# Uber is making changes to eliminate the fear factor for drivers



## Tedgey

http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-is-recommitting-itself-to-putting-its-drivers-first-2016-11

*Uber is making changes to eliminate the fear factor for drivers*
Biz Carson​Uber has had a bumpy ride with its drivers.

The ride-hailing company has faced widely publicized driver protests over fair pay and treatment, and its recent efforts building self-driving car technology has created more distrust.

But Uber, which is valued at $68 billion in private markets and which is a closely watched IPO candidate, says that forging stronger ties with drivers is now a top priority.

Jeff Jones, the company's new ridesharing president, posted a long note on LinkedIn promising to do a better job with drivers, and the company says it's pouring more resources into its driver experience team, which focuses solely on understanding the needs of drivers and building technology for the people behind the wheel. A new set of tools released by the team before Thanksgiving is designed to address some of drivers' biggest gripes, executives at the company say.

"Perception is hard to change, but I think it's changing," Ryan Fujiu, a senior product manager at Uber, told Business Insider. "If you go out and talk to drivers and you actually get a sense of 'Hey, these things are improving'."

Still, with arch-rival Lyft perceived as the more driver-friendly ride-hailing service, and with Uber refusing to provide a mechanism for drivers to collect tips within the app, the company still has a lot of work to do.

*Fearing the ratings*
Step one is eliminating the fear factor.

"When we talked to drivers, for the longest time, they'd say 'Well I'm just afraid about being deactivated or I'm afraid my ratings will hurt my ability to make money,'" says Nundu Janakiram, a group product manager at Uber.

Uber isn't eliminating the five-star rating that passengers give drivers (low ratings mean drivers can be "deactivated" from Uber's service).

But the company's new "Compliments" system broadens the feedback system. Passengers can now compliment a driver, by choosing from things like "excellent service" or "expert navigation," to help reinforce what a driver is doing right, Janakiram said.

The idea is to pivot ratings away from the negative aspect that instilled fear in drivers and turn it into a positive experience. Only a "vanishingly small" number of people are deactivated for having low ratings, Janakiram said, and the company wanted to move to reinforcing with drivers who are doing their jobs well that they are excelling - not just getting in touch when an issue comes up.

*Ditching servant status*

Experimenting with the rating system is just one thing Uber is trying to do to balance the relationship between drivers and riders. The five-star system is a two-way feedback system where drivers also rate riders, and Uber has already taken small steps measures,like charging riders if drivers wait outside for more than two minutes, to help riders understand how valuable a driver's time is.

Still, feedback from Uber drivers shows it's important to them that riders look at them as another human being and just a servant, said Evelyn Kim, a senior design manager at the company.

"That's kind of the relationship that we're trying to equalize that a little more," Kim said.

Many members of the driver experience team have become Uber drivers themselves to understand what it means to be in the driver's seat. There's even a mock seat set-up in the driver experience team's part of Uber headquarters so employees can feel it first hand.

"In other places I've worked, if an app crashed all of a sudden, it wasn't good, but it didn't mean that it wasn't making money today and it didn't mean that a person wasn't able to make rent that week," Janakiram said. "That's reflected even in the size of the team. The driver team is one of the largest product and engineering tech teams in the company, just in numbers, because the company puts a lot of emphasis in it as well."

In Uber's early days, the driver experience team did a lot of first-hand research, with members testing new navigation apps in their cars, and hailing rides with Uber drivers to ask them questions.

As Uber has expanded across the world, the company is developing new, more efficient feedback systems.

The company is building out greenlight centers, a one-stop shop for Uber onboarding, vehicle checks, and support in cities, throughout the US. And Uber is bringing in more drivers to sit alongside designers and engineers during research sessions, and the groups try to come up with solutions to their problems. Things like compliments are just one example of a feature developed out of those conversations. Another one, a "Pause" button, that allows drivers to pause accepting requests if they need to take a break also came from feedback from drivers who ended up in back-to-back-to-back Uber trips.

Uber's rider base is becoming increasingly suburban, where people already likely to own cars, Fujui said. In the last six months, the biggest source globally of new driver sign-ups has been from the rider base - a stark contrast to the early days of the company when it was largely made up of professional drivers.

Drivers may be more wary to voice complaints or challenges with their livelihood at stake (a problem not unique to Uber). But unlocking the ideas and solving the problems of Uber's drivers has moved to the forefront of Uber's priorities.

*The last holdout*
Uber's driver experience team is working through a punch-list of drivers' needs.

But that raises an important question: Why doesn't Uber allow tips, especially when drivers clearly want the option?

Compared to Lyft, which allows riders to tip their drivers at the end of the ride from within the app, Uber has been reluctant to allow the same. Only as part of a proposed settlement did Uber clarify its stance on tips, which is that drivers are allowed to accept them and can have signs in their car saying such, but it's not required for riders to do so.

"Drivers do ask about tips, and it's something that they definitely compare us, but it's an opportunity for us to look at a variety of ways to address competition," said Molly Stevens, a senior design research manager. "It's definitely a factor that comes up, and we're not ignoring it, but we're trying to address it in other ways."

Kim, the senior design manager, compared it to when Henry Ford was dreaming up the automobile and drivers were saying they needed faster horses. People wanted something faster, but thought faster horses were the solution before the car came along. The same goes for tips, she argues - people want more money, but tipping doesn't have to be the answer.

"Tips is one way to solve that, but we're trying to solve it in a more impactful way," Kim said. "For us, it's giving them a better bottom line, and that's a much harder problem to solve for but we want to get better at the earnings aspect of it first."

Sorry for the formatting issues
Tl/dr: just more bullshit from Uber.


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## Spuntino

Lmao. Just more PR nonsense.



Tedgey said:


> "Perception is hard to change, but I think it's changing," Ryan Fujiu, a senior product manager at Uber, told Business Insider. "If you go out and talk to drivers and you actually get a sense of 'Hey, these things are improving'."


They know damn well there are no drivers saying this. These tards are so disconnected from reality and the truth it's insulting.

They think adding badges for compliments is making things better? That isn't even for the drivers. It's for the entitled Xbox era snowflake pax so they can feel even more special now.

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it operated something like this on the pax side when they give a compliment badge.

*Achievment unlocked! Give your driver a cool car compliment badge!*


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## ABC123DEF

More of Big Foober tooting its own horn. Zzz.


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## Coaststarlight

Yup, bs, but the mock driver seat was funny, if that doesn't tell you they're just trying to look busy idk what does, you can just sit in any car and understand the layout of the driver's point of view.. but that wouldn't fool anyone lol


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## FUberX

That's weird I didn't see anything about increasing pay


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## thezeus88

Yeah, the way they address tipping is by creating those stupid badges.

If a pax is able to give us a badge, it will psychologically make them them feel better about not tipping.... they feel that by giving us a badge they are doing us a favor.

That article is so stupid


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## Sfla415guy

Tedgey said:


> "That's reflected even in the size of the team. The driver team is one of the largest product and engineering tech teams in the company, just in numbers, because the company puts a lot of emphasis in it as well."​​




How about they get rid of this apparently enormous team and divide their pay amongst the drivers who actually make the company money. Call me crazy, but you would think that if the largest sector of your $68Billion company (which one would assume is also an expensive part of said company) is obviously failing at it's singular task... wait what am I thinking. I was going to make a comment using logical thinking and business 101 to point out what's so backwards here but I forgot we were talking about Uber....

Side note, I'd love to meet one of these drivers who "worked side by side" with uber. There must be a lot of them sonewhere... I've never been able to give feedback outside the app. So, thank you "mystery uber feedback driver" for making our voice heard and all of our concerns regarding our low self esteem. I'm so glad my self esteem is now boosted everytime I turn my app on. I was worried for a minute they would just boost earnings with all of the feedback, from most likely every single driver who fills out the "check ins", but it's a relief knowing we finally got through to them. Earning a living is just a miniscule part of Uber. It's being a volunteer for your community, taking a loss for the team, helping the younger generation break the ugly and demoralizing practice of tipping, and knowing at the end of a long day that you got 2 badges for being funny, 1 for knowing how to use a GPS, and someone FINALLY appreciates your new air freshener scent. aahhhh feels so good. Thanks Uber.​


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## uberist

_"Still, feedback from Uber drivers shows it's important to them that riders look at them as another human being *and just a servant,* said Evelyn Kim, a senior design manager at the company."_

Did anyone else catch this slip of true sentiment from UBER


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## uberist

When reading this think "hiring and giving a second chance"

If your your up on all the current Uber shinnagans you can add two and two.


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## UXDriver

What a load of shit

Badges 

Hahahaha


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## NWO_Watcher

uberist said:


> _"Still, feedback from Uber drivers shows it's important to them that riders look at them as another human being *and just a servant,* said Evelyn Kim, a senior design manager at the company."_
> 
> Did anyone else catch this slip of true sentiment from UBER


Freudian slip at it's finest.


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## Fuzzyelvis

"For us, it's giving them a better bottom line, and that's a much harder problem to solve for but we want to get better at the earnings aspect of it first."

So we should expect another rate cut so we can make more money?


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## Tedgey

Tedgey said:


> "Tips is one way to solve that, but we're trying to solve it in a more impactful way," Kim said. "For us, it's giving them a better bottom line, and that's a much harder problem to solve for but we want to get better at the earnings aspect of it first."


And the part she didn't say... and we believe rate cuts will be the best way to address the earnings issue.

Be ready. Given the opportunity this company will do the worst thing for the drivers 99 times out of 100 and it's been almost a year since the last time they cut rates. All these new ants need something to do and the best way to stimulate demand is to drop the rates. Those people fancy themselves as geniuses and think they can sit there and make a few tweaks and us little drivers just don't understand what's best for us. They're arrogant and stupid and they're hedgdhogs with an obsession on rate cuts. Walmart is the ideal, your car is their canvas for the Uber masterpiece.


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## Subjugator

Well speaking of fear factors... I turned off showing my military affiliation, I'm going to see if my rating goes back up. I must of forgot I was in la at some point.


