# Head Scratching..Efficient Route



## Ehmtbescrewingus (Oct 16, 2014)

Strange comment on the weekly report 5 star rating...riders says check route.. Uber says trip was within guidelines no adjustment. Using GPS right or wrong provides the route..if a passenger is directing you..and claims its not an efficient route who's wrong? Scratching my head


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## thehappytypist (Oct 9, 2014)

Depends on who contacts support first. If the rider writes in first, we'll adjust if it's outside estimates. If we hear from the driver after that, we'll adjust it back.


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## jaymaxx44 (Sep 19, 2014)

I once followed uber app directions and my fare got adjusted for inefficient route because customer complained by $22. I had a fit and CSR said tough luck.
I said thats the last time I follow your crapy directions and said much more as you could imagine.


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## Ubermanpt (Dec 23, 2014)

I always take the app gps so if anyone were to complain I would say I was doing exactly what uber said to do. I do ask if they want me to use the gps or if they have a special route. Out of every 20 trips I have about 1 that has their own way, everyone else says to use the app.So far, no complaints.


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## jaymaxx44 (Sep 19, 2014)

Truthfully the Uber directions SUCK. I always ask the pax if they want me to follow the Uber directions though just to make sure but 8 out of 10 times I go a slightly different way. I always check Waze too.


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## TeleSki (Dec 4, 2014)

I use WAZE through the UBER app, but I've been screwed by both Waze and Google Maps. I like to have the destination programmed in, especially if the pax are really drunk, and on the verge of passing out. I'll usually ask if they want to use GPS or direct me. If I'm in an area I am not very familiar with, I'll usually say " The GPS is telling me to turn at X street, does that sound right?" Maybe 30% of the time, they'll say "no, you want to take this exit, or this turn".


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## Ehmtbescrewingus (Oct 16, 2014)

TeleSki said:


> I use WAZE through the UBER app, but I've been screwed by both Waze and Google Maps. I like to have the destination programmed in, especially if the pax are really drunk, and on the verge of passing out. I'll usually ask if they want to use GPS or direct me. If I'm in an area I am not very familiar with, I'll usually say " The GPS is telling me to turn at X street, does that sound right?" Maybe 30% of the time, they'll say "no, you want to take this exit, or this turn".


+1


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## UL Driver SF (Aug 29, 2014)

thehappytypist said:


> Depends on who contacts support first. If the rider writes in first, we'll adjust if it's outside estimates. If we hear from the driver after that, we'll adjust it back.


Ok...here is a question....

Do you adjust the fare and reduce the amount to the driver? If so, do you tell them? What basis do you use to reduce the amount to the driver? Do you have any evidence of a faster less costly route? Can you provide any traffic data or other sourced information that would counter the recommended route by the GPS?

There are other questions but let's start with these.


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## thehappytypist (Oct 9, 2014)

UL Driver SF said:


> Ok...here is a question....
> 
> Do you adjust the fare and reduce the amount to the driver? If so, do you tell them? What basis do you use to reduce the amount to the driver? Do you have any evidence of a faster less costly route? Can you provide any traffic data or other sourced information that would counter the recommended route by the GPS?
> 
> There are other questions but let's start with these.


It depends on how much of a bad route it is. If it's technically not the most efficient but it's not that bad, we'll adjust it for the rider only. If it's really blatant and the rider said there were no stops, we adjust both sides. We aren't supposed to contact the driver - management expects us to move along and if the driver complains, then we can take another look.

Adjusting for a bad route isn't an exact science, unfortunately. We go simply by mileage - if a route added a significant distance to the fare, it's more likely to be adjusted. So say we run the estimate and the mileage between it and the actual trip is about the same (give or take) but the actual trip took more time, we can be pretty sure it was traffic and/or waiting time and there's no adjustment. If the route wasn't the preferred one according to Google maps but the fare is still within the estimate, we don't adjust that either. So if you end up taking a different route to avoid traffic, it'll usually fall within the estimate as long as it wasn't completely out of the way. When it comes to traffic, we can't know if there was a route that would be better or worse than the one the driver picked.


