# Star System Isn't Broken



## Jason2k15

The star system isn't really broken? Could it be better? Yes! However, if you know how to get good ratings and consistently get 5's on average, you have nothing to worry about. Does that mean you have to strive for perfection, well yes. It means also that you know what to say to the Pax, how to treat them. Don't make wrong turns, don't argue. As the saying goes, the customer is always right. Thoughts?


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## UberHammer

Doesn't matter how good you do when the pax is rating low because they don't like the surge price.


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## Fuzzyelvis

Jason2k15 said:


> The star system isn't really broken? Could it be better? Yes! However, if you know how to get good ratings and consistently get 5's on average, you have nothing to worry about. Does that mean you have to strive for perfection, well yes. It means also that you know what to say to the Pax, how to treat them. Don't make wrong terms, don't argue. As the saying goes, the customer is always right. Thoughts?


So a 2 * because they thought you were awesome but the trip cost "too much" means they're "right"?


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## Jason2k15

UberHammer said:


> Doesn't matter how good you do when the pax is rating low because they don't like the surge price.


A 2 here and there ain't gonna break the bank if you are consistently highly producing 5's. I think the odds of getting 100 2's in a row is a lot less likely than getting 100 5's in a row with stellar service.


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## Jason2k15

Fuzzyelvis said:


> So a 2 * because they thought you were awesome but the trip cost "too much" means they're "right"?


It's all subjective anyway. There is not a system that is objective unless they put cameras in your car and rate you themselves (even that is still subjective). Who wants big brother watching your every move at all times?


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## UberHammer

Jason2k15 said:


> A 2 here and there ain't gonna break the bank if you are consistently highly producing 5's. I think the odds of getting 100 2's in a row is a lot less likely than getting 100 5's in a row with stellar service.


When you only go online when it's surging, you will end up with a lower rating than a driver who works when it's not surging. It's simple math.


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## Jason2k15

UberHammer said:


> When you only go online when it's surging, you will end up with a lower rating than a driver who works when it's not surging. It's simple math.


So, armed with that knowledge, you might want to be a little more strategic.


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## UberHammer

Jason2k15 said:


> So, armed with that knowledge, you might want to be a little more strategic.


At $1.10 per mile up here in Columbus, I take non-surge requests for that exact reason. Anyone who can't maintain a 4.6 rating driving for non-surge probably shouldn't be behind the wheel.

When Ohio drops to below $0.80 per mile, I'll probably quit, because I'm not going to do 0.78 per mile trips just to keep my rating up. My lowest rated weeks have always been weeks where I had the most surge.


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## Krishna

The star system isn't broken--it's designed to suck.


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## CommanderXL

No, it isn't broken. Its purpose is not to ensure passengers get the highest quality drivers, as it is presented publicly. It's purpose is a lot more devious than that. Rest assured, it is doing exactly what Uber wants, and will therefore not be changed. Our mistake as drivers is believing it should be fair. It's not and won't be in its current state. It was never designed or intended for that. No, it's not broken -- it's just horribly flawed as a means of rating our performance. But it's perfect for whatever uses Uber has designed it for. Rest assured.

And the only consolation is that it does affect ALL drivers the same way. We ALL get the low stars for all the same reasons, so as long as it affects us all, it really has no effect on us. There are NO five-star drivers (except those just starting out, and what does that tell you), it's statistically impossible.


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## Fuzzyelvis

Jason2k15 said:


> So, armed with that knowledge, you might want to be a little more strategic.


You mean work when you don't want to and lose money in order to not be deactivated so that you can work when you want to and make some (not much) money?

Pretty sure that's Uber's intention.


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## RainbowPlate

If the customer is always right, then why am I the one who owns a car?


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## zMann

Sooner or later the rating system will be eliminated or will have no direct effects on drivers.
A class action law suit will force Uber to change it


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## Fuzzyelvis

RainbowPlate said:


> If the customer is always right, then why am I the one who owns a car?


They own a car. It's nice and clean and has 283 miles on it.

Not like yours.


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## Fuzzyelvis

CommanderXL said:


> No, it isn't broken. Its purpose is not to ensure passengers get the highest quality drivers, as it is presented publicly. It's purpose is a lot more devious than that. Rest assured, it is doing exactly what Uber wants, and will therefore not be changed. Our mistake as drivers is believing it should be fair. It's not and won't be in its current state. It was never designed or intended for that. No, it's not broken -- it's just horribly flawed as a means of rating our performance. But it's perfect for whatever uses Uber has designed it for. Rest assured.
> 
> And the only consolation is that it does affect ALL drivers the same way. We ALL get the low stars for all the same reasons, so as long as it affects us all, it really has no effect on us. There are NO five-star drivers (except those just starting out, and what does that tell you), it's statistically impossible.


Funny thing is I only worked Saturday last week 5 hours. ONLY surges. When pax asked how I liked uber I told them it was great fun and I liked meeting awesome folks like them but the pay was shit unless it was surging. They would say but it's surging now. I told them yeah so now they're screwing you. The rest of the time they're screwing us.

Even had one pax say "wow that's blunt". I told him yeah well most drivers will lie to protect their rating so they don't get deactivated but I don't really care anymore so I'm telling you the truth.

Expected a rating hit. But I got the impression folks are hearing a lot more truth from drivers lately.

Below is all last Sat. It will fall off this week soon. FYI that's 6 actual trips. I was cancelling left and right. No surge under 2.4 taken.


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## painfreepc

Jason2k15 said:


> A 2 here and there ain't gonna break the bank if you are consistently highly producing 5's. I think the odds of getting 100 2's in a row is a lot less likely than getting 100 5's in a row with stellar service.


if you had 400 5's and 100 2's your rating would be 4.40 stars or the way i like to look at it, A 5 star rating 88%.


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## KMANDERSON

At .85 cent a mile I don't know why yall care about yall ratings.I stop caring about the ratings when the rates went down


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## KMANDERSON

zMann said:


> Sooner or later the rating system will be eliminated or will have no direct effects on drivers.
> A class action law suit will force Uber to change it


If they deactivate you what will the letter say we will not let you run you car into the ground no more


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## Jason2k15

painfreepc said:


> if you had 400 5's and 100 2's your rating would be 4.40 stars or the way i like to look at it, A 5 star rating 88%.


If you get 100 2's, something has got to be wrong.


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## Sacto Burbs

I cherry pick, see my signature. I have great ratings now. Instead of changing me, I changed the passengers. And my driving life is much better for it...


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## XUberMike

Sorry rating system sucks, pure and simple. 

Who is rating me? Who says their remotely qualified to do so. Every boss, every politician and every teacher would be canned if they were required/expected to maintain a 92% approval rating. We could not keep anyone employed/in office YET the UBER driver must have it. Yes, UBER drivers are expected to near PERFECT. I guarantee UBER/Travis would be no where near 4.6 stars out of 5.

A four star hotel is an amazing hotel or restaurant, just not amazing for a driver rating and a rating that could/will get you dismissed.


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## Jason2k15

Sacto Burbs said:


> I cherry pick, see my signature. I have great ratings now. Instead of changing me, I changed the passengers. And my driving life is much better for it...


I accept all...more money = opportunities for me.


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## Lothar

The rating system, as I see it is a complete and total joke. While there are five stars that a driver can be rated with, it is essentially a pass/fail system. Since the supposed rating threshold is set at 4.6 stars, any rating below five stars is, by definition, a failing grade. 

Furthermore, if the system was truly designed to help drivers identify ways to improve their service, then Uber would provide drivers with feedback. They would let us see how each pax rated us and give riders the ability to identify reasons for why a driver was rated down or what the driver could have done to get a better rating.

In my opinion, the rating system is nothing more than a way to create a perception of accountability and quality.


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## Jason2k15

Lothar said:


> The rating system, as I see it is a complete and total joke. While there are five stars that a driver can be rated with, it is essentially a pass/fail system. Since the supposed rating threshold is set at 4.6 stars, any rating below five stars is, by definition, a failing grade.
> 
> Furthermore, if the system was truly designed to help drivers identify ways to improve their service, then Uber would provide drivers with feedback. They would let us see how each pax rated us and give riders the ability to identify reasons for why a driver was rated down or what the driver could have done to get a better rating.
> 
> In my opinion, the rating system is nothing more than a way to create a perception of accountability and quality.


When it comes to customer service and knowing how to please the customer. Either you got it or you don't. Some things can't be taught.


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## Jason2k15

All the doubters need to internalize this article: http://uberdriverdiaries.com/uberx-drivers-stop-obsessing-ratings/


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## Yankee

Jason2k15 said:


> So, armed with that knowledge, you might want to be a little more strategic.


the more I read your replies, the more I think you're an uber exec . Its pretty clear you're not a driver. If you were you'd say something that reflects practical reality instead of defensive philosophy. But to your point, no the rating system isn't "broken". Its just a garbage amateur system to start with that has zero objective validity. Its not a "rating" system but a "pass/fail" that masquerades as a rating system. That wouldn't be such a problem if it weren't used as a means of deactivating good drivers for falling below "perfect". And the reason you don't know that would be??? Never mind, don't reply.


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## gprimr1

There are only two fixes I think that need improving. 

1.) If you rate less than 5, you need to give a reason. 

2.) If you don't rate, it should be an automatic 5 star.


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## Lothar

Jason2k15 said:


> When it comes to customer service and knowing how to please the customer. Either you got it or you don't. Some things can't be taught.


Agree 100% but customer feedback is essential even to a customer service pro.


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## Jason2k15

Yankee said:


> the more I read your replies, the more I think you're an uber exec . Its pretty clear you're not a driver.


Uber Exec, yeah, right... I just happen to study the martial arts. When you have 2 - 3 posters at a time trying to gang up on you then you have to play defense.


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## CommanderXL

Yankee said:


> the more I read your replies, the more I think you're an uber exec . Its pretty clear you're not a driver. If you were you'd say something that reflects practical reality instead of defensive philosophy. But to your point, no the rating system isn't "broken". Its just a garbage amateur system to start with that has zero objective validity. Its not a "rating" system but a "pass/fail" that masquerades as a rating system. That wouldn't be such a problem if it weren't used as a means of deactivating good drivers for falling below "perfect". And the reason you don't know that would be??? Never mind, don't reply.


I like his posts and comments. He reminds me of me a few months ago. (And I don't think he is an Uber exec.) He's just a new driver and enthusiastic - and there's nothing wrong with that. Soon enough he will get to where others have and "see the light." So I commend him for his efforts to be helpful.

But I also remember one of your first posts Jason2k15, when you thought you could get 500 5-stars in a row or whatever and that there must be something wrong with every other driver who didn't. You realized it was an impossibility quickly, as we all did.


