Keeping up those 5 Star Ratings

A driver wrote in one of the Facebook boards that he was only going to do airport runs to boost his ratings.   I offered some tips:

1 Do not pick up drunks - drunks do not appreciate our services and all we are is a cheap alternative to a Yellow cab.  Let them puke in the Yellow cabs. Grumpy old drunks do nothing for us other than complain about our music or driving abilities. Then when we pick up the next rider they complain of beer fart smells,

2 Get a monthly car wash plan and use it daily- Most car wash businesses offer a monthly rate to professional drivers. For $40 to $60 a month you can get unlimited car washes.  Shop around for the best service in your area.
 
3 Keep FABREEZE in the glove box and use it after pax exits car-  Body order and beer farts offend passengers who get in the back seat after an offending pax.  Good investment!

4 Always introduce yourself to the rider and ask them to tell you if there is anything you can do to make their ride a better experience.  Courtesy warrants 5 stars!

5 Radio off unless they request it. If people get in your car and hear a type of music they dislike, down goes the stars. The last thing Joe Country-Fan wants to hear is Rap or Hip Hop in the car when he gets in.  Same goes for Joe Snoop-Poopy-Scoooper-Fan who does not want to hear shit kicking music cramping his Ghetto life style.

6 Be observant of the pax. If they do not want to chat or are reading, perhaps they may not want conversation. Know when to shut up. Also if the conversation strays to politics try to be courteous of all sides of the political fence.

7 Don't forget to say please and thank you.  Courtesy warrants 5 stars!

8 When the pax exits the vehicle be sure to tell them YOU are giving THEM 5 stars. If they know THEY are getting graded maybe they will think twice about not giving you 5 stars.

Using Uber Pool and Lyft Line to your advantage

On one of the Uber groups on Facebook I read that someone actually texted riders that he (and allegedly many drivers) did not accept Uber Pool rides. Pool and Lyft short rides often end up in an earning of $2.40 or $3.00, which may not be worth the drive to get to the passenger.

Many drivers do not understand the rules of Uber Pool. The rider has two minutes to get into the car. Lyft drivers have one minute to get in the car so here is my solution. Watch the clock!

Use Uber pool to your advantage. All Uber Pool riders have 2 minutes to get in the car and if they are not in 2 minutes after you get there simply cancel ride as a NO SHOW. You make $4 instead of $2.40 on a local trip.

If you give a No Show to a Lyft Line passenger you also make $4 in one minute less.

LAX UPDATE

I got an email from Uber yesterday that had some very important information for those who drop people off at LAX.  Only one trade dress is permitted on your window at a time and the LAX must be below it on the windshield.

This would very much be the same for LYFT as well because the rules are set by LAX, not the ride share apps.

There are new requirements for picking up and dropping off at LAX. In order to avoid fines, make sure you have the required documents. 

REQUIREMENTS: 

• Airport Vehicle Permit Placard for both pickups and drop-offs (please note: drop-off documentation is a new requirement) 
•  Uber 'U' trade dress

GETTING YOUR AIRPORT VEHICLE PERMIT PLACARD:

Take the quick quiz to receive your Airport Vehicle Permit Placard (if you've already passed the quiz, you do not need to retake it). Wait up to 48 hours to receive an email with your temporary placard. Print the temporary placard. Place it on your windshield under the Uber "U" Trade Dress and get started with pickups and drop-offs at LAX. Replace your temporary placard with the one you receive in the mail. It will take 3-5 business days to receive your permanent placard.