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## UL Driver SF (Aug 29, 2014)

thehappytypist said:


> It depends on how much of a bad route it is. If it's technically not the most efficient but it's not that bad, we'll adjust it for the rider only. If it's really blatant and the rider said there were no stops, we adjust both sides. We aren't supposed to contact the driver - management expects us to move along and if the driver complains, then we can take another look.
> 
> Adjusting for a bad route isn't an exact science, unfortunately. We go simply by mileage - if a route added a significant distance to the fare, it's more likely to be adjusted. So say we run the estimate and the mileage between it and the actual trip is about the same (give or take) but the actual trip took more time, we can be pretty sure it was traffic and/or waiting time and there's no adjustment. If the route wasn't the preferred one according to Google maps but the fare is still within the estimate, we don't adjust that either. So if you end up taking a different route to avoid traffic, it'll usually fall within the estimate as long as it wasn't completely out of the way. When it comes to traffic, we can't know if there was a route that would be better or worse than the one the driver picked.


Not a bad answer. The only problem is when they claim the route isn't the best one and it was the Google route. Does Uber record the Google route? I use the the Uber supplied phone which uses Apple maps I think. It definitely isn't use it Google maps. Uber ended up crediting me back some cash. Personally I didn't care about the money. I have asked them to refund an entire trip before. What bothered me is the professional dishonesty of not notifying the driver. Under those circumstances I'd go to arbitration over a nickel if for no other reason to send a message.

That's why I spread sheet it all now.


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

thehappytypist said:


> Depends on who contacts support first. If the rider writes in first, we'll adjust if it's outside estimates. If we hear from the driver after that, we'll adjust it back.


I had a ride the other day that ended up being 36 miles. It was probably a 20 mile trip but we were about 8 miles down the road when the rider realized he had forgotten his OTHER phone. He couldn't survive without it for one day apparently. So I went back to the starting point and then again along the same route to his final destination. Do you do any automatic checks in the system or only if they complain? Because that clearly wasn't EFFICIENT but it wasn't my fault.


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## thehappytypist (Oct 9, 2014)

UL Driver SF said:


> Not a bad answer. The only problem is when they claim the route isn't the best one and it was the Google route. Does Uber record the Google route? I use the the Uber supplied phone which uses Apple maps I think. It definitely isn't use it Google maps. Uber ended up crediting me back some cash. Personally I didn't care about the money. I have asked them to refund an entire trip before. What bothered me is the professional dishonesty of not notifying the driver. Under those circumstances I'd go to arbitration over a nickel if for no other reason to send a message.
> 
> That's why I spread sheet it all now.


Our estimator tool uses Google maps, it doesn't make much sense that the app uses something different. Last I knew, Google was firmly up Uber's ass lol. I've seen it cause some discrepancies. I've also seen some cases where the driver's route was even better than the route Google suggests. Riders are automatically sent an updated receipt, I wish the same was done for drivers when an adjustment is done.


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## thehappytypist (Oct 9, 2014)

Fuzzyelvis said:


> I had a ride the other day that ended up being 36 miles. It was probably a 20 mile trip but we were about 8 miles down the road when the rider realized he had forgotten his OTHER phone. He couldn't survive without it for one day apparently. So I went back to the starting point and then again along the same route to his final destination. Do you do any automatic checks in the system or only if they complain? Because that clearly wasn't EFFICIENT but it wasn't my fault.


We don't do anything unless the rider specifically complains about the fare/route. I know it's a pain in the ass but it does help if you let us know about circumstances like that. We note the trip record so if the rider complains, the agent handling that email can see the notes. 99% of the time it won't be the same agent that handles both rider and driver side of an issue. We can always talk to the agent who handled the other side of an issue if we aren't clear on things, which is nice.


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## UL Driver SF (Aug 29, 2014)

thehappytypist said:


> Our estimator tool uses Google maps, it doesn't make much sense that the app uses something different. Last I knew, Google was firmly up Uber's ass lol. I've seen it cause some discrepancies. I've also seen some cases where the driver's route was even better than the route Google suggests. Riders are automatically sent an updated receipt, I wish the same was done for drivers when an adjustment is done.


