# How I make extra $ referring Lyft Passangers



## BlackHatRideshare (Sep 15, 2016)

Hey All,

First post here!

I am a Lyft and Uber driver in RI. 

This may not be for all markets and some of the incentives maybe different. In RI Lyft allows you to give new Lyft riders a $50.00 Free Lyft Ride and the driver that refers the passenger gets $10.00. Lyft is not as popular in RI as Uber so this works well in my area. When I get an Uber PAX I always pitch in this order.

1. Build rapport talk to them about themselves. (My goal is to uncover a need they may have for a free lyft ride.)

Example: 

If they coming from the airport and they are visiting they will probably need a ride back to the airport.

If they are going out that night to dinner or the bar later.

If they are staying in a hotel and don't have a car for the meeting they flew in for.

If they have any day trips coming up.

2. I ask if they have ever used Lyft before. (You are qualifying the PAX to see if they are eligible for the free ride)

If yes. I say "I am always wondering as I drive for both Lyft and Uber." 

If "no" or "no what is that" . I say "It is very similar to Uber. Although there are a few advantages.
The first big difference is in Lyft's highering process Lyft sends someone to meet all drivers in person and requires new drivers to do a driving test. Uber only requires a picture of your license, registration and insurance that's it! Lyft's surge prices can be very competitive maxing out at 3x with Lyft where Uber has no limit. Lyft also pays their drivers better and allows for in app tipping."

3. Ask the Uber PAX "If you would like at the end of this trip for you to send them a Free $50 Lyft Ride for your ride to (Insert the ride uncoverd in step 1). (this makes it more likely for them to use the code you send them because they all ready have a plan for using it)

*Most people say yes by then but if they don't I don't press the matter you can get the next one!*

4. Send them the code Via the Lyft Referral tab in the app. I also tell them that the code is good for any of their friends that have not used Lyft before. They can get a round trip with one other person between the two of them. 

*You can also customize your Lyft Referral Code. 

*Be aware of how long the trip is to see how long you have to pitch.

*I pitch every Uber PAX. Increasing my pay with no additional time investment.

*I attached my last weeks referral earnings

Please let me know if you have any suggestion, question or similar ideas,

-Black Hat Rideshare


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## Heisenburger (Sep 19, 2016)

I started driving TNC in June of this year. Within the first month or so, I realized that, based on Lyft's lower request volume in my area, I should focus my efforts on driving a lot on Uber and then pitch Lyft to most every Uber passenger.

So I did nearly exactly the same thing that you outlined above and believe that I had pretty good results, at least based at least based on passenger enthusiasm and other verbal feedback.

However, *there is a big fly in the ointment: I haven't been paid for a single referral.*

In fact, they claim that not even one person has even attempted to use my referral code. I find this very strange given that I've done approximately 600 trips on the Uber platform over a couple of months and I fully pitched Lyft to approximately 90% of all the pre-qualified Uber passengers. I very often went so far as to further ensure a payout by telling them the gotchas, like they must take their first trip within 14 days of signing up. Many of these passengers were delighted to know they could get $50 worth of rides for free. Most took a referral card and the rest I sent via text.


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## KINGOFTHENORTH (Jul 9, 2016)

Heisenburger said:


> I started driving TNC in June of this year. Within the first month or so, I realized that, based on Lyft's lower request volume in my area, I should focus my efforts on driving a lot on Uber and then pitch Lyft to most every Uber passenger.
> 
> So I did nearly exactly the same thing that you outlined above and believe that I had pretty good results, at least based at least based on passenger enthusiasm and other verbal feedback.
> 
> ...


I pitched the lyft referal to oven ten people all of them were very enthusitaic about it. I never got a sigal referal despite the fact I am 100% one of the people used lyft for the first time(My moms freind) She did it correct and evreything. So I stopped pitching Lyft to uber pasangers.


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## Heisenburger (Sep 19, 2016)

Thanks mentioning that.

I even went back and forth with their support team. I even humored themn by providing an example of a Lyft passenger who I happened to pick up a few weeks later who told me that she had found one of my referral cards that I had left in a retail shopping complex a few weeks prior. She told me point blank that the reason that she downloaded the Lyft app a couple weeks prior was because she had picked up my referral card. She also insisted that she signed up from the referral link and was a first time user and took her first trip within 14 days of signing up. Lyft support told me that she had signed up using a different code from elsewhere. They were very vague in their response. I don't think they're unethical as much as they are incompetent, technically speaking. I'm not buying it.