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## Smarterthanmanagement

If they actually wanted to design a proper system to address the earnings issue (without tipping), you would get the pickup location and dropoff, and a fare estimate (what you take in) everytime a ping comes through. If it's not enough $ (or the destinations are inconvenient), you let it pass, and there is no punishment for low acceptance.


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## Smarterthanmanagement

To sum up the article

-Uber corporate is in the process of learning that drivers are humans (not yet robots)
-they survey drivers on what it's like to be an Uber driver, instead of spending 30 minutes signing up and seeing what it's like first-hand
-Uber implies it's shameful to be a servant that keeps people safe. And wants riders to be more respectful by giving out stickers (and continuing to not tip).

A step seemingly in the right direction turns out to be UberDumb [or slimy misdirection, like "let's make these changes for our bottom line, but frame them like it's for the driver, which will improve our reputation" (i.e. addressing wait time issue is just for their bottom line, which is the same reason they won't add tips -they don't get a cut)].


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## Tedgey

Subjugator said:


> Well speaking of fear factors... I turned off showing my military affiliation, I'm going to see if my rating goes back up. I must of forgot I was in la at some point.


Nobody was knocking your rating for your military affiliation. Unless...

You're not affiliated with ISIS are you? I hope that's not one of the options. I wonder if UberSyria has a full plate of military affiliation the driver can choose. Might be risky.


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## twobucca2

Losers. Such garbage. Trash talk from a trash company.


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## Subjugator

Tedgey said:


> Nobody was knocking your rating for your military affiliation. Unless...
> 
> You're not affiliated with ISIS are you? I hope that's not one of the options. I wonder if UberSyria has a full plate of military affiliation the driver can choose. Might be risky.


We'll elections are over and I'm still dropping in ratings? I used to go up finally in ratings since I started, it all went down the drain as soon as I started that new affiliation feature.


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## hm07

Tedgey said:


> And the part she didn't say... and we believe rate cuts will be the best way to address the earnings issue.
> 
> Be ready. Given the opportunity this company will do the worst thing for the drivers 99 times out of 100 and it's been almost a year since the last time they cut rates. All these new ants need something to do and the best way to stimulate demand is to drop the rates.


And still you will drive for them, and because you and 1000's of others will they have no reason to stop treating drivers like crap. You've heard of battered wife syndrome right?

You, and all the other drivers who - on their own free will - drive for a company they know will abuse them are the problem and always will be.

They say 'jump' and you all say 'how high?'


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## Tedgey

hm07 said:


> And still you will drive for them, and because you and 1000's of others will they have no reason to stop treating drivers like crap. You've heard of battered wife syndrome right?
> 
> You, and all the other drivers who - on their own free will - drive for a company they know will abuse them are the problem and always will be.
> 
> They say 'jump' and you all say 'how high?'


What a stale, useless take. I'm curious about your thoughts on many other issues we face.


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## Tedgey

Subjugator said:


> We'll elections are over and I'm still dropping in ratings? I used to go up finally in ratings since I started, it all went down the drain as soon as I started that new affiliation feature.


Look elsewhere. Nobody is going to knock anybody for being a veteran.


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## uberist

I get those surveys and check all the uber sux boxes and write what I think about earnings and the rest of the bs.

I surprise I have not been deactivated.


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## Fuzzyelvis

uberist said:


> I get those surveys and check all the uber sux boxes and write what I think about earnings and the rest of the bs.
> 
> I surprise I have not been deactivated.


Me too.


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## Tedgey

Subjugator said:


> We'll elections are over and I'm still dropping in ratings? I used to go up finally in ratings since I started, it all went down the drain as soon as I started that new affiliation feature.


I saw in the other thread you mentioned you were going to stop doing pool rides. I guarantee you the pool rides have way more effect on your rating than having a military affiliation. BTW, how do they communicate that information to the passenger? And do any of them mention it to you?


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## Driving and Driven

"Kim, the senior design manager, compared it to when Henry Ford was dreaming up the automobile and drivers were saying they needed faster horses. People wanted something faster, but thought faster horses were the solution before the car came along. The same goes for tips, she argues - people want more money, but tipping doesn't have to be the answer."


I see the hiring of drug-abusers has reached the higher levels of the corporation.


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## Tedgey

Driving and Driven said:


> "Kim, the senior design manager, compared it to when Henry Ford was dreaming up the automobile and drivers were saying they needed faster horses. People wanted something faster, but thought faster horses were the solution before the car came along. The same goes for tips, she argues - people want more money, but tipping doesn't have to be the answer."
> 
> I see the hiring of drug-abusers has reached the higher levels of the corporation.


Right? Receiving tips won't increase drivers earnings but decreasing rates will.

Also, they should consider jacking up their take to 30%, 35%, or even higher to see how much effect that has on earnings.


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## Tedgey

Sfla415guy said:


> How about they get rid of this apparently enormous team and divide their pay amongst the drivers who actually make the company money. Call me crazy, but you would think that if the largest sector of your $68Billion company (which one would assume is also an expensive part of said company) is obviously failing at it's singular task... wait what am I thinking. I was going to make a comment using logical thinking and business 101 to point out what's so backwards here but I forgot we were talking about Uber....
> 
> Side note, I'd love to meet one of these drivers who "worked side by side" with uber. There must be a lot of them sonewhere... I've never been able to give feedback outside the app. So, thank you "mystery uber feedback driver" for making our voice heard and all of our concerns regarding our low self esteem. I'm so glad my self esteem is now boosted everytime I turn my app on. I was worried for a minute they would just boost earnings with all of the feedback, from most likely every single driver who fills out the "check ins", but it's a relief knowing we finally got through to them. Earning a living is just a miniscule part of Uber. It's being a volunteer for your community, taking a loss for the team, helping the younger generation break the ugly and demoralizing practice of tipping, and knowing at the end of a long day that you got 2 badges for being funny, 1 for knowing how to use a GPS, and someone FINALLY appreciates your new air freshener scent. aahhhh feels so good. Thanks Uber.​


+1 center justified


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## Driving and Driven

Tedgey said:


> Right? Receiving tips won't increase drivers earnings but decreasing rates will.
> 
> Also, they should consider jacking up their take to 30%, 35%, or even higher to see how much effect that has on earnings.


Hey, Aflac. Don't be planting seeds you don't want to take root!


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## aeiou_-

uberist said:


> I get those surveys and check all the uber sux boxes and write what I think about earnings and the rest of the bs.
> 
> I surprise I have not been deactivated.


When they changed the trade dress to the chase bank logos, they asked for feedback. I sent them this. Kind of over the top, but don't judge me. I'm also surprised I was not deactivated.

"Raise the rates, allow tips, get phone support for drivers. Update and balance your rating system to where 4 truly means good and 5 means excellent. Track all "on app" mileage, not just "in-trip" mileage. Stop trying to promote ridiculous and pointless events like uber entrepreneur! Nobody takes uber seriously anymore. You have turned yourself into the rideshare equivalent of McDonald's. Everybody loves to hate you. Spend your time and funding retaining drivers instead throwing random events no one goes to. You need loyalty to survive this battle that has begun to turn against you. ALLOW TIPS, or simply charge an extra dollar that goes strictly to drivers for gas, that's what restaurants are doing when they eliminate tips. Call it a $1.00 GAS FEE. C'mon... you're creative. Minimum fare = $2.40 + $1.00 for gas. Most drivers hit about 20-30 trips daily, right? That takes care of any gas concerns for the day! Think about it.

You can offer better deals on leases..! Stop thinking of us like "atoms" and start treating us as human beings. You've hurt a lot of people very bad, customers and drivers alike. You think it's funny to wake up to a $745.00 ride that should have cost $90.00, at the most? In the real world, there is nothing you can do to justify your ridiculous unregulated surge. You claim transparency but your advertising and campaigns are all based on lies and cherry picked polls or surveys. We all know this. You lie to your customers and drivers. You promised $35.00 an hour. You boasted $90,000 a year. Your pretentious "hey, buddy!" tone disgusts me. I would and will never refer anyone to drive for you. I will actually do the opposite. **** uber, **** that Seth MacFarlane lookalike mother****er Travis Kalanick, and **** the idiot reading and reporting this. Forward to management and your ceo, please."


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## Adieu

Spuntino said:


> Lmao. Just more PR nonsense.
> 
> They know damn well there are no drivers saying this. These tards are so disconnected from reality and the truth it's insulting.
> 
> They think adding badges for compliments is making things better? That isn't even for the drivers. It's for the entitled Xbox era snowflake pax so they can feel even more special now.
> 
> In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it operated something like this on the pax side when they give a compliment badge.
> 
> *Achievment unlocked! Give your driver a cool car compliment badge!*


ACTUALLY... At one point, that "no one" was, of all people, cynical complainy ol' me.

Though the improvement *I* praised was the expansive in-app "support tree", which put specific names and categoroes to vague issues (critical in dealing with harebrained barely-literate CSRs, and probably HUGE for the countless low-proficiency ESL drivers who likely previously ended up thinking it's their fault for failing to explain properly)

...Also, it probably raised awareness of the possibility and non-unique nature of many of these issues among isolated lone wolf noobs....letting them know this stuff does happen, that they wont be met woth incredulity or laughed at if they make their case, and far from it, there on fact exist standard operating procedures for resolving their seemingly bizarre issues

Of course theres actually a "secret menu" of far MORE standard support actions that theyre still unaware of, while veterans enjoy the many benefits for which one simply has to know how to ask...but it is still a start

And MUCH better than Lyft, where CSRs are nearly all-powerful BUT instructed to turn away anybody and everybody requesting any new form of actually-available standard -intervention...and vehemently deny the possibility of any such action.

...Despite them doing it all day every day for drivers that assertively called bull on then at least once before

A go-away lie template as standard response for noobs who need help and dont know where to turn --- how very SUPPORTIVE, dear LY

Way to go!

