# How do I escalate a Lyft Support Issue?



## BigBadDaddyDriver (Jan 22, 2018)

A drunk rider puked in my car, and I put in a help request to get a cleaning reimbursement of some sort. I was denied, and after several emails back and forth with the Lyft support person they just stopped responding and dropped a "and this decision will be final." on me.

Surely the broken English email responses is not my only recourse is it? How can I escalate this issue to a manager or what have you? I am less concerned about any actual financial compensation and more frustrated with the dismissal of a legitimate driver issue, and the overriding Lyft principle in general which, IMHO, seems to be, the driver is always wrong...

Does calling the driver help line (or requesting a call back) get me to a line of support different that the emails?

TIA


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## Disgusted Driver (Jan 9, 2015)

I don't know but I would suggest posting to their Facebook page or Twitter with a summary of what happened. They usually reply pretty quickly to those.


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## Phil collins (Sep 16, 2019)

I would have not allowed drunk sick passengers in my car. You have the final decision who you accept as a passenger. It's not Lyfts fault you made a poor decision.


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## mbd (Aug 27, 2018)

I text them if any issues pop up... they text right back ...( Friday night to Sunday night might be a issue )


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## BigBadDaddyDriver (Jan 22, 2018)

Just a bit more info for the curious.

Passengers got in my car, after we start driving (they seemed fine getting into the car) two of the 5 fellows expressed to their buddies that they were feeling ill. Being the ever prepared driver I immediately handed them each an emesis bag. One of the riders made good use of his, and one struggled with his aim :frown:. As we are driving to their location (and before the vomiting started) the Lyft app automatically queues up another ride. I drop off the guys at their hotel, noticing that one of them has puke all over his pants, so I know there will be a mess to deal with. I end their ride (forgetting that there was another one waiting), immediately pull over and take pictures of the mess, clean it up (again, prepared drive, I always have clorox wipes with me) as fast as I can knowing someone is waiting and then move on with my shift thinking that I could submit the claim after my shift ended.

After my shift ends I submit the help ticket, and do a more thorough clean up job. After multiple emails with the support person their bottom line is that I started another ride before submitting the ticket which somehow nullifies the fact that someone puked in my car and I had to clean it up. Furthermore *I* DIDN'T start another ride, the LYFT APP did.... I could have either defrauded the first passenger by NOT ending their ride and driving away to clean up (adding both mileage and time to their fare) or end their ride and the next one starts immediately.

The real bottom line is that LYFT is loathe to piss off customers and happy to take it out on drivers. The funny thing is that most riders I chat with say one of the reasons they CHOOSE Lyft in the first place is they think that Lyft treat drivers better than Uber. I always correct them, at least for me Uber has ALWAYS been better. What a masterful marketing team lyft must have that they have pulled the wool over everyone's eyes....

Uber generally pays better, generally responds to issues quicker, and generally sides with the driver.

UberX or regular lyft is called and 7 people get in? With Uber it is an almost instant an automatic fare adjustment after the fact, no questions asked. With Lyft it is a tooth and nail fight and takes days to get my extra $1.50, and always comes with some smug self righteous, hypocritical admonition. They wag their finger at you if you dare not accept a ride, let alone canceling one and then when you have an issue they wag their finger at you for.... accepting the ride, smh.

Uber has never rejected a cleaning fee request, lyft has never GRANTED one, at least not to me.

Uber is consistent and fair with cancellation fees, lyft almost NEVER gives a cancellation fee even if I have sat at the passengers location for the full 5 minutes, they always find a way to let the rider weasel out of it (did you wait five minutes, did you have good gps and cell reception, did you try to call the passenger, etc.)



Phil collins said:


> I would have not allowed drunk sick passengers in my car. You have the final decision who you accept as a passenger. It's not Lyfts fault you made a poor decision.


They were not obviously sick when they were getting into the vehicle, even so lots of people feel sicker once they get in a moving car than when they were at the bar or party or standing on the street waiting.

I work a small college town during the weekend evening/early morning because that is when it is busy. I understand the risk of driving drunk people, just like riders understand the risk of a cleaning fee if the puke in a drivers car. It is just Lyft that doesn't understand it.


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## Disgusted Driver (Jan 9, 2015)

Phil collins said:


> I would have not allowed drunk sick passengers in my car. You have the final decision who you accept as a passenger. It's not Lyfts fault you made a poor decision.


Wish we were all lucky enough to have the intelligence and ability to see the future that you have. i decline the obvious but you can't always tell buddy.