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## Krishna

Lothar said:


> In my opinion, the rating system is nothing more than a way to create a perception of accountability and quality.


"Perception" is exactly right. Uber is too cheap to spend money on either of these, they use smoke and mirrors instead.


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## Sacto Burbs

Jason2k15 said:


> All the doubters need to internalize this article: http://uberdriverdiaries.com/uberx-drivers-stop-obsessing-ratings/


Do me a favor, & I will bow to the facts. For your next 30 rides write down the pax rating, and the final fare. I assume you're doing X, right?

Wait, you drive in Cincinnati? $1.20 a mile? That is only 10 cents below the golden streets of San Francisco. You must be a new market. The sleaze bags haven't come out yet.


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## Lothar

Jason2k15 said:


> All the doubters need to internalize this article: http://uberdriverdiaries.com/uberx-drivers-stop-obsessing-ratings/


I cry foul on this article for a number of reasons. First, the reason Uber drivers obsess over their rating is because Uber threatens to deactivate if ratings go too low. The author then later acknowledges that the threat of deactivation is hollow. So if Uber wants drivers to stop obsessing over ratings, they should stop as well.

The author also ignores the fundamental flaw with the rating system as it stands which is that it doesn't provide any usable feedback to the drivers. Each rating is 100% subjective. You would think that at least the driver would be able to see what each pax rated them so they could think back and try to figure what might have happened to result in a lower rating. Maybe you remember missing a turn or pulling out in front of someone or telling a rider to dispose of their alcohol before getting in the car.


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## Sacto Burbs

Lothar said:


> I cry foul on this article for a number of reasons. First, the reason Uber drivers obsess over their rating is because Uber threatens to deactivate if ratings go too low. The author then later acknowledges that the threat of deactivation is hollow. So if Uber wants drivers to stop obsessing over ratings, they should stop as well.
> 
> The author also ignores the fundamental flaw with the rating system as it stands which is that it doesn't provide any usable feedback to the drivers. Each rating is 100% subjective. You would think that at least the driver would be able to see what each pax rated them so they could think back and try to figure what might have happened to result in a lower rating. Maybe you remember missing a turn or pulling out in front of someone or telling a rider to dispose of their alcohol before getting in the car.


You certainly can be deactivated. I'm exhibit A. I took the class, I'm back in action, and now I follow the advice in my signature. But don't kid yourself, you can be deactivated


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## UberXTampa

Sacto Burbs said:


> You certainly can be deactivated. I'm exhibit A. I took the class, I'm back in action, and now I follow the advice in my signature. But don't kid yourself, you can be deactivated


More often than not, I got hit by riders with 4.4, 4.5, 4.6 ratings when I took a chance on them. Still I take 4.7 and above. But any attitude or implication by the pax is a reason to not start the trip. I recovered from the hits I took when I was accepting low rated pax and working the past midnight shifts. Back to 4.88 on dashboard! Ratings actually mostly work. To claim ratings are completely bullshit and useless, you must be thinking all past driver ratings are meaningless. I rate my pax fairly and my ratings reflect my true experience with the pax.


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## Jason2k15

CommanderXL said:


> I like his posts and comments. He reminds me of me a few months ago. (And I don't think he is an Uber exec.) He's just a new driver and enthusiastic - and there's nothing wrong with that. Soon enough he will get to where others have and "see the light." So I commend him for his efforts to be helpful.
> 
> But I also remember one of your first posts Jason2k15, when you thought you could get 500 5-stars in a row or whatever and that there must be something wrong with every other driver who didn't. You realized it was an impossibility quickly, as we all did.


Yes, I was hoping I was going to go on a roll but I saw quickly that wasn't practical.


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## UberReallySucks

Jason2k15 said:


> The star system isn't really broken? Could it be better? Yes! However, if you know how to get good ratings and consistently get 5's on average, you have nothing to worry about. Does that mean you have to strive for perfection, well yes. It means also that you know what to say to the Pax, how to treat them. Don't make wrong turns, don't argue. As the saying goes, the customer is always right. Thoughts?


You can get all the 5 stars consistently because you care and try your best to always do a good job but all it takes is for a joker or a dirt-bag to give you a 1 star rating and you will see your overall rating go down, way down... to a level you never dreamed possible. So if that's not broken, I don't know what is.
This in addition to the rude, nasty PAX holding you hostage to their less than desirable company because they get to rate you at the end of their $ 4.00 trip of which you get to keep a whole $ 2.60


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## Another Uber Driver

Jason2k15 said:


> It's all subjective anyway.


Do you consider it acceptable that someone be cut off from a source of income for purely subjective reasons? Should not that occur for _*objective*_ reasons? Tell the driver specifically what he is doing or failing to do so that he can correct it. Most drivers have no idea why some people rate them so poorly. I have been down that road more than once, myself. More than a few drivers here give excellent customer service but still receive poor ratings.



Jason2k15 said:


> So, armed with that knowledge, you might want to be a little more strategic.


........and what? Drive only slow hours and earn less money? Did someone forget to inform you that in a capitalist system, people go into business to make a profit?



Fuzzyelvis said:


> You mean work when you don't want to and lose money in order to not be deactivated so that you can work when you want to and make some (not much) money? Pretty sure that's Uber's intention.


I would not disagree with that one.



Jason2k15 said:


> I accept all...more money = opportunities for me.


.......and more opportunities to get lousy ratings after you chased ten miles for a 4,2 who is going for the minimum.......



Jason2k15 said:


> When it comes to customer service and knowing how to please the customer. Either you got it or you don't. Some things can't be taught.


More than one driver here "gets it". It is the users who do not "get it". Uber drops the ball by failing to educate its users thoroughly and properly on its rating system.



Yankee said:


> *1. *the more I read your replies, the more I think you're an uber exec .
> 
> *2. *Its a system that has zero objective validity.
> 
> *3. *Its not a "rating" system but a "pass/fail" that masquerades as a rating system. That wouldn't be such a problem if it weren't used as a means of deactivating good drivers for falling below "perfect".


1. ............either that or just another Ubershill.................

2. Original Poster admits that it is "subjective" but seems to think that a purely subjective system is good cause for cutting off someone from a source if income, however paltry that income may be.

3. That must be one of the better assessments of Uber's "rating system" that I ever have read.



Jason2k15 said:


> When you have 2 - 3 posters at a time trying to gang up on you then you have to play defense.


No one is "ganging up" on anyone. More than a few people with a little more experience are calling your statements into question because said statements conflict with their experience.



Lothar said:


> First, the reason Uber drivers obsess over their rating is because Uber threatens to deactivate if ratings go too low. So if Uber wants drivers to stop obsessing over ratings, they should stop as well.
> 
> The author also ignores the fundamental flaw with the rating system as it stands which is that it doesn't provide any usable feedback to the drivers. Each rating is 100% subjective. You would think that at least the driver would be able to see what each pax rated them so they could think back and try to figure what might have happened to result in a lower rating.


.......either that or do not de-activate for four stars............... Uber's edge-uh-mah-kaytinn their users will go only so far. As more than one poster here has demonstrated, certain groups tend to give poor ratings for totally invalid reasons.

The lack of usable feedback is precisely the reason that the "rating system" is flawed. How am I supposed to correct any errors if I do not know what the errors are?



Jason2k15 said:


> Yes, I was hoping I was going to go on a roll but I saw quickly that wasn't practical.


It would appear from that statement that you are giving back to us our premise that the "rating system" is, in fact, flawed.


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## Ziggy

If you get 498 * 5's and 2 * 2-stars; your rating is 4.98 ... it's virtually impossible for a driver to have a 5.00 rating unless he never gets below 5-stars ... and the chances of that happening is about as likely as Travis giving all drivers a $100 Visa gift card for Christmas.


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## Houberxnewbie

Do canceled trips lower rating?


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## UberXTampa

Houberxnewbie said:


> Do canceled trips lower rating?


Don't think so.
I cancel whenever it doesn't make sense to do the job. For example:
1. Pax with attitude 
2. Pax disrespectful even before the ride
3. Pax claims 'it is Uber's mistake!' For misplaced pin
4. Pickup location not good for waiting, I cancel to avoid getting a ticket, not worth it
5. People with "small" dogs that are very friendly... I ask "is it a service dog?" And in 2700 rides just 1 was service dog. I accepted gladly. Others all got cancelled.
6. ETA says 2 minutes and after accepting GPS shows 22 minutes
7. Pax calls from behind blocked streets that is not possible to get through
8. After events, pax is not in an easy location to get to. I keep canceling quickly till one of these people right next to me manage to make a request to my screen. I never street hail, that's illegal by the way!

These are some reasons I cancel and I think in 1 year I only got 1 email telling me that they were not too happy about my cancel rate.

Do what makes sense in your unique situation that caused you to cancel and defend it if uber makes a fuss about it.


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## DrivingStPete

Educating your riders can be good. I had a passenger who said she generally rated drivers as a 3, neither good nor bad. Or so that was her perception, that a 3 was just that. Which I could relate to, having Comcast as a cable provider. Even good interactions, I still don't give a good rating, due to all of the bad experiences. Yet we aren't comcast. I almost never hear a rider complain of our service. So a subtle mention of why a five is important to us, seems to help. 

So many don't know they can or should tip. 

So many have never heard of Lyft. 

So, I don't find it hard to believe they don't understand the rating system. 

Or that they are being rated.


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## Jason2k15

Another Uber Driver said:


> It would appear from that statement that you are giving back to us our premise that the "rating system" is, in fact, flawed.


I was just saying that my enthusiasm was curbed after I saw my 5.0 streak come to an end.


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## CommanderXL

Houberxnewbie said:


> Do canceled trips lower rating?


No, canceled trips aren't calculated into ratings.


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## Realityshark

Uber's rating system is designed to mind-**** the drivers. It is also another example of the total disregard that Uber has for it's drivers:

>> When ratings drop, it psychologically makes some drivers (rookies) go out and drive more to try to bump up their rating. This is to Uber's advantage. Not the driver.

>> Uber hounds their drivers with constant rating updates. They even send weekly e-mails designed to make the driver put in more time to get their rating up.

>> Uber doesn't even tell their passengers their ratings. Uber could care less that they have crappy passengers with low ratings that would get a driver fired.

>> Having drunks that are too wasted to even walk, rate you is unfair. Drivers being rated by drunks. Unbelievably unfair.

>> Having passengers who have been gouged by Uber's surge pricing rate you poorly is unfair.

>> Uber's shitty GPS often makes us late or go to the wrong place and of course, we get rated poorly. Thanks Uber.....real fair system you got there.

>> How is it fair that a crappy passenger with a poor rating gets to rate drivers?

