# should I call/text before I cancel?



## Bubbajr (Nov 12, 2017)

A little information... I drive in a small college town. My average ride is 3-5 minutes and unless it's a surge I'm making $3 on the ride. I only drove at night and it's busy Thursday-Saturday. Anyways, these kids usually keep me waiting right to the last minute. It's to the point that I turn my car off at nearly every stop. Would you bother to call or text? Every time I've done it they usually come out quicker. Of course I've also tested out just waiting the 5 minutes to collect my $3 fee and driving off. For some reason I feel a bit guilty doing this though.


----------



## PMartino (Mar 18, 2016)

If you feel yourself starting to sense guilt just look at the bottom of the screen. "Rider has been notified." You've done your part -- you showed up on time. Now it's up to the passenger to do their part. If they can't, then you have earned the cancel fee.

Don't call or text.


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Bubbajr said:


> A little information... I drive in a small college town. My average ride is 3-5 minutes and unless it's a surge I'm making $3 on the ride. I only drove at night and it's busy Thursday-Saturday. Anyways, these kids usually keep me waiting right to the last minute. It's to the point that I turn my car off at nearly every stop. Would you bother to call or text? Every time I've done it they usually come out quicker. Of course I've also tested out just waiting the 5 minutes to collect my $3 fee and driving off. For some reason I feel a bit guilty doing this though.


I usually do. I make an honest attempt to make the ride happen.


----------



## tinymoon (Nov 26, 2017)

I do wait for 2 mins then text riders to tell them that i have arrived then wait for another 3 mins before hit the cancel button. If they reply my text then i will wait for little longer.
Most of all depend on where I park my car. If it is controlled timing like loading zone ....etc


----------



## MadTownUberD (Mar 11, 2017)

Just make an honest attempt to make the ride happen. One text upon arrival is fine.

You can also rate them 4* (or less) and select "wait time" as the reason...for the ones who get in the car right before 5 minutes is up. It's just plain rude/entitled, and not coincidental if they are all doing it.


----------



## cratter (Sep 16, 2017)

Todays story...4.54 pax pings me at a downtown bar. She texts "are you here?" 

"Yes." 

Three minutes go by...."I'm in the bathroom. I'll be out shortly."

I'm thinking oh now I see why you're rated real low...are you puking or shitting? You've had ten minutes to be ready between the time you requested me to the time you need to be in the vehicle before I cancel and you still couldn't do that?

Those are the ones your pray don't make it out before five minutes and end up collecting more than you could have in the fare.
I'm still waiting for the time a pax is like "you cancelled on me that one time!" since I"m in a small college town too.

Sometimes I'm a nice guy though. Sometimes it's not the passengers fault. Uber will tell me an address that is different from the pin...some parts of any town can be tricky. I try calling a pax when I get there this weekend, because these buildings are identical and next to each other. No answer. Five minutes cancel and drive off....i see a guy running in the street behind me waving his arms....decide to be a nice guy and make a u turn...pick him up and drive to pick up his friends. They were all waiting outside one of the main entrances on the other side of the building. He said he tried calling me. I said I tried calling you. I drive them downtown for "free." Which is only about a dollar more than I would have made anyways with the cancel fee.

I learned early to never sit and cancel in the same spot. Now I'm going to have to start canceling a block away instead of a few hundred feet! haha


----------



## unPat (Jul 20, 2016)

Nothing good comes out of passengers who don’t respect your time . They had whatever the ETA plus the 5 minutes to get ready . If that’s not enough then you have to move on. They already get notification after you arrive . It should be as loud as getting a text message. So I don’t bother calling.


----------



## Awesomeness101 (Jul 19, 2017)

I text upon arrival and call at 4 minutes of waiting time.


----------



## MrSG (May 17, 2017)

I will always call or text after I've been waiting for a couple min.


----------



## Uber_Yota_916 (May 1, 2017)

Bubbajr said:


> A little information... I drive in a small college town. My average ride is 3-5 minutes and unless it's a surge I'm making $3 on the ride. I only drove at night and it's busy Thursday-Saturday. Anyways, these kids usually keep me waiting right to the last minute. It's to the point that I turn my car off at nearly every stop. Would you bother to call or text? Every time I've done it they usually come out quicker. Of course I've also tested out just waiting the 5 minutes to collect my $3 fee and driving off. For some reason I feel a bit guilty doing this though.


Message both platforms upon arrival if the pax is not curbside. "Arrived at pin location."


----------



## Merc7186 (Jul 8, 2017)

Absolutely not....when they order the ride, it gives them an estimate of your arrival time and also gives them a Live location of where you are....if they are too lazy to adhere to either of these PLUS 5 minutes, collect your fee and drive away.

Sorry if anyone disagrees but you should be toes on the curb (or within 2 minutes) upon arrival...if you're not, then lesson learned for not being ready.


----------



## Uber_Yota_916 (May 1, 2017)

Merc7186 said:


> Absolutely not....when they order the ride, it gives them an estimate of your arrival time and also gives them a Live location of where you are....if they are too lazy to adhere to either of these PLUS 5 minutes, collect your fee and drive away.
> 
> Sorry if anyone disagrees but you should be toes on the curb (or within 2 minutes) upon arrival...if you're not, then lesson learned for not being ready.


If the app and GPS we're accurate. I've shown up and the person was curbside but they said the app had me x minutes away.


----------



## Merc7186 (Jul 8, 2017)

Uber_Yota_916 said:


> If the app and GPS we're accurate. I've shown up and *the person was curbside* but they said the app had me x minutes away.


Key phrase there...

I also call B.S. on that too....Ive never had an instance where a driver has picked me up and I am showing them not close on the app. It will always say 1 Minute away even when they right on front of you.


----------



## 4.9 forever (May 31, 2017)

We are an on demand service. The passenger should request a ride when they are ready to step into the car. Toes on the curb in a safe and legal pick up location when they request the ride. They know the fee schedule. They know it includes a cancel fee after x minutes. They have made a series of choices that led to the fee. It would be rude of me to not help them live with the consequences of those choices.


----------



## Over/Uber (Jan 2, 2017)

Merc7186 said:


> Absolutely not....when they order the ride, it gives them an estimate of your arrival time and also gives them a Live location of where you are....if they are too lazy to adhere to either of these PLUS 5 minutes, collect your fee and drive away.
> 
> Sorry if anyone disagrees but you should be toes on the curb (or within 2 minutes) upon arrival...if you're not, then lesson learned for not being ready.


It's all shits and giggles until someone giggles and shits.

Your theory has the big hole of sometimes there is a glitch in the app/gps and the pax is reading that you're still 4 minutes away when you're actually on the curb.

This is why you call or message.


----------



## Julescase (Mar 29, 2017)

Bubbajr said:


> A little information... I drive in a small college town. My average ride is 3-5 minutes and unless it's a surge I'm making $3 on the ride. I only drove at night and it's busy Thursday-Saturday. Anyways, these kids usually keep me waiting right to the last minute. It's to the point that I turn my car off at nearly every stop. Would you bother to call or text? Every time I've done it they usually come out quicker. Of course I've also tested out just waiting the 5 minutes to collect my $3 fee and driving off. For some reason I feel a bit guilty doing this though.


