day to get to work. I’m polite, however, and I meet the driver outside. Im not a huge talker.
I’ve tipped twice. Once, to a guy who took me on a 20mi trip. I felt bad bc I had a first timer discount.
Second time, the guy gave candy and was funny. He deserved a tip. Beyond that, it’s not practical for me. Tipping is customary and people may not tip for all sorts of reasons. It’s the employer’s responsibility to pay their people a decent wage, not mine. Tell your boss to include tipping in the final price.
I have to reach a destination. You offer up your car for a predetermined price. Whats the problem?
I’m a nurse. No one tips me for doing my job and I only render aid and help save lives.
I am an uber driver rated 5 star, tips are greatly appreciated as we are performing a service and if u were in a restaurant or bar u would leave a tip , I never expect a tip but it’s nice to get one, anyone who rides with me gets a 5 star rating just because I feel that I shouldn’t be given a platform to influence someone’s ability to get a ride that they need based on knowing them for 10 minutes in my car, I also feel that unless the driver is ignorant in some way, drives recklessly or fails to get u to your destination then there is no reason to not give that person 5 stars
@ James Crawford: The vast majority of Uber drivers are as intelligent and conscientious as you. The ones you see here crying are not the norm.
Of course people should tip their Uber driver and now that it’s in the app there should be no excuse not to. Still, almost all of the Uber drivers I talk with state that almost nobody tips and I, for one, can’t understand why. But it is what it is. The vast majority handle it like you with responsibility and maturity. Others, though, are snowflakes and with their sense of entitlement are in perpetual whiny little biatch mode. Sucks to be them.
It turns out Uber drivers are not that nice. I tipped every single one of my drivers since 2015. Have always been kind and polite. Have never taken a ride drunk or been unfriendly. I’ve always given every one of my drivers a 5 star rating (even if some drive like maniacs and had no idea where they’re going – I’ve never complained about this though because you never know if someone is just having a bad day). And yet I have a 4.8 rating. I guess I won’t be tipping any drivers going forward and forgetting the 5 stars. Whoever gives a poor rating for no reason are just ungrateful people.
Natalie, I am in the same position. I am always polite and give my drivers 5 star ratings and tip them, but was actually disappointed and discouraged today. Just because I didn’t engage as much as today as usual and apologised for being tired, the guy must have graded me down. I went from a 5 to a 4.96. What the heck!
My rating has gone from 5 in the Uk to 4.5 after 4 trips in the USA, Why? I think because I did not tip, have taken 45 rides in the UK and had a perfect rating. Had a friend who said the same, her rating always goes down when she visits the USA. I find this wrong, especially when most of my USA rides are when I am in the hot zone and I pay much more, so why tip.
Im in the same situation as many of the above comments. I was on a 5 star rating for a while until I started using uber more regularly. I have never been drunk or sick in any of the vehicles. I talk to the drivers if they start a conversation. If not I am still polite but quiet, as I understand not everyone is a talker. I have read that you can lose your rating if you book small trips or if you dont tip, I hope for everyone’s sake….this is not true. A ride, is a ride….isnt it?
You have to think about what is going on in the car on the ride. Are you talking on the phone? Are you over powering in body spray or perfume? Did you wave someone down as if they didn’t see you or know where to pick you up at? Were you rude? Grumpy, hard to understand? Just some of the things I find to be very difficult to just give people 5 stars. I have given 5 stars to people who slammed my doors, kicked my center console, knock stuff over tried to tell me where to go, just take it slow next time and try to be different dont overthink it.
I drive for Lyt and more recently Uber.
First off, to the person the people who say they won’t tip anymore because you don’t have a perfect score, I assure you it’s extremely rare to see a person with a perfect 5 unless they have only taken a few rides. I ask the perfect 5ers “Have you been using Uner/Lyft for a long time?” and they almost always say “No, I’m new to it” or “I don’t use the service very much.” So please don’t stop tipping. I’ve haddys where I drive 200 miles to make $100 but if you take in the USA government tax deduction of $.54.5cents a mile, that day I technically lost money. Even if you just count gas at $3.50/gal, my take home was $65 (20mpg) and it took me hours to make that money. So please tip! Thanks!