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## Heisenburger (Sep 19, 2016)

Now that I think about it, I should probably share the transcript of that entire conversation with Lyft support over the course of at least two weeks.


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## KINGOFTHENORTH (Jul 9, 2016)

Heisenburger said:


> Now that I think about it, I should probably share the transcript of that entire conversation with Lyft support over the course of at least two weeks.


I want to see it. It will make me laugh. When I first started driving I liked Lyft. Than slowly I realized all of Lyft bull and decided I like uber more.(Which is an extremly low bar they are both terrible companies)


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## KINGOFTHENORTH (Jul 9, 2016)

Heisenburger said:


> Now that I think about it, I should probably share the transcript of that entire conversation with Lyft support over the course of at least two weeks.


Dis you make a custom code or use the code they assigned to you ?


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## Heisenburger (Sep 19, 2016)

KINGOFTHENORTH said:


> Dis you make a custom code or use the code they assigned to you ?


That's that's an excellent question. I made several custom codes in all since I was planning to track the effectiveness of various campaigns. I only ever actually distributed one of those custom codes as part of my testing. I never advertised my default code.

Do you suspect that the custom codes are the source of my problem?


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## Heisenburger (Sep 19, 2016)

KINGOFTHENORTH said:


> I want to see it. It will make me laugh. When I first started driving I liked Lyft. Than slowly I realized all of Lyft bull and decided I like uber more.(Which is an extremly low bar they are both terrible companies)


 I'll pull it up and paste it here tomorrow.


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## BostonBarry (Aug 31, 2015)

I've done hundreds of rider referrals, mostly from in the car and many from flyers I've posted and occasionally from working events for Lyft as an Ambassador. I've been paid over $2000 in passenger referrals. Volume is the key as the number of people who take your card vs the number of people who actually use it can be very low and spread out over a long period of time. Best way to test is to get a friend or family member to download with your code and take a ride. You can then go to your dashboard under Passenger Referrals and look at Applications (number of people who entered the code) and Activations (number of people who took a ride - what you're paid on).


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## Heisenburger (Sep 19, 2016)

BostonBarry said:


> ...Volume is the key as the number of people who take your card vs the number of people who actually use it can be very low and spread out over a long period of time...


Thanks for sharing your experience.

*I agree about volume and knew that at the outset.* My numbers are actually *under 0.1%*, no typo. I don't think that's what you're implying by very low, right?

Sadly, I currently have no confidence that any "test" I'd conduct would sufficiently satisfy them in establishing the existence of a problem. The one piece of evidence that I've recently provided them, at their request, was easily refuted, without evidence, by them by claiming that another promotion code was instead applied. They offered no evidence, hence a baseless claim.

So, how would the test you suggest be any more convincing to them, the party not in control of the test variables? It seems that technical incompetence is at play here. I've observed the smoke, so now I'm responsible for locating the fire. I just struggle with how to effectively do so when I can't see the other party in person, much less speak with them by phone. It appears to be a fool's errand.


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## BlackHatRideshare (Sep 15, 2016)

BostonBarry said:


> I've done hundreds of rider referrals, mostly from in the car and many from flyers I've posted and occasionally from working events for Lyft as an Ambassador. I've been paid over $2000 in passenger referrals. Volume is the key as the number of people who take your card vs the number of people who actually use it can be very low and spread out over a long period of time. Best way to test is to get a friend or family member to download with your code and take a ride. You can then go to your dashboard under Passenger Referrals and look at Applications (number of people who entered the code) and Activations (number of people who took a ride - what you're paid on).


i

Just finished off 1000 business cards and made $170.00 in 1 Month (1.7% conversion). I really like the poster idea I am going to push harder these coming months I can just smell the opportunity for $$$. The card took me 1 hr on Ps and 1000 cards cost me $12.50 including shipping with a discount code on vista print. I am sending off for new cards that will have my uber/Lyft Passanger codes and new driver codes for uber/Lyft on the back.

Your story is inspiring now I want to make $2000!!

Thanks for posting


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