Please don't feel guilty for collecting cancellation fees. The rider should feel guilty for wasting your time: driving to the pickup location, waiting 5 minutes, and for causing you to miss out on other rides you potentially could have accepted while you were still active in a ride waiting for the obnoxious pax. PLEASE don't feel guilty.

If a ride is surging over 1.5x or so, I'll text pax upon arrival saying "Hi, your Uber is parked on Sunset Blvd, directly in front of Mel's Diner. It's a white Prius with its blinkers on" and I'll leave it at that. If they don't show up, I cancel for the fee. If it's surging over 2.0, I might call pax before cancellation, especially if surge has dwindled as I was waiting for them (meaning my odds of getting another 2.0 surge aren't going to be very good after I cancel their ride).

Sometimes pax are intentionally letting it time out because they requested a ride during a high surge (so they don't answer your text or call), and they hope you will cancel the ride so they don't have to pay a cancellation fee. I always make sure to wait out the five minutes because if it pax doesn't make an effort to get to the car or answer their phone or text, and the ride is surging high, odds are that they're just waiting so they can request a ride at a lower cost. I had that happen to me about four times this past weekend after bar close time ( it happens at LEAST once every weekend), one guy I just kept calling and he kept answering and hanging up, and I texted him, I knew he didn't want to pay the surge cost so I sat there and waited to make sure that he had to pay a cancellation fee.


----------



## Karen Stein (Nov 5, 2016)

Sometimes the arrival text is missed. I always try to call at the 5 minute mark.


----------



## Coachman (Sep 22, 2015)

Generally I wait the five minutes and send one text after two minutes. I believe that it's usually to my advantage to take the ride rather than take the $4.00 cancellation fee.


----------



## ddelro219 (Aug 11, 2016)

i'll call/text at the 2 minute mark and if they respond and indicate they'r eon the way, i'll wait another couple minutes. some don't answer and then call right back. but I'm gone at that point.


----------



## ibeam23 (Mar 9, 2017)

I send a text at 2 minutes stating I've arrived. If it's not a surge trip I cancel at exactly 5 minutes. If a pax doesn't respect my time then I don't respect theirs. If it's a low rated pax, at 4:50 I text "I've waited the required five minutes. Please request another car." At five minutes I tap NO SHOW, collect my cancel fee and drive away.


----------



## cratter (Sep 16, 2017)

Uber already sends the text you have arrived. Why are drivers sending more?! That's frustrating to the passengers. I also hate it when the drivers pulls up to the location and I have to answer my phone as I'm already walking to his car because he's calling me.

If its a busy downtown bar at closing time with a bunch of cars outside the entrance, I'll text them something like "Gray Hyundai with Flashers on east of said bars entrance toward said bar down the street...by the hot dog stand."....even that doesn't work though....had them walk right by me...and then call...and tell me to honk. and then they found me...and then its them i realized walked right by me a second earlier.


----------



## Saltyoldman (Oct 18, 2016)

cratter said:


> Todays story...4.54 pax pings me at a downtown bar. She texts "are you here?"
> 
> "Yes."
> 
> ...


I to drive in a small college town. I had one girl get in and say well hello Mr. time is money! Probably a drive thru request denied.



cratter said:


> Uber already sends the text you have arrived. Why are drivers sending more?! That's frustrating to the passengers. I also hate it when the drivers pulls up to the location and I have to answer my phone as I'm already walking to his car because he's calling me.
> 
> If its a busy downtown bar at closing time with a bunch of cars outside the entrance, I'll text them something like "Gray Hyundai with Flashers on east of said bars entrance toward said bar down the street...by the hot dog stand."....even that doesn't work though....had them walk right by me...and then call...and tell me to honk. and then they found me...and then its them i realized walked right by me a second earlier.


Giving directions like go east is not going to help. Most of these kids don't even know their physical address.


----------



## PMartino (Mar 18, 2016)

Go east young man


----------



## cratter (Sep 16, 2017)

Saltyoldman said:


> I to drive in a small college town. I had one girl get in and say well hello Mr. time is money! Probably a drive thru request denied.
> 
> Giving directions like go east is not going to help. Most of these kids don't even know their physical address.


That's why I usually say toward another bar.

Just got paid for education. I can now claim I'm a teacher too!


----------



## MHR (Jul 23, 2017)

I've been told lately by a few pax that the Uber arrival time still had me 5 minutes away.

So yeah, I text or call once the wait timer kicks in.


----------



## Saltyoldman (Oct 18, 2016)

MHR said:


> I've been told lately by a few pax that the Uber arrival time still had me 5 minutes away.
> 
> So yeah, I text or call once the wait timer kicks in.


Yeah I use to do that but it seems people feel you are rushing them and they rate you poorly because of it. Of course my favorite is when you call them because their pin is in the middle of the river and they answer- YEAH WE ARE COMING RIGHT OUT- Click. Park by said river, collect my thoughts, collect my 3.75 and move on.



MHR said:


> I've been told lately by a few pax that the Uber arrival time still had me 5 minutes away.
> 
> So yeah, I text or call once the wait timer kicks in.


And I'm sure it said driver five minutes away when they last looked at their phone 5 minutes ago.


----------



## MHR (Jul 23, 2017)

Saltyoldman said:


> And I'm sure it said driver five minutes away when they last looked at their phone 5 minutes ago.



Possibly, but I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt, at least most days.

I don't drive full time so I save my cancels for very special occasions.


----------



## cratter (Sep 16, 2017)

It shows the passenger the exact location of your vehicle. And then sends them a text the uber has arrived. Uber sends the text for you. It's redundant to send another yourself.


----------



## Cndragon (Dec 8, 2016)

Even before I became a driver... when I go to order it says about how long it will take. Regardless of any updates, I'm already outside by the time it originally said they'd be there. 

One time only was I not toe to curb... couldn't for the life of me find my keys. Felt horrible to race out and see him sitting there and tipped him extra even though he probably had only pulled up right before I opened the door. 

My daughter is even more on it... doesn't matter how long it says it'll be, she only calls when she's ready to walk out the door and not a second before. 

So the whole... the app said you were 5m away! thing doesn't fly with me. They knew the estimated time when they ordered a ride to begin with and chose to ignore it.


----------



## Steve B.. (Apr 27, 2017)

I will almost always make an effort to contact them. If they don't answer then it's a guilt free cancel... Lots of tourist in my area though and honestly the pin just seems to be screwed up down near the beach.


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

PMartino said:


> Go east young man





cratter said:


> It shows the passenger the exact location of your vehicle. And then sends them a text the uber has arrived. Uber sends the text for you. It's redundant to send another yourself.


Never trust Uber " Technology".


----------



## UberIsverycaring (Dec 5, 2017)

PMartino said:


> Go east young man


I'd prefer going west!


----------



## cratter (Sep 16, 2017)

Almost immediately after the screen shot i posted above, I got another ping to a downtown bar...roll up guy waves to me outside the window (group of 4). He opens the doors to the bar, I roll down my window, "We're just getting the last check"...give him the thumbs up.

I see one of the guys still has a full beer...(thinking to myself how long do i wait 6 minutes instead of 5?). 

4 minutes after arrival all are in the vehicle. "Thanks for waiting." "We even slammed/didn't finish out beer to make sure we were out on time."

Me: "yeah no problem."

Arrive at destination: "Here's $5. Thanks again for waiting."

