# Specific driver request



## Reaper216 (Feb 20, 2017)

Anyone else think Uber should implement a way for riders to request specific drivers? At least make it an option. Ive had quite a few riders ask how they can request just me and end up just giving them my number.

I emailed Uber about it and they gave me a canned response and said they would look into it as it could benefit the rider with a better experience.

Thoughts?


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

The problem from Uber's standpoint is that they don't want the partners to build up a clientele- they want all the customers to be Uber customers, no Reaper's customers or someone else's.

The reason is pretty clear.
Say if you decided to start driving your car for a different TNC or a cab company, or decide to be strictly independent, they no longer get a taste at all. They are knocked out of the loop entirely.

Your idea is certainly would be good for the partners, giving you a chance to build a business. But its no good for Uber and market share, and their future cash flow.


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## Reaper216 (Feb 20, 2017)

I understand what you mean. But still have them go through the app, just an option for like drivers who youve given 5 stars that are reasonably close.


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## FL_Dex (Nov 13, 2016)

Uber is already living in a world of driverless cars. They don't want to invest in a way for local drivers to build up a clientèle.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

I_Like_Spam said:


> The problem from Uber's standpoint is that they don't want the partners to build up a clientele- they want all the customers to be Uber customers, no Reaper's customers or someone else's.
> 
> The reason is pretty clear.
> Say if you decided to start driving your car for a different TNC or a cab company, or decide to be strictly independent, they no longer get a taste at all. They are knocked out of the loop entirely.
> ...


Exactly that happens when riders are not offered this choice.


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> Exactly that happens when riders are not offered this choice.


I think Uber knows that, too. That's why they try not to match the same partner/driver together very often. Look to prevent the repeat business that that gets these kinds of preferences to develop.

Uber might be wrong on this, giving the passengers this opportunity could be a boon to them. But that's not the way they are seeing it.

30 some years ago, I worked as a store clerk and had to join the union. In the old union newsletters, the union was trying to organize the gals that worked at the chain hair cut stores- places like Super Cuts. One chain didn't allow the gals to display their full name, the store wanted the loyalty to their brand, not to the individual stylist. Uber's line of thought is one held by a lot of folks in their position over the years.


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## Jake Dome (Jan 26, 2017)

I had a pax the other day that was new and asked if there was a way to request a certain driver. He didn't like that there wasn't.
But I understand why Uber doesn't want that. We wouldn't need them as much.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

I_Like_Spam said:


> I think Uber knows that, too. That's why they try not to match the same partner/driver together very often. Look to prevent the repeat business that that gets these kinds of preferences to develop.
> 
> Uber might be wrong on this, giving the passengers this opportunity could be a boon to them. But that's not the way they are seeing it.
> 
> 30 some years ago, I worked as a store clerk and had to join the union. In the old union newsletters, the union was trying to organize the gals that worked at the chain hair cut stores- places like Super Cuts. One chain didn't allow the gals to display their full name, the store wanted the loyalty to their brand, not to the individual stylist. Uber's line of thought is one held by a lot of folks in their position over the years.


Uber does all it can to devalue The Driver.


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## Reaper216 (Feb 20, 2017)

I would think Uber would do this just to try and stop drivers from doing rides off the app.

I just did a trip Sat morning that me and the rider set up last monday. Would have been 85+ in app but he wanted me so i told the guy id do it for 60 since thats roughly what i would have gotten anyway


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## Go4 (Jan 8, 2017)

Reaper216 said:


> I would think Uber would do this just to try and stop drivers from doing rides off the app.
> 
> I just did a trip Sat morning that me and the rider set up last monday. Would have been 85+ in app but he wanted me so i told the guy id do it for 60 since thats roughly what i would have gotten anyway


Bummer. Without your own commercial insurance policy meant you and your for pay passenger were not covered by insurance during that trip. And could lose all you coverage.
Bummer, without your own CDL (commercial drivers license) you were in violation of your motor vehicle laws. You could have been fined, arrested, forfeited your vehicle.
Bummer you didn't have your Commercial Chaufer License. You think the others were problems, get the tax man after you and the u will see trouble.
But you made $60 bucks!

Another idea.
Have pax call you before their trip. You go to them, then they have uber ping the closest uber (you).


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## Reaper216 (Feb 20, 2017)

Well now youre just being a negative nancy.

I was doing a favor for a buddy and his boss. 

Taxes? I pay more than enough taxes on my fulltime income to cover the taxes on that 60 so im not overly worried about it


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## Jon E (Feb 15, 2017)

Reaper216 said:


> Anyone else think Uber should implement a way for riders to request specific drivers? At least make it an option. Ive had quite a few riders ask how they can request just me and end up just giving them my number.
> 
> I emailed Uber about it and they gave me a canned response and said they would look into it as it could benefit the rider with a better experience.
> 
> Thoughts?


Use this. Pax must have it also. http://uzurv.com/rider


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## Atom guy (Jul 27, 2016)

I only have a couple regulars that just want me, one that I do for cash, one on Uber. The passengers hate getting stuck with crappy drivers or getting cancelled on.


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## Go4 (Jan 8, 2017)

Reaper216 said:


> Well now youre just being a negative nancy.
> 
> I was doing a favor for a buddy and his boss.
> 
> Taxes? I pay more than enough taxes on my fulltime income to cover the taxes on that 60 so im not overly worried about it


Good man. My mistake, I thought you said you did it for $60. but since it was a favor and no money exchanged hands, I was wrong and way too negative.


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## Coachman (Sep 22, 2015)

Atom guy said:


> I only have a couple regulars that just want me, one that I do for cash, one on Uber. The passengers hate getting stuck with crappy drivers or getting cancelled on.