Secondly, to those who say most people don’t tip, I have a way that you can get 40%-50% of your riders happily tipping 1) The basics. Clean car. Nice smell. Make sure the pax is buckled up before you start moving and let them know “safety’s first”. Drive safely. Make conversation but know when the rider wants a quiet ride. It should be obvious but if they give short answers like when you ask “How’s your day?” and they say “Fine.”… They don’t want to talk. I always let them know if they want to, they can roll down the window and depending on the weather I’ll ask if they would like heat or A/C. Be polite. 2) Provide water and mints. Water should cost you about $.15 a bottle including CRV tax if you shop around. I prefer soft mints which costs about $7 for 180. Pennies. I offer each customer a free gift- wallet/credit cards are magnifiers that I buy in bulk for $.10 a piece, but sell for 3 for $5 online or 1 for $5 at a store. 90% of customers absolutely love them and they say things like “Cool!”, “I’ve never seen these” and always “Thanks!”. 3) I have a tip sign that’s lit up just enough to read at night, when I drive the most and I also put together a two LED three AAA battery powered system that lights up the two water bottles in my back seat drink holder in a nice orange and green hue. The sign says “Free: Water, Soft Mints, Charging and Quiet Rides- Just ask… and at the bottom it says, in as slightly larger font “Tips are appreciated” 4) At the end of the ride I ask them “Is it okay to send you ONE text through the app just before I end the ride? It has coupons for the major food delivery services out there (GrubHub, DoorDash, etc.) plus a $40 coupon for Airbnb”. 90% say “Sure, no problem” then, I send the text with the coupons (which, by the way earn me credits if they use them). In that text, I have the coupons and a note that says “Tips are greatly appreciated, but if money is tight DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT, I completely understand. I hope I EARNED any tip you may give and even just a buck is great”
My tips went from about 10% to the 40% to 50% I promised you. And the real kicker is that the tip amount has doubled or tripled. I rarely get a $1 tip and I think it’s due to the verbiage “even a buck”… I think people like to be above the lowest tip so I usually get $2, $5 or $10 tips. And I hope you agree too, that I earned them. As all drivers know, not every ride goes perfect, but doing these “extras” I believe keeps the one stars away and a 4 now and again won’t hurt you in the long run. My average rating stays around 4.9 plus or minus a few points and I drive an 11 year old Caliber with 130k miles on it. Ido my best to keep it clean but after all that time and two kids it’s not perfect.
I’ve ordered some tiny stickers that has my website on them and I intend to put them on the maginifiers to promote my site, which has a link to all the coupons and I promote a best priced guaranteed solar company that covers all of California. One sale is an extra $500-$1000 in my pocket. I hope to get at least one sale or two a year with the website from my driving promotion/promo gift. Thesite is only two months old. I don’t have a sale yet but I’m going to work on promoting it as much as I can until I do. Hopefully many will follow. I doubt I can post the website here but I’m already ranked in the first page of Google if you type in “Best priced Solar Bay Area” so I’ll leave it at that.
I’ve had many drivers say “too much work for me” and that’s fine but if you give just 20 rides a week, with my system you will make THOUSANDS more every year. Guaranteed.
Peace.
Mark
Tip the drivers who give you good service…. Those who give you a safe ride and especially those who offer you water or candy whether you accept it or not should be tipped. And for the record, the lowest you should ever rate a driver is 3. 3 means you will never be paired with that driver again and shouldn’t that be enough? A 1 or a 2 could cost them their job and for drivers like me who have a lot of health problems and can’t hold down a regular job, the flexibility of driving is the only way I can make money to survive. I can’t even do deliveries due to chronic feet pain and mental health issues keep me from being able to drive every day, but when I feel okay I’m able to earn the income I need to get by.