I feel like he had another uber driver give him the $5 cancel fee lesson before (even though he didn't say it) and I should send part of my tip to that other driver!


----------



## kevink (Apr 18, 2016)

I never call or text unless there is a surge multiplier or a long trip notification on the request. Other than that, I don't bother. Go to the pin, wait 5, if they come out, great, if not, collect my fee and move on.


----------



## rickasmith98 (Sep 26, 2016)

Definitely text also. Have saved in my clipboard "Your Uber has arrived" and just paste and send. So many PAX have told me they didn't get the notify from Uber when you see "Rider Notified" on the screen. Not sure if the Uber generated message goes to text or if it's only shown in the rider's Uber app. Used to think PAX were BSing me about not receiving msg but I heard it from so many. Once I started sending the text, can tell after I send, within 30 seconds, many times the pax are coming out the door. It won't always make a difference but you're just sitting there waiting anyway and if half your pax respond to it, then it's well worth it.


----------



## MUGATS (Aug 14, 2016)

cratter said:


> It shows the passenger the exact location of your vehicle. And then sends them a text the uber has arrived. Uber sends the text for you. It's redundant to send another yourself.


It's not redundant because YOUR text can actually confirm they got the message and request a response. 
YOU can get a reply and decide what to do.

An Uber text I never see won't tell me if they are on the way etc.


----------



## cratter (Sep 16, 2017)

MUGATS said:


> It's not redundant because YOUR text can actually confirm they got the message and request a response.
> YOU can get a reply and decide what to do.
> 
> An Uber text I never see won't tell me if they are on the way etc.


It's also redundant because they can see on the map at every moment where youre at. And when you request a ride, you should be constantly watching the map to be ready to go outside the second they are a block away....I've never paid a cancel fee.


----------



## jfinks (Nov 24, 2016)

rickasmith98 said:


> Definitely text also. Have saved in my clipboard "Your Uber has arrived" and just paste and send. So many PAX have told me they didn't get the notify from Uber when you see "Rider Notified" on the screen. Not sure if the Uber generated message goes to text or if it's only shown in the rider's Uber app. Used to think PAX were BSing me about not receiving msg but I heard it from so many. Once I started sending the text, can tell after I send, within 30 seconds, many times the pax are coming out the door. It won't always make a difference but you're just sitting there waiting anyway and if half your pax respond to it, then it's well worth it.


Worth it sometimes... I've found that sometimes a cancel fee is better than a lot of trips in parts of the city. So unless it is surging I wait 5 minutes and insta cancel. On to the next. One important thing to do is note the rider rating as that can clue you into whether the next request is the same rider you cancelled on. You definitely don't want the same rider you just cancelled on because the chance of getting a decent rating is nil.


----------



## MUGATS (Aug 14, 2016)

cratter said:


> It's also redundant because they can see on the map at every moment where youre at. And when you request a ride, you should be constantly watching the map to be ready to go outside the second they are a block away....I've never paid a cancel fee.


Are you a driver or a rider? Every driver knows that the passenger app glitches at times and shows you 2-3-4 minutes away when you're actually sitting in front of the address.

I've seen passengers show me the app saying that when they got in my car, I've had it happen to me as a rider.

So you can sit there and do nothing , or you can be a tiny bit pro-active, send a text and usually find out whether you're wasting your time or not. Unless you're just looking for cancel fees, or you're looking to send a message.... But I don't drive to send messages, when I drive, I drive to make money. Sending a text speeds up the process of decision making for me and allows me to maximize my time and my return.

I don't spend a single second worrying whether my pax are "toes to the curb" because this simply isn't reality. 95% make you wait in some form or another. I'm worrying about reducing that wait time, not educating the masses about Uber etiquette.


----------



## cratter (Sep 16, 2017)

MUGATS said:


> Are you a driver or a rider?


Both.

The best way to maximize your time and money is to drive to the pin. Wait five minutes if they don't show cancel. And move to the next requested ping. Otherwise Uber would make you call after five minutes like Lyft does. Or make you wait ten minutes to collect fee like previously.

I don't worry about toes to the cubs either. And I certainly don't think a text makes any passenger "hurry up".

The only reason people text is to make themselves feel better if they end up canceling. "Well I tried."


----------



## jfinks (Nov 24, 2016)

Lol, wow, harsh but true.



cratter said:


> That's why I usually say toward another bar.
> 
> Just got paid for education. I can now claim I'm a teacher too!


----------



## cratter (Sep 16, 2017)

Just requested an Uber. Watched the map as he arrived. Uber sent me a message saying he arrived and please meet the driver at the pickup location. Went smooth, except the driver went to Pizza Hut instead of Burger King...sometimes as a pax I'll send a text with my location sometimes I like to see if they can figure it out themselves. But he's new.


----------



## jfinks (Nov 24, 2016)

Usually this is a rider intelligence test which most fail. Like pinning your location at the point where you poop at, or back yard. Setting location is a two step process and a lot of riders skip the more accurate 2nd part where they can pick the exact curb they will be on or which side of the building, etc.



cratter said:


> Just requested an Uber. Watched the map as he arrived. Uber sent me a message saying he arrived and please meet the driver at the pickup location. Went smooth, except the driver went to Pizza Hut instead of Burger King...sometimes as a pax I'll send a text with my location sometimes I like to see if they can figure it out themselves. But he's new.


----------



## cratter (Sep 16, 2017)

I will say sharing live location is a nice step and makes finding the pax easier and more accurate. They still need to show the drivers the building outlines like Lyft and the uber passenger app.


----------



## MUGATS (Aug 14, 2016)

cratter said:


> Both.
> 
> The best way to maximize your time and money is to drive to the pin. Wait five minutes if they don't show cancel. And move to the next requested ping. Otherwise Uber would make you call after five minutes like Lyft does. Or make you wait ten minutes to collect fee like previously.
> 
> ...





cratter said:


> Both.
> 
> The best way to maximize your time and money is to drive to the pin. Wait five minutes if they don't show cancel. And move to the next requested ping. Otherwise Uber would make you call after five minutes like Lyft does. Or make you wait ten minutes to collect fee like previously.
> 
> ...


Maximizing your time involves situational awareness.

If a 4.9 pax says 2 mins and it puts you over the magical 5 minute barrier, who cares....

You are at the location of a potential customer and you don't have to expend any more fuel or add more wear and tear to your vehicle to find a new pax.

Your assumption that there is an insta-ping waiting for you the minute you cancel is just that.

In reality, absolutely best case scenario you likely have to wait a minute or two for the next ping, then a 2-3 minute drive to the location. Only to be confronted with the exact same scenario of waiting again. Maybe your next rider makes you wait 4:45 before sauntering out. I have waited 2 more minutes, because of a text, you're likely a minimum of 8-9 minutes before engaging your next ride.

So you're going to go through the process again because you're unwilling to send a free text, while sitting waiting for your pax to get to the car?

Sure you get the $5 cancel fee, but you've already wasted 5 minutes to get it, and I've waited 7 minutes and left with the rider..... I can guarantee the average fare in most markets exceeds $5.

Again you completely failed to address the fact that the rider app does glitch (frequently) I have had dozens and dozens of pax get in my car, apologize to me for making me wait and tell me that the app was telling them I was still 4 minutes away. The text brought them out. Who knows how much time I have gained as many likely sped up to try and get out sooner because of the text message I send.