>> If Uber can keep you worried about your precious rating, you wont be worried about the sketchy insurance, depreciation on your car, cleaning up puke, continual lies about rates, etc etc etc.

This post is unbelievable. I believe that this post was started by some Uber employee to try to convince the masses to believe that the ratings were fair. It's more distraction. Uber is unfair to it's drivers time and time again.

Ratings are not fair. Uber is unfair to its' driver in many areas.

How is Uber fair and honest when they claim that they are going to raise rates after their Summer promotion and then send an e-mail two weeks later that keeps rates the same? It's called lying and Uber does this so often.

A real company rewards it's workforce with higher wages year after year. Uber has slashed the wages of it's workforce by over 60% in two years, and yet they still stick with their lie that lower fares equals more money to their drivers. This is total bullshit.

Yesterday I had to read your nonsense that lower rates equals more money for the drivers. This is beyond nonsense. These are out right lies.

The argument that a few bad ratings can be offset by more fives proves my point that this is just Uber's way to force drivers to waste more time. Driving more in an attempt to increase your arbitrary, unfair rating is only to the advantage of Uber. The more you drive, the more chances you have to pick up bar hoping drunks that only want to be driven a minimum fare. Drivers lose money on these fares and then they get rated poorly by a drunk. It's like watching a dog chase its' tail and Uber laughs all the way to the bank while the driver is getting screwed.


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## marty

Lothar said:


> The rating system, as I see it is a complete and total joke. While there are five stars that a driver can be rated with, it is essentially a pass/fail system. Since the supposed rating threshold is set at 4.6 stars, any rating below five stars is, by definition, a failing grade.
> 
> Furthermore, if the system was truly designed to help drivers identify ways to improve their service, then Uber would provide drivers with feedback. They would let us see how each pax rated us and give riders the ability to identify reasons for why a driver was rated down or what the driver could have done to get a better rating.
> 
> In my opinion, the rating system is nothing more than a way to create a perception of accountability and quality.


I swear, the stupid rating should be a thumbs up or thumbs down. Not stars. It's just silly concept when some people even if they are very satisfied will only click 4 stars. I have been making a point to 5 star my nice passengers and make sure they see me do it.


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## Clifford Chong

Ziggy said:


> If you get 498 * 5's and 2 * 2-stars; your rating is 4.98 ... it's virtually impossible for a driver to have a 5.00 rating unless he never gets below 5-stars ... and the chances of that happening is about as likely as Travis giving all drivers a $100 Visa gift card for Christmas.


You're right. It is impossible. No matter how WARY you are, there's always going to be that ONE despicable person who will gladly dock your rating out of sheer 'inner' enjoyment.


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## Realityshark

This thread was started by an Uber employee spreading propaganda.


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## XUberMike

Jason2k15 said:


> I was just saying that my enthusiasm was curbed after I saw my 5.0 streak come to an end.


The sad part about a 5.0 streak coming to an end is that it's rarely a driver issue. I would venture a guess that 99% of the time it's due to faulty technology (mainly GPS issue) or passenger issue (they're late due to their rosey mis-calculations on time required to drive cross town at rush hour...or just plain DRUNK.)

Bad drivers don't get 5.0 streaks, for them 1 is a streak.


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## Disgusted Driver

Jason2k15 said:


> Uber Exec, yeah, right... I just happen to study the martial arts. When you have 2 - 3 posters at a time trying to gang up on you then you have to play defense.


No, the reason why you have to play defense is that you are a blowhard troll who thinks he knows what he's talking about and is smarter than everyone else. You are talking out of your ass.

The rating system is broken, there's no question about it. I drive select. I have some 5.0 weeks, in the past had some 4.5 weeks because Uber got tricky and switched people to default to select instead of X so they were pissed when they got their bill. Not my fault ace but I got the warning anyway. Now they have let us know that if we fall below 4.65 on the previous 25 select rides, we are blocked from select until we get our average back up above 4.65 on the next 25 X rides. 
Does your mathematical genius self realize how easy it is to fall below 4.65 in 25 trips. I may only get 10 ratings over those 25 trips so one rating from a drunk prick or someone who is pissed that I won't break the law for them and take 6 passengers in my car is enough to get me blocked from select and I sure as hell am not driving X to lose money.

So my advice to you is shut the F up about things you know nothing about and stick to your martial arts and driving.


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## OCBob

Jason2k15 said:


> The star system isn't really broken? Could it be better? Yes! However, if you know how to get good ratings and consistently get 5's on average, you have nothing to worry about. Does that mean you have to strive for perfection, well yes. It means also that you know what to say to the Pax, how to treat them. Don't make wrong turns, don't argue. As the saying goes, the customer is always right. Thoughts?


Good to see Jason is continuing on with his knowledge of driving for 2 weeks and is now a pro....pro shill for Uber! Nice avatar btw. Your line of "getting 5s on average" doesn't make sense. Your rating is your average and unless you get all 5s, you can't get an average of 5s. You can get a majority of 5s and if you do not, you won't be driving very long.


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## William1964

"You Make Yourself a nervous wreck"--RUSH (Stick it out)

Of the 146 rides rated, 126 were 5 stars. Thats 86%.

"Dude Rocks!!!" Uber customer

Complaints:
Professionalism
Starting trip before rider was in car/Ending ride prior to drop off
City Knowledge-I've lived here 45 years and still can't tell you how to get from A to B from a random starting point. 

As for the beach, just keep walking east until you get wet. Didn't hang there as a young adult.

I guess ending trip soon and giving riders "5% cash back" isn't working. 
You pay full fare now...Promotion time has ended.

Starting trip early was an accident even though there are no such monsters. 
My hand toughed the start button. nuff sayed

400 trips so hope the rating levels off for the long run. 2 week average is harsh and will flux.


----------



## KeJorn

Jason2k15 said:


> The star system isn't really broken? Could it be better? Yes! However, if you know how to get good ratings and consistently get 5's on average, you have nothing to worry about. Does that mean you have to strive for perfection, well yes. It means also that you know what to say to the Pax, how to treat them. Don't make wrong turns, don't argue. As the saying goes, the customer is always right. Thoughts?


The system is not broken for Uber. It works exactly as they want it to: as a means to control the drivers.
It serves ZERO purpose for riders or drivers. Their system is a LOOONNNG way from '_could be better'_.
It provides zero feedback. If you do not understand that, then you must have just started driving or you work for Uber directly.

College is about to start up soon... go to one of the over-priced colleges and cart those students around for a few weeks at night and get back to us.
When they try to fit 6 people into 4 seats or try to bring open bottles of alcohol into you vehicle, be sure to correct them.
Bring water, gum, and anything else you think they might like and enjoy the praises and promises of 5 stars...
Then at the end of the week, go look at your rating and try to figure out why it is so low.
I'm sure it was something YOU did and you will be able to remember exactly what it was and correct your error(s)...


----------



## BurgerTiime

Jason2k15 said:


> The star system isn't really broken? Could it be better? Yes! However, if you know how to get good ratings and consistently get 5's on average, you have nothing to worry about. Does that mean you have to strive for perfection, well yes. It means also that you know what to say to the Pax, how to treat them. Don't make wrong turns, don't argue. As the saying goes, the customer is always right. Thoughts?


Of course it's broken. I've done nothing but daytime runs and end my week with a perfect 5.0 rating. I did nothing but weekend work and ended with a 4.3. Drunks rate you lower period! As I rate drunks lower too!


----------



## KeJorn

Jason2k15 said:


> If you get 100 2's, something has got to be wrong.


Not if you have done several hundreds or thousands of trips.

Do you even know EXACTLY who, why, or when you got a 2?
Uber doesn't even provide a breakdown of the number of stars you get, aside from the following: 
"_you received *X* five-star reviews out of *XX* rated trips in the past *two weeks*"_

I usually see that message show a difference less than 5. I don't think I have ever seen it state more than 5.
ie: _ "you received _*22*_ five-star reviews out of _*25* _rated trips__ in the __past *two weeks*__"
_
Notice that is RATED trips... yes, you gave over 50 trips in the past 2 weeks, but only 25 people took the time to even rate you.
And of that 25, only *3 *rated you LESS than 5 stars in those TWO weeks. Was it 1, 2, or 3 this week?
Yet there is your weekly rating: 4.65... too low to qualify for the weekly guarantee.
Interesting how that works. Less than 10% of your riders (who took the time to rate you) decide whether you deserve the guarantee.

Yet the fact that 90% of your riders liked your service is not good enough.
Why have a 5 star system if anything less than 5 stars means you did something wrong?
No normal 5 star system works that way. If they are going to do that, they may as well just provide thumbs up or down. Like or dislike, because that is all Uber is using to 'grade you' and hold you to the fire.


----------



## BurgerTiime

A fellow driver here was told he needs to get his rating up or face a deactivation period. He panicked and I told him don't fear, just don't drive this weekend and the next. His rating went back up, way up. He did nothing different.
Drunks move the map around and send you to the wrong location and want to pile extra people in at bar close. Avoid this crowd! I stopped picking up fairs at bar close. It's not worth it. It's not worth the trouble, time, traffic, hassle and ding to your rating. Even drunks have wised up to surge and don't pay it. Now I've noticed a sea of drivers at bar close and they just sit there. The ones that do accept the fair will wake up to a scary bill and take it out on your rating. Many still think drivers control the fair. Aviod bar close/drunks altogether!!!


----------



## tripAces

As alot have pointed out its "broken" to us. But works as intended for Uber.

Even a article I read commented how drivers are being messed over to a point. Do to the journalist couldn't get a response from Uber about the cut off.
The article mentioned Youtube stopped the star rating system and went to thumbs up/down as it was easier.

To me it will always be a broken system. No need to rate each other in my opinion. If a customer has a issue they should have a drop down complaint section to voice their issue. Most won't do to they know how they are mentally. Also no need for us to rate do to Uber won't ever deactive a paying customer unless its a serious matter like the police called.


----------



## rjenkins

I don't love the rating system, but in practice it ends up working well enough. One change I'd make is to disallow or reduce the impact of ratings by passengers who are low-rated themselves. From observation, I believe that low-rated passengers are the most likely to ding you, even in the light of flawless service. They are the sort who bring their own problems with them, and nothing you do can make them happy campers.

This is yet another area where Lyft has a better approach. Yes, they have the same five-star system, but passengers are also allowed to leave comments, which are passed along to the driver in their daily and weekly reports. Further, there is a weekly feedback summary that details specific negative flags for categories "Navigation," "Safety," Cleanliness," and "Friendliness." You still aren't told exactly who rated what, but there's a lot more info, and you can usually make a pretty good guess. The comments give a lot of feedback that is positive, as well. I learn what things passengers like.