PS menu tree request, not quite or even not at all, regardless, EVERYONE should routinely push the envelope on stuff support lets you pull... Who knows, you might find a goldmine


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## OCuber

Tedgey said:


> http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-is-recommitting-itself-to-putting-its-drivers-first-2016-11
> 
> *Uber is making changes to eliminate the fear factor for drivers*
> Biz Carson​Uber has had a bumpy ride with its drivers.
> 
> The ride-hailing company has faced widely publicized driver protests over fair pay and treatment, and its recent efforts building self-driving car technology has created more distrust.
> 
> But Uber, which is valued at $68 billion in private markets and which is a closely watched IPO candidate, says that forging stronger ties with drivers is now a top priority.
> 
> Jeff Jones, the company's new ridesharing president, posted a long note on LinkedIn promising to do a better job with drivers, and the company says it's pouring more resources into its driver experience team, which focuses solely on understanding the needs of drivers and building technology for the people behind the wheel. A new set of tools released by the team before Thanksgiving is designed to address some of drivers' biggest gripes, executives at the company say.
> 
> "Perception is hard to change, but I think it's changing," Ryan Fujiu, a senior product manager at Uber, told Business Insider. "If you go out and talk to drivers and you actually get a sense of 'Hey, these things are improving'."
> 
> Still, with arch-rival Lyft perceived as the more driver-friendly ride-hailing service, and with Uber refusing to provide a mechanism for drivers to collect tips within the app, the company still has a lot of work to do.
> 
> *Fearing the ratings*
> Step one is eliminating the fear factor.
> 
> "When we talked to drivers, for the longest time, they'd say 'Well I'm just afraid about being deactivated or I'm afraid my ratings will hurt my ability to make money,'" says Nundu Janakiram, a group product manager at Uber.
> 
> Uber isn't eliminating the five-star rating that passengers give drivers (low ratings mean drivers can be "deactivated" from Uber's service).
> 
> But the company's new "Compliments" system broadens the feedback system. Passengers can now compliment a driver, by choosing from things like "excellent service" or "expert navigation," to help reinforce what a driver is doing right, Janakiram said.
> 
> The idea is to pivot ratings away from the negative aspect that instilled fear in drivers and turn it into a positive experience. Only a "vanishingly small" number of people are deactivated for having low ratings, Janakiram said, and the company wanted to move to reinforcing with drivers who are doing their jobs well that they are excelling - not just getting in touch when an issue comes up.
> 
> *Ditching servant status*
> 
> Experimenting with the rating system is just one thing Uber is trying to do to balance the relationship between drivers and riders. The five-star system is a two-way feedback system where drivers also rate riders, and Uber has already taken small steps measures,like charging riders if drivers wait outside for more than two minutes, to help riders understand how valuable a driver's time is.
> 
> Still, feedback from Uber drivers shows it's important to them that riders look at them as another human being and just a servant, said Evelyn Kim, a senior design manager at the company.
> 
> "That's kind of the relationship that we're trying to equalize that a little more," Kim said.
> 
> Many members of the driver experience team have become Uber drivers themselves to understand what it means to be in the driver's seat. There's even a mock seat set-up in the driver experience team's part of Uber headquarters so employees can feel it first hand.
> 
> "In other places I've worked, if an app crashed all of a sudden, it wasn't good, but it didn't mean that it wasn't making money today and it didn't mean that a person wasn't able to make rent that week," Janakiram said. "That's reflected even in the size of the team. The driver team is one of the largest product and engineering tech teams in the company, just in numbers, because the company puts a lot of emphasis in it as well."
> 
> In Uber's early days, the driver experience team did a lot of first-hand research, with members testing new navigation apps in their cars, and hailing rides with Uber drivers to ask them questions.
> 
> As Uber has expanded across the world, the company is developing new, more efficient feedback systems.
> 
> The company is building out greenlight centers, a one-stop shop for Uber onboarding, vehicle checks, and support in cities, throughout the US. And Uber is bringing in more drivers to sit alongside designers and engineers during research sessions, and the groups try to come up with solutions to their problems. Things like compliments are just one example of a feature developed out of those conversations. Another one, a "Pause" button, that allows drivers to pause accepting requests if they need to take a break also came from feedback from drivers who ended up in back-to-back-to-back Uber trips.
> 
> Uber's rider base is becoming increasingly suburban, where people already likely to own cars, Fujui said. In the last six months, the biggest source globally of new driver sign-ups has been from the rider base - a stark contrast to the early days of the company when it was largely made up of professional drivers.
> 
> Drivers may be more wary to voice complaints or challenges with their livelihood at stake (a problem not unique to Uber). But unlocking the ideas and solving the problems of Uber's drivers has moved to the forefront of Uber's priorities.
> 
> *The last holdout*
> Uber's driver experience team is working through a punch-list of drivers' needs.
> 
> But that raises an important question: Why doesn't Uber allow tips, especially when drivers clearly want the option?
> 
> Compared to Lyft, which allows riders to tip their drivers at the end of the ride from within the app, Uber has been reluctant to allow the same. Only as part of a proposed settlement did Uber clarify its stance on tips, which is that drivers are allowed to accept them and can have signs in their car saying such, but it's not required for riders to do so.
> 
> "Drivers do ask about tips, and it's something that they definitely compare us, but it's an opportunity for us to look at a variety of ways to address competition," said Molly Stevens, a senior design research manager. "It's definitely a factor that comes up, and we're not ignoring it, but we're trying to address it in other ways."
> 
> Kim, the senior design manager, compared it to when Henry Ford was dreaming up the automobile and drivers were saying they needed faster horses. People wanted something faster, but thought faster horses were the solution before the car came along. The same goes for tips, she argues - people want more money, but tipping doesn't have to be the answer.
> 
> "Tips is one way to solve that, but we're trying to solve it in a more impactful way," Kim said. "For us, it's giving them a better bottom line, and that's a much harder problem to solve for but we want to get better at the earnings aspect of it first."
> 
> Sorry for the formatting issues
> Tl/dr: just more bullshit from Uber.


Nothing about fearing the earnings, or lack thereof, then....typical.


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## OCuber

Tedgey said:


> Look elsewhere. Nobody is going to knock anybody for being a veteran.


I drive in OC...Trump supporters giving 5*, my rating has rocketed up to 3.6.


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## aeiou_-

OCuber said:


> I drive in OC...Trump supporters giving 5*, my rating has rocketed up to 3.6.


Ask who they voted for, and play to their preference. You'll be up to 4.1 in no time, along with all the other top rated drivers.


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## OCuber

aeiou_- said:


> Ask who they voted for, and play to their preference. You'll be up to 4.1 in no time, along with all the other top rated drivers.


4.1 is a big ask....but I'll try...thx


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## Western Warrior

Their technical staff is looking at other ways to solve the tip issue? I'll save Guber consulting fees and solve it for them. "Add the tip option. You can pay me later!"


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## Adieu

Tedgey said:


> Nobody was knocking your rating for your military affiliation. Unless...
> 
> You're not affiliated with ISIS are you? I hope that's not one of the options. I wonder if UberSyria has a full plate of military affiliation the driver can choose. Might be risky.


Sure they are.

Hippies, anarchist wannabes, anti-everything-stage teens, feminists, pacifists, greens, far right pseudomilitia wannabes, etc all have some degree of an issue with you right away

That grows to certain resentment if you turn out to be firm, assertive, difficult to intimidate, good at realigning those who are out of line, and a law order and procedure respecting type....all qualities a good military instills and nurtures in its men

Make em feel self-conscious, ashamed of their actions or even just wounded that their guano wouldnt fly with you? Done, they hate you

...oh and thats BEFORE all manner of displaced persons, refugees, former victims of war, envious ex-servicemen of rival militaries from hostile regimes past and present (many of whom try implementing universal conscription fresh out of high school at one point or another --- so nearly ALL adult male expats and immigrants from some countries), true believer communists and islamists here for study abroad or travel or for purely financial reasons, etc

AND then, if youre a jacked grunt or even just look like one, a significant share of geeks gays shy or effeminate types and so on who'll see in you their jock tormentors from middle or high school...

...yup, wouldnt recommend it. Especially since surely plenty o drivers served, but its gonna be the most stereotypical and thus easy to pigeonhole and resent ones that will go broadcasting it right and left whenever they get the chance

And they are just TOO easy to judge


----------



## Adieu

Also, consider any other profession or calling or single anything that people put forward as defining them


....dont we ridicule drivers with Uber-themed vanity plates?


----------



## OCuber

Adieu said:


> Also, consider any other profession or calling or single anything that people put forward as defining them
> 
> ....dont we ridicule drivers with Uber-themed vanity plates?


You just described me in 10,000 words....cool.
Short and sweet.


----------



## OCuber

Driving and Driven said:


> Hey, Aflac. Don't be planting seeds you don't want to take root!


And.....go on....what seeds....explain yourself.


----------



## Shankster

Tedgey said:


> +1 center justified


Poetic.


----------



## Shankster

aeiou_- said:


> When they changed the trade dress to the chase bank logos, they asked for feedback. I sent them this. Kind of over the top, but don't judge me. I'm also surprised I was not deactivated.
> 
> "Raise the rates, allow tips, get phone support for drivers. Update and balance your rating system to where 4 truly means good and 5 means excellent. Track all "on app" mileage, not just "in-trip" mileage. Stop trying to promote ridiculous and pointless events like uber entrepreneur! Nobody takes uber seriously anymore. You have turned yourself into the rideshare equivalent of McDonald's. Everybody loves to hate you. Spend your time and funding retaining drivers instead throwing random events no one goes to. You need loyalty to survive this battle that has begun to turn against you. ALLOW TIPS, or simply charge an extra dollar that goes strictly to drivers for gas, that's what restaurants are doing when they eliminate tips. Call it a $1.00 GAS FEE. C'mon... you're creative. Minimum fare = $2.40 + $1.00 for gas. Most drivers hit about 20-30 trips daily, right? That takes care of any gas concerns for the day! Think about it.
> 
> You can offer better deals on leases..! Stop thinking of us like "atoms" and start treating us as human beings. You've hurt a lot of people very bad, customers and drivers alike. You think it's funny to wake up to a $745.00 ride that should have cost $90.00, at the most? In the real world, there is nothing you can do to justify your ridiculous unregulated surge. You claim transparency but your advertising and campaigns are all based on lies and cherry picked polls or surveys. We all know this. You lie to your customers and drivers. You promised $35.00 an hour. You boasted $90,000 a year. Your pretentious "hey, buddy!" tone disgusts me. I would and will never refer anyone to drive for you. I will actually do the opposite. &%[email protected]!* uber, &%[email protected]!* that Seth MacFarlane lookalike mother&%[email protected]!*er Travis Kalanick, and &%[email protected]!* the idiot reading and reporting this. Forward to management and your ceo, please."