Relying on the Uber app exclusively to wrangle your passengers into your vehicle is passive and hurts your bottom line.

We have wonderful technology that can easily be employed to make driving Uber even easier.

To me it is just laziness or indifference that would prevent anyone from sending a simple pre-loaded text that could potentially save you time and money.



cratter said:


> Just requested an Uber. Watched the map as he arrived. Uber sent me a message saying he arrived and please meet the driver at the pickup location. Went smooth, except the driver went to Pizza Hut instead of Burger King...sometimes as a pax I'll send a text with my location sometimes I like to see if they can figure it out themselves. But he's new.


As a rider, why wouldn't you always divulge your location as accurately as possible?

If the rider decides to sit at Pizza Hut once the proximity of the GPS determines he is at the pickup location, the only one who can lose is YOU if he decides to put forth a poor effort to find you and collects his $5.

You want the driver to "figure it out" but it's you that has the key identifying information to complete the pickup (driver vehicle type/colour and license plate). He has a name.... and an approximation of a location.

You want the driver to figure it out (likely by texting you) but as a driver you are unwilling to extend the same effort to find your pax?

It seems like you're more worried about proving some sort of strange point or playing games than actually getting to your destination.


----------



## cratter (Sep 16, 2017)

Yeah I play games by playing by Ubers rules. As a pax and drivers. I always go above and beyond...i walked to pizza hut to get into the uber. No complaints. 

The only point is to see how accurately some uber drivers can use the app. I'm the type that likes to see how smart people are. How intuitive they are. Always learning.

He also had a 4.5 rating. Spoke broken English and had trouble putting the car in gear...as we approach the movie theatre I heard his phone say turn left but keep driving forwars....half block ahead of the destination asks this it? "Yeah this is fine."


----------



## MUGATS (Aug 14, 2016)

cratter said:


> Yeah I play games by playing by Ubers rules. As a pax and drivers. I always go above and beyond...i walked to pizza hut to get into the uber. No complaints.
> 
> The only point is to see how accurately some uber drivers can use the app. I'm the type that likes to see how smart people are. How intuitive they are. Always learning.
> 
> He also had a 4.5 rating. Spoke broken English and had trouble putting the car in gear...as we approach the movie theatre I heard his phone say turn left but keep driving forwars....half block ahead of the destination asks this it? "Yeah this is fine."


Evaluating fellow drivers as a hobby seems weird to me.... but whatever floats your boat I guess.


----------



## Gilby (Nov 7, 2017)

I did my first cancelation today. Went to a pickup address that I had been to before. At the four minute mark I sent a reminder text that I was outside the main entrance to this small apartment building. Hit the five minute mark, still no show. I waited an additional minute, then canceled.


----------



## cratter (Sep 16, 2017)

MUGATS said:


> Evaluating fellow drivers as a hobby seems weird to me.... but whatever floats your boat I guess.


Car is in the shop getting an autostart put in. But youre right I do enjoy seeing how good the competition is.


----------



## UberUber81 (Jul 21, 2016)

I pull up, I wait one to two minutes, then I lock doors rotate away from where I think the pax would be coming out of. Cancel no-show at 5 mins collect fee.


----------



## UberLaLa (Sep 6, 2015)

As soon as I roll up, if passenger is not standing outside waiting for me, I text:

_Uber out front. Thanks
_
SMS is more reliable than Data and/or Uber's PM. Many of my Riders thank me for the text, saying, _Uber said you were 2 minutes away. _Sometimes when they get in the car they finally get the notice from Uber, that I have arrived.


----------



## UsedToBeAPartner (Sep 19, 2016)

Bubbajr said:


> A little information... I drive in a small college town. My average ride is 3-5 minutes and unless it's a surge I'm making $3 on the ride. I only drove at night and it's busy Thursday-Saturday. Anyways, these kids usually keep me waiting right to the last minute. It's to the point that I turn my car off at nearly every stop. Would you bother to call or text? Every time I've done it they usually come out quicker. Of course I've also tested out just waiting the 5 minutes to collect my $3 fee and driving off. For some reason I feel a bit guilty doing this though.


You should also have marked yourself as arrived about a block out to give them the heads up. If they don't have toes on the curb, call immediately and let them know that you are outside NOW. If there is any hesitation in their voice give them about a minute and then pull around the corner. Don't answer any calls or texts and cancel at 5:01. See ya!


----------



## roadman (Nov 14, 2016)

Bubbajr said:


> A little information... I drive in a small college town. My average ride is 3-5 minutes and unless it's a surge I'm making $3 on the ride. I only drove at night and it's busy Thursday-Saturday. Anyways, these kids usually keep me waiting right to the last minute. It's to the point that I turn my car off at nearly every stop. Would you bother to call or text? Every time I've done it they usually come out quicker. Of course I've also tested out just waiting the 5 minutes to collect my $3 fee and driving off. For some reason I feel a bit guilty doing this though.


sounds like you are an ethical person. You have no business driving for Uber. No call or text, never answer phone. Always no show cancel every chance you can.


----------



## FlexGuyJim (Oct 29, 2016)

Not sure about the whole pax app issues with driver arrivals, guess it depends on your market...but after 1000's of rides given, my app has Never failed to state "I've Arrived and Pax Notified" upon my arrival!....so I tend to side with those who question/call bs on the whole "but the app said you were 4min away" thing. 

It's worth repeating....
* Our riders can see and receive an ETA before and after they request their ride.
* Our riders can watch us turn for turn in the app on our way to pick them up.
* Our riders are notified when we have arrived and are waiting.
* Our riders are "Now Notified a 2nd Time" while we are waiting (newly added as part of 180 Days of Change).
* Our riders are given 5 minutes to come out to the ride they requested.
* Our riders agreed to the pick-up time guidelines and cancellation fees when they signed up.

After all this communication, why should/would we "train" our riders that we are willing and able to wait even longer by having to make additional texts and phones calls to them....kind of defeats the purpose of all the above. (my only exception is a single call to a large surge rider, other than that it's "5 then drive")

One could also argue, that in the case of a bad input/pin drop...it's up to the rider to "text/call their driver" with their correct location, as they are still notified upon our arrival at the location They input or dropped when their driver arrives at it. Same goes for a pax who is delayed.

We're all already working hard enough to "untrain" our riders that Tips are not Included....why train them in new ways to waste a driver's time and money?

It's also been my experience that riders who don't respect your time...typically, don't respect your rating or the need to tip a job well done!


----------



## Uber Crack (Jul 19, 2017)

I text, why not? It doesn't kill me.
Sometimes they're just up the street or something and it's a bad pin drop.
Sometimes you can learn from early contact that they're indeed a piece of excrement. Then you can bail before you even have to deal with it.  
Edit: I had no clue back then. Cancel and wheel spin out at 5:01


----------



## 4.9 forever (May 31, 2017)

I have seen people justifying rudeness blaming it on 'bad pin drop' or some such thing. The rider can see where the pin is, just like the driver. They can and should fix it, not use it as an excuse to be rude and not meet their end of the bargain.


----------



## cratter (Sep 16, 2017)

FlexGuyJim said:


> Not sure about the whole pax app issues with driver arrivals, guess it depends on your market...but after 1000's of rides given, my app has Never failed to state "I've Arrived and Pax Notified" upon my arrival!....so I tend to side with those who question/call bs on the whole "but the app said you were 4min away" thing.