And wow, I read this whole thread and it makes me sad how so many have been arguing. There’s a lot more problems in this world than you having a driver rate you a 4, making you so angry you rate them a 1 and put their job at risk? I just don’t understand how anyone could be so petty. Maybe you smelled bad or cut a fart and didn’t realize it or accidently left trash in the car or slammed the door without noticing or maybe you made racist comments or talked about how great you are and the driver rated you a 3 so they wouldn’t have to deal with you again. So what? Nobody’s perfect and maybe that day your precious 5 star rating went down to a 4.96 or whatever, you weren’t perfect. So what? Get over it. It takes a real jerk to rate below a three as a driver or a rider.
And when Travis declared ‘The tip is built into the app’ drivers were making $2 a mile. Now it’s $.99 in San Francisco and get this, in Sacramento it’s $.68 a mile! The pay per minute is negligible, like $.18 so even if you aren’t offered water or candy, as long as the driver was nice to you and got you to where you were going in one piece, just out of common decency, you should tip your driver. Taxi drivers have always been tipped so why not your Uber driver? Because Travis told you not to 8 years ago? That guy is a jerk and if not for him, this wouldn’t even be an issue. He ruined tipping for drivers forever.
I tip my waiters and waitresses, my hair stylists, my pizza guy and Uber Eats person or DoorDash delivery person, my bartender, I’ve even tipped my garbage collector by leaving $5 in an envelope taped to the bag when I’ve put out one extra. My paperboy back in the days when newspapers were delivered by kids on bikes GOT A TIP at Christmas time. My mailman. My vallet, the guy who carries my bags up to my room in a cart at a hotel, the doorman, the hotel clerk who takes my credit card esspecially when I want the highest room or one with a balcony… The list goes on… Not tipping an Uber driver, someone who shows up on time in a clean, non-smelly car and drives safe DESERVES a tip more than most of the service industry jobs I listed… Definitely more than a Taxi driver, but they always got tipped. I had my battery die last week and I TIPPED the guy who came out to give me a jump!
Too
Insure
Promptness
A wise man once said “Be good to yourselves, and to eachother”.
Amen!
Sorry for all the typos. It was late.
Marcus, while I agree they should be tipped, you are not paid enough just off rides alone. I don’t agree with everyone getting a decent rating. I have only given below a 5 to 3 people in the last 2 years. One of them because the chick was talking on speaker phone the whole ride (not to a customer), then took some wack way that made me 20 minutes late (20 minutes after the latest drop off time), then proceeded to argue with me for 10 minutes about the way she was going, and got very hostile and combative. She received 1 star, only 1 star i’ve ever given, and she should lose her job! People are putting their lives in your hands, and this is a service industry. Being a dick is unacceptable. You are being paid for a service, not doing me a favor. If a waitress argues with a customer like that, she would most likely be fired, so why is driving uber any different? I gave 2 stars to a man that almost got us killed not once, not twice, but three times in a 15 minute ride! He got 2 stars for being a nice guy, but having a license and a vehicle doesn’t mean you should be driving for a living. I gave 3 stars to a man that didn’t speak a lick of english, missed both possible exits to get me to my destination, and because of the language barrier, he didn’t understand my directions when he clearly was having an issue with following the navigation. He was lost and I couldn’t help him. I’m sure there’s a market for portuguese speaking drivers her in Vegas, but considering the majority of the population speaks english, you’d think that would be a requirement… I have a 5 star rating because I am nice to everyone (except the lady who was close to getting punched because she was being so hostile, but I started off nice), i’m pretty good at gaging peoples personalities, so I know when people wanna chat, and when people just want it to be quite. Driving is not a job for everyone, and i think it’s a disservice to other riders to rate someone a 3 when they deserved a 1 or 2. It’s not being a “jerk”, this job isn’t for everyone. My husband drove for uber for a year when he was in between jobs, so i know some of what you all go through, but we go through some crazy stuff too sometimes.
I’m a driver and feel there needs to be a rating system for both Drivers and riders but there needs to be some control over it. As a driver there have been very few riders that I have ever rated below a 5. If a driver rates someone below a 5 you have to go to another screen and list a reason and that takes time that can be used for excepting another ride to increase what we can make. One reason I might rate a passenger below a 5 would be excessive wait time when arriving for a pick up or trashing my car. I pay a monthly fee at a car wash to keep my car clean for riders and use that service several times a week.