I applaud you if, indeed, you sent this to them.


----------



## aeiou_-

Shankster said:


> I applaud you if, indeed, you sent this to them.


I swear I did, 'round the time when the logos changed.

I copy and pasted to my memos for shizz and gigs. No screenshot because I wasn't thinking about it. You'll just have to take my word for it, it really did happen though.


----------



## Amsoil Uber Connect

B4 I read all that. Is this like what big corporations do ever year. Attend the Yearly Ethics meeting for an hour, watch a video, try and stay awake. Then sign the paper that you attended and business as usual ?

I was taught long ago how to read a newspaper article. Read the first two paragraphs and the last two paragraphs. Now the last somes it up. vvv



Tedgey said:


> "Drivers do ask about tips, and it's something that they definitely compare us, but it's an opportunity for us to look at a variety of ways to address competition," said Molly Stevens, a senior design research manager. "It's definitely a factor that comes up, and we're not ignoring it, but we're trying to address it in other ways."
> 
> Kim, the senior design manager, compared it to when Henry Ford was dreaming up the automobile and drivers were saying they needed faster horses. People wanted something faster, but thought faster horses were the solution before the car came along. The same goes for tips, she argues - people want more money, but tipping doesn't have to be the answer.
> 
> "Tips is one way to solve that, but we're trying to solve it in a more impactful way," Kim said. "_*For us, it's giving them a better bottom line, and that's a much harder problem to solve*_ for but we want to get better at the earnings aspect of it first."


Hence why I change my sig line at the bottom.


----------



## Subjugator

OCuber said:


> I drive in OC...Trump supporters giving 5*, my rating has rocketed up to 3.6.


I had a few of those.... but like it was 5% of the rides that week. the rest were wanting hillary.


----------



## d0n

Lol, what is it with these Silicon Valley hipsters and the "impactful" buzzword? It's like they use it on every company on it's way down.

Anyways, cool story and badge on, uberinos.


----------



## Subjugator

Adieu said:


> Sure they are.
> 
> Hippies, anarchist wannabes, anti-everything-stage teens, feminists, pacifists, greens, far right pseudomilitia wannabes, etc all have some degree of an issue with you right away
> 
> That grows to certain resentment if you turn out to be firm, assertive, difficult to intimidate, good at realigning those who are out of line, and a law order and procedure respecting type....all qualities a good military instills and nurtures in its men
> 
> Make em feel self-conscious, ashamed of their actions or even just wounded that their guano wouldnt fly with you? Done, they hate you
> 
> ...oh and thats BEFORE all manner of displaced persons, refugees, former victims of war, envious ex-servicemen of rival militaries from hostile regimes past and present (many of whom try implementing universal conscription fresh out of high school at one point or another --- so nearly ALL adult male expats and immigrants from some countries), true believer communists and islamists here for study abroad or travel or for purely financial reasons, etc
> 
> AND then, if youre a jacked grunt or even just look like one, a significant share of geeks gays shy or effeminate types and so on who'll see in you their jock tormentors from middle or high school...
> 
> ...yup, wouldnt recommend it. Especially since surely plenty o drivers served, but its gonna be the most stereotypical and thus easy to pigeonhole and resent ones that will go broadcasting it right and left whenever they get the chance
> 
> And they are just TOO easy to judge


Man that's long.... umm but anyway all I know is anytime I was visiting anything that was not la it was a different atmosphere, people cared. here in la it's a nightmare, all I hear is how some of these people want everything but don't want to do anything about it, expect someone else to do it and then complain why it wasn't done to their expectations. military is like always to blame first and of course as usual want a president that does everything for them....


----------



## somedriverguy

How about instead of giving uber money fromt the ride, we choose to give them.some kind of in app badge instead. According to them its better than actual money.


----------



## ABC123DEF

Driving and Driven said:


> "Kim, the senior design manager, compared it to when Henry Ford was dreaming up the automobile and drivers were saying they needed faster horses. People wanted something faster, but thought faster horses were the solution before the car came along. The same goes for tips, she argues - people want more money, but tipping doesn't have to be the answer."
> 
> I see the hiring of drug-abusers has reached the higher levels of the corporation.


Um...what the hell did she just say?


----------



## TwoFiddyMile

Allow me to interpret this article:
Uber has bad press for poor driver treatment and relations.
Said article is attempted damage control to make PAX and INVESTORS feel good about the path Uber is on.

So they once again lie. They say driver relations are job 1.
Nothing to see here, except that unfortunately...
People will believe it.


----------



## ABC123DEF

I guess they must be feeling some heat at HQ...2017 should be "interesting". We're all awaiting the upcoming January rate cut/increased Uber commission scheme....so that we can earn more money.


----------



## Jo3030

Still fighting the tips thing til the end.
Uber just doesn't get it.


----------



## chopstick

Jo3030 said:


> Still fighting the tips thing til the end.
> Uber just doesn't get it.


Uber just doesn't want to have to admit they are colossally wrong about tips, or they don't want to admit the only reason they cut tips in the first place was because they don't get a cut out of it. Uber really is the epitome of greed. They are a great example of the many things that are wrong with our capitalist society in general.


----------



## Tedgey

chopstick said:


> Uber just doesn't want to have to admit they are colossally wrong about tips, or they don't want to admit the only reason they cut tips in the first place was because they don't get a cut out of it. Uber really is the epitome of greed. They are a great example of the many things that are wrong with our capitalist society in general.


That's not why they "cut" tips. Tipping has never been a part of Uber. They used to say the tip was included but a judge made them stop saying that so now they just say it's not necessary.

The anti-tip sentiment is part of a wider movement that objects to tipping as part of a cultural norm. There's lots of places in the world where a driver doesn't get a tip. As a matter of fact there's lots of drivers in the USA who don't get tipped. When was the last time you tipped the FedEx driver? Or a bus driver? Or the postman? Or the trash man?


----------



## TwoFiddyMile

Got a $5 tip on a $10 job from ghetto chick pax today.
Class act.
Nice butts too.


----------



## freediverdude

I think I have translated the corporate-speak: It sounds like Uber sees the lack of tipping as a competitive advantage over Lyft that they can advertise as such, and doesn't want to give that up, so they are trying to find ways to squeeze more money for themselves and drivers through other means.

I'm not sure how successful that will be. They'll have to be pretty sneaky about raising costs to the riders without being perceived as more expensive than Lyft.


----------



## Driving and Driven

Tedgey said:


> That's not why they "cut" tips. Tipping has never been a part of Uber. They used to say the tip was included but a judge made them stop saying that so now they just say it's not necessary.
> 
> The anti-tip sentiment is part of a wider movement that objects to tipping as part of a cultural norm. There's lots of places in the world where a driver doesn't get a tip. As a matter of fact there's lots of drivers in the USA who don't get tipped. When was the last time you tipped the FedEx driver? Or a bus driver? Or the postman? Or the trash man?


My UPS guy gets a Christmas (gift) card from me.


----------



## chopstick

Fedex, UPS & USPS / trash guys all earn a set rate (usually in the $20/hr range) AND don't drive their personal vehicles, Furthermore they also get benefits, health insurance & paid vacations.

It's a silly comparison. If Uber is going to actively discourage tipping (and thus reduce Uber driver's pay, who are already making minimum wage with no benefits) then Uber needs to raise the rates OR offer a stable base pay rate for their drivers


----------



## uberdriverfornow

TwoFiddyMile said:


> Allow me to interpret this article:
> Uber has bad press for poor driver treatment and relations.
> Said article is attempted damage control to make PAX and INVESTORS feel good about the path Uber is on.
> 
> So they once again lie. They say driver relations are job 1.
> Nothing to see here, except that unfortunately...
> People will believe it.


Exactly. It's all public relations with this article. Plus they know they about to lose the big lawsuits. It's probably designed to influence future potential juries.


----------



## Flarpy

Wonder what they use for puke in the mock uber car?


----------



## ChortlingCrison

I think I have Anatidaephobia!! Fear of ducks!!


----------



## ChortlingCrison

Flarpy said:


> Wonder what they use for puke in the mock uber car?


ziplock uberpuke bags


----------



## Fuzzyelvis

freediverdude said:


> ... they are trying to find ways to squeeze more money for themselves and drivers through other means.


Take out the "and drivers" part...


----------



## Lowestformofwit

The only "driver relations" Uber are ever interested in are your immediate and extended families, and getting them signed up to drive for them.


----------



## UberAnt39

Hey Uber, I hate Pool beyond belief and will never do one again. Let drivers opt out if it. Or just keep BS'ing about giving a sht about the drivers, cos that's what you're best at after all.


----------



## TwoFiddyMile

Duck jokes haven't been cool for approximately 13 weeks now.
It's high time for the resurgence of the Bison joke.
How many bison does it take to see in a lightbulb?
Zero.
Bison screwed months ago.


----------



## Tedgey

Lowestformofwit said:


> The only "driver relations" Uber are ever interested in are your immediate and extended families, and getting them signed up to drive for them.


Do you have any brothers or sisters? Here, let me get you a referral code.


----------



## Tedgey

TwoFiddyMile said:


> Duck jokes haven't been cool for approximately 13 weeks now.
> It's high time for the resurgence of the Bison joke.
> How many bison does it take to see in a lightbulb?
> Zero.
> Bison screwed months ago.


Bison hires
Bison inspires
Bison QUACK QUACK QUack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack

Darn that duck!