The pax app also now tell thems after two minutes you will be charged wait time which is nice.

18 trips given today. Not one app glitch as all were in the vehicle in under five minutes.
Well there is this one guy who is a quasi regular. I pulled up send a text "I'm in the back of the bar" (his go to pickup spot).....hes a regular so I waited six minutes...I see him get out of the bar and hop into the waiting taxi!....waat?! ha Dude likes to drink heavy though.


----------



## onionhead (Aug 20, 2016)

If it’s dead and I know cancelling will mean waiting another 10 minutes before the next ping... I will text them at the 4 minute mark “what r u doing.”

As a driver I never request a ride and then stay inside my apartment until they arrive. I am already outside when I request and wait there at the pickup. So I will never sympathize with late pax. I think they are scum. With the exception of women who would rather not wait around at the curb at night in the cold. 

Also, some pax claim the app says I’m still 5 minutes away when I’ve already been there 2 minutes. I do sometimes not believe this claim.


----------



## kdyrpr (Apr 23, 2016)

Call and ask them if they still desire a ride. "OK, great you do". "where you headed to"? "Right around the corner!". OK. CANCEL, rider no show.....made 75 cents more and didn't move.


----------



## Shakur (Jan 8, 2017)

cratter said:


> Car is in the shop getting an autostart put in. But youre right I do enjoy seeing how good the competition is.


Why? Your posts make zero sense. If you see him sitting at Pizza Hut and you're at bk why not just say something if it means enough to bring it up later in a forum.

The critics of drivers are ridiculous, they have more "professional" services if you require them. The next step is a taxi and after that you can hire professional drivers...google has an extensive list of both servicing most areas. But nah, y'all don't want that because both options cost too much, that 8 dollar ride you are critiquing would've been 22 in a taxi and 30 in a hired.

You get what you pay for, regardless of the car, uber and lyft are cheap, A to B rides. Sit back, enjoy the ride and get out when it's over.


----------



## Gilby (Nov 7, 2017)

Two days ago I canceled after waiting seven minutes in front of an apartment building. This morning I had the same rider, and we talked about the canceled ride, which made him miss an important meeting at work. He said he had looked and could not see me (even though this morning I stopped in exactly the same location and he found me). I mentioned that I had sent him a text, and he acknowledged getting it. He said he texted me back, but I am sure I never received it.

At any rate, although English is not his native language, he did indicate he was aware a driver can cancel after five minutes. He wasn't angry about the other day, just confused.


----------



## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

For me it kind of depends on my mood and I think the location.
Some places I expect toes to the curb, others I can understand if they're not.


----------



## Shakur (Jan 8, 2017)

Gilby said:


> Two days ago I canceled after waiting seven minutes in front of an apartment building. This morning I had the same rider, and we talked about the canceled ride, which made him miss an important meeting at work. He said he had looked and could not see me (even though this morning I stopped in exactly the same location and he found me). I mentioned that I had sent him a text, and he acknowledged getting it. He said he texted me back, but I am sure I never received it.
> 
> At any rate, although English is not his native language, he did indicate he was aware a driver can cancel after five minutes. He wasn't angry about the other day, just confused.


That's why when you order a ride, you are READY, and about to walk out so in case something like this happens he can look for you, call etc, BEFORE 5 minutes is up. If you cancelling on him made him miss a meeting, he managed his time poorly to begin with. A 5 minute window for next driver to come to you should not be enough to make you late or miss anything.


----------



## 4.9 forever (May 31, 2017)

"the app says you are still 5 mins away" First, why is it always 5 minutes? the app never fails with a different amount of time? And second, if the pax knows it fails, then the obvious solution is be on the curb when you request the ride.


----------



## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

4.9 forever said:


> And second, if the pax knows it fails, then the obvious solution is be on the curb when you request the ride.


Exactly. So when were they going to come out? Never?


----------



## jazzapt (May 16, 2016)

I will sometimes send a text after a few minutes. But I drive only early AM. And I don’t like to spend my time looking at my phone in the dark. I’d rather be scanning my surroundings. So I don’t always text. And I hate talking on my phone in the car. So I’d rather not call.


I have heard pax mention “the app said you are still 5 minutes away” thing. But I don’t feel it holds water when it comes to making a driver wait. Even if they did not get the texts stating I had arrived. In my mind, here is how things should go:


Pax orders Uber knowing driver is 7 minutes away. Pax now knows they now have 12 minutes max to get out the door in order not to risk a cancellation fee (7 minutes drive time + 5 minute wait time). Once 7 minutes have passed, pax sees driver is still 5 minutes away. Knowing Uber is glitchy, pax either heads out to confirm driver has not arrived and waits by the curb. Or, if they’d rather wait inside, they call/text driver to confirm their ETA (I have many pax do this).


Therefore, while I do think a call or text is the considerate thing to do, or the right thing to do if you want to make sure you get that ride, I don’t believe it is necessary.


----------



## Gilby (Nov 7, 2017)

Shakur said:


> That's why when you order a ride, you are READY, and about to walk out so in case something like this happens he can look for you, call etc, BEFORE 5 minutes is up. If you cancelling on him made him miss a meeting, he managed his time poorly to begin with. A 5 minute window for next driver to come to you should not be enough to make you late or miss anything.


It was about 10 degrees F this morning, so I really didn't expect him to be outside waiting. He did use the entire two minutes and was starting to be charged waiting time when he got into my car.


----------



## FlexGuyJim (Oct 29, 2016)

4.9 forever said:


> "the app says you are still 5 mins away" First, why is it always 5 minutes? the app never fails with a different amount of time? And second, if the pax knows it fails, then the obvious solution is be on the curb when you request the ride.


I agree and am surprised by how many driver reminder texts & calls are due to real or perceived Pax App issues in this forum. I would humbly argue that Pax App issues are a Uber/Pax problem and not a Driver problem/responsibility.

This low fee/relatively low pay ride on demand model is based on ALL parties Uber/Pax/Driver doing there parts.

If drivers are regularly texting/calling pax's because of pax app issues, you are doing a disservice to both your pax and the driver community....you're just reinforcing in our pax's that the App and All of its communications are not to be trusted or observed and if they wait long enough and the driver wants the ride bad enough, he/she will eventually contact you personally upon arrival.

I believe drivers should do their part by arriving promptly after the ride is requested, providing a safe/efficient/professional rider experience, and waiting 5 then drive (with rare exceptions of course..), if a rider fails to do their part.

Pax App issues and the driver time/money they waste, will Only be addressed and corrected by Uber if they are communicated to Uber by the Pax! And that will only happen if enough Pax's complain to Uber that they were charged a cancellation fee but "the app said they were 2-x mins away" etc, etc. and demand these pax app issues be fixed.

(and no, I'm not one of those negative drivers! I truly enjoy driving and my passengers for the most part, make decent money & above average tips, and have always maintained a rating in the mid 4.9's. just think we All need to do our parts..)


----------



## Bazinga57 (Oct 2, 2017)

I always call. I'm not out to screw anyone in my University town with loads of repeat customers. We always find each other and I've never felt taken advantaged of. It's a service business. Make a good faith effort to provide the service.


----------



## Squirming Like A Toad (Apr 7, 2016)

I text at 3 minutes. Then no one can say I didn't make an attempt. At 5 I cancel unless I have reason to believe it's going to be a really lucrative ride.