As far as hoping a class action suit will eliminate rating drivers...don't hold your breath. Contractors are rated all the time. So are brick and mortar businesses. Just look at Angie's List and Yelp. You're a business. Customers are unfair sometimes. That's business. Deal with it, or get a nice safe JOB.

Sadly, I see the PASSENGER's rating as something that may eventually go away. It only takes a few vocal minorities accusing drivers of profiling to make corporations run scared.


----------



## OCBob

I don't think it is as broken as I thought before but it isn't precise and it could be. Riders have until the next time they Uber so make it a tad friendlier. We are all under the same scoring system so it should be based on our peers with a small part on the actual point average we have.


----------



## OCBob

rjenkins said:


> I don't love the rating system, but in practice it ends up working well enough. One change I'd make is to disallow or reduce the impact of ratings by passengers who are low-rated themselves. From observation, I believe that low-rated passengers are the most likely to ding you, even in the light of flawless service. They are the sort who bring their own problems with them, and nothing you do can make them happy campers.
> 
> This is yet another area where Lyft has a better approach. Yes, they have the same five-star system, but passengers are also allowed to leave comments, which are passed along to the driver in their daily and weekly reports. Further, there is a weekly feedback summary that details specific negative flags for categories "Navigation," "Safety," Cleanliness," and "Friendliness." You still aren't told exactly who rated what, but there's a lot more info, and you can usually make a pretty good guess. The comments give a lot of feedback that is positive, as well. I learn what things passengers like.
> 
> As far as hoping a class action suit will eliminate rating drivers...don't hold your breath. Contractors are rated all the time. So are brick and mortar businesses. Just look at Angie's List and Yelp. You're a business. Customers are unfair sometimes. That's business. Deal with it, or get a nice safe JOB.
> 
> Sadly, I see the PASSENGER's rating as something that may eventually go away. It only takes a few vocal minorities accusing drivers of profiling to make corporations run scared.


Uber has already made us rate the rider before seeing the fare. Now I just guess if it is a $4-$6 fare with no tip= one deducted star. If the fare was actually $7? Oops, blame Uber for your 4 star instead of 5 star. I ruined a guys perfect 5 star rating two nights ago. He said he has taken Uber 10 times in the last 2 months. I had to take him close to the his work, $4 ride. He gave no tip and I just lowered his rating a tad. He still has a good rating but he needs to know tips are not included especially a loser ride for me that equals $2.40.


----------



## Uber-Doober

Even Hollywood got rid of the Star System decades ago.


----------



## Jason2k15

Disgusted Driver said:


> No, the reason why you have to play defense is that you are a blowhard troll who thinks he knows what he's talking about and is smarter than everyone else. You are talking out of your ass.
> 
> The rating system is broken, there's no question about it. I drive select. I have some 5.0 weeks, in the past had some 4.5 weeks because Uber got tricky and switched people to default to select instead of X so they were pissed when they got their bill. Not my fault ace but I got the warning anyway. Now they have let us know that if we fall below 4.65 on the previous 25 select rides, we are blocked from select until we get our average back up above 4.65 on the next 25 X rides.
> Does your mathematical genius self realize how easy it is to fall below 4.65 in 25 trips. I may only get 10 ratings over those 25 trips so one rating from a drunk prick or someone who is pissed that I won't break the law for them and take 6 passengers in my car is enough to get me blocked from select and I sure as hell am not driving X to lose money.
> 
> So my advice to you is shut the F up about things you know nothing about and stick to your martial arts and driving.


I guess you didn't see my *Weighted Average* thread as a possible solution if it were broken at all, but then again, it's all still subjective no matter how you cut it.


----------



## Jason2k15

Disgusted Driver said:


> No, the reason why you have to play defense is that you are a blowhard troll who thinks he knows what he's talking about and is smarter than everyone else. You are talking out of your ass.
> 
> The rating system is broken, there's no question about it. I drive select. I have some 5.0 weeks, in the past had some 4.5 weeks because Uber got tricky and switched people to default to select instead of X so they were pissed when they got their bill. Not my fault ace but I got the warning anyway. Now they have let us know that if we fall below 4.65 on the previous 25 select rides, we are blocked from select until we get our average back up above 4.65 on the next 25 X rides.
> Does your mathematical genius self realize how easy it is to fall below 4.65 in 25 trips. I may only get 10 ratings over those 25 trips so one rating from a drunk prick or someone who is pissed that I won't break the law for them and take 6 passengers in my car is enough to get me blocked from select and I sure as hell am not driving X to lose money.
> 
> So my advice to you is shut the F up about things you know nothing about and stick to your martial arts and driving.


Fortunately, I choose not to argue with you and be negative about the topic. Sounds like you are more a troll than me.


----------



## RockinEZ

Fuzzyelvis said:


> So a 2 * because they thought you were awesome but the trip cost "too much" means they're "right"?


No, it means they are ignorant *holes, but those are our customers.


----------



## Realityshark

Uber corporate is back. I hope your boss sees how miserably you are failing on this post.


----------



## chi1cabby

Jason2k15 said:


> *I guess you didn't see my Weighted Average thread as a possible solution if it were broken at all,* *but then again, it's all still subjective no matter how you cut it.*


Could you please be a bit more self contradictory, but still weasel your way out of taking a stance on the subject of Ratings?


----------



## chi1cabby

Jason2k15 said:


> I guess you didn't see my *Weighted Average* thread as a possible solution


*Weighted Average Ratings*
Here's something substantive on the subject to chew on:
*Adjusted Driver Rating*


----------



## GooberX

Jason2k15 said:


> Fortunately, I choose not to argue with you and be negative about the topic. Sounds like you are more a troll than me.


Are you out of your mind?

Seriously, what alternate reality do you live in?


----------



## Realityshark

GooberX said:


> Seriously, what alternate reality do you live in?


The alternate reality of being an Uber employee posting here to spread Uber lies and propaganda.


----------



## Jason2k15

chi1cabby said:


> Could you please be a bit more self contradictory, but still weasel your way out of taking a stance on the subject of Ratings?


You are failing to realize that I said in the beginning of this thread that it could be better. I never said it was perfect as it is, I don't think it is absolutely broken either.


----------



## Realityshark

No we get to read threads doing damage control about the Uber corporate posts. You are failing to realize.... It's over. You've been exposed. Everyone on here knows you work for Uber. It's way too obvious.


----------



## Jason2k15

Realityshark said:


> No we get to read threads doing damage control about the Uber corporate posts. You are filing to realize.... It's over. You've been exposed. Everyone on here knows you work for Uber. It's way too obvious.


I guess that is your reality. Even if I did work for Uber corporate, I certainly wouldn't hide it. Why would I?


----------



## UberXTampa

chi1cabby said:


> *Weighted Average Ratings*
> Here's something substantive on the subject to chew on:
> *Adjusted Driver Rating*
> 
> View attachment 11583


This is a very positive news that uber actually takes into consideration the surge related bad ratings as well as ETA related bad ratings. But why we don't see the normalized ratings in dashboard ?


----------



## Realityshark

Jason2k15 said:


> I guess that is your reality. Even if I did work for Uber corporate, I certainly wouldn't hide it. Why would I?


Is this question a joke? You are doing it because your bosses told you to. Uber is trying to do damage control because they realize that this site is often quoted and read by the mainstream press. Uber wants to spread propaganda on this site. Your posts have included, defending the rating system, defending how lower rates equals more money for drivers, an outdated press release about how awesome Uber is and all the jobs they are making etc. etc.. It's over dude.


----------



## SpecialK

Yankee said:


> the more I read your replies, the more I think you're an uber exec . Its pretty clear you're not a driver. If you were you'd say something that reflects practical reality instead of defensive philosophy. But to your point, no the rating system isn't "broken". Its just a garbage amateur system to start with that has zero objective validity. Its not a "rating" system but a "pass/fail" that masquerades as a rating system. That wouldn't be such a problem if it weren't used as a means of deactivating good drivers for falling below "perfect". And the reason you don't know that would be??? Never mind, don't reply.


Agree, he is either an uber troll or clueless Koolaid drinker.


----------



## Jason2k15

Realityshark said:


> Is this question a joke? You are doing it because your bosses told you to. Uber is trying to do damage control because they realize that this site is often quoted and read by the mainstream press. Uber wants to spread propaganda on this site. Your posts have included, defending the rating system, defending how lower rates equals more money for drivers, an outdated press release about how awesome Uber is and all the jobs they are making etc. etc.. It's over dude.


I just am not a disgruntled Uber driver like many here. At least not yet anyway What press release are you referring to?


----------



## SpecialK

marty said:


> I swear, the stupid rating should be a thumbs up or thumbs down. Not stars. It's just silly concept when some people even if they are very satisfied will only click 4 stars. I have been making a point to 5 star my nice passengers and make sure they see me do it.


Yes, just rate the drivers like the CSRs for Uber are rated.


----------



## chi1cabby

UberXTampa said:


> This is a very positive news that uber actually takes into consideration the surge related bad ratings as well as ETA related bad ratings.


Uber doesn't take *Adjusted Driver Rating *into consideration. This was a short lived trial balloon. Nothing ever came of it. 


UberXTampa said:


> But why we don't see the normalized ratings in dashboard ?


Drivers don't see anything on their Dashboard or receive weekly email on Adjusted Rating because this was never implemented beyond this trial. Perhaps implementing Adjusted Ratings would be tantamount to Uber admitting that the Rating System had been inherently flawed prior to it.


----------



## Realityshark

Jason2k15 said:


> Sounds like you are more a troll than me.


Which indicates that you admit you are a troll.


----------



## Jason2k15

Realityshark said:


> Which indicates that you admit you are a troll.


Nah, I'm just drinking the Kool-Aid!


----------



## GooberX

You know what is hilariously funny to me?

Uber is spending their billions trying to clean up their image, yet they are ignoring drivers that come face to face with the passengers on a daily basis.

Disgruntled "employees" cannot be overcome with PR campaigns Kalanick.

You'd profitable if you had used 50% of your budget to help drivers and banked the other half.

They would be your perpetual, positive, advertising machine.

How did you **** this up so royally?

Wake the **** up!


----------



## rjenkins

GooberX said:


> Uber is spending their billions trying to clean up their image, yet they are ignoring drivers that come face to face with the passengers on a daily basis.


I've thought about this a lot. I'd be uneasy about matching thousands of drivers, many of whom have negative feelings about my company, with thousands of customers every day. Sounds like you're sending a wolf to tend the sheep.

Of course, the difference is that I actually care about image, and the long term. Uber is basically a real-world equivalent of the Borg (non-Trekkies can google that). Caring is irrelevant. The Mission is everything.