----------



## tohunt4me

Spuntino said:


> Lmao. Just more PR nonsense.
> 
> They know damn well there are no drivers saying this. These tards are so disconnected from reality and the truth it's insulting.
> 
> They think adding badges for compliments is making things better? That isn't even for the drivers. It's for the entitled Xbox era snowflake pax so they can feel even more special now.
> 
> In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it operated something like this on the pax side when they give a compliment badge.
> 
> *Achievment unlocked! Give your driver a cool car compliment badge!*


They are so isolated from REALITY that the are now emulating Washington D.C. politicians in their lack of common sense and total disassociation from day to day realities. AS A RESULT,THEY WILL BE REPLACED BY THE PUBLIC JUST AS THE POLITICIANS ARE BEING REPLACED .


----------



## tohunt4me

Tedgey said:


> Bison hires
> Bison inspires
> Bison QUACK QUACK QUack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack
> 
> Darn that duck!


----------



## tohunt4me

FUberX said:


> That's weird I didn't see anything about increasing pay


And you won't either.
Vampires don't put back blood.
They deposit Guano.


----------



## crazytown

Tedgey said:


> http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-is-recommitting-itself-to-putting-its-drivers-first-2016-11
> 
> *Uber is making changes to eliminate the fear factor for drivers*
> Biz Carson​Uber has had a bumpy ride with its drivers.
> 
> The ride-hailing company has faced widely publicized driver protests over fair pay and treatment, and its recent efforts building self-driving car technology has created more distrust.
> 
> But Uber, which is valued at $68 billion in private markets and which is a closely watched IPO candidate, says that forging stronger ties with drivers is now a top priority.
> 
> Jeff Jones, the company's new ridesharing president, posted a long note on LinkedIn promising to do a better job with drivers, and the company says it's pouring more resources into its driver experience team, which focuses solely on understanding the needs of drivers and building technology for the people behind the wheel. A new set of tools released by the team before Thanksgiving is designed to address some of drivers' biggest gripes, executives at the company say.
> 
> "Perception is hard to change, but I think it's changing," Ryan Fujiu, a senior product manager at Uber, told Business Insider. "If you go out and talk to drivers and you actually get a sense of 'Hey, these things are improving'."
> 
> Still, with arch-rival Lyft perceived as the more driver-friendly ride-hailing service, and with Uber refusing to provide a mechanism for drivers to collect tips within the app, the company still has a lot of work to do.
> 
> *Fearing the ratings*
> Step one is eliminating the fear factor.
> 
> "When we talked to drivers, for the longest time, they'd say 'Well I'm just afraid about being deactivated or I'm afraid my ratings will hurt my ability to make money,'" says Nundu Janakiram, a group product manager at Uber.
> 
> Uber isn't eliminating the five-star rating that passengers give drivers (low ratings mean drivers can be "deactivated" from Uber's service).
> 
> But the company's new "Compliments" system broadens the feedback system. Passengers can now compliment a driver, by choosing from things like "excellent service" or "expert navigation," to help reinforce what a driver is doing right, Janakiram said.
> 
> The idea is to pivot ratings away from the negative aspect that instilled fear in drivers and turn it into a positive experience. Only a "vanishingly small" number of people are deactivated for having low ratings, Janakiram said, and the company wanted to move to reinforcing with drivers who are doing their jobs well that they are excelling - not just getting in touch when an issue comes up.
> 
> *Ditching servant status*
> 
> Experimenting with the rating system is just one thing Uber is trying to do to balance the relationship between drivers and riders. The five-star system is a two-way feedback system where drivers also rate riders, and Uber has already taken small steps measures,like charging riders if drivers wait outside for more than two minutes, to help riders understand how valuable a driver's time is.
> 
> Still, feedback from Uber drivers shows it's important to them that riders look at them as another human being and just a servant, said Evelyn Kim, a senior design manager at the company.
> 
> "That's kind of the relationship that we're trying to equalize that a little more," Kim said.
> 
> Many members of the driver experience team have become Uber drivers themselves to understand what it means to be in the driver's seat. There's even a mock seat set-up in the driver experience team's part of Uber headquarters so employees can feel it first hand.
> 
> "In other places I've worked, if an app crashed all of a sudden, it wasn't good, but it didn't mean that it wasn't making money today and it didn't mean that a person wasn't able to make rent that week," Janakiram said. "That's reflected even in the size of the team. The driver team is one of the largest product and engineering tech teams in the company, just in numbers, because the company puts a lot of emphasis in it as well."
> 
> In Uber's early days, the driver experience team did a lot of first-hand research, with members testing new navigation apps in their cars, and hailing rides with Uber drivers to ask them questions.
> 
> As Uber has expanded across the world, the company is developing new, more efficient feedback systems.
> 
> The company is building out greenlight centers, a one-stop shop for Uber onboarding, vehicle checks, and support in cities, throughout the US. And Uber is bringing in more drivers to sit alongside designers and engineers during research sessions, and the groups try to come up with solutions to their problems. Things like compliments are just one example of a feature developed out of those conversations. Another one, a "Pause" button, that allows drivers to pause accepting requests if they need to take a break also came from feedback from drivers who ended up in back-to-back-to-back Uber trips.
> 
> Uber's rider base is becoming increasingly suburban, where people already likely to own cars, Fujui said. In the last six months, the biggest source globally of new driver sign-ups has been from the rider base - a stark contrast to the early days of the company when it was largely made up of professional drivers.
> 
> Drivers may be more wary to voice complaints or challenges with their livelihood at stake (a problem not unique to Uber). But unlocking the ideas and solving the problems of Uber's drivers has moved to the forefront of Uber's priorities.
> 
> *The last holdout*
> Uber's driver experience team is working through a punch-list of drivers' needs.
> 
> But that raises an important question: Why doesn't Uber allow tips, especially when drivers clearly want the option?
> 
> Compared to Lyft, which allows riders to tip their drivers at the end of the ride from within the app, Uber has been reluctant to allow the same. Only as part of a proposed settlement did Uber clarify its stance on tips, which is that drivers are allowed to accept them and can have signs in their car saying such, but it's not required for riders to do so.
> 
> "Drivers do ask about tips, and it's something that they definitely compare us, but it's an opportunity for us to look at a variety of ways to address competition," said Molly Stevens, a senior design research manager. "It's definitely a factor that comes up, and we're not ignoring it, but we're trying to address it in other ways."
> 
> Kim, the senior design manager, compared it to when Henry Ford was dreaming up the automobile and drivers were saying they needed faster horses. People wanted something faster, but thought faster horses were the solution before the car came along. The same goes for tips, she argues - people want more money, but tipping doesn't have to be the answer.
> 
> "Tips is one way to solve that, but we're trying to solve it in a more impactful way," Kim said. "For us, it's giving them a better bottom line, and that's a much harder problem to solve for but we want to get better at the earnings aspect of it first."
> 
> Sorry for the formatting issues
> Tl/dr: just more bullshit from Uber.


What a load of dog shit....period


----------



## 62354

hahahahahah helping the drivers bottom line???? wtf did uber bangalore write this


"she argues - people want more money, but tipping doesn't have to be the answer.

"Tips is one way to solve that, but we're trying to solve it in a more impactful way," Kim said. "For us, it's giving them a better bottom line, and that's a much harder problem to solve for but we want to get better at the earnings aspect of it first." --- ubers bottom line rule is reduce drivers earnings and raise the incoming funds to themselves


----------



## RedoBeach

aeiou_- said:


> When they changed the trade dress to the chase bank logos, they asked for feedback. I sent them this. Kind of over the top, but don't judge me. I'm also surprised I was not deactivated.
> 
> "Raise the rates, allow tips, get phone support for drivers. Update and balance your rating system to where 4 truly means good and 5 means excellent. Track all "on app" mileage, not just "in-trip" mileage. Stop trying to promote ridiculous and pointless events like uber entrepreneur! Nobody takes uber seriously anymore. You have turned yourself into the rideshare equivalent of McDonald's. Everybody loves to hate you. Spend your time and funding retaining drivers instead throwing random events no one goes to. You need loyalty to survive this battle that has begun to turn against you. ALLOW TIPS, or simply charge an extra dollar that goes strictly to drivers for gas, that's what restaurants are doing when they eliminate tips. Call it a $1.00 GAS FEE. C'mon... you're creative. Minimum fare = $2.40 + $1.00 for gas. Most drivers hit about 20-30 trips daily, right? That takes care of any gas concerns for the day! Think about it.
> 
> You can offer better deals on leases..! Stop thinking of us like "atoms" and start treating us as human beings. You've hurt a lot of people very bad, customers and drivers alike. You think it's funny to wake up to a $745.00 ride that should have cost $90.00, at the most? In the real world, there is nothing you can do to justify your ridiculous unregulated surge. You claim transparency but your advertising and campaigns are all based on lies and cherry picked polls or surveys. We all know this. You lie to your customers and drivers. You promised $35.00 an hour. You boasted $90,000 a year. Your pretentious "hey, buddy!" tone disgusts me. I would and will never refer anyone to drive for you. I will actually do the opposite. &%[email protected]!* uber, &%[email protected]!* that Seth MacFarlane lookalike mother&%[email protected]!*er Travis Kalanick, and &%[email protected]!* the idiot reading and reporting this. Forward to management and your ceo, please."


Don't be surprised, their usual response to my bluntly honest and no holds barred emails to Uber is, "We admire your enthusiasm," and "Thank you for your input, your creativity is excellent," or "We are impressed by your of resolve and ingenuity." One of these was in response to my #909th email trying to reconcile several hundred dollars in pay when I finally lost it and wrote F off, ain't nobody got time for thieving, patronizing liars.

Sometimes I'd rather they had a more human response to my comment instead emphatically detailing how much they love my passion for driving. Maybe it wouldn't feel so bad if Uber simply responded by saying F You too, instead of padding me with bs compliments and stealing my paycheck in the process.