Here's a trick- when you cancel, go right to the payment area to look at the record and you can see where he was going. That way if he pings you again you'll know if it is worth going back to get him and possibly losing the cancel fee.


----------



## RangerBella (Nov 29, 2017)

cratter said:


> Todays story...4.54 pax pings me at a downtown bar. She texts "are you here?"
> 
> "Yes."
> 
> ...


Keep the wheels rolling while you cancel. As soon aa you hit cancel, make the wheels roll faster.....hehe


----------



## Squirming Like A Toad (Apr 7, 2016)

Cancels used to be great in my market, $7.50, and you might have dodged a severely drunk rider when you do it. Now they're $3.75 which is crappy but still better than a minimum ride and you didn't have to drive.


----------



## indytd (Aug 29, 2016)

Bubbajr said:


> A little information... I drive in a small college town. My average ride is 3-5 minutes and unless it's a surge I'm making $3 on the ride. I only drove at night and it's busy Thursday-Saturday. Anyways, these kids usually keep me waiting right to the last minute. It's to the point that I turn my car off at nearly every stop. Would you bother to call or text? Every time I've done it they usually come out quicker. Of course I've also tested out just waiting the 5 minutes to collect my $3 fee and driving off. For some reason I feel a bit guilty doing this though.


It's the way drivers train riders to use the ride share system. Time is money and they must learn how valuable it is.


----------



## Julescase (Mar 29, 2017)

cratter said:


> Uber already sends the text you have arrived. Why are drivers sending more?! That's frustrating to the passengers. I also hate it when the drivers pulls up to the location and I have to answer my phone as I'm already walking to his car because he's calling me.
> 
> If its a busy downtown bar at closing time with a bunch of cars outside the entrance, I'll text them something like "Gray Hyundai with Flashers on east of said bars entrance toward said bar down the street...by the hot dog stand."....even that doesn't work though....had them walk right by me...and then call...and tell me to honk. and then they found me...and then its them i realized walked right by me a second earlier.


 If I ri

If the ride is high surge, I always text once I arrive to the pick up location because so often the pax's Uber notification is a minute or two behind. Time is money, I don't like wasting precious time when it's busy. I rarely call unless the surge is over 2.5 or something.

I use the same wording as you do, "I'm in a dark gray Prius with blinkers on, two parking spaces away from the club entrance ' and half of the time, they are still clueless.



cratter said:


> Yeah I play games by playing by Ubers rules. As a pax and drivers. I always go above and beyond...i walked to pizza hut to get into the uber. No complaints.
> 
> The only point is to see how accurately some uber drivers can use the app. I'm the type that likes to see how smart people are. How intuitive they are. Always learning.
> 
> He also had a 4.5 rating. Spoke broken English and had trouble putting the car in gear...as we approach the movie theatre I heard his phone say turn left but keep driving forwars....half block ahead of the destination asks this it? "Yeah this is fine."


 Someone's intuition can only go so far, if a pin is at the location provided and the driver goes to that location and address, how much more intuition can one use? Maybe I misunderstand the situation you've set forth. If you provided a clue such as the word "pizza" or "hamburger", depending on where are you actually were, things would be different and the driver could possibly find you on this treasure hunt of yours.

I'm all about providing as much detail as possible for the rider: "I'm parked on Gower directly in front on the entrance to Starbucks, in a light grey Prius with blinkers on" - time is money (I don't include the "time is money " part) and I just want those butts in my car.....

Sadly, folks seem to have a hard time locating me even when they have literally every detail on where to find me.


----------



## RedANT (Aug 9, 2016)

I hear all types of excuses, but the bottom line is that if they knew I was outside waiting, and they simply didn't care enough, or respect my service enough, to show up for the ride they requested, I cancel and waste their time too. 

I see them peeking out the windows. They know I'm outside. Who the hell else do you think that lady in the car is, idling in your driveway at 5am? 

I wait until the app tells me I can cancel if they no-show, then I collect my fee and move on. No calls or text messages required.


----------



## Julescase (Mar 29, 2017)

cratter said:


> It shows the passenger the exact location of your vehicle. And then sends them a text the uber has arrived. Uber sends the text for you. It's redundant to send another yourself.


The message gets to the pax about 25% of the time. Usually they receive the Uber notification when they've gotten settled in my back seat.

I took Uber twice daily for a month straight in 2016 and I think I received Uber's notifications in a timely manner MAYBE 10 times. Out of 40-45 trips.



RedANT said:


> I hear all types of excuses, but the bottom line is that if they knew I was outside waiting, and they simply didn't care enough, or respect my service enough, to show up for the ride they requested, I cancel and waste their time too.
> 
> I see them peeking out the windows. They know I'm outside. Who the hell else do you think that lady in the car is, idling in your driveway at 5am?
> 
> I wait until the app tells me I can cancel if they no-show, then I collect my fee and move on. No calls or text messages required.


In the past few days, I've had about 5 separate pax get to my car at the 4:45-ish mark (aka very late) and failed to even acknowledge the fact that they are really late, not even a "sorry for the wait " or "my apologies, I had to feed my dog" or any excuse at all. Just crickets. Rudeness and crickets.

I've had this weird flux of incredibly rude, entitled and inconsiderate packs (wayyyy worse than the normal rudeness) in the last few days, one woman this morning sprayed perfume in my car's sealed interior, which I had sealed due to the dust and ash in the air. She also insisted that I stop and let her out in the middle of a lane of traffic, and unfortunately there were no cars behind us and she actually looked to check, I really wanted to say no but there were no cars around for blocks. How that was even possible in Los Angeles I will never understand . She was such a pill. Ugh.

Then there was the Beverly Hills pain in the ass last night who let her dog hop up into and walk non-stop on my car seats for the whole ride, the dog weighed about 5 pounds so she easily could've held it. Don't get me wrong, I love dogs and normally wouldn't care about the dog at all, but who doesn't carry their 5 pound freaking dog when they're getting in someone else's car? I really really wanted to take a picture of the fur and send it in for a cleaning fee but then this women told me that she had to be evacuated from her house in Ventura due to the fires so I felt like that would be really bad karma so I just used a lint roller brush and cleaned it up myself. I didn't submit for a cleaning fee, believe me if she hadn't told me about the house/fire issue I totally would have, her rating was a 3.8 (see pic) and quite honestly I was really curious to see how a 3.8 would act. she definitely deserved it and I gave her 2 stars since not only did she make me wait a very long time (but not enough for me to be able to cancel!) but there was the whole thing with the dog plus she didn't even say hello upon getting in the car. So yeah, now she's a 3.5 or 3.6 stars probably.


----------



## KenLV (Jun 23, 2017)

Karen Stein said:


> Sometimes the arrival text is missed. I always try to call at the 5 minute mark.


Only if they never look at their phone while waiting for their ride to arrive...


----------



## Julescase (Mar 29, 2017)

KenLV said:


> Only if they never look at their phone while waiting for their ride to arrive...


Yeah no kidding - people can't get their damn noses out of their phones for 10 seconds, EVER! How are these shitheels not seeing various notifications (from both Uber AND drivers)??!!

That's so funny - I always picture pax running around their apartments trying to get ready and get out the door, but the more likely scenario is they're sitting on their phones involved in some self-centered social media posting, and _that's_ why there late getting to our cars!