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## KK2929 (Feb 9, 2017)

IMO -- Lyft thinks that the car was not messed up because you took another ride after the puker. They also see that you filed the claim AFTER you accepted another ride. In their mind, the car was not a mess.
Sorry - I do not think you will win this one.


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## BigBadDaddyDriver (Jan 22, 2018)

KK2929 said:


> IMO -- Lyft thinks that the car was not messed up because you took another ride after the puker. They also see that you filed the claim AFTER you accepted another ride. In their mind, the car was not a mess.
> Sorry - I do not think you will win this one.


Have they not used their own app? Do they not understand that it queues up the next ride and so it is VERY easy to start the next ride even though you are pulled over on the side of the road cleaning chunks off your back seat??

I guess I should have not ended the previous ride and just let the rider pay for the mileage and time during the clean up. To be honest I had forgotten about the queued rider (you know because there was puke on my backseat and that was occupying some of my attention  ). So I was surprised when I ended the ride and was immediately on a new one.

Oh well, Uber will get the majority of my drive time from now on.


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## lyft_rat (Jul 1, 2019)

BigBadDaddyDriver said:


> A drunk rider puked in my car, and I put in a help request to get a cleaning reimbursement of some sort. I was denied, and after several emails back and forth with the Lyft support person they just stopped responding and dropped a "and this decision will be final." on me.
> 
> Surely the broken English email responses is not my only recourse is it? How can I escalate this issue to a manager or what have you? I am less concerned about any actual financial compensation and more frustrated with the dismissal of a legitimate driver issue, and the overriding Lyft principle in general which, IMHO, seems to be, the driver is always wrong...
> 
> ...


Why would you want to "escalate" a bad situation?


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## VanGuy (Feb 15, 2019)

One thing I've learned from this site is that if you get a puker on one app, close it for the night and just use the other after cleanup until the next day.


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## Terri Lee (Jun 23, 2016)

BigBadDaddyDriver said:


> Just a bit more info for the curious.
> 
> It is just Lyft that doesn't understand it.


You write very well.

There may have been a better choice than the word, "escalate".


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## Disgusted Driver (Jan 9, 2015)

Unfortunately both uber and Lyft come to the conclusion that it can't have been serious if you take another call. If there isn't a gap of at least an hour or two between rides you are going to have a problem.


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## 125928 (Oct 5, 2017)

BigBadDaddyDriver said:


> Just a bit more info for the curious.
> 
> Passengers got in my car, after we start driving (they seemed fine getting into the car) two of the 5 fellows expressed to their buddies that they were feeling ill. Being the ever prepared driver I immediately handed them each an emesis bag. One of the riders made good use of his, and one struggled with his aim :frown:. As we are driving to their location (and before the vomiting started) the Lyft app automatically queues up another ride. I drop off the guys at their hotel, noticing that one of them has puke all over his pants, so I know there will be a mess to deal with. I end their ride (forgetting that there was another one waiting), immediately pull over and take pictures of the mess, clean it up (again, prepared drive, I always have clorox wipes with me) as fast as I can knowing someone is waiting and then move on with my shift thinking that I could submit the claim after my shift ended.
> 
> ...


Lyft has stated previously they require a receipt from a professional cleaner for reimbursement, did you submit one?


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## BigBadDaddyDriver (Jan 22, 2018)

father of unicorns said:


> Lyft has stated previously they require a receipt from a professional cleaner for reimbursement, did you submit one?


No, I just cleaned it myself, so no receipt. At least with Uber all I had to do was submit the photos and they reimbursed me for my time and "gross out" factor.

So, you can only get a cleaning fee if someone else cleans it up for you?



lyft_rat said:


> Why would you want to "escalate" a bad situation?





Terri Lee said:


> You write very well.
> 
> There may have been a better choice than the word, "escalate".


By "escalate" I just meant talk to a manager. And not really to fight for a cleaning fee, but to get an explanation on how it would have been possible to submit a help request before the next rider when I had a rider queued. IOW, it feels like they blew off my request on a technicality, one which their own app set up.


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## lyft_rat (Jul 1, 2019)

BigBadDaddyDriver said:


> By "escalate" I just meant talk to a manager. And not really to fight for a cleaning fee, but to get an explanation on how it would have been possible to submit a help request before the next rider when I had a rider queued. IOW, it feels like they blew off my request on a technicality, one which their own app set up.


escalate means: "become or cause to become more intense or serious"
perhaps you meant to use elevate: "raise to a more important or impressive level"


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## 125928 (Oct 5, 2017)

I had a pax spill their drink on my back seat. Luckily I had seat covers. So I took pictures and wiped the spill up. Sent photos to lyft and got $50 along with a reminder that next time I will need to submit with a receipt.