Realistically, what keeps a lot of drivers in check is that when a passenger enters the car, they're pulled more by the desire to get a good rating, and, perhaps a tip. Some of us even truly care about our passengers (most of them, anyway) and simply want to do a good job because that person doesn't deserve to be dumped on.

Spouting negativity to passengers is almost always a bad idea, even when it's just the truth. I fight the desire all the time, and try to focus on the positives.


----------



## Disgusted Driver

rjenkins said:


> I've thought about this a lot. I'd be uneasy about matching thousands of drivers, many of whom have negative feelings about my company, with thousands of customers every day. Sounds like you're sending a wolf to tend the sheep.
> 
> Of course, the difference is that I actually care about image, and the long term. Uber is basically a real-world equivalent of the Borg (non-Trekkies can google that). Caring is irrelevant. The Mission is everything.
> 
> Realistically, what keeps a lot of drivers in check is that when a passenger enters the car, they're pulled more by the desire to get a good rating, and, perhaps a tip. Some of us even truly care about our passengers (most of them, anyway) and simply want to do a good job because that person doesn't deserve to be dumped on.
> 
> Spouting negativity to passengers is almost always a bad idea, even when it's just the truth. I fight the desire all the time, and try to focus on the positives.


I think you've summed it up very well, I hate Uber but have no desire to take that out on my pax (well, almost never, occasionally you get an ahole or two) and I actually enjoy driving people around. Can't be honest though because I need the ratings and negative doesn't work well so the pax rarely knows what the real deal is.


----------



## GooberX

rjenkins said:


> I've thought about this a lot. I'd be uneasy about matching thousands of drivers, many of whom have negative feelings about my company, with thousands of customers every day. Sounds like you're sending a wolf to tend the sheep.
> 
> Of course, the difference is that I actually care about image, and the long term. Uber is basically a real-world equivalent of the Borg (non-Trekkies can google that). Caring is irrelevant. The Mission is everything.
> 
> Realistically, what keeps a lot of drivers in check is that when a passenger enters the car, they're pulled more by the desire to get a good rating, and, perhaps a tip. Some of us even truly care about our passengers (most of them, anyway) and simply want to do a good job because that person doesn't deserve to be dumped on.
> 
> Spouting negativity to passengers is almost always a bad idea, even when it's just the truth. I fight the desire all the time, and try to focus on the positives.


I don't disagree, HOWEVER, you're not promoting Uber during your rides.

2.5 years ago drivers loved this and told every passenger.


----------



## Scenicruiser

GooberX said:


> I don't disagree, HOWEVER, you're not promoting Uber during your rides.
> 
> 2.5 years ago drivers loved this and told every passenger.


Agree with goober, 2 1/2 years ago drivers were promoting uber to "would be passengers, dropping off, "driver bought" promo and business cards at local bars hotels, etc. uber really had it going on at that time. Now...


----------



## SpecialK

Sacto Burbs said:


> You certainly can be deactivated. I'm exhibit A. I took the class, I'm back in action, and now I follow the advice in my signature. But don't kid yourself, you can be deactivated


The fact that the company R3Z Solutions only offers driver improvement courses and not rider improvement courses should tell you all you need to know.


----------



## marty

SpecialK said:


> The fact that the company R3Z Solutions only offers driver improvement courses and not rider improvement courses should tell you all you need to know.


LOL
I should put together a "Rider Improvement Course"

RIC Chapter One: properly place the pickup pin in a location that is actually where you expect to be picked up.
RIC Chapter Two: You are getting a ride, not booking an all inclusive spa get-away that includes meals, drinks, colon cleansing and pedicure. Sit your ass down in the seat, put on your seat belt and behave like a civilized human being for the 3 to 20 minutes it takes to arrive at your destination.
RIC Chapter Three: Put in the destination before the driver arrives. Barking loudly in the drivers ear "You know, it's like near that bar with the sign out front .. you know..." is actually not the best way to provide clear instructions regarding the location of your desired destination.
RIC Chapter Four: If you needed to urinate you should have taken the bus
RIC Chapter Five: The Mystery of car doors.. Modern engineering has managed to perfect the technology of car doors that can be fully closed without using both hands to slam them shut.
RIC Chapter Six: No the driver actually cannot wait 30 minutes without getting paid so you curl your stupid eyelashes, put on lipstick, or whatever other stupid shit you should have done before you requested a car.


----------



## SpecialK

marty said:


> LOL
> I should put together a "Rider Improvement Course"
> 
> RIC Chapter One: properly place the pickup pin in a location that is actually where you expect to be picked up.
> RIC Chapter Two: You are getting a ride, not booking an all inclusive spa get-away that includes meals, drinks, colon cleansing and pedicure. Sit your ass down in the seat, put on your seat belt and behave like a civilized human being for the 3 to 20 minutes it takes to arrive at your destination.
> RIC Chapter Three: Put in the destination before the driver arrives. Barking loudly in the drivers ear "You know, it's like near that bar with the sign out front .. you know..." is actually not the best way to provide clear instructions regarding the location of your desired destination.
> RIC Chapter Four: If you needed to urinate you should have taken the bus
> RIC Chapter Five: The Mystery of car doors.. Modern engineering has managed to perfect the technology of car doors that can be fully closed without using both hands to slam them shut.
> RIC Chapter Six: No the driver actually cannot wait 30 minutes without getting paid so you curl your stupid eyelashes, put on lipstick, or whatever other stupid shit you should have done before you requested a car.


Don't forget the chapter about stops along the way to destination and drive thrus.


----------



## KeJorn

chi1cabby said:


> *Weighted Average Ratings*
> Here's something substantive on the subject to chew on:
> *Adjusted Driver Rating*
> 
> View attachment 11583





UberXTampa said:


> This is a very positive news that uber actually takes into consideration the surge related bad ratings as well as ETA related bad ratings. But why we don't see the normalized ratings in dashboard ?


It needs to include bar hopping hours...


----------



## Mark518

Two riders since the update have told me they are unable to rate higher than a 4 due to app. "Four is selected automatically". Anyone else experiencing this?


----------



## JaxBeachDriver

Jason2k15 said:


> The star system isn't really broken? Could it be better? Yes! However, if you know how to get good ratings and consistently get 5's on average, you have nothing to worry about. Does that mean you have to strive for perfection, well yes. It means also that you know what to say to the Pax, how to treat them. Don't make wrong turns, don't argue. As the saying goes, the customer is always right. Thoughts?


Now you're clearly an ubershill.


----------



## JaxBeachDriver

Jason2k15 said:


> I guess that is your reality. Even if I did work for Uber corporate, I certainly wouldn't hide it. Why would I?


So is that an admission? Are you a "brand ambassador"?



rjenkins said:


> I'd be uneasy about matching thousands of drivers, many of whom have negative feelings about my company, with thousands of customers every day. Sounds like you're sending a wolf to tend the sheep.


but actually, drivers are the customers, because uber tries to claim it is only a technology company referring business to its "partners" who do the driving. But then they hire other ICs, people they also treat like shit, to handle our complaints and concerns.


----------



## JaxBeachDriver

Mark518 said:


> Two riders since the update have told me they are unable to rate higher than a 4 due to app. "Four is selected automatically". Anyone else experiencing this?


Sometimes if I rate a pax 1 or 2, it'll freeze or shut me out and then when I bring be app back up, it wants me to rate them again. I figured coincidence.


----------



## Caplan121

How often does your overall rating update? Sorry if this question has already been answered.


----------



## rjenkins

JaxBeachDriver said:


> So is that an admission? Are you a "brand ambassador"?
> 
> but actually, drivers are the customers, because uber tries to claim it is only a technology company referring business to its "partners" who do the driving. But then they hire other ICs, people they also treat like shit, to handle our complaints and concerns.


I understand the argument for a driver being a customer, hiring Uber as kind of a lead generation company and paying them a commission, but that's not the way things work out. From the passenger's perspective, Uber is the brand, the service, and everything. It's not just a handy matching app for locating independent drivers to hire. Uber sets pricing, service standards, etc, and it is the brand that can be boosted or degraded.


----------



## KeJorn

GooberX said:


> Disgruntled "employees" cannot be overcome with PR campaigns Kalanick.
> You'd be profitable if you had used 50% of your budget to help drivers and banked the other half.
> They would be your perpetual, positive, advertising machine.
> 
> *How did you **** this up so royally?*


Amen.


----------



## JaxBeachDriver

rjenkins said:


> I understand the argument for a driver being a customer, hiring Uber as kind of a lead generation company and paying them a commission, but that's not the way things work out. From the passenger's perspective, Uber is the brand, the service, and everything. It's not just a handy matching app for locating independent drivers to hire. Uber sets pricing, service standards, etc, and it is the brand that can be boosted or degraded.


Well that's what uber tries to say it is: a technology company and NOT a transportation company.


----------



## uberguytampa

The shitty rating system is something that is great for uber to keep us worker bees under control and driving frequently. It has absolutely no positive effect for driver morale. A thumbs up thumbs down system would be fine and it would lower driver stress. Uber knows that but they don't care about drivers at all and its obvious


----------



## William1964

Ig Ubam Sends me another text, I will file an order of protection against his contacting me.


----------



## forkedover

Uber wants to become the new taxi slave master, they talk about background checks when many drivers can't even speak English or read a map. They want to rotate through a hoard of new drivers so that by the time you've worked long enough to hate it they are done.

Pro tip - cancel any ride with a Muslim sounding name. They will consistently rate you very low unless or becuase you are muslim - depending on there fervor and if they think you don't understand Arabic will often brag about it even to there children.


----------



## Fluber

Based on what I've read on this forum, have started giving 5 stars only to on-time, courteous riders who tip.

Now my ratings are taking a hit as riders respond to my rating of them. Not going to stop, though.

Yes, the rating system is broken.


----------



## KeJorn

Agreed. As drivers we have to rate the rider even before seeing the fare and before we can take another request. Therefore drivers rating riders is 100% compliance and immediate.

Yet riders can wait to rate us because they have two different ways (via app, next time they use it or by replying to the email receipt of their trip). They can even use both. They can choose not to rate us (about 30-40% of riders do not rate us) and still use the service. Because of the delayed rating for riders, there is the potential that they can wait to find out how drivers have rated them before rating us. That is simply unfair and leads to retribution ratings.

While drivers will likely be deactivated if they fall below 4.6, riders can continue to use the service despite their rating dropping well below 4.0. We have seen riders with a 1.0 rating.


----------



## Mark518

Must be different riders have access to different versions of the Uber app. My wife had to write Uber to see her star rating and tried to see where you can view an individual driver's rating of her to no avail. She uses Uber in different cities weekly.