----------



## neigedoi (Dec 6, 2017)

Julescase said:


> If it's surging over 2.0, I might call pax before cancellation, especially if surge has dwindled as I was waiting for them


How can you know if surge has dwindled? My Uber map does not show boost and surge info from the time I accept a request until drop off.


----------



## cratter (Sep 16, 2017)

neigedoi said:


> How can you know if surge has dwindled? My Uber map does not show boost and surge info from the time I accept a request until drop off.


Download Uber pax app. While waiting for passenger use it to request a quote to a nearby location and do the math to see what the multiplier is vs your cities minimum.


----------



## Bubbajr (Nov 12, 2017)

Well tonight I made $21 in cancellation fees! I’m not wasting my time sending messages anymore. Take my $3 fee and keep it moving!


----------



## Julescase (Mar 29, 2017)

Also , For a base x ride, the cancellation fee is more than the trip would be most of the time, so I'm usually happy to collect $3.75 rather than the $2.62 minimum ride fee for carting their sorry butts 2 miles.


----------



## cratter (Sep 16, 2017)

Julescase said:


> Also , For a base x ride, the cancellation fee is more than the trip would be most of the time, so I'm usually happy to collect $3.75 rather than the $2.62 minimum ride fee for carting their sorry butts 2 miles.


Why does "in the sticks" North Dakota have a higher driver minimum than the City of Los Angeles?! Yet the cancel fee is the same amount?

The $5 cancel fee on lyft is pretty much guaranteed to be about equal or more than 80% of the rides in my town.


----------



## backcountryrez (Aug 24, 2017)

U/L both notify the pax when I've arrived, except Lyft requires that I call, so I call once I arrive, and hang up once the call timer hits 0:01. Lyft also gives you the destination, so if it's a ride where I'd earn more than the $5 canx fee, I will courtesy call about three minutes in.


----------



## SFLYBER (Dec 10, 2017)

cratter said:


> Uber already sends the text you have arrived. Why are drivers sending more?! That's frustrating to the passengers. I also hate it when the drivers pulls up to the location and I have to answer my phone as I'm already walking to his car because he's calling me.
> 
> If its a busy downtown bar at closing time with a bunch of cars outside the entrance, I'll text them something like "Gray Hyundai with Flashers on east of said bars entrance toward said bar down the street...by the hot dog stand."....even that doesn't work though....had them walk right by me...and then call...and tell me to honk. and then they found me...and then its them i realized walked right by me a second earlier.


All rideshare drivers need to train the PAX'. It is disrespectful of the PAX to make us wait, especially for a short trip.

My SOP is to:
With Uber, if the passenger isn't on the curb, I will text them as soon as I get to the location. I text "I have arrived. Are you on your way out?" My next move depends on what happens over the next 15-30 seconds.

With Lyft, we can't text. We have to call. I'm not going to call. I'd rather just text. I only call if there is a discrepancy with the location.

If the PAX takes too long, usually more than 30 seconds, I will cancel and drive off. It also depends on how quickly I arrived. If the pickup location was very close to where I was when I was pinged, I will wait a few minutes.

When waiting on Uber PAX', I used to wait until the timer expired so I could collect the fee, but Uber has changed the program. Now you have to call the PAX. The one time I called the PAX, there was no answer. I cancelled but didn't receive the fee. I contacted Uber, but their boilerplate response was to get back to them in 48 hours. For $3.75, it's not worth my time. So now I just cancel and move on.

With Lyft, 5 minutes is too long for me to wait. I just cancel after 30 seconds and move on.

It is our responsibility to train the PAX' and train Uber and Lyft. We need to cancel more often.



kevink said:


> I never call or text unless there is a surge multiplier or a long trip notification on the request. Other than that, I don't bother. Go to the pin, wait 5, if they come out, great, if not, collect my fee and move on.


Surge is rarely worth your effort with Uber. Look at your surge bonus. It's only for the distance traveled, not for the whole bill.


----------



## wingdog (Nov 6, 2017)

With Lyft wait 5 minutes, then call, let it ring twice, immediately hang up and cancel. You have to call them after the 5 minutes is over, but it only has to ring (twice) after that you will automatically get the full cancel fee without fighting support. Lyft gives you the whole $5, and the bad pax on lyft are terrible, so take their $5 and run. Hit them in the pocket book, it is the ONLY way pax will learn. Lyfts pax app is better at showing you where the car is anyways. I've used it as a pax. No excuse for a pax not to be able to find you if they put any effort into it. Good lyft pax will call you or answer on the first ring if not already outside waiting. The phone should be in their hands anyways.

uber takes out the booking fee, only pay 3.75. with uber, I send a text at 2 minutes and cancel at 5. no phone calls. Pax who don't even attempt to look for me, or contact me, won't get help finding me. Those end up being the worst pax anyways. it's a good screener. If they call or text after I arrive and are having trouble finding me i'll reposition or circle the block/lot again & help guide them to me or wait a bit extra. I'm not a dick, and those pax have some common courtesy. I won't answer calls enroute though for pax trying to play games with pickup locations. I'll start the timer, park, then return their call (just to be ignored because I didn't fall for their ploy)

Because of more retaliatory ratings on lyft and higher cancel fees I put less effort in getting people in my car and more effort into collecting the fee. With uber I'd rather have the ride most of the time, but will collect that cancel fee anyways if they haven't found me in a reasonable time. I'm not running a charity here. I'm done driving around and waiting on people for no reimbursement. Same people who expect me to pick them up somewhere dumb or can't find me are going to be the same one trying to jump out of my car in the middle of the street or insisting I drop them off in a bus lane, and I don't want their 1 stars after I refuse.

I I'm pretty new at this, but I learned this protocol from you old timers here. Since enacting it my pickup problems have virtually disappeared, and my pax quality and ratings have gone way up.


----------



## tinymoon (Nov 26, 2017)

Australia based - I text when I get the pickup location right and right after the waiting time kicked in.
When Uber Driver app pops up Cancel If No Show then I will cancel and move on.


----------



## rickasmith98 (Sep 26, 2016)

cratter said:


> I will say sharing live location is a nice step and makes finding the pax easier and more accurate. They still need to show the drivers the building outlines like Lyft and the uber passenger app.


Doesn't LYFT do this currently? Lyft has a circle for the PU address location but then you have a stick figure of a person representing the updating GPS of the phone. This is very helpful but sometimes I think it can take up to 3 minutes before the phone location updates but as long as the PAX stays in the same house or building, you can use the stick figure to locate them.


----------



## DrivingForYou (Aug 6, 2017)

$3.75 or $5 for lyft - not enough money for wasting my time - I want to give surge rides with great service and get tips. I'm not doing this job to get $3.75 in cancel fees.

I mostly am trying to get rides that are surge/boost or long (pref. Both), and in these cases im going to err on the side of getting the pax into the car.

That said, while I ignore most POOL rides, if I happen to have the rare pool ride and they are not standing outside ready, I cancel as soon as the option appears - no call, no wait. Not there? Too bad. Don't use POOL.

For a regular base rate ride, which I really only take if I'm in destination mode or its slow and there's no surge anywhere, I have little patience - but I call the pax via voice at 4:30, partly because both uber and lyft have problems putting the PIN in the right place, and sometimes the PIN and actual pax location aren't in touch with reality. This is a significant problem in many parts of LA especially downtown.