Now I will address the driver ratings. I think many of you realize that there are some people that will give a driver a low rating just because they can rather it’s deserved or not. When Uber looks at those type of ratings they should look at the passenger rating and see if this is something they do consistently and why other drivers have rated them low. If other drivers have consistently rated them low then their rating to a driver should be considered suspect and discounted.
As far as tips go, I tip all service people I have used because tipically they are depending on tip to suppliment an already low income.
Here is a quote from Marcus B
“I tip my waiters and waitresses, my hair stylists, my pizza guy and Uber Eats person or DoorDash delivery person, my bartender, I’ve even tipped my garbage collector by leaving $5 in an envelope taped to the bag when I’ve put out one extra. My paperboy back in the days when newspapers were delivered by kids on bikes GOT A TIP at Christmas time. My mailman. My vallet, the guy who carries my bags up to my room in a cart at a hotel, the doorman, the hotel clerk who takes my credit card esspecially when I want the highest room or one with a balcony… The list goes on… Not tipping an Uber driver, someone who shows up on time in a clean, non-smelly car and drives safe DESERVES a tip more than most of the service industry jobs I listed… Definitely more than a Taxi driver, but they always got tipped. I had my battery die last week and I TIPPED the guy who came out to give me a jump!”
@John: You are certainly right that they should be tipped. The question is how to ensure your passengers realize and / or conform.
I Uber mostly in San Francisco, tip almost every time, rate drivers 5 stars even when I wait well beyond expected times and fear for my life. I am not saying I’ve never given a 4 but it’s VERY rare and not in the last 6 mos as my rating drops even as I tip each time and hand out 5 starts. What’s up?? I am polite & arrive when and where I’m supposed to be Im really discouraged. Maybe time to try Lift
here’s to Ian and what a ignorant douchebag you are. Uber takes 42% of the ride from the driver and you feel just because there is a surge that you whilst if your driver from a tip do you do that to your waitress at a restaurant because the restaurant is busy I mean seriously what is wrong with you
Hey! hey! hey! It’s Phat Albert here. My man Mark just tipped the guy who graciously helped me with the DIY AC Kit… Just got to add that to the list- yes, you should tip your auto-parts “person” if they tell you what the check engine light said or tested your alternator.
Phat!
You cheap [redacted]! You’re bragging that you’re a cheap [redacted] that does not tip your driver? I am a full-time Uber driver (2500 trips 4.99 rating) that purchased a luxury car just to give my passengers the best possible experience. And yes, I absolutely expect a tip. Great service should be rewarded. It’s cheapskates like you that give drivers no incentive to go the extra mile!
@Tony Mack – this was nearly 4 years ago, remember back in the day Uber used to say that tip was included in the fare. That’s no longer the case (in essence a big price increase)
I had to take Uber rides in Switzerland, and although most of the drivers were nice and polite, I got this guy one day who was already aggravated when I got in the car, didn’t greet me back and drove aggressively cursing and breaking abruptly. My destination was a hospital and instead of taking me to the entrance, he stopped at a traffic light and asked me to get off quickly. I was obviously surprised but didn’t want to have an issue with a person who was far from being calm, so I opened the door and almost got hit by a bike. My reflexes worked perfect so I quickly closed the door and avoided the incident ( again, not in a town I was familiar with, there was no bike trail, just a guy riding along the traffic, and a driver shouting at me to get off quickly). He started yelling that his car almost got hit, and I asked him why he didn’t take me to the front entrance of the hospital where I could have safely left the car. He just mumbled something and drove away. I decided he maybe had a bad day and didn’t rate him at all, neither I complained about his rude behavior. I had a perfect 5 score before this. He rated me down and now I have a 4.98 score. I have always rated drivers 5 stars and tipped them no matter how the ride was, just to be nice and thinking being nice would invite to nice, but this was disappointing and unfair.