Yea see...that's what I thought too. I asked a Google exec why Uber was using Apple maps and not Google maps. He said give it about a week. Then The app for android came out with Google maps. Problem is....they don't seem to work well together. Maps seems to slow considerably when used with the Uber app.

I have a rider that consistently beats the Google route. Once by 3 minutes. She has done this six times. I told her when she hits 10 I will give her a free ride to the airport.


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## Casuale Haberdasher (Dec 7, 2014)

UL Driver SF said:


> Yea see...that's what I thought too. I asked a Google exec why Uber was using Apple maps and not Google maps. He said give it about a week. Then The app for android came out with Google maps. Problem is....they don't seem to work well together. Maps seems to slow considerably when used with the Uber app.
> 
> I have a rider that consistently beats the Google route. Once by 3 minutes. She has done this six times. I told her when she hits 10 I will give her a free ride to the airport.


POST # 14 /@UL Driver SF : Heck, you
COULD
become "Head Hunter" and send her
Resume to Google. See what happens!

Recruiters collect Fee=1st Year salary
Last Time Business Bison checked.


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## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

Casuale Haberdasher said:


> POST # 14 /@UL Driver SF : Heck, you
> COULD
> become "Head Hunter" and send her
> Resume to Google. See what happens!
> ...


Yay! This is the first time I've ever understood an entire post of yours.


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## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

thehappytypist said:


> We don't do anything unless the rider specifically complains about the fare/route. I know it's a pain in the ass but it does help if you let us know about circumstances like that. We note the trip record so if the rider complains, the agent handling that email can see the notes. 99% of the time it won't be the same agent that handles both rider and driver side of an issue. We can always talk to the agent who handled the other side of an issue if we aren't clear on things, which is nice.


I've notified support before about a situation like this, and they still adjusted the ride after saying they noted it. Then I had to do more emailing and explaining about the worst human beings on the planet.


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## Casuale Haberdasher (Dec 7, 2014)

JaxBeachDriver said:


> Yay! This is the first time I've ever understood an entire post of yours.


POST #'17/@JaxBeachDriver: You're only
saying 
that because it's true.


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## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

Casuale Haberdasher said:


> POST #'17/@JaxBeachDriver: You're only
> saying
> that because it's true.


You got me.


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## thehappytypist (Oct 9, 2014)

JaxBeachDriver said:


> I've notified support before about a situation like this, and they still adjusted the ride after saying they noted it. Then I had to do more emailing and explaining about the worst human beings on the planet.


It's definitely not perfect.


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## Lidman (Nov 13, 2014)

Happytyp, have you ever been an uber rider? If so, did you receive mints or lemonaid or bottled water?


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## thehappytypist (Oct 9, 2014)

Lidman said:


> Happytyp, have you ever been an uber rider? If so, did you receive mints or lemonaid or bottled water?


Nope! Never been in an Uber, don't live in an Uber city. I wouldn't expect anything though. I mean, I'm trying to get somewhere, not have a mobile cocktail party.


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## Lidman (Nov 13, 2014)

I just figured the company might have like CSR Banquet night, and all CSR's would be escorted there via UBER XL or Black.


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## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

thehappytypist said:


> Nope! Never been in an Uber, don't live in an Uber city. I wouldn't expect anything though. I mean, I'm trying to get somewhere, not have a mobile cocktail party.


Would you like a code for a free ride? Lmfao


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## thehappytypist (Oct 9, 2014)

Lidman said:


> I just figured the company might have like CSR Banquet night, and all CSR's would be escorted there via UBER XL or Black.


For the in-house CSRs maybe. When I first started and we were actual employees of Uber, it was pretty great. Low stress job, we each got a care package in the mail with some swag. That didn't last for too long, now we just sit around wondering what their next dumbass decision will be and when our jobs will be sent overseas to agents who don't give two shits about anything but making their numbers better than ours. Their emails are full of mistakes, which surprises the hell out of me since they use the canned answers, and they don't even read the entire thing before picking which canned answer to send. 75% of the time it's wrong. They're doing driver support now too.


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