# Analysis of Uber rating system



## donurs (May 31, 2015)

I have been doing an "informal focus study" with riders over the last couple of months and conclude that, in many cases, drivers ratings do not go up as soon they would expect but go down relatively faster. Riders say the major reason they do not care to rate is if all goes normal (according to their assessment). They do rate if they are pissed off for some obscure/random reason and that obviously results in a less than 5* rating. In other words, a ride with no rating by a rider will not increase your overall rating but the 1-4* ratings will decrease your rating.
All this ratings business is just meaningless unless the companies automatically rate a ride 5* after, say 24-48 hours, if the rider has not rated the ride in that time frame.
As for drivers rating riders, if you don't specifically select a 1-4*, the rider by default gets a 5*. Why can't the same methodology be applied to the riders rating of a ride?
And why should a rider even be allowed to change a given rating at later date when a driver cannot? Either way, who the heck remembers which specific ride you are modifying days, weeks or months after the fact?
Bottom line: Don't get hung up on the star rating it is not worth stressing over. It's just smoke and mirrors with no reality to rational or logic.


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## FLKeys (Dec 27, 2018)

They need to get rid of the current rating and replace it with something like this:

I would love to see the rating system changed to this for both Lyft and Uber:

Both riders and drivers will need to answer before requesting or accepting next trip.

*Rider:*
Would you ride with this driver again?

Yes: Thank you have a nice day.
No: Warning! Selecting no will flag this driver for never being matched with you again in the future. This could affect your wait time for future ride requests.
Continue with no?
Yes: Thank you, you will no longer be paired with this driver.
No: Cancels and takes rider back to original question.



*Driver:*

Would you drive this rider again?
Yes: Thank you have a nice day.
No: Warning! Selecting no will flag this rider for never being matched with you again in the future. This could affect the number of ride requests you receive in the future.
Continue with no?
Yes: Thank you, you will no longer be paired with this rider.
No: Cancels and takes rider back to original question.



Driver and rider ratings would show as a lifetime percentage rating based on the percentage of Yes and No's received by the Driver or Rider.

Also a system needs to be put in place that keeps riders from creating new accounts to start their ratings over. Doubt that will ever happen as it would most likely need to be based of SS# and that would have security issues.


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## Munsuta (May 4, 2019)

Ratings are pointless. I do everything the same and I literally stay between 4.87 and 4.91. It goes up and down and up and down. I drive the same, smile and greet the same. Very consistent. They should just get rid of the rating system completely.


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## donurs (May 31, 2015)

Purely as an academic exercise, I have been observing how my driver rating seems to work (4.95).
The stars breakup has not changed one bit in around 5-6 weeks. My guess is that most riders do not care to rate a ride unless they want to rate it less than a 5*. In other words, the rating will go down whenever there is a less than a 5* rating but remain stagnant as most riders do not care to actually rate a 5*. So, shouldn't an unrated trip be rated 5* by default to making the overall rating a bit more proportionately realistic?
Any comments or observations?


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## Matt Uterak (Jul 28, 2015)

The only value the rating system has is to weed out the worst of the worst. 

If you are consistently floating in the 4.6-4.7 range you are a terrible driver and nobody likes you.

Higher than that? It doesn’t matter


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## donurs (May 31, 2015)

Bottom line - the ratings system is totally dysfunctional and useless.
Even for a driver's rating of a pax - if you rate a rider less than a default 5*, Uber expects you to spend driving time giving reasons/explanations for the lower rating. If I rate a rider lower than the default 5*, I just swipe and move on.
So either way, it really does not matter. Guess I'll remain at 4.95 till some rider rates me (between 1 & 4) and my rating drops by a fraction.


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## Michael1230nj (Jun 23, 2017)

I think the rating system is one of Ubers brilliant strokes. It keeps everyone on guard. True Genius.


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## donurs (May 31, 2015)

Michael1230nj said:


> I think the rating system is one of Ubers brilliant strokes. It keeps everyone on guard. True Genius.


Problem is their "Genius" only works on peripheral random issues.
Real "True Genius" will be seen and appreciated when they fix real-time operational issues such as improving rates and a fully precise and functional in-app GPS.
Having been a driver for 4+ years, it is obscene how much rates (read as income) has dropped to more or less 30-40% of what it was originally.
And yes - another point regarding cleaning fees. Uber can easily see cleaning fee claims of each driver. Why lump all drivers and assume they are submitting fake requests requiring invoices (which, BTW, can also be faked). I have like 4-5 cleaning fee requests in almost 4.5 years. Fortunately, they paid all.


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## peteyvavs (Nov 18, 2015)

Michael1230nj said:


> I think the rating system is one of Ubers brilliant strokes. It keeps everyone on guard. True Genius.


Yeah and I have a flying unicorn.


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## IthurstwhenIP (Jan 12, 2018)

Pax knows

First ‘if’ they rate then

They are asked to tip

Skip the guilt

Don’t rate


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

peteyvavs said:


> Yeah and I have a flying unicorn.


"FLYING CARS " ! ***


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## peteyvavs (Nov 18, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> "FLYING CARS " ! ***


My flying unicorn doesn't need gas. It's magical ?


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## donurs (May 31, 2015)

IthurstwhenIP said:


> Pax knows
> 
> First 'if' they rate then
> 
> ...


So true! No guilt - just move on.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

peteyvavs said:


> My flying unicorn doesn't need gas. It's magical ?


Hold 4 passengers ?


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## 58756 (May 30, 2016)

donurs said:


> I have been doing an "informal focus study" with riders over the last couple of months and conclude that, in many cases, drivers ratings do not go up as soon they would expect but go down relatively faster. Riders say the major reason they do not care to rate is if all goes normal (according to their assessment). They do rate if they are pissed off for some obscure/random reason and that obviously results in a less than 5* rating. In other words, a ride with no rating by a rider will not increase your overall rating but the 1-4* ratings will decrease your rating.
> All this ratings business is just meaningless unless the companies automatically rate a ride 5* after, say 24-48 hours, if the rider has not rated the ride in that time frame.
> As for drivers rating riders, if you don't specifically select a 1-4*, the rider by default gets a 5*. Why can't the same methodology be applied to the riders rating of a ride?
> And why should a rider even be allowed to change a given rating at later date when a driver cannot? Either way, who the heck remembers which specific ride you are modifying days, weeks or months after the fact?
> Bottom line: Don't get hung up on the star rating it is not worth stressing over. It's just smoke and mirrors with no reality to rational or logic.


Lyft applies 5 by default if no one rates, wonder why Uber can't.


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## Zaarc (Jan 21, 2019)

IthurstwhenIP said:


> Pax knows
> 
> First 'if' they rate then
> 
> ...


What a cynical, yet probably true insight! Never thought of that.


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## donurs (May 31, 2015)

Ozzyoz said:


> Lyft applies 5 by default if no one rates, wonder why Uber can't.


You just proved that Lyft is smarter.


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## lyft_rat (Jul 1, 2019)

donurs said:


> You just proved that Lyft is smarter.


You just proved that Uber is smarter!


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