----------



## KeJorn

Riders can find out their rating 2 ways.

In app they can request it from Uber.
*[Help]* -> *[Account]* -> *[I'd like to know my rating]* -> *[Submit]*
They will email it to you.

Or what many often do is they ask their next driver.


----------



## ATX 22

Riders cannot see their rating, and they have no idea what you have rated them. If you don't believe me, take a ride as a pax and see for yourself.


----------



## 1LIFE

Hi all... 

Driver here since July 6th 2015 ... almost 2 months.

Honestly I have no idea how they calculate the average rating... 

But here's my idea of how it works... 

Uber average driver rating of the last 500 trips... 

A 4.6 rating... 500 × 0.60 = 300 5 star trips out of 500 trips ... 

Which means 200 (out of 500) trips were rated less than 5 star trips. (By riders)

4.7 rating ... 500 × 0.70 = 350 5 star ratings out of 500 trips.

4.8 rating ... 500 × 0.80 = 400 5 star ratings out of 500 trips.

4.9 rating ... 500 × 0.90 = 450 5 star ratings out of 500 trips.

And so on...

Does this sound about right? 

Or is my theory way wrong?

If my calculation theory is even half way close... 

Which driver would you want to ride with if you used uber as a rider?

Good Luck


----------



## KeJorn

1LIFE said:


> A 4.6 rating... 500 × 0.60 = 300 5 star trips out of 500 trips ...
> Which means 200 (out of 500) trips were rated less than 5 star trips. (By riders)
> 4.7 rating ... 500 × 0.70 = 350 5 star ratings out of 500 trips.
> 4.8 rating ... 500 × 0.80 = 400 5 star ratings out of 500 trips.
> 4.9 rating ... 500 × 0.90 = 450 5 star ratings out of 500 trips.
> 
> And so on...
> Which driver would you want to ride with if you used uber as a rider?
> Good Luck


It's just an average, so it could be something close to what you have listed or rather different. It is simply the total of 1-5 points for every rated trip divided by total of RATED trips.
You do not show how many 4s 3s, 2s, or 1s were factored in... which obviously still affect the score, though will certainly lower it from a 5 star.

As to WHICH driver would I want to ride with? I know all too well the score does not always reflect the kind of driver. After over 1300 trips, you realize that even when you provide excellent service, make no mistakes, some people will still rate you low. And that is part of the reason the system is broken. No feedback is provided to warrant the score. No accountability. Just a 1-5 star. It could have been how they felt at the time (hours, days later) if they even remembered which driver it applied to. Drive drunks and college students around during bar hopping hours and you can be certain your score will drop. That is something we have all witnessed. first hand.

There are many factors as to why the score was low and it may have nothing to do with the actual performance of the driver or a reflection of the trip they had.


----------



## 1LIFE

KeJorn said:


> It's just an average, so it could be something close to what you have listed or rather different. It is simply the total of 1-5 points for every rated trip divided by total of RATED trips.
> You do not show how many 4s 3s, 2s, or 1s were factored in... which obviously still affect the score, though will certainly lower it from a 5 star.


Yes... of course it could be, something close to what I have listed, or rather different... LOL

For arguments sake... let's say it's, "something close" ...

Uber driver rating is based out of the last 500 rated trips the driver has completed. (Not over all trips since you started... it's only based on the last 500 completed/rated trips.)

If the driver has more than 350 5 Star Rated Trips out of 500 .... (approximately a 4.7 average rating)... that driver is allowed to continue being an Uber driver.

So... my question is...

Is the 500 trip average a fair amount of trips to calculate an average using a 5 star rating system? (Uber is never going to change the rating system, it's here to stay.)

500 seems generous to me... and should be fairly easy to maintain above a 4.7 average.

Should it be More than a 500 rated trips? If so, How many more?

Uber has to put a Cap on the amount of trips to calculate a drivers average... in order for it to be fair for all drivers.

Good Luck!


----------



## UberXTampa

It should be exact 1 yeaR worth of trips.
Many events are repeating once every year and they destroy your ratings - such as Halloween, gasparilla, new year etc...
If I happen to complete 500 trips in 1 year, that's my rating.
If I happen to complete 5,000 trips in 1 year, then that's my rating.
500 rated trip is rather arbitrary and means nothing for many people. Just imagine a person working a great percentage of these 500 trips in a time when he was having problems that impact his ratings. He can lose his job before going back to normal.
That's why, ratings should be 1 full year of trips. Doesn't matter how many.


----------



## KeJorn

1LIFE said:


> Yes... of course it could be, something close to what I have listed, or rather different... LOL
> 
> For arguments sake... let's say it's, "something close" ...
> 
> Uber driver rating is based out of the last 500 rated trips the driver has completed. (Not over all trips since you started... it's only based on the last 500 completed/rated trips.)
> 
> If the driver has more than 350 5 Star Rated Trips out of 500 .... (approximately a 4.7 average rating)... that driver is allowed to continue being an Uber driver.
> 
> So... my question is...
> 
> Is the 500 trip average a fair amount of trips to calculate an average using a 5 star rating system? (Uber is never going to change the rating system, it's here to stay.)
> 
> 500 seems generous to me... and should be fairly easy to maintain above a 4.7 average.
> 
> Should it be More than a 500 rated trips? If so, How many more?
> 
> Uber has to put a Cap on the amount of trips to calculate a drivers average... in order for it to be fair for all drivers.
> 
> Good Luck!


For Christ's sake.. What does it matter if it is 350, 400, or whatever # of 5's... The point is whether the average is 4.6 or better. 350 five star ratings = 3.5 so there is a lot of room for + or - which is my only point if saying something close or not. The ONLY thing that matters is that if your are rated a 4.6, you can be deactivated.

The system sucks because it is a FIVE STAR SYSTEM. Any standard 5 star system a 4 is an excellent rating, though still not perfect. In this system, if every rider rated you a 4, you' d be deactivated for having a 4.0.... Now do any mix of 4 star and 5 star and you will have more than 50% of them result in deactivation. Do you not understand this simple concept??

If they just want to say good or bad, then do that. Don' t confuse people with a 5 star system that doesn' t follow normal rules.

If you want to talk about how many 5 stars warrants a 4.6 or lower rating, here is an example where it is glaringly off:

Weekly summary... "_On the bright side in the past 2 weeks 73 of the 105 trips given were rated. Of those rated trips, 70 were rated 5 star. _"

That means THREE TRIPS IN 2 WEEKS WERE RATED LESS THAN 5 STAR.

Guess what my score was for that week?
4.68

So despite the ~95% that were pleased with my service 1-3 (~5%) disenfranchised people affected my score that drastically, which would be considered grounds for deactivation. That is a FAILED system in ANY FIVE STAR RATING SYSTEM.


----------



## 1LIFE

KeJorn said:


> Guess what my score was for that week?
> 4.68


It's not your "Weekly Score" that Uber cares about...

It's your average out of the last 500 rated trips.

I was just trying to put it in perspective. (i.e. amount of 5 star rated trips out of 500 trips, that equals a drivers average rating.)

And believe me, the amount of 5 star trips Matter... It Matters to Uber.

If a driver is unable to maintain 350 5 star trips out of 500 rated trips... maybe the taxi business is not for that driver.


----------



## chi1cabby

1LIFE said:


> Honestly I have no idea how they calculate the average rating...


That's the most factual statement you've made so far.


1LIFE said:


> A 4.6 rating... 500 × 0.60 = 300 5 star trips out of 500 trips ...


That's based on the Assumption that out of the 500 trips, 300 trips were 5*, and the remaining 200 trips were All 4*. Even a Single trip that gets Rated 3* or less, drops the Driver below 4.6* threshold.


1LIFE said:


> Or is my theory way wrong?
> 
> If my calculation theory is even half way close...


Your theory is way wrong, and your calculation is based on the faulty assumption that All Non 5* trips would be rated 4*.


----------



## KeJorn

1LIFE said:


> It's not your "Weekly Score" that Uber cares about...
> 
> It's your average out of the last 500 rated trips.
> 
> I was just trying to put it in perspective. (i.e. amount of 5 star rated trips out of 500 trips, that equals a drivers average rating.)
> 
> And believe me, the amount of 5 star trips Matter... It Matters to Uber.
> 
> If a driver is unable to maintain 350 5 star trips out of 500 rated trips... maybe the taxi business is not for that driver.


The weekly score does not matter? What do you think your overall is built upon? Week after week of ratings. Start with the small piece and you can see why it is broken in the larger piece.

Unless we receive the weekly summary, we have no idea how many 5 stars we have received and even then the number will be skewed and overlapped because they provide 2 weeks as a reference. The ENTIRE SYSTEM is anything but transparent because it is controlled by Uber, so duh... UBER CARES about our score because it is the primary method they employ to control drivers (via fear of deactivation). In other words it was NEVER DESIGNED to provide drivers useful feedback, just Uber. We said this already. And it is definitely part of the reason the system is flawed.

But it' s fairly clear you do not see it as flawed nor a bad thing. Work for Uber much?


----------



## 1LIFE

chi1cabby said:


> That's the most factual statement you've made so far.
> 
> That's based on the Assumption that out of the 500 trips, 300 trips were 5*, and the remaining 200 trips were All 4*. Even a Single trip that gets Rated 4* or less, drops the Driver below 4.6* threshold.
> 
> Your theory is way wrong, and your calculation is based on the faulty assumption that All Non 5* trips would be rated 4*.


Obviously my "theory" is not 100% correct... I was just trying to put it into perspective.

A drivers average rating is of his or her last 500 rated trips... that's what it is.

Good Luck!


----------



## chi1cabby

1LIFE said:


> But here's my idea of how it works...


To get a better understanding of the inherent flaws in Uber's Rating System, please read:

*The Tyranny Of Uber's Rating System | An Attempt At Changing It*


----------



## 1LIFE

Here's a clip from Uber:

"The reality is that every driver gets some ratings that are not warranted, however the system is such that we analyze your ratings in aggregate (overall for all trips), not for one trip."

Overall Trips = 500 trip average... not just 1 trip.

How is this tyranny?


----------



## chi1cabby

1LIFE said:


> How is this tyranny?


Jason2k15 is the OP of this thread. I will let his post at the end of "*The Tyranny Of Uber's Rating System | An Attempt At Changing It" *answer that for you:


Jason2k15 said:


> Which is why I would never advocate or compel my wife to drive Uber for any reason.


----------



## Huberis

Drivers would be better off spending some time asking themselves what is it that allows the rating system to be constructed the way it is. It is not by accident. Drivers own the cars, gas 'em up, repair them. Uber turned the structure of livery on its head by doing that. That is what allows them to sport a fleet designed to handle peak business first, leaving drivers to figure out how to make the res worth it at mostly sub-cost rates.

