Uber

by Melissa Berry on September 22, 2017 12 Comments

Our Top Record-Breaking Uber and Lyft Rides

As a driver, have you ever considered how you stack up against other drivers out there? Maybe one of you received a big tip, or another driver drove over 200 miles into another city for a passenger? Have you ever wondered if your trip or earnings were the most out of any other driver?

We wondered the same thing! How large was the largest fare ever earned by a driver, and how far have drivers gone for passengers? Wonder no longer: RSG has compiled an RSG US Book of Records (of sorts) for drivers and their greatest accomplishments. Today, RSG contributor Melissa Berry shows off some of the more extraordinary accomplishments of RSG drivers.

That said, we know some of you out there are record-breakers, and we want to know: how do you stack up against the drivers we highlight below? Show us your screenshots in the comments below and let us know if you can beat the largest fare or number of miles driven!

Remember: only screenshots count. If you received a cash tip of $1,000, we can’t count it, but we can count a tip on your screen if you remembered to get a shot of it! Also, we only have stats from US drivers so far. If you’re an international driver and have beaten some of these records, please let us know!

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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by Curtis Preston on September 6, 2017 Leave a Comment

Best Ways to Get a Response from Uber Phone Support

Uber now offers phone support in many cities, although it’s still working on rolling out phone support nationwide. However, phone support can be very different from the support you receive via your app, email, or even in-person. Today, RSG contributor Curtis Preston outlines what you need to know about Uber support, the type of questions they can answer, and how Uber can make phone support better.

Uber phone support is better than nothing, but it has a long ways to go. Based on my experiences with it, they’ve done a good job with quick response times and I’d say it’s a typical first-level outsourced-to-overseas phone support system, but it’s also missing a few key components.

My opinion is that Uber’s phone support is bad – but it’s still better than nothing.

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by Harry Campbell on August 22, 2017 62 Comments

Uber Launching Two New Features: Arrival Times and Long Trip Notifications!

Uber’s been making some big changes to the driver experience over the past few months and today they launched two brand new features called arrival times and long trip notifications while also improving existing features like destination filter and trip type preferences.

The changes come as part of Uber’s 180 Days of Change initiative focused on improving the driver experience. Today’s Chapter 3 announcement is all about flexibility. You probably remember Chapter 1, which was announced on June 20, 2017, since the headliner was that Uber was adding a new tipping option. Since that announcement, Uber has actually doled out over $50 million in tips to drivers and done two days of ‘tip matching‘. Tipping has been live everywhere for just about a month, and while the tip amounts haven’t been that high on a per ride basis, the total number of $50 million sure seems like a lot.

Chapter 2 was announced about a month ago and focused on customer support. You’ve probably noticed by now that Uber drivers now have 24/7 phone support and, in my experience, the agents are very quick to answer the phone. Uber tells us that they have fielded over 200,000 phone calls in that time period and that the average wait time to speak with an agent has been 30 seconds with an 85% satisfaction rate. I’ve seen short wait times myself, but the 85% satisfaction seems a bit high based on my experience and from talking to other drivers.

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by Curtis Preston on August 21, 2017 51 Comments

Is the Uber Fuel Card Worth it?

What is the Uber fuel card and how does it work? Is it a debit card, credit card or something in between? The Uber fuel card can be a good option for some drivers, but there are some things to be aware of and consider, based on where you live, before you sign up for the Uber fuel card. Today, RSG contributor Curtis Preston covers what the Uber fuel card is, how it works, and what you need to know about gas stations before signing up.

Uber considers its Partner Fuel Card part of its reward program, but is it actually a reward? Can you actually save money on gas with the fuel card, or are there better strategies to save? The short answers to those questions are maybe and probably. But it still might help you.

The fuel card is a charge card that is automatically paid once a week via your Uber balance. It’s not a credit card, as you are not allowed to carry a balance past a week. It’s not a debit card, as the money is not automatically debited from a checking account. In fact, it takes several days for a charge to actually appear on your account. So the most appropriate term to call it is a charge card, like an American Express card that must be paid off every month.

You’re given a weekly credit limit based on your Uber driving habits. For example, my limit was $100 given how much I drive. The balance is deducted from your weekly earnings each week. It allows you to save up to 15% on gas purchases at participating gas stations, and at least 1.5% when buying gas anywhere where MasterCard is accepted, although I did have issues using it in some places.The card only works at gas stations. You can use it to pay for anything they sell there. The only thing Uber is checking is that the purchase is coming from a gas station. Just remember you have a limit each week to how much you can charge on it.

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by Christian Perea on August 18, 2017 26 Comments

Will These New Features Make Driving for Uber and Lyft Better?

Uber and Lyft are competing to make their apps and driver efficiency better, but will these changes really improve the driver experience? Today, senior RSG contributor Christian Perea outlines potential upcoming changes to our Uber and Lyft driver apps – some that will make a big difference to drivers.

Over the next few days, Uber is set to announce even more information as part of their 180 Days of Change. Stay tuned for an announcement here on Tuesday, when Uber is set to unveil Chapter 3 of the 180 Days of Change.

We’ve seen competition heating up between Uber and Lyft ever since Uber started to put the heat on Lyft with their “180 Days of Change”. We’ve compiled a list and roundup of all the leaked screenshots, rumors, and tests that are going on for drivers that haven’t even launched yet. Whatever happens, hopefully we will get some more money out of it!

Uber and Lyft are almost always testing features among different drivers throughout different markets. Some of these features make it out to the public while some are quickly put back in a box and never heard from again. Right now though, both are testing a lot of interesting changes to their apps that I think have a strong chance of being rolled out to everyone.

And of course, we’ve already seen some big changes in the last few months. Tipping on Uber, 24 hour phone support, increased pay for Lyft Line rides, and showing PrimeTime on incoming requests.

All of these are part of a big push right now to make the app better for drivers.

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