# Technical problems with Uber app: angry customer



## shin (Dec 10, 2015)

This was my second customer since starting.

I accepted the ride, and then the app said "Network Error." She called and gave me directions, but I could not see her. I could not even call her. After a while she called again, and finally I got to her.

However, the app was not working properly, and she said she was late. Rather than cancel on her, I used my car GPS and asked her for the address. Got to her destination, but the whole ride I was trying to get the app to work with no success. Finally, after restarting my phone, I "'picked up" and "dropped off" the customer to complete the trip, but only after the trip was over.

I then emailed Uber to give the pick up and drop off points.

Did I handle this correctly? What should have I done if not?

Thanks. The young lady was pissed, but luckily she did not yell at me.


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## Hunt to Eat (Nov 19, 2015)

shin said:


> This was my second customer since starting.
> 
> I accepted the ride, and then the app said "Network Error." She called and gave me directions, but I could not see her. I could not even call her. After a while she called again, and finally I got to her.
> 
> ...


With sys errors like you experienced, I would have canceled, shut down the app, gotten a cold drink, then turned the app back on to see if it's behaving properly.


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## Baltorious (Dec 4, 2015)

Hunt to Eat said:


> With sys errors like you experienced, I would have canceled, shut down the app, gotten a cold drink, then turned the app back on to see if it's behaving properly.


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## shin (Dec 10, 2015)

It looks like she left me a one-star rating, despite all the hard work I put in to get her to her destination.


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## madUber74 (Jun 3, 2015)

shin said:


> It looks like she left me a one-star rating, despite all the hard work I put in to get her to her destination.


Pax can be bastards like that


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## Tony Neo (Oct 25, 2015)

yeah if something seems wrong, try cancel it and get away as soon as possible. When things goes south, it goes south fast. with 1 star, you might get deactivated pretty soon. Better to stay on top of game and email uber right away and explain what happened to see if they can remove that 1 star.


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## shin (Dec 10, 2015)

Thanks. To be honest, I was thinking at worst I would get a three star rating. I think anyone else would have.


First, the total time lost due to the technical glitches was no more than five minutes.

I apologized profusely and explained what happened.

I told her it was my first day.

She had a really stuck up attitude but her friend was really nice. Whenever I aplologized they did not say anything at all. As if they were angry.

She said she was late for a party. However, they left at 8:30pm when the party was supposed to be at 8:00 pm.

I drove as fast as I could there without risking their safety.

I asked if they wanted music and if they were comfortable. Tried to make small talk.

Drove them half an hour to their destination and apologized again, and wished them a good night.

Got a one star from her.

I don't know if has anything to do with it, but she was either Indian or Bangladeshi.

My very first fare was probably 3 stars since I couldn't locate him, which is understandable. The guy was waiting in the cold, and I think 3 stars is fair.

I was shocked to see my rating was only 2.0 because of my first two fairs, and couldn't believe it. I thought maybe it meant there were two fairs that were rated, but it said 2.0, so it was my rating.

I wanted to quit, but I took some more rides, and all of them (white folks) were very kind and appreciative and I even got a $5 tip.

My rating went up to 3.5, but it is still very unacceptable due to the 1.0 rating which tanked my rating.


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## R44KDEN (Jul 7, 2015)

While some may not agree, Ubers system doesnt really care about your ratings until you reach 200 trips because they account for new drivers coming up to speed and the system acknowledges mistakes happen. You can always write in and appeal to have the 1 star removed. I was 1-starred the other day by an obnoxious rider (I also gave him a 1 star). I went into the Uber office and requested the 1 star be removed (and it was). My Black account rating is 4.86 (400 rides) and my X account rating is 4.91 (1500+ rides). 

I've got a new driver operating under my Black account, he has done 105 trips and is still 5 stars. 

Dont stress about ratings. Just concentrate on doing the best you can, being efficient with the Nav apps, learning your city etc. 

And if I may make a small request, lets leave peoples color/race out of any of your future comments.


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

shin said:


> Thanks. To be honest, I was thinking at worst I would get a three star rating. I think anyone else would have.
> 
> First, the total time lost due to the technical glitches was no more than five minutes.
> 
> ...


It doesn't matter what goes wrong or whether or not you have ANY control over it. The pax will blame YOU.

They can put their pin in the ocean but still blame you for not finding them in 30 seconds. For being on the side of the street they are NOT, even though their pin is. For the app not ending a trip immediately  (or other app issues). For not taking the correct exit when THEY are giving directions and told you when it was too late to move over. For traffic. Including when they told you to go a way you suggested was not a good idea due to TRAFFIC. For the surge (especially).

ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT GOES WRONG WILL BE YOUR FAULT.

Plan and act accordingly.


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## elelegido (Sep 24, 2014)

shin said:


> luckily she did not yell at me.


This may not be the right job for you.


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## Hunt to Eat (Nov 19, 2015)

shin said:


> It looks like she left me a one-star rating, despite all the hard work I put in to get her to her destination.