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## Uberisfuninlv (Mar 22, 2017)

Call 1-800-ROHIT


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## BigBadDaddyDriver (Jan 22, 2018)

lyft_rat said:


> escalate means: "become or cause to become more intense or serious"
> perhaps you meant to use elevate: "raise to a more important or impressive level"


I think either word works. But sure elevate is probably a better word.



father of unicorns said:


> I had a pax spill their drink on my back seat. Luckily I had seat covers. So I took pictures and wiped the spill up. Sent photos to lyft and got $50 along with a reminder that next time I will need to submit with a receipt.


I did the same thing except the queued ride automatically started which, apparently according to lyft, nullifies the mess :rollseyes:


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## Illini (Mar 14, 2019)

BigBadDaddyDriver said:


> Uber has never rejected a cleaning fee request, lyft has never GRANTED one, at least not to me.


Here's your problem. This makes it sound las if you've submitted multiple cleaning fees to both Uber and Lyft.


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## BigBadDaddyDriver (Jan 22, 2018)

Illini said:


> Here's your problem. This makes it sound las if you've submitted multiple cleaning fees to both Uber and Lyft.


I was speaking in absolutes to make a point. The truth is this is the first cleaning fee I have put in to lyft.

On Uber I am 1 for 1.

I have had lots of pukers, most make it into the emesis bags I provide, or out the window, or leave a cash tip, or help clean up (including one gal who took off her shirt to clean up  ), etc. so I don't ask for a cleaning fee.


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## Another Ant (Jun 3, 2019)

If a passenger has made a mess in your car that you are going to file a cleaning claim for, you can not take another ride.

If you do, the claim will be denied every time.


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## CTK (Feb 9, 2016)

BigBadDaddyDriver said:


> Just a bit more info for the curious.
> 
> Passengers got in my car, after we start driving (they seemed fine getting into the car) two of the 5 fellows expressed to their buddies that they were feeling ill. Being the ever prepared driver I immediately handed them each an emesis bag. One of the riders made good use of his, and one struggled with his aim :frown:. As we are driving to their location (and before the vomiting started) the Lyft app automatically queues up another ride. I drop off the guys at their hotel, noticing that one of them has puke all over his pants, so I know there will be a mess to deal with. I end their ride (forgetting that there was another one waiting), immediately pull over and take pictures of the mess, clean it up (again, prepared drive, I always have clorox wipes with me) as fast as I can knowing someone is waiting and then move on with my shift thinking that I could submit the claim after my shift ended.
> 
> ...


No, the bottom line is that Lyft felt since you were immediately able to take another ride after the puker, the mess couldn't have been that bad. Plus they require a cleaning receipt to get reimbursed, and it's pretty obvious you didn't have your car professionally cleaned in 3 minutes.

Not saying it's right, just saying this is how it works.


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## Jennyma (Jul 16, 2016)

BigBadDaddyDriver said:


> Just a bit more info for the curious.
> 
> Passengers got in my car, after we start driving (they seemed fine getting into the car) two of the 5 fellows expressed to their buddies that they were feeling ill. Being the ever prepared driver I immediately handed them each an emesis bag. One of the riders made good use of his, and one struggled with his aim :frown:. As we are driving to their location (and before the vomiting started) the Lyft app automatically queues up another ride. I drop off the guys at their hotel, noticing that one of them has puke all over his pants, so I know there will be a mess to deal with. I end their ride (forgetting that there was another one waiting), immediately pull over and take pictures of the mess, clean it up (again, prepared drive, I always have clorox wipes with me) as fast as I can knowing someone is waiting and then move on with my shift thinking that I could submit the claim after my shift ended.
> 
> ...


Lyft is awful now when you try to get support. I was cheated out of ppz because of their app mistake and they say sorry, thanks for understanding. Back and forth and they just don't care. I was pretty much just a Lyft driver even though I'm signed up for uber but now I will try uber


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## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

Phil collins said:


> I would have not allowed drunk sick passengers in my car. You have the final decision who you accept as a passenger. It's not Lyfts fault you made a poor decision.


*Reading comprehension - your comments are not relevant - he's not allocating fault in his post; he's trying to get Lyft to honour its policy of paying cleanup fees to drivers when a pax pukes in the vehicle.

Why do people have such difficulty with digesting reading passages nowadays? I blame the education cuts of the 1980s. ?‍♂


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