----------



## GalinMcMahon

The problem here is that you have a $68 billion company. Companies pay their execs very well. So you force these rich guys to (ugh) actually Uber for a day. Their mansions and cars are already paid off so the $40 they earn in their horrible 8 hours of dealing with humans is just spending cash that they can throw out the window. They don't understand that because of their pay cuts and near removal of surge, that $40 is a third of what their actual drivers need so they can pay their rent that is already a week late and so they can make the payment on their newer car so they can continue feeding that damn 25% into that $68 billion. So they give us digital tokens that we're supposed to show to our landlords to keep the late charges paid.

Here's the word of the day: Fubered.



Tedgey said:


> http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-is-recommitting-itself-to-putting-its-drivers-first-2016-11
> 
> *Uber is making changes to eliminate the fear factor for drivers*
> Biz Carson​Uber has had a bumpy ride with its drivers.
> 
> The ride-hailing company has faced widely publicized driver protests over fair pay and treatment, and its recent efforts building self-driving car technology has created more distrust.
> 
> But Uber, which is valued at $68 billion in private markets and which is a closely watched IPO candidate, says that forging stronger ties with drivers is now a top priority.
> 
> Jeff Jones, the company's new ridesharing president, posted a long note on LinkedIn promising to do a better job with drivers, and the company says it's pouring more resources into its driver experience team, which focuses solely on understanding the needs of drivers and building technology for the people behind the wheel. A new set of tools released by the team before Thanksgiving is designed to address some of drivers' biggest gripes, executives at the company say.
> 
> "Perception is hard to change, but I think it's changing," Ryan Fujiu, a senior product manager at Uber, told Business Insider. "If you go out and talk to drivers and you actually get a sense of 'Hey, these things are improving'."
> 
> Still, with arch-rival Lyft perceived as the more driver-friendly ride-hailing service, and with Uber refusing to provide a mechanism for drivers to collect tips within the app, the company still has a lot of work to do.
> 
> *Fearing the ratings*
> Step one is eliminating the fear factor.
> 
> "When we talked to drivers, for the longest time, they'd say 'Well I'm just afraid about being deactivated or I'm afraid my ratings will hurt my ability to make money,'" says Nundu Janakiram, a group product manager at Uber.
> 
> Uber isn't eliminating the five-star rating that passengers give drivers (low ratings mean drivers can be "deactivated" from Uber's service).
> 
> But the company's new "Compliments" system broadens the feedback system. Passengers can now compliment a driver, by choosing from things like "excellent service" or "expert navigation," to help reinforce what a driver is doing right, Janakiram said.
> 
> The idea is to pivot ratings away from the negative aspect that instilled fear in drivers and turn it into a positive experience. Only a "vanishingly small" number of people are deactivated for having low ratings, Janakiram said, and the company wanted to move to reinforcing with drivers who are doing their jobs well that they are excelling - not just getting in touch when an issue comes up.
> 
> *Ditching servant status*
> 
> Experimenting with the rating system is just one thing Uber is trying to do to balance the relationship between drivers and riders. The five-star system is a two-way feedback system where drivers also rate riders, and Uber has already taken small steps measures,like charging riders if drivers wait outside for more than two minutes, to help riders understand how valuable a driver's time is.
> 
> Still, feedback from Uber drivers shows it's important to them that riders look at them as another human being and just a servant, said Evelyn Kim, a senior design manager at the company.
> 
> "That's kind of the relationship that we're trying to equalize that a little more," Kim said.
> 
> Many members of the driver experience team have become Uber drivers themselves to understand what it means to be in the driver's seat. There's even a mock seat set-up in the driver experience team's part of Uber headquarters so employees can feel it first hand.
> 
> "In other places I've worked, if an app crashed all of a sudden, it wasn't good, but it didn't mean that it wasn't making money today and it didn't mean that a person wasn't able to make rent that week," Janakiram said. "That's reflected even in the size of the team. The driver team is one of the largest product and engineering tech teams in the company, just in numbers, because the company puts a lot of emphasis in it as well."
> 
> In Uber's early days, the driver experience team did a lot of first-hand research, with members testing new navigation apps in their cars, and hailing rides with Uber drivers to ask them questions.
> 
> As Uber has expanded across the world, the company is developing new, more efficient feedback systems.
> 
> The company is building out greenlight centers, a one-stop shop for Uber onboarding, vehicle checks, and support in cities, throughout the US. And Uber is bringing in more drivers to sit alongside designers and engineers during research sessions, and the groups try to come up with solutions to their problems. Things like compliments are just one example of a feature developed out of those conversations. Another one, a "Pause" button, that allows drivers to pause accepting requests if they need to take a break also came from feedback from drivers who ended up in back-to-back-to-back Uber trips.
> 
> Uber's rider base is becoming increasingly suburban, where people already likely to own cars, Fujui said. In the last six months, the biggest source globally of new driver sign-ups has been from the rider base - a stark contrast to the early days of the company when it was largely made up of professional drivers.
> 
> Drivers may be more wary to voice complaints or challenges with their livelihood at stake (a problem not unique to Uber). But unlocking the ideas and solving the problems of Uber's drivers has moved to the forefront of Uber's priorities.
> 
> *The last holdout*
> Uber's driver experience team is working through a punch-list of drivers' needs.
> 
> But that raises an important question: Why doesn't Uber allow tips, especially when drivers clearly want the option?
> 
> Compared to Lyft, which allows riders to tip their drivers at the end of the ride from within the app, Uber has been reluctant to allow the same. Only as part of a proposed settlement did Uber clarify its stance on tips, which is that drivers are allowed to accept them and can have signs in their car saying such, but it's not required for riders to do so.
> 
> "Drivers do ask about tips, and it's something that they definitely compare us, but it's an opportunity for us to look at a variety of ways to address competition," said Molly Stevens, a senior design research manager. "It's definitely a factor that comes up, and we're not ignoring it, but we're trying to address it in other ways."
> 
> Kim, the senior design manager, compared it to when Henry Ford was dreaming up the automobile and drivers were saying they needed faster horses. People wanted something faster, but thought faster horses were the solution before the car came along. The same goes for tips, she argues - people want more money, but tipping doesn't have to be the answer.
> 
> "Tips is one way to solve that, but we're trying to solve it in a more impactful way," Kim said. "For us, it's giving them a better bottom line, and that's a much harder problem to solve for but we want to get better at the earnings aspect of it first."
> 
> Sorry for the formatting issues
> Tl/dr: just more bullshit from Uber.


----------



## 58756

What they could start doing to really develop better relationships with drivers is put in a puzzle with the pax request once a driver accepts a pax request and before he starts driving--give that driver like 1 minute or more to find hidden messages that indicate whether the pax is going far distance or not, this will motivate people to play as they will get more curious and will want to know if this will be a long ride or a short one. Turn it into a game I would say and also get rid of all those safety flags and other stuff, I quit Uber because I constantly got safety flags with Uber but no one ever wrote what was unsafe about me or driving. Lyft never gets me safety flags.


----------



## OlDirtySapper

Lol gotta love it a repost of the article I posted last week featured now.


----------



## Tr4vis Ka1anick

Flarpy said:


> Wonder what they use for puke in the mock uber car?


Good question. It is a combination of:


over ripe bananas,
jello,
marshmellows,
stale tortilla chips, and
beef with country vegetables Chunky Soup
cheap vodka (sanitizes the solution and adds a real life smell)
Jeff Jones is a great addition to the team. He speaks babble, rhetoric, non-sensical, jargon with an undertone of sincerity which confounds and confuses everyone.

His no nonsense, pragmatic approach to finding solutions to problems that management creates for us to justify our over inflated salaries only points to possibilities of profound, pronunciation of profits.

Uber will soon offer a shoe shine kit for all drivers to get either a modest tip or shoe shine badge!

The kit is only 19.99. But, the replacement special water proof polish is $37.68 per container.

*UBER ON!*


----------



## galileo5

Tedgey said:


> The same goes for tips, she argues - people want more money, but tipping doesn't have to be the answer.... Tips is one way to solve that, but we're trying to solve it in a more impactful way ...


How often did she practice saying this until she could say it with a straight face?


----------



## chopstick

Raise the base rates back to $2/mile and stop over-hiring drivers (you won't need too at those rates) and we'll stop complaining about a tip option.


----------



## Wardell Curry

**** the ratings. Just raise the price back to what it was brfore the January 28 2016 price cut and I will be as subserviant as I need to be to make the pax experience more rewarding.


----------



## JayAre

Subjugator said:


> Well speaking of fear factors... I turned off showing my military affiliation, I'm going to see if my rating goes back up. I must of forgot I was in la at some point.


How did you turn it off? It still says verified and it tells me it will turn it off and "may take up to two hours" but the verified part remains... meh... hopefully it doesn't show.


----------



## tohunt4me

Sfla415guy said:


> How about they get rid of this apparently enormous team and divide their pay amongst the drivers who actually make the company money. Call me crazy, but you would think that if the largest sector of your $68Billion company (which one would assume is also an expensive part of said company) is obviously failing at it's singular task... wait what am I thinking. I was going to make a comment using logical thinking and business 101 to point out what's so backwards here but I forgot we were talking about Uber....
> 
> Side note, I'd love to meet one of these drivers who "worked side by side" with uber. There must be a lot of them sonewhere... I've never been able to give feedback outside the app. So, thank you "mystery uber feedback driver" for making our voice heard and all of our concerns regarding our low self esteem. I'm so glad my self esteem is now boosted everytime I turn my app on. I was worried for a minute they would just boost earnings with all of the feedback, from most likely every single driver who fills out the "check ins", but it's a relief knowing we finally got through to them. Earning a living is just a miniscule part of Uber. It's being a volunteer for your community, taking a loss for the team, helping the younger generation break the ugly and demoralizing practice of tipping, and knowing at the end of a long day that you got 2 badges for being funny, 1 for knowing how to use a GPS, and someone FINALLY appreciates your new air freshener scent. aahhhh feels so good. Thanks Uber.​


UBER: " YOUR OWN 'PERSONAL' DRIVER".( owned for .18¢ a minute.)
UBER IS AN " ENABLER" FOR DRIVER ABUSE !


