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9 Keys To Being a Great Rideshare Conversationalist

Harry here. There’s a lot more that goes into rideshare driving than just driving, although that’s important too. But if you really want those high ratings and tips, you have to go that extra mile. This doesn’t mean you need to buy anything fancy, or hand out water bottles and candy. Highly rated rideshare drivers do this one thing – and it’s free.

It’s called being a great rideshare conversationalist. So how can you become a great rideshare conversationalist who gets high ratings and more tips? Senior RSG contributor John Ince covers 9 key ways you can become a great rideshare conversationalist here.

Drive with Uber 1

Lately we’ve been reading a lot about the downsides of being an Uber or Lyft driver. However, somehow the rideshare companies keep new drivers flowing into the pipeline. Obviously the chance to supplement your income is the key factor for most, but after two years as a driver, I’ve discovered there are other compelling aspects to this gig that keep me on the road.

For me, the most interesting part of the job is the opportunity to engage complete strangers in conversation.  For many drivers, the passenger interactions is what keeps them behind the wheel – especially for retirees.  But starting and keeping a good conversation going isn’t always easy. In fact, at times it can be a real challenge. Here’s my list of do’s and don’ts for a rideshare driver in conversations with passengers. Hopefully these help you and boost your driver ratings as well!

To get high ratings and tips, you don't have to bribe your passengers with candy and water - but you should be a good rideshare conversationalist -

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.

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8 Factors to Consider Before You Accept a Ride Request

Harry here. Many new drivers may think they have to push themselves to accept every ride while they’re online, but it can pay to be picky. Today, Atlanta Xcelence offers us a guest post from a relatively new driver’s perspective. AX has been driving in Atlanta for six months, and he’s going to discuss what you should consider before accepting a ride request.

It’s 5 a.m. and you’ve received a request that is 12 minutes away. Traffic is very light, and you guess it’s about 8-10 miles away. Should you accept it? Should you wait until a closer request comes in?

Well, it depends. After driving for a little over 6 months for both Uber and Lyft, I wanted to share 8 critical factors to consider before accepting a ride request. Let’s dive into this example and see what you should look for to help save you time and money.

What factors do you take into account before you accept a ride request? A reader from Atlanta shares his tips for new drivers.

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The Brighter Side of Being a Rideshare Driver – What’s Inside Your Treasure Chest?

Harry here.  It’s easy to get caught up in the minutia of driving and dealing with drunk passengers but sometimes it’s good to take a step back once in a while.  Today, senior RSG contributor John Ince shares the story of his treasure chest and how he uses it to reflect on his experiences as an Uber driver.

For most rideshare drivers, the income is the main show. It’s the primary reason we’re doing it and we define our success by how much we pull in at the end of the day, week or month.

But this can quickly become a grind.  Whenever something bad happens on a ride, it will be blamed on us, and we sometimes take a hit in ratings.  Traffic is in gridlock, it’s our fault.  We swerve to avoid an errant vehicle, it’s our fault.  We’re caught in a horrendous traffic jam, it’s our fault.

In the midst of all this bad stuff, it’s easy to become jaded and forget the more precious moments – the moments that provide rich connections with complete strangers.  It’s nice to have a reminder of that now and then of the underlying humanity that unites us.

It's easy to get caught up in the day to day driving grind, but sometimes little slices of humanity (via a treasure chest) can break up the boredom.

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GetDismissed Allows You To Fight Traffic Tickets From Your Couch

Harry here, We’ve partnered up with GetDismissed.com to help drivers fight traffic tickets in California. Today, senior RSG contributor Christian Perea covers a basic strategy for fighting tickets in CA. If you would like to sign up for their service using our link, you can save $10 by using the code RSG10.

Traffic tickets suck, but I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that.  It always seems that I spend an entire day on the road watching other people break traffic laws: speeding, texting, stopping in the red zone, swerving in lanes while checking their Facebook status and all with no interference from the cops!

In fact, I once tried to let a cop into traffic as he was trying to exit a Shell station. Traffic was bumper to bumper and nobody would let him in. I waved for him to go since I’m a nice guy (and prefer that he be in front of me). He then waved for me to go first and once I did, the cop pulled me over for having an “illegal light” which just so happened to by my Lyft Glowstache. It took him 45 minutes to write the ticket, and my passengers and I watched Dodgeball in my car while he tried to figure out what law I broke.

Not the actual cop.

(FYI, Lyft may pay this ticket for you if you call their Trust and Safety Line and it’s not a moving violation.)

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The Hidden Costs of Rideshare Driving (Infographic)

Join us for our next Youtube Live Q&A session on Thursday, January 12 at 5pm PST! You can subscribe to our Youtube channel here and be sure to turn on notifications so you know when we go live.

Harry here.  Today, RSG senior contributor Christian Perea shares an infographic around the hidden costs of driving for rideshare services like Uber and Lyft.

It’s easy for rideshare drivers to focus on the income they make every day but in this line of work, there are a lot of hidden costs when you drive for services like Uber or Lyft. And if drivers don’t pay attention to the burdens of being self-employed, they could be in for a steep (and expensive) learning curve.

Yet all of these extra responsibilities aren’t advertised when signing up to haul people or burritos around in your Prius. Most companies advertise high hourly amounts that are often unrealistic and never take into account expenses. As a driver and business owner though, you need to track everything from mileage to knick knacks that you buy for your car.

If you want to simplify your rideshare finances we recommend QuickBooks Self-Employed. Check them out if you want to get organized by keeping all of your rideshare numbers in one place. Using our link will get you the first 30 days free and will save time and money when it comes to staying on top of your rideshare finances. [Read more…]