How to Score a Top Driver Rating as a Rideshare Driver

The bills are piling up and the boss at your full-time job has expressed that the company may need to downsize in the next six months. You have a family to support, and in case your name appears on the black list, you decide to pick up a part-time job on the weekends.

Wanting to be your own boss and go where the road takes you, you become a rideshare driver. You like to drive, you like meeting new people, and getting to better know the area you live in are all major pluses. What you’re surprised to learn, after comparing auto insurance and getting a better policy to prepare for the new job, is that you can get cut loose for poor ratings.

That’s right: Uber and Lyft will de-activate (fire) you if you receive less than an average of 4.6 stars. How can a passenger give you a low rating if you drove them safely to their destination in good time? Well, it seems passengers want a little more than that.

Here are four ways to improve your driver rating and keep the tips rolling in.

Use your GPS

According to The Rideshare Guy, passengers’ biggest complaints about drivers has to do with the driver’s navigational skills. If you get lost or choose to take a busy route at the height of traffic hour, the passenger will blame you for the long ride.

Invest in a smartphone dash-mount and keep your phone open on the rideshare app’s mapping navigation. This way you can decide the best route to take and your passenger can see where the two of you are in relation to the destination. And make sure to keep your phone charged! If you want to toggle between other navigation apps, be sure to have them open on your phone ahead of time and to only switch between them while the car is stopped.

Sell your business

As a rideshare driver you are a freelance contractor. Though you technically work for a company, you are the one facetiming with customers and providing them a service. In effect, YOU are the company.

To get a five-star rating, service your vehicle regularly, keep it clean and work to avoid smells, including cigarette smoke and perfume. To really seal the deal, offer your passengers free bite-size goodies and drinks in the back seat. Goodies can include candy, gum and water.

Keep the conversation light

It’s only natural that you’re going to want to fill the initially awkward silence with conversation, and it’s totally okay to ask your passenger how they are. However, RideSharingDriver recommends keeping the conversation to a minimum, unless the passenger wants to talk. If they do, try to keep the conversation on light topics, such as the weather. If a passenger tries to get you to discuss your political or religious beliefs, simply say that you’re not comfortable talking about the subject.

Do not engage in road rage

Other motorists will cut you off, ride your bumper or yell obscenities at you. In certain instances, you will want to retaliate with a slew of your own colorful sentences. Do not do this. If you flip off another driver or brake check the motorist behind you, your passenger won’t just be made to feel uncomfortable, they’ll feel unsafe, too.

HyreCar suggests “practicing self-control” at all times, even when you’re not on the clock. Doing so will help you to navigate through annoying driving situations and make your passenger think that you have everything under control.

And though you’ve hopefully already taken care of this, make sure your auto insurance covers you on the job. Unless you have personally checked with your provider that your insurance will cover you in an accident as a rideshare driver, your current policy most likely does not offer you coverage. Fortunately, by comparing auto insurance with CoverHound, you’ll find an insurance package that’ll do that and more.

Check out what CoverHound has to offer awesome rideshare drivers like you today.