----------



## tohunt4me

FUberX said:


> That's weird I didn't see anything about increasing pay


" Lower rates means more money !"


----------



## tohunt4me

Wardell Curry said:


> &%[email protected]!* the ratings. Just raise the price back to what it was brfore the January 28 2016 price cut and I will be as subserviant as I need to be to make the pax experience more rewarding.


Amen !
Quit telling us LESS IS MORE while increasing Ubers take .
ENOUGH OF THE " UBER DOUBLESPEAK"!


----------



## tohunt4me

Coaststarlight said:


> Yup, bs, but the mock driver seat was funny, if that doesn't tell you they're just trying to look busy idk what does, you can just sit in any car and understand the layout of the driver's point of view.. but that wouldn't fool anyone lol


The parking lot is too far away from the CORPORATE LOUNGE with microbrewery beer and wine !
They would have to leave the insular cocoon. Meanwhile,with back to back pings,I'm 2 hours LATE for a bathroom break. Now I have a kidney stone from driving 12 hours shifts to make up for disasterously low rates !


----------



## tohunt4me

thezeus88 said:


> Yeah, the way the address tipping is by creating those stupid badges.
> 
> If a pax is able to give us a badge, it will psychologically make them them feel better about not tipping.... they feel if that by giving us a badge they are doing us a favor.
> 
> That article is so stupid


It's PERVERSE !


----------



## Interplaneterri

Adieu said:


> Sure they are.
> 
> Hippies, anarchist wannabes, anti-everything-stage teens, feminists, pacifists, greens, far right pseudomilitia wannabes, etc all have some degree of an issue with you right away
> 
> That grows to certain resentment if you turn out to be firm, assertive, difficult to intimidate, good at realigning those who are out of line, and a law order and procedure respecting type....all qualities a good military instills and nurtures in its men
> 
> Make em feel self-conscious, ashamed of their actions or even just wounded that their guano wouldnt fly with you? Done, they hate you
> 
> ...oh and thats BEFORE all manner of displaced persons, refugees, former victims of war, envious ex-servicemen of rival militaries from hostile regimes past and present (many of whom try implementing universal conscription fresh out of high school at one point or another --- so nearly ALL adult male expats and immigrants from some countries), true believer communists and islamists here for study abroad or travel or for purely financial reasons, etc
> 
> AND then, if youre a jacked grunt or even just look like one, a significant share of geeks gays shy or effeminate types and so on who'll see in you their jock tormentors from middle or high school...
> 
> ...yup, wouldnt recommend it. Especially since surely plenty o drivers served, but its gonna be the most stereotypical and thus easy to pigeonhole and resent ones that will go broadcasting it right and left whenever they get the chance
> 
> And they are just TOO easy to judge


Have you every considered that maybe you are just an intolerant dick who exudes attitude?


----------



## UberLaLa

Subjugator said:


> Well speaking of fear factors... I turned off showing my military affiliation, I'm going to see if my rating goes back up. I must of forgot I was in la at some point.


Yes, you only helped make America a place where, ingrates can complain about riding in nice cars with a safe drive, for little to no money. What where you thinking!?

And, BTW = THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, SIR : )


----------



## Tr4vis Ka1anick

*"Uber is making changes to eliminate the fear factor for drivers"

*
Any time Uber changes anything, is cause for ALARM!


----------



## metal_orion

Well instead of tips they could lower the weekly rides bonus to 30 rides instead of 55 and pay at least $100 dollars instead of $65 or $75. Just sayin.


----------



## GrinsNgiggles

This...

_"Uber has already taken small steps measures,like charging riders if drivers wait outside for more than two minutes, *to help riders understand how valuable a driver's time is."*_

Thanks for showing the rider that our time is worth 10 cents a minute. That'll show 'em!

This article lacks actual facts and statistics. When you say it charges the driver but leave out the 3rd world pay on this charge, you're misleading the public. I would love to see a writer/reporter ask the drivers to address this entire article. Now THAT would be something to read wouldn't it?


----------



## sicky

Tedgey said:


> "Perception is hard to change, but I think it's changing," Ryan Fujiu, a senior product manager at Uber, told Business Insider. "If you go out and talk to drivers and you actually get a sense of 'Hey, these things are improving'."


Yes, things are improving. That's why drivers are going on strike all over the country. These Uber employees need to talk to real drivers and not Uber employees that drive on weekends. Also they need to not tell the driver that they work for Uber so the driver isn't afraid of losing his job.


----------



## sicky

Tedgey said:


> "Drivers do ask about tips, and it's something that they definitely compare us, but it's an opportunity for us to look at a variety of ways to address competition," said Molly Stevens, a senior design research manager. "It's definitely a factor that comes up, and we're not ignoring it, but we're trying to address it in other ways."
> 
> Kim, the senior design manager, compared it to when Henry Ford was dreaming up the automobile and drivers were saying they needed faster horses. People wanted something faster, but thought faster horses were the solution before the car came along. The same goes for tips, she argues - people want more money, but tipping doesn't have to be the answer.
> 
> "Tips is one way to solve that, but we're trying to solve it in a more impactful way," Kim said. "For us, it's giving them a better bottom line, and that's a much harder problem to solve for but we want to get better at the earnings aspect of it first."


In what ways are they trying to address tips? By saying that they are not necessary because Uber was sued for saying tips were included?

Tipping is not the answer to Uber because they can't take a cut off tips. The Uber answer to drivers making more money is to cut the rates and tell drivers we are earning more. After expenses, drivers earn almost nothing, but that isn't factored into the equation.


----------



## CarterPeerless

In an article about drivers, there is no comment from any drivers. Not even from the lazy media's go-to guy (TRG). It's only about what the company wants to do and what the company wants to dismiss - in other words, a PR piece.

When driving the simulator, do they get badges instead of pay?

If they crash in the sim, do they have to pay thousands for repairs while uber's insurance denies their claims?

Does the pretend pax get to file false reports that results in the sim driver being deactivated?

Does the sim pax carry a sim baby without any sim carseat and try to negotiate a ride anyway?


----------



## Koffee

Tedgey said:


> Kim, the senior design manager, compared it to when Henry Ford was dreaming up the automobile


Lol. Henry Ford did not dream up the automobile, he created the assembly line to speed up the process and make manufacturing cheaper.

So Kim needs to actually go to school

Koffee


----------



## somedriverguy

Tedgey said:


> That's not why they "cut" tips. Tipping has never been a part of Uber. They used to say the tip was included but a judge made them stop saying that so now they just say it's not necessary.
> 
> The anti-tip sentiment is part of a wider movement that objects to tipping as part of a cultural norm. There's lots of places in the world where a driver doesn't get a tip. As a matter of fact there's lots of drivers in the USA who don't get tipped. When was the last time you tipped the FedEx driver? Or a bus driver? Or the postman? Or the trash man?


Tips were in fact part of the Uber app. They got sued for taking 20% of them and had to give them back. Then they took tipping off of the app cuz without that money, Travis couldn't afford to gargle expired sperm bank donations 24/7, and he wanted you to feel his pain.


----------



## MyRedUber

Tedgey said:


> "If you go out and talk to drivers and you actually get a sense of 'Hey, these things are improving'."


What absolute carp.
Every day, without any warning, there's the risk of deactivation or having our income slashed. And there's no right of appeal.

Love the work, like most of the customers, but not the company.

Wish Uber drivers understood the value of collective action for the long term benefit of all. Too many only see short-term self-interest.


----------



## touberornottouber

I like Uber overall. If I didn't I wouldn't give any rides. But I would say the rating system and the threat of deactivation at any moment due to a lying passenger are my biggest sources of anxiety with them. After that it would be the rates (though we are $1.15 a mile here. If it were $0.75 a mile as in Orlando, I probably wouldn't drive). Then it is the insurance situation. I feel Uber ought to be partnering with insurance companies to offer reasonable rideshare options.

Also I haven't seen any Uber Pool requests here. If it's as bad as everyone here states and the pay overall is lower per minute then I would be extremely discouraged by that. Possibly to the point of not driving. A $3.00 payout for a short trip is bad enough but if you make that $2 instead then that definitely takes it into the insulting category.


----------



## Steven Ambrose

Here's an idea...... Don't want to do in app tipping and want to shut the drivers AND the riders (because I have had them state they want this) up. Place the fares, across the board, for no matter what market one lives in.... whether NYC, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Miami, etc.  Big markets, small markets, all the same (Oh and with this, you can pretty much kill the surge out completely) 

$ 1.75 per mile
$ 0.25 per minute
$ 2.25 base fare

This is still very competitive to the cab fares, this give a sustainable wage (no matter which market you live in), and elimination of surge pricing will be an added thing. (Changes in fares can happen during certain events or New Years Eve, as needed)


----------



## Steven Ambrose

touberornottouber said:


> I like Uber overall. If I didn't I wouldn't give any rides. But I would say the rating system and the threat of deactivation at any moment due to a lying passenger are my biggest sources of anxiety with them. After that it would be the rates (though we are $1.15 a mile here. If it were $0.75 a mile as in Orlando, I probably wouldn't drive). Then it is the insurance situation. I feel Uber ought to be partnering with insurance companies to offer reasonable rideshare options.
> 
> Also I haven't seen any Uber Pool requests here. If it's as bad as everyone here states and the pay overall is lower per minute then I would be extremely discouraged by that. Possibly to the point of not driving. A $3.00 payout for a short trip is bad enough but if you make that $2 instead then that definitely takes it into the insulting category.


Orlando is at $ 0.65 a mile.


----------



## UberLaLa

Steven Ambrose said:


> Orlando is at $ 0.65 a mile.


Think I just tossed some lunch in my mouth!


----------



## ABC123DEF

And I thought 80 cents a mile was horrible.


----------



## Subjugator

Is it constant high mile rides? or is it like la where it takes half hout for a mile or two


----------



## Uberchampion

Tedgey said:


> Kim, the senior design manager, compared it to when Henry Ford was dreaming up the automobile and drivers were saying they needed faster horses. People wanted something faster, but thought faster horses were the solution before the car came along. The same goes for tips, she argues - people want more money, but tipping doesn't have to be the answer.
> 
> "Tips is one way to solve that, but we're trying to solve it in a more impactful way," Kim said. "For us, it's giving them a better bottom line, and that's a much harder problem to solve for but we want to get better at the earnings aspect of it first."