But when its surging and I'm some place in OC where base wait time is 22.5 cents a minute, I'm enormously to wait. In once case it was a 2.0 surge in an affluent area and I waited outside a bar (but in communication with the pax) for over 11 minutes. At 45 cents a minute for the pre-order wait time I'll wait, no prob.

I just wish the system had a "during ride wait time". We need a "WAIT" button we can press when the pax wants us to stop at a store, that starts charging them 50 cents a minute (at base).

Pax then wanted to go through the In n Out. My response to a drive through request is always the same: "we aren't paid for time, but I am happy to go through a drive thru for tips".

Pax happily agreed - ride ended up about $30 and he gave me a cash $20 tip.

Had I cancelled I would have had only $3.75 ... I like $50 better.

ONE NOTE: if you cancel as a no-show, and the pax requests the ride again, you may get the request from this same pax again. DONT ACCEPT. The pax will likely be pissed at you and potentially give you a bad rating or other problem if they realize you had cancelled as a no-show.



jfinks said:


> Usually this is a rider intelligence test which most fail. Like pinning your location at the point where you poop at, or back yard. Setting location is a two step process and a lot of riders skip the more accurate 2nd part where they can pick the exact curb they will be on or which side of the building, etc.


When it is clear the pax don't set the pin correctly, I educate them. I have a flyer entitled "how to set the pin for pick-up", and on the map picture I show them how to zoom in with fingers and set the pin location.

When doing this I say "this is a new feature that most passengers don't know about yet".



SFLYBER said:


> Surge is rarely worth your effort with Uber. Look at your surge bonus. It's only for the distance traveled, not for the whole bill.


You don't know WTF you're talking about. Like, did you fail math? First of all, surge is for distance and time. Second, the "whole bill" is mostly distance.

And you leave at 30 seconds? Trying to get yourself-deactivated? You are violating terms of service and providing crappy customer service. Its drivers like you that give drivers a bad reputation.


----------



## GouryG (Nov 25, 2017)

Being in a multi college area I tend to get a lot of hits from either the campuses or the downtown area clubs and restaurants. I do make an effort to contact the pax if they don't show up right away. Granted on especially the Lehigh campus Uber's GPS is not that reliable and sometimes sends you to the wrong house. So I do try to contact the pax if they don't show up right away.


----------



## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

I call on arrival or wait up to 2 minutes after arrival to call. I use my judgment of the situation in deciding when or whether to call. If the pickup location is a hip multistory apartment building, I call ASAP. These people almost •always• delay - very entitled and they feel they are due every possible benefit available, including wait time, and they almost certainly won't tip.

Also, calling early lets you know if the phone accepts incoming calls or gets answered by a live person. If no one answers, I'm less likely to be generous with my time. On rare occasions, I'll cancel even before the 5-minute timer is expired if it's busy and I think there's little chance they'll show up on time.


----------



## JoshInReno (Jan 29, 2018)

I will call at the five minute mark. No answer? Cancel and move on. 

If they do answer (not often) I will give them exactly 1 minute more before I cancel.


----------



## Saltyoldman (Oct 18, 2016)

JoshInReno said:


> I will call at the five minute mark. No answer? Cancel and move on.
> 
> If they do answer (not often) I will give them exactly 1 minute more before I cancel.


You are too kind sir. You should be pulling around the corner at 4 mins. Turning off headlights and flipping the Lyft app on.


----------



## henrygates (Mar 29, 2018)

After a couple of minutes I text to notify them of my location. I don't ask any questions like where are you, etc. After 5 minutes (total) I cancel and leave.

Their app has an icon of my car. It shows exactly where I am while en route, when I arrive, and where I am. It starts charging them and reminds them that I am waiting. There is absolutely zero excuse for them not to be at my door within 5 minutes of my arrival.


----------



## JoshInReno (Jan 29, 2018)

Saltyoldman said:


> You are too kind sir. You should be pulling around the corner at 4 mins. Turning off headlights and flipping the Lyft app on.


It might get to that.


----------



## Rakos (Sep 2, 2014)

cratter said:


> Todays story...4.54 pax pings me at a downtown bar. She texts "are you here?"
> 
> "Yes."
> 
> ...


Never feel bad about cancelling no show...

If in doubt call butt not required...

Remember sometimes the pax...

Will "Uber race" you...and another Uber...

Had one just the other night...

She was so apologetic...

She said keep the cancel fee...

Luckily it was XL and I drove a few miles...

Rakos


----------



## Saltyoldman (Oct 18, 2016)

JoshInReno said:


> It might get to that.


Yeah bro not worth it. Certain situations justify a call. Big night surging then I call when I am a minute away just to make sure I find them quick. Pick up drop off repeat. Don't friggin wait for these hosers 3.75 is more than you will get 75% of the time anyway.


----------



## Rakos (Sep 2, 2014)

Remember to wave as you drive off...

Doin The Shirlington shuffle...

Doin The Shirlington shuffle...

Rakos


----------



## Saltyoldman (Oct 18, 2016)

Rakos said:


> Remember to wave as you drive off...
> 
> Doin The Shirlington shuffle...
> 
> ...


These are the people who rate you poorly because they think you are going to rate them poorly for making you wait. It's all a game, they are already giving you a 1* before they get in the car. Rarely a tip either. Avoid the rating collect and move on.


----------



## jfinks (Nov 24, 2016)

Yep, I'll make extra effort if a good surge area. Remember also to note their rating when they requested. If you get re requested don't pick up the same rating, it is probably them again. Then you would have to cancel on them and waste a few cancel percents. When in doubt after cancelling, wait for a bit before accepting a new rider. Let the one you cancelled on filter out.


----------



## Rakos (Sep 2, 2014)

jfinks said:


> Yep, I'll make extra effort if a good surge area. Remember also to note their rating when they requested. If you get re requested don't pick up the same rating, it is probably them again. Then you would have to cancel on them and waste a few cancel percents. When in doubt after cancelling, wait for a bit before accepting a new rider. Let the one you cancelled on filter out.


Wait...let me get this straight...

Your saying if I wait a bit...

All the crap will just filter out...?...8>)

Rakos


----------



## jfinks (Nov 24, 2016)

Yep, some other chump can take them after they are pissed they got cancelled on. lol


----------



## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

Saltyoldman said:


> You are too kind sir. You should be pulling around the corner at 4 mins. Turning off headlights and flipping the Lyft app on.


I think the entire object should be to not wait the 5 minutes. That's why I call as early as possible - let them know I'm waiting and let social pressure do its magic. That way, if they wait the whole 5 minutes, I can just be quiet and they'll know why I'm being quiet. I'm working up to doing the passive-aggressiveness and tell them directly to "please be kind to your next driver and meet him when he arrives".


----------



## jfinks (Nov 24, 2016)

It takes effort to call. If I didn't drive a long distance to get there I have minimal investment. If I drove a good distance then I might call, or if there is a surge and it is busy then yes. 19 out 0f 20 rides the rider is ready to go for me. I actually get enjoyment in 1. Cancelling, and 2. refusing ride if they have to many riders for X. The enjoyment is especially good if it is raining out and they try to clown car me and I say nope too many. And drive off.


----------



## Brian G. (Jul 5, 2016)

No and No


----------

