Announcement

by Christian Perea on September 15, 2017 10 Comments

How is Lyft Responding to Uber’s 180 Days of Change?

With all the new driver-friendly features Uber is rolling out under it’s ‘180 Days of Change’ initiative, we began to wonder when Lyft would roll out some driver-friendly features of their own. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait long – Lyft has been working on upgrades to the driver platform for months. Today, senior RSG contributor Christian Perea outlines what drivers can expect to see in future Lyft driver updates.

Also, RSG is looking to hire! Do you know someone who is phenomenal at YouTube, can deliver consistent content, and is a good, reliable team player? If that describes you or someone you know, click here to read what we’re looking for and how to apply.

Uber’s been rolling out a ton of new driver-friendly features lately as part of their “180 days of change” campaign to woo drivers back to the Big U. And since we already know that Lyft and Uber copy almost everything from one other, that means Lyft should also be rolling out some driver upgrades of their own to compete for the big spotlight with drivers too… although Lyft doesn’t have to copy Uber on tipping since they didn’t require a corporate meltdown to do the right thing on tipping their drivers.

Make Every Mile Count

Did you know that every 1,000 business miles can generate $535 in tax deductions? Never miss another mile with the new QuickBooks Self-Employed automatic mileage tracker.

[Read more…]

by Christian Perea on July 25, 2017 30 Comments

Uber Announces 24 Hour Phone Support, Ratings Protection and More

More big announcements from Uber! Staying true to their ‘180 Days of Change’, Uber has announced some big new changes for drivers coming to the platform this year. Senior RSG contributor Christian Perea outlines all the upcoming (positive!) changes for drivers. Let us know in the comments which ones you’re looking forward to the most.

Uber announced their second round of changes for drivers in their “180 Days of Change” campaign this morning. The second round focuses on making support better, faster, and more reliable for drivers who have long complained of slow response times, inconsistent answers, and policies around ratings that punish drivers for things outside of their control.

This includes the launch of 24-hour phone support for all drivers in the US and Canada, Ratings Protection, and other improvements that should reduce the amount of mystery and stress drivers experience when dealing with support.

It’s pretty tough to top the first round of changes, which included adding a tip option in the driver app, but this round is still significant because Uber is finally addressing enduring and structural problems that I have heard drivers complain about for a long, LONG time. I’ve included all of the changes below along with my take on the ones that matter most.

If this round seems underwhelming to you, Uber still plans to announce four or five more waves of changes for drivers in the coming months. So stay tuned.

[Read more…]

by Christian Perea on July 14, 2017 13 Comments

Uber Increases Their Booking Fees Nationwide (Again)

Last week, Uber announced that they would be raising the booking fee for a second time this year. The first time around, the increase amounts ranged from $0.20 to $0.35, depending on the city, and it meant Uber was going to take a larger commission from each ride. This time around, the booking fee is going up by $0.15 – $0.50 in non POOL cities and by $0.20-$0.30 in POOL cities on X and POOL.

Uber advertises a 25% commission to new drivers but when you include the booking fee, their median commission is actually closer to 40%. Now it will be even higher. Uber made this announcement to all drivers last week via email and in the driver/rider apps. Uber says the increase is due to safety, operational and regulatory costs. And although drivers will still get paid the same amounts, it does mean that passengers will pay more for the same ride and Uber will keep a larger cut.

[Read more…]

by Christian Perea on May 24, 2017 148 Comments

Uber Makes Big Changes to Commission and Upfront Pricing

Harry here. Uber has announced some pretty big changes recently, so we’re taking a break from our regular scheduled posting to provide you an analysis of these changes. Senior RSG contributor Christian Perea breaks down what you need to know about Uber’s changes to commission and upfront pricing.

Uber announced some pretty big changes to the way they display pay to drivers this week and confirmed that Upfront Pricing will be calculated based off what they think passengers are willing to pay. Uber will now show exactly how much passengers paid for a ride and allow drivers to cash out more earnings on Instant Pay as they drive throughout the week.

The main takeaway for drivers is that Uber will no longer take a 25% commission from fares between riders and drivers in all US cities with UberPOOL. Instead, drivers in these markets will now see their pay reflected “post commission”. It is not a pay-cut; they are now just showing what drivers have already been getting paid after commission all along.

[Read more…]

by Christian Perea on October 28, 2016 54 Comments

The Uber Trip Upgrade: Everything You Need To Know

Harry here. Uber is constantly releasing new features and integrations on both the passenger and driver side of the app – some are more meaningful than others though. Today, senior RSG contributor Christian Perea takes a look at a new one called Trip Upgrade that has some interesting potential. Let us know in the comments whether you’re all for it or against it.

Over the last two weeks, Uber Trip Upgrade has been rolling out to select markets. This feature works by reassigning requests to drivers that are closer to the request that they originally accepted. The feature is part of Uber’s goal of doing everything they can to maximize efficiency in their dispatch system by minimizing wait times for passengers and drivers; aiming for the never-ending trip.

Whenever Uber launches a new feature like this, drivers are bound to be concerned with a lot of questions on how a new feature will affect their overall operations on the road. Drivers have good reason for this because a lot of these changes affect our profitability and the choices we make on the road.

The message that appears in your Uber Driver Partner app if you are in a market that had Uber Trip Upgrade.

[Read more…]