All that responsibility on the shoulders of the drivers yet they are still led around by the nose. That shouldn't be. So, you have the rating system and surge pricing to occupy your thoughts and minds, a place to focus your scorn if you have it. 

the rating system is a side effect of a poor distribution of responsibility, part of an attempt to control drivers who they know are unlikely to last more than 6 months under the best of circumstances. Drivers need to look at how and why Uber needs such a system in the first place which is very much by design.


----------



## KeJorn

Huberis said:


> Drivers own the cars, gas 'em up, repair them... That is what allows them (Uber) to sport a fleet designed to handle peak business first, leaving drivers to figure out how to make the res worth it at mostly sub-cost rates... All that responsibility on the shoulders of the drivers yet they are still led around by the nose.


Funny, just talked about this very aspect with a rider earlier today. Uber created a fleet without buying a single vehicle nor being responsible for their maintenance. The burden falls completely to each driver/owner instead.
Win/Lose


----------



## Huberis

KeJorn said:


> Funny, just talked about this very aspect with a rider earlier today. Uber created a fleet without buying a single vehicle nor being responsible for their maintenance. The burden falls completely to each driver/owner instead.
> Win/Lose


It is fundamental to their system. That and their ability to move into any given targeted market without spending much money, skirting regulations etc. That is their real genius. There isn't much special about the Uber app except for the way they allowed themselves to be defined by it.

With all of that burden on the driver in real time day to day operation, I believe Uber needs way to distract their drivers, to keep them from thinking about that until they get their six to nine months out of them. Uber wants fresh new cars, the barriers are low to bring on new drivers anyway.

I personally believe drivers would be better served to try to look at the rating system as a consequence of a greater issue. The rating system says a lot about the Uber/driver relationship, it's about power and control. As individual a driver is expendable, but clearly, Uber doesn't want to own those cars.


----------



## Generic_name57

KeJorn said:


> If you want to talk about how many 5 stars warrants a 4.6 or lower rating, here is an example where it is glaringly off:
> 
> Weekly summary... "_On the bright side in the past 2 weeks 73 of the 105 trips given were rated. Of those rated trips, 70 were rated 5 star. _"
> 
> That means THREE TRIPS IN 2 WEEKS WERE RATED LESS THAN 5 STAR.
> 
> Guess what my score was for that week?
> 4.68


algebra fun:
If you had 73 trips, 70 of which were 5-star rated and the three non-5-star ratings were 1-star, your average rating for that two week period would have been 4.84:
((70 * 5) + (3 * 1)) / 73 = 4.8356...
But the 73 trips was over two weeks, and the 4.68 average was for just one week. Just for kicks and giggles I want to figure out how many stars LESS than the total possible amount you got. First I have to figure out how many trips I'm dealing with. Guessing that the 73 trips were roughly evenly split between the two weeks, you had 36 or 37 rated trips in one week. I'll go with 37. So the question I ask is: If I have 37 rated trips and my average is 4.68, how many stars less than the total amount possible did I get? Or in other words: How many stars total were deducted? I'll call that number "n". So, the maximum possible number of stars received being 37 times 5, this gives me the following as the formula for deriving my average of 4.68:
((37 * 5) - n) / 37 = 4.68 
solving for n:
(185 - n) / 37 = 4.68
(185 - n) = 173.16 
185 - n = 173.16
185 = 173.16 + n
11.84 = n
This is not a whole number. That could be because either my guess of 37 trips was wrong or because I started with a rounded off number (4.68). I'll stick with 37 trips as my guess and assume instead the problem comes from the rounded off number in the beginning. So, maybe n = 12 ? I'll check. If so, then:
((37 * 5) - 12) / 37 = my average
which would be:
4.6756.... or rounded up: 4.68!
That seems close enough. So my conclusion is that for the week in which your average rating was 4.68, you probably took 37 rides and got 12 stars less than perfect. Now including the additional information that you had only three non-5-star ratings in TWO weeks, the most non-5-star ratings you could have had in this one week is obviously three. In that case, the other week with the 36 stars would have been perfect all 5-stars. But in this week, 12 stars would have been deducted out of three trips and there is only one way to distribute that: 4 stars out of each. So three 1-star ratings. That is the only possibility (assuming 37 trips). Which means that the other week really would have been all 5-star rated. Nice.
Leading to the final question:
Could an excellent Uber driver once in a while manage to get three passengers in one week who are just jerks and give 1-star ratings for no good reason? Would people really do that?
The answer, as Jessie Jackson would say:
ABSO-DAM-LUTELY!

That said, the rating system has literally been giving me nightmares. But I'm not sure simple thumbs up or down would be any better. Could turn out even worse, who knows? And having no ratings would probably lead eventually to the sort of lousy service many people associate, rightly or wrongly, with cabs. I personally think the ratings should be on an hourly curve. That is, as the big Uber computer monitors all the ratings being given and observes the real-time average decreasing by say, 0.3 stars below the overall average, any rating received during that time would be up-adjusted by that amount. Similar curves could also be applied according to geography. And yeah, I agree with the idea of weighting ratings according to the standing of the passenger.


----------



## 1LIFE

In my opinion, 500 trip average is generous and quite opposite of tyrannical.

Do you need more than 500 chances to prove yourself as a above average taxi driver?

Don't send me to a different thread... 

How is 500 trip average tyrannical?

Good Luck!


----------



## William1964

It's not just a system that's broken or poor or biased how can I expect a person to remember every street in a 234 square mile city better yet how in the hell am I supposed to know where a specific bar is I'm headed to Dirks


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## William1964

It should be replaced with a simple question. Did you arrive at your destination safely?

I get it I'm a lousy driver and the poor people person who's been dealing with customers for 30 year you should hear me answer the phone yeah what the f*** you want


----------



## KeJorn

1LIFE said:


> In my opinion, 500 trip average is generous and quite opposite of tyrannical.


Your opinion has been noted.



1LIFE said:


> Do you need more than 500 chances to prove yourself as a above average taxi driver?


Taxi drivers do not get rated, so how would you know if ANYONE is an _above average taxi driver_???
Because the 500 rated trips you received while driving for Uber somehow implied that you were?
Compared to how many 10s of thousands of trips those taxi drivers have given?
Seriously? THAT is what you think it means?

If so, I apologize; there is no point in any further discussion.

As you like to say, good luck!


----------



## Disgusted Driver

1LIFE said:


> In my opinion, 500 trip average is generous and quite opposite of tyrannical.
> 
> Do you need more than 500 chances to prove yourself as a above average taxi driver?
> 
> Don't send me to a different thread...
> 
> How is 500 trip average tyrannical?
> 
> Good Luck!


Since you have little or no understanding of the rating system and the flaws inherent in it (such as being evaluated on 500 rides, not ratings, not explaining the scale, having the 5th star wrap around to the next line on some phones, not requiring a comment for a 1 or 2 star rating, allowing people too drunk to walk to determine your employment status, ....) 
Being new and trolling the board here, you may not be aware that I am evaluated on the basis of my last 25 rides, if I fall below 4.65 on last 25 rides, I lose my Select status and am stuck losing money driving X like you. 25 rides is just a tad bit too short, 2 dicks give me a 1 and I'm done.


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## William1964

Its flood my rating went down while I was sleeping

The main flaw is that I have to see it there's no way to turn it off so I don't have it shoved in my face except by quitting

So now I'm sitting here like maybe I should be like all the disgruntled people and expect a tip and don't rate them 5 stars unless I get an extra cash payment.

Let's look at it as if its defamation the question is is the four star rating a true statement, an opinion, a made up lie due to some other reason such as hurt feelings being unhappy with their rating, too wasted wasted, not getting laid, his mama didn't breastfeed him enough , is it a retaliation for many people this type of action causes a financial loss

It might even be actionable as the parent company make sure we get to see it and here every bad thing the customer says about us personally all the other riders get to hear it too

My first witness is she she ordered an uber for her brother working at Wendy's she wasn't in the car and she made the rating

She will fully and willingly made this statement knowing it was false she knew it was false because she wasn't even in the car other way to judge the condition of the car the kinds of the driver the safety of the ride


----------



## Chicago-uber

William1964 said:


> Its flood my rating went down while I was sleeping
> 
> The main flaw is that I have to see it there's no way to turn it off so I don't have it shoved in my face except by quitting
> 
> So now I'm sitting here like maybe I should be like all the disgruntled people and expect a tip and don't rate them 5 stars unless I get an extra cash payment.


William1964 my advice to you is stfu (shut the **** up) and drive. Pax don't like chatty drivers. And if you got to speak, stay away from controversial topics such as politics and religion.


----------



## Chicago-uber

William1964 what the hell is that? No wonder you're getting low ratings.


----------



## William1964

The anchor baby couldn't keep it to himself Cody is that was a private conversation


----------



## chi1cabby

Chicago-uber said:


> William1964 what the hell is that? No wonder you're getting low ratings.





William1964 said:


> The anchor baby couldn't keep it to himself Cody is that was a private conversation


There is no shame in outing closeted bigots & homophobes!


----------



## Disgusted Driver

I love that we are keeping it classy! William1964, given that you write like English is your third language, your message is even funnier. It's no wonder that pax adore you, such a gentleman and charmer as yourself.


----------



## William1964

Those were not written words I'm using the speech recognition software on my phone those are spoken word dude and you can tell me something in private and I will keep it to myself

Did you get permission to use over in your alias here you know Michael Jordan's image is worth 10 million dollars to use you got a buddy


----------



## Disgusted Driver

William1964 said:


> Those were not written words I'm using the speech recognition software on my phone those are spoken word dude and you can tell me something in private and I will keep it to myself


So, you are too lazy to express yourself clearly, you expect us to muddle through your posts and try to figure out what you mean, clearly not polite and certainly not worth the effort given what you have to say.

The fact that you were inclined to send a message that was that offensive to someone else in no way shape or form obligates them to maintain your privacy. What you wrote was offensive and abhorrent, you deserve to be shunned and ridiculed for thinking it's ok to write that and send it to someone you don't know or even someone you do know. You clearly are not a gentleman, thus why pax are not tripping over themselves to nominate you for a 6 star award.


----------



## William1964

This is clear as it can get beginning in the 1960s America loosen their immigration laws allow in millions and millions of people into the country. You may say this sounds racist coming from a bigot but it's more an attack on American government for allowing the policy to continue and worsen. If you do the math using the US Census Bureau numbers by 2035 the white population becomes a minority vote. What this means is by the time your kids become voters their minority I do not want my kids to be a minority ever explanation point. It's not a statement against the people who come here looking for a better life the statement against the government ruining the original ideas of the founding fathers which includes a place for white Europeans to be free from an oppressive government that is my political stance on immigration.