As you drive more and gain experience you'll develop a sense for which passengers and pings to ignore. This is called gaming the system and it's the only way to be profitable AND keep your rating up. The poorly designed driver rating system has driven drivers to behave in this fashion, so Uber has no one to blame but themselves when drivers cherry pick.


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## Baltorious (Dec 4, 2015)

The driver rating is the suck.


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## Oscar Levant (Aug 15, 2014)

shin said:


> This was my second customer since starting.
> 
> I accepted the ride, and then the app said "Network Error." She called and gave me directions, but I could not see her. I could not even call her. After a while she called again, and finally I got to her.
> 
> ...


when you get a network error disable Wi-Fi that usually fixes it


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## Coachman (Sep 22, 2015)

If I'm having technical problems I'll take at most 30 seconds to try to fix it. If at that point things aren't working I just enter the destination into Waze and go. Once I drop them off, I'll try to figure out the glitches and whether or not the trip registered.

The worst that can happen is the trip never registers with Uber. I'd rather make a trip with a happy customer and risk not getting paid than delay the trip for five minutes and get 1-starred.

If the customer's already angry before you've started... cancel and let them request a new driver. Maybe they'll appreciate the one who comes next.


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## Bart McCoy (Nov 4, 2014)

You had the network error before pax got in car, so you should have never picked up the pax before you saw a working trip in your driver app


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## LadyDi (Nov 29, 2015)

My passenger was in the car when the app would not allow us to start the trip. I told her to tell me where we were going and I started heading there. Soon after, the app corrected itself but I did not look to see if it calculated the entire 7 min ride. This app has not been right for the last two updates. And some passengers are telling me that it has been crashing on their end as well.


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## Oscar Levant (Aug 15, 2014)

LadyDi said:


> My passenger was in the car when the app would not allow us to start the trip. I told her to tell me where we were going and I started heading there. Soon after, the app corrected itself but I did not look to see if it calculated the entire 7 min ride. This app has not been right for the last two updates. And some passengers are telling me that it has been crashing on their end as well.


 The app crashes from time to time, so that's part of the "uber experience"


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## nickd8775 (Jul 12, 2015)

One of the rare times you cancel if possible and do the trip for cash or on Lyft


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## Suzdog (Nov 26, 2015)

Tony Neo said:


> yeah if something seems wrong, try cancel it and get away as soon as possible. When things goes south, it goes south fast. with 1 star, you might get deactivated pretty soon. Better to stay on top of game and email uber right away and explain what happened to see if they can remove that 1 star.


Uber will not remove ANY ratings. Their stock answer is something to the effect of, "Everyone has a right to their opinion. Just keep driving and it will get lost in the hundreds of ratings you will accrue as you drive 7 days a week, 10 hours a day. DRIVE, DRIVE, DRIVE"...........


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## UberBlackPr1nce (Dec 28, 2014)

shin said:


> Thanks. To be honest, I was thinking at worst I would get a three star rating. I think anyone else would have.
> 
> First, the total time lost due to the technical glitches was no more than five minutes.
> 
> ...


Welcome to uber world. Next time cancel the ride..


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## Avenig (Sep 2, 2015)

I've had that happen. Would only correct itself if you close and restart the app, assuming it isn't an issue with phone reception.


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## ZaPHoN (Jan 9, 2016)

Network error is the data connection to your carrier. You phone calls will still work though. Always make sure you don't have crap running in the background on the essentials should be running. These phones with factory OS's are really bad because you don't have real control over can or can't run. 

For Android Cyanogen and Replicant come to mind. If it's and iphone you're up the creek by friend.


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## day tripper yeah... (Dec 21, 2015)

shin said:


> This was my second customer since starting.
> 
> I accepted the ride, and then the app said "Network Error." She called and gave me directions, but I could not see her. I could not even call her. After a while she called again, and finally I got to her.
> 
> ...


I have to turn my phone off and back on after each trip. This seems to make the app work flawlessly throughout the next trip. It sucks but it works.


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## Hoagy (Jan 11, 2016)

shin said:


> This was my second customer since starting.
> 
> I accepted the ride, and then the app said "Network Error." She called and gave me directions, but I could not see her. I could not even call her. After a while she called again, and finally I got to her.
> 
> ...


I get angry customers sometimes I try to ignore them and get them to the destination asap if the systems breaks down cancel and stop take a breather and begin again. If you get flustered and panicky in front of riders it only shows that you're not in control and the pax may use this to their advantage. Some people are rude, arrogant and just plain dimwits, don't let them get to you.


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## Dammit Mazzacane (Dec 31, 2015)

Tony Neo said:


> yeah if something seems wrong, try cancel it and get away as soon as possible. When things goes south, it goes south fast. with 1 star, you might get deactivated pretty soon. Better to stay on top of game and email uber right away and explain what happened to see if they can remove that 1 star.


You won't get deactivated for 1 star unless you have a tallied average of under 4.6 from 100 trip ratings --- imagine, say 100 trips with a bunch of 5s, 4s, 3s, and a few 1s. (Not every passenger puts out a rating.)


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