I hope you have a commercial livery insurance policy.


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

Coachman said:


> I hope you have a commercial livery insurance policy.


I would hope that everyone who is ubering out there has cleared the activity with their insurance agent--even if they don't take trips off-app.



Go4 said:


> Bummer. Without your own commercial insurance policy meant you and your for pay passenger were not covered by insurance during that trip. And could lose all you coverage.
> Bummer, without your own CDL (commercial drivers license) you were in violation of your motor vehicle laws. You could have been fined, arrested, forfeited your vehicle.
> Bummer you didn't have your Commercial Chaufer License. You think the others were problems, get the tax man after you and the u will see trouble.
> But you made $60 bucks!.


I think the odds of the OP getting pinched on this is about next to none. It was a prescheduled trip, he wasn't soliciting rides at the airport or outside a nightclub or anything. How would a local cop even know, and if he had his "U" displayed, his smart phone on, I think the chances are as close to zero as you can get. In some place like here in Pittsburgh, where unlicensed jitney's are celebrated, the chances are even less.

The only argument I'd have with the OP is that I'd charge the full Uber rate, which is heavily discounted already.


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## Duro (Dec 22, 2016)

I don't get it. I can make more money using Uber's business model. Uber gives me the closest ride & close to half the time I get stacked pings. How would I EVEN make more money driving 20-30 miles to someone who specifically "requested" me with no prior knowledge of my current location. I had a rider who suggested the same thing to me once & I had to explain to him how Uber REALLY works...,,,same thing when PAX always ask what area of the valley I work in & I have to explain about the randomness of trips and the destination filter at the end of the nite..?....?


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## shiftydrake (Dec 12, 2015)

Reaper216 said:


> Well now youre just being a negative nancy.
> 
> I was doing a favor for a buddy and his boss.
> 
> Taxes? I pay more than enough taxes on my fulltime income to cover the taxes on that 60 so im not overly worried about it


Still a fool thing to do all that negatives that could have happened to you for $60......

Be locked up sitting in jail for operating a commercial taxi without proper license and d/L.........."what are you in for?"
"Taking a rider off app"

Yeah great job I guess?.......smh


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

Duro said:


> How would I EVEN make more money driving 20-30 miles to someone who specifically "requested" me with no prior knowledge of my current location..?


The idea is to stay close to your known business, in order to handle your steady riders. you don't allow yourself to get 20 or 30 miles away.


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## AVLien (Mar 4, 2017)

I_Like_Spam said:


> I would hope that everyone who is ubering out there has cleared the activity with their insurance agent--even if they don't take trips off-app.
> 
> I think the odds of the OP getting pinched on this is about next to none. It was a prescheduled trip, he wasn't soliciting rides at the airport or outside a nightclub or anything. How would a local cop even know, and if he had his "U" displayed, his smart phone on, I think the chances are as close to zero as you can get. In some place like here in Pittsburgh, where unlicensed jitney's are celebrated, the chances are even less.
> 
> The only argument I'd have with the OP is that I'd charge the full Uber rate, which is heavily discounted already.


I'd bet a shiny nickel that Go4 *is* a commercially licensed driver. I looked into the insurance for it & it is 3x what my normal policy is. We are _*all* _rolling the dice a little bit by driving with the app online (awaiting requests) without full commercial policies because in that "state" you are in insurance limbo. Neither Uber's insurance nor your private policy covers you then. *Uber is less than forthcoming about this* though, so many people don't know about it.

*If one really wanted to do this in a semi-legit way:* 

Ant gives pax their mobile #.
Pax contacts ant.
Ant sends pax ant's location, 
Pax requests trip *from that location*, 
Ant waits to start the trip until pax is picked up.
It works because Uber will always send the request to the closest driver. If for some reason pax gets assigned a different driver, they can always cancel the request & try again (could happen if ant is in a busy place maybe?).

This jumps over a couple of Uber's "rules", mainly the direct contact info. It would be a legit-ish way to accomplish it though. I have considered putting an unofficial app together to do this, but not sure how fast it would get my API access nixed. I figured though that they have all these "surge tracker" apps though, & those are a clear violation of the API TOS, yet there are tons of them. They all kind of blow, & it is debatable whether or not Uber sends false-positives to them (see: Greyballing).

*Alternate version:* 

Up
Up
Down
Down
Left
Right
Left
Right
B
A
Select
Start
You now have "infinite" lives.


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

shiftydrake said:


> Still a fool thing to do all that negatives that could have happened to you for $60......
> 
> Be locked up sitting in jail for operating a commercial taxi without proper license and d/L.........."what are you in for?"
> "Taking a rider off app"
> ...


Whether or not that scenario is at all likely, would depend on where you're at.

Here in Pittsburgh, unlicensed cabs are called "Jitneys", and there is a theatric play celebrating them. The police don't bother jitneys, they'll interview them on TV, technically its still illegal, but everyone looks the other way.

Further, in order to be pinched, it would probably have to be a sting operation. You'd have to be in a sufficiently crime free area that this is a priority over drugs, prostitution, graffiti and everything else. A police officer just looking at you pick someone up has no idea as to whether or not its "on the app" or not. Its doubtable that you would sit in jail over it either, its a citation offense.



AVLien said:


> *If one really wanted to do this in a semi-legit way:*
> 
> Ant gives pax their mobile #.
> Pax contacts ant.
> ...


The problem with this working is getting the pax to go along with all of this. Multiple calls and steps, just to get a ride.

Unless you have a massage table and include full-release as part of your "5 star" service, its going to be difficult to get someone just going from point a to point b to go through multiple steps.


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