Looking at the history of power and people in control Bank of South Africa and what happened there do you really think the whites are going to give up the power without an epic battle battle?

The rating system is flawed. I was on topic the anchor baby comes in and tells me to STFU and it goes on telling me what I'm saying in my car with my passenger. You can search those words and see that he has posted and over and over and over never not once a new idea


----------



## Disgusted Driver

William, I find you and what you represent offensive. The fact that you would write what you did in a private message, use a derogatory word for homosexuals and female anatomy and then try to pass yourself off as some poor oppressed white man, sorry, not going for it. You have a heart filled with hate and are a small, petty person and you have acted in a racist way.

Holds arm out, drops mike, I'm done.


----------



## William1964

You went off topic and it specifically white American


----------



## 1LIFE

KeJorn said:


> Your opinion has been noted.
> 
> Taxi drivers do not get rated, so how would you know if ANYONE is an _above average taxi driver_???
> Because the 500 rated trips you received while driving for Uber somehow implied that you were?
> Compared to how many 10s of thousands of trips those taxi drivers have given?
> Seriously? THAT is what you think it means?
> 
> If so, I apologize; there is no point in any further discussion.


What exactly are you implying here?

It sounds like you are saying.... "Uber should not have a rating system."

The rating system is a GOOD thing for everyone.

Uber has no way of rating each ride...

Only the riders get to rate the drivers behavior, attitude, driving habits, professionalism, courtesy, knowledge of their city streets, intelligence, safety... and all the above all rolled into 1 rating for each ride.

So, a driver for Uber better have their act together for each and every ride... since riders are not required to give any written or verbal reason or feedback for their rating whether it's a 1 star or 5 star rating.

Essentially, and bottom line... Uber has given the power to the riders (and rightfully so since we are all Independent Contractors using Uber to give us clients to give rides to) to vote who gets to keep driving, or be deactivated.

Do riders like you? or not? Don't be mad at Uber if the later is what you find out.

That's what every Uber driver signs up for and agrees to... the last 500 rated trip average.


----------



## KeJorn

1LIFE said:


> The rating system is a GOOD thing for everyone.


Correction, a fair and transparent rating system governed by the community is a GOOD thing for everyone.

The current rating system ONLY serves Uber and does NOT help drivers in any way.


----------



## chi1cabby

1LIFE said:


> The *GOOD* rating system is a GOOD thing for everyone.


There! I fixed it for ya!


----------



## chi1cabby

1LIFE how long have you been driving for Uber?


----------



## 1LIFE

KeJorn said:


> Correction, a fair and transparent rating system governed by the community is a GOOD thing for everyone.
> 
> The current rating system ONLY serves Uber and does NOT help drivers in any way.


I understand those sentiments.

As for current rating system only serving Uber and not helping drivers in any way...

Honestly and how could we possibly expect that from each rider...?

It would be too much tedious work for a rider to rate a driver about 10 different aspects of each ride... Let alone write some kind of summary/paragraph with positive or negative feedback response, or answer 2 or 10 questions about each ride they take in order to "Help a driver"... it's just not going to happen.

Can you imagine if you were a rider and Uber then wanted a short story or paragraph, or a long winded questionnaire about your ride?

Uber knows... A rider would never take the time to do that.

Some riders use Uber 20 times per week... and some use Uber as their only means of transportation. I've met a few riders more than 2 or 3 times already, and I drive in Seattle where there is Uber riders 24/7.

It's a dog-eat-dog survival of the fittest fast pace and extremely impatient world... we're lucky to have a rider take the time to rate the ride once.

I had a rider once be using Domino's Pizza app to have pizza delivered roughly about the same time as we were arriving to their address. That person is not going to take any time to try to "help a driver" with suggestions/feedback about their Uber ride. LOL

Every ride has potential to be a 5 star ride... It's up to the driver to figure out how to get it done.


----------



## UberXTampa

1LIFE said:


> I understand those sentiments.
> 
> As for current rating system only serving Uber and not helping drivers in any way...
> 
> Honestly and how could we possibly expect that from each rider...?
> 
> It would be too much tedious work for a rider to rate a driver about 10 different aspects of each ride... Let alone write some kind of summary/paragraph with positive or negative feedback response, or answer 2 or 10 questions about each ride they take in order to "Help a driver"... it's just not going to happen.
> 
> Can you imagine if you were a rider and Uber then wanted a short story or paragraph, or a long winded questionnaire about your ride?
> 
> Uber knows... A rider would never take the time to do that.
> 
> Some riders use Uber 20 times per week... and some use Uber as their only means of transportation. I've met a few riders more than 2 or 3 times already, and I drive in Seattle where there is Uber riders 24/7.
> 
> It's a dog-eat-dog survival of the fittest fast pace and extremely impatient world... we're lucky to have a rider take the time to rate the ride once.
> 
> I had a rider once be using Domino's Pizza app to have pizza delivered roughly about the same time as we were arriving to their address. That person is not going to take any time to try to "help a driver" with suggestions/feedback about their Uber ride. LOL
> 
> Every ride has potential to be a 5 star ride... It's up to the driver to figure out how to get it done.


I have felt the same sentiments at the beginning.

But slowly the system has curbed my enthusiasm.

If you can still keep the same sentiment after 3,000 rides, good for you and good for all of us drivers and riders. I mean it.


----------



## KeJorn

1LIFE said:


> Honestly and how could we possibly expect that from each rider...?
> It would be too much tedious work for a rider to rate a driver about 10 different aspects of each ride... Let alone write some kind of summary/paragraph with positive or negative feedback response, or answer 2 or 10 questions about each ride they take in order to "Help a driver"... it's just not going to happen.


You make way too many assumptions there, starting with the notion that we expect a rider to fill out 'questionnaire' style feedback each and every time...
No one said anything like that.

For starters: If you use a 5 star system, then make sure it functions like a 5 -star system.
This one does not, it functions primarily as a good/bad (like/dislike) system with the front end of a 5-star system, leading to ratings that do not reflect the trip/driver.

Even Lyft has narrowed it down to 3 aspects which riders can grade, making it at least somewhat more useful than Uber's.

You also once stated that Uber does not rate drivers, yet they DO have the power to change ratings and they do so with zero transparency.

In addition, useful feedback that IS provided is not relayed to the drivers. So even if a customer DOES take the time to write it out, it does not get to where it can best be utilized and applied - in this case, the driver.

Also, because of the way that Uber scores their rating system, greater weight is placed upon the few disgruntled riders (often less than 10%) with less consideration for the majority of riders who liked the service/driver.
Like you, they love to use Corporate-speak and suggest things like '_setting the bar high_', without acknowledging that their unrealistic expectations are actually counter-productive.
In addition, the notion that the _customer is always right_, is not in tune with the times and culture that mentality has created.
Our society has created a monster because of that one basic premise. Don't agree? Look up any video on Youtube of _customers-gone-wild _on service-based stores (fast food restaurants, clothing stores, etc).
Where customers go off the charts with insults and unreasonable expectations of those service people. The lower you drop the cost of something, the more these types appear.
Uber is catering to that very demographic and it is being reflected in our ratings. First rate service at cut-rate prices.

The bottom line, NO ONE is ALWAYS right.
Provide a good service, quality, at a fair price, and appreciate your customers (and service providers) and your success should reflect that mantra.
However customers should be held responsible for their behavior and actions. They do not have the right to take it out on the service people, just because they had a bad day.
Most customers that witness one of these_ 'customers-gone-bad' _will actually agree and side with the service people. My wife sees this every day where she works.
She does not take any crap from customers and her regular customers (and management) love and back her all the more. THAT is the kind of support we need from Uber.
Instead, they cater to the ones that should not be catered to. That is NOT an example of good Partner Support.
And unfortunately, their rating system reflects that mentality.


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## 1LIFE

Now we are getting somewhere... 

You said... "Greater weight is placed on the few disgruntled customers... often less than 10%."

With 500 trip average... Less than 10% (as you said) would be less than 50 unhappy customers/riders.

The greater weight of ratings is being placed on the 90% of Happy customers... and Uber will not deactivate you. (Which is exactly what you want)

Theres always going to be 10% people who are impossible to please... thats why Uber gives all drivers 500 trip average.

It sounds like you are giving the people who were not happy with the trip you gave them too much weight in your own mind.

Focus more on the 90% of happy customers who rated you 5 stars.

And who gives a shit about the 10% who rated less than 5.

It sounds to me like You are doing Great if 90% of your rides are 5 star rides.


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## Mike McKinzie

The Star System is NOT broken, heck, Amazon, Yelp, Ebay, all use it. It just SUCKS. I have gotten 2 star products from Amazon that are wonderful and 5 star items that SUCK, I had to return one just yesterday. I do not think that Uber should even accept anything LESS than a five star rating for a driver WITHOUT an explanation. Missing a turn? Please, I miss turns coming home sometimes. That is life on the road in Los Angeles. I got a 3 star for missing a turn, and I made the next turn, adding one block to a 15 mile trip. Plus, I got that passenger's fare down from $14 to $8. And for that, I get a 3 star. I will NEVER promise to attempt another refund UNLESS I am guaranteed by the passenger that I get five stars. I can PROVE that the passenger is NOT always right. On a recent trip, I had 3 25ish aged males. On several parts of that trip, one passenger said "turn right" and one said "turn left." Therefore, ONE OF THE PASSENGERS WAS WRONG!


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## Jose_A

One possible solution I can see is eliminating the top 10% and bottom 10% of ratings from your overall score (saw it somewhere else on this forum). This gets rid of the outliers. One week, I got a measly 4.55, but it said "on the bright side, you got 17 five stars out of 19 rated trips." I crunched the numbers, and sure enough, two pax gave me one-star ratings, and I know exactly which ones. One group tried to shove in >6, but they relented when I told them about the cancellation fee, and one of the *****es in the car asked me if uber has a jailbreak for the GPS to take the long way. I didn't hide my annoyance very well at that comment. I had to throw a pax to the curbside with another group as he got disrespectful. I also texted his friend that ordered the ride for them that he was out of control, but the friend probably took his side anyway. Then again, my rating is about a 4.7 right now, and I have no regrets about throwing out that guy and wouldn't hesitate to get physical if that's what it had to come to.


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## Mguberdc

painfreepc said:


> if you had 400 5's and 100 2's your rating would be 4.40 stars or the way i like to look at it, A 5 star rating 88%.


Only problem is your reading is only based on your last 100 trips, per the uber email you received after your first paycheck. So you'd need to make 85 5* out of 100 to stay on the green. Less than 15% of all trips can be allowable 4* or<


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