These idiots will have us tipping pax by the end of the year...smh


----------



## ABC123DEF

As if we have money to tip anybody with?!


----------



## Tedgey

Interplaneterri said:


> Have you every considered that maybe you are just an intolerant &%[email protected]!* who exudes attitude?


I assure you that no, this thought has never crossed his mind


----------



## Subjugator

I'm pretty sure ratings are broken once again.


----------



## Subjugator

Tedgey said:


> I assure you that no, this thought has never crossed his mind


I'm not a robot. gotta have attitude!


----------



## RedoBeach

Tedgey said:


> http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-is-recommitting-itself-to-putting-its-drivers-first-2016-11
> 
> *Uber is making changes to eliminate the fear factor for drivers*
> Biz Carson​Uber has had a bumpy ride with its drivers.
> 
> The ride-hailing company has faced widely publicized driver protests over fair pay and treatment, and its recent efforts building self-driving car technology has created more distrust.
> 
> But Uber, which is valued at $68 billion in private markets and which is a closely watched IPO candidate, says that forging stronger ties with drivers is now a top priority.
> 
> Jeff Jones, the company's new ridesharing president, posted a long note on LinkedIn promising to do a better job with drivers, and the company says it's pouring more resources into its driver experience team, which focuses solely on understanding the needs of drivers and building technology for the people behind the wheel. A new set of tools released by the team before Thanksgiving is designed to address some of drivers' biggest gripes, executives at the company say.
> 
> "Perception is hard to change, but I think it's changing," Ryan Fujiu, a senior product manager at Uber, told Business Insider. "If you go out and talk to drivers and you actually get a sense of 'Hey, these things are improving'."
> 
> Still, with arch-rival Lyft perceived as the more driver-friendly ride-hailing service, and with Uber refusing to provide a mechanism for drivers to collect tips within the app, the company still has a lot of work to do.
> 
> *Fearing the ratings*
> Step one is eliminating the fear factor.
> 
> "When we talked to drivers, for the longest time, they'd say 'Well I'm just afraid about being deactivated or I'm afraid my ratings will hurt my ability to make money,'" says Nundu Janakiram, a group product manager at Uber.
> 
> Uber isn't eliminating the five-star rating that passengers give drivers (low ratings mean drivers can be "deactivated" from Uber's service).
> 
> But the company's new "Compliments" system broadens the feedback system. Passengers can now compliment a driver, by choosing from things like "excellent service" or "expert navigation," to help reinforce what a driver is doing right, Janakiram said.
> 
> The idea is to pivot ratings away from the negative aspect that instilled fear in drivers and turn it into a positive experience. Only a "vanishingly small" number of people are deactivated for having low ratings, Janakiram said, and the company wanted to move to reinforcing with drivers who are doing their jobs well that they are excelling - not just getting in touch when an issue comes up.
> 
> *Ditching servant status*
> 
> Experimenting with the rating system is just one thing Uber is trying to do to balance the relationship between drivers and riders. The five-star system is a two-way feedback system where drivers also rate riders, and Uber has already taken small steps measures,like charging riders if drivers wait outside for more than two minutes, to help riders understand how valuable a driver's time is.
> 
> Still, feedback from Uber drivers shows it's important to them that riders look at them as another human being and just a servant, said Evelyn Kim, a senior design manager at the company.
> 
> "That's kind of the relationship that we're trying to equalize that a little more," Kim said.
> 
> Many members of the driver experience team have become Uber drivers themselves to understand what it means to be in the driver's seat. There's even a mock seat set-up in the driver experience team's part of Uber headquarters so employees can feel it first hand.
> 
> "In other places I've worked, if an app crashed all of a sudden, it wasn't good, but it didn't mean that it wasn't making money today and it didn't mean that a person wasn't able to make rent that week," Janakiram said. "That's reflected even in the size of the team. The driver team is one of the largest product and engineering tech teams in the company, just in numbers, because the company puts a lot of emphasis in it as well."
> 
> In Uber's early days, the driver experience team did a lot of first-hand research, with members testing new navigation apps in their cars, and hailing rides with Uber drivers to ask them questions.
> 
> As Uber has expanded across the world, the company is developing new, more efficient feedback systems.
> 
> The company is building out greenlight centers, a one-stop shop for Uber onboarding, vehicle checks, and support in cities, throughout the US. And Uber is bringing in more drivers to sit alongside designers and engineers during research sessions, and the groups try to come up with solutions to their problems. Things like compliments are just one example of a feature developed out of those conversations. Another one, a "Pause" button, that allows drivers to pause accepting requests if they need to take a break also came from feedback from drivers who ended up in back-to-back-to-back Uber trips.
> 
> Uber's rider base is becoming increasingly suburban, where people already likely to own cars, Fujui said. In the last six months, the biggest source globally of new driver sign-ups has been from the rider base - a stark contrast to the early days of the company when it was largely made up of professional drivers.
> 
> Drivers may be more wary to voice complaints or challenges with their livelihood at stake (a problem not unique to Uber). But unlocking the ideas and solving the problems of Uber's drivers has moved to the forefront of Uber's priorities.
> 
> *The last holdout*
> Uber's driver experience team is working through a punch-list of drivers' needs.
> 
> But that raises an important question: Why doesn't Uber allow tips, especially when drivers clearly want the option?
> 
> Compared to Lyft, which allows riders to tip their drivers at the end of the ride from within the app, Uber has been reluctant to allow the same. Only as part of a proposed settlement did Uber clarify its stance on tips, which is that drivers are allowed to accept them and can have signs in their car saying such, but it's not required for riders to do so.
> 
> "Drivers do ask about tips, and it's something that they definitely compare us, but it's an opportunity for us to look at a variety of ways to address competition," said Molly Stevens, a senior design research manager. "It's definitely a factor that comes up, and we're not ignoring it, but we're trying to address it in other ways."
> 
> Kim, the senior design manager, compared it to when Henry Ford was dreaming up the automobile and drivers were saying they needed faster horses. People wanted something faster, but thought faster horses were the solution before the car came along. The same goes for tips, she argues - people want more money, but tipping doesn't have to be the answer.
> 
> "Tips is one way to solve that, but we're trying to solve it in a more impactful way," Kim said. "For us, it's giving them a better bottom line, and that's a much harder problem to solve for but we want to get better at the earnings aspect of it first."
> 
> Sorry for the formatting issues
> Tl/dr: just more bullshit from Uber.


Correct me if I'm wrong, but did I miss Uber's invention of a something that replaces money to pay for bills and basic necessities? The car was invented because people needed a faster form of transportation- yes, the car served an identical purpose that horses served at the time of invention-faster transportation.

The last time I checked, compliments don't pay bills and are not a new "inventive" replacement for earnings or tips. Where do these "Design Managers" come from? At what bank are they able to cash paychecks "_Paid in the amount of two thousand, six hundred and twenty COMPLIMENTS?" _


----------



## RedoBeach

somedriverguy said:


> Tips were in fact part of the Uber app. They got sued for taking 20% of them and had to give them back. Then they took tipping off of the app cuz without that money, Travis couldn't afford to gargle expired sperm bank donations 24/7, and he wanted you to feel his pain.


The unfortunate part is that the passenger app offers the perspective that the passenger is paying 20% tip by default, because that's what the app actually says. (I also believed this as a pax 2 years ago before driving). What the 20% tip notification doesn't clarify to the pax is that the tip only applies to UberTaxi and all other rides do not include tip.

Ubers website currently still says "Tipping is not required." This is NOT a huge improvement from the "Tip is included in the fare" claim stated prior to the lawsuit.


----------



## UberLaLa

RedoBeach said:


> The unfortunate part is that the passenger app offers the perspective that the passenger is paying 20% tip by default, because that's what the app actually says. (I also believed this as a pax 2 years ago before driving). What the 20% tip notification doesn't clarify to the pax is that the tip only applies to UberTaxi and all other rides do not include tip.
> 
> Ubers website currently still says "Tipping is not required." This is NOT a huge improvement from the "Tip is included in the fare" claim stated prior to the lawsuit.


Yup


----------



## tohunt4me

Tr4vis Ka1anick said:


> *"Uber is making changes to eliminate the fear factor for drivers"
> 
> *
> Any time Uber changes anything, is cause for ALARM!
> 
> View attachment 78621


Kind of like every time Iran revamps it's Nuclear Program . . . you just KNOW it WONT end well . . .


----------



## tohunt4me

CarterPeerless said:


> In an article about drivers, there is no comment from any drivers. Not even from the lazy media's go-to guy (TRG). It's only about what the company wants to do and what the company wants to dismiss - in other words, a PR piece.
> 
> When driving the simulator, do they get badges instead of pay?
> 
> If they crash in the sim, do they have to pay thousands for repairs while uber's insurance denies their claims?
> 
> Does the pretend pax get to file false reports that results in the sim driver being deactivated?
> 
> Does the sim pax carry a sim baby without any sim carseat and try to negotiate a ride anyway?


Does the sim operator have to drive home in freezing weather with a puke filled car ,enjoying the stench for 50 miles ! Go shopping for puke cleaning supplies at Wal Mart at 3:30 am during a rainstorm in a tornado alert ?
The sim operator is NOT GETTING THE FULL BENEFIT UNTILL HE STARTS HEARING WET BELCHES IN THE DARK BEHIND HIM AT 70 M.P.H. 3 MILES FROM DROP OFF.
HE HAS NEVER PRAYED SOMEONE WOULD NOT PROJECTILE VOMIT ALL OVER THE BACK OF HIS HEAD AND NECK,WHILE AVOIDING DRUNK DRIVERS SWERVING INTO HIS LANE.


----------



## tohunt4me

Steven Ambrose said:


> Orlando is at $ 0.65 a mile.


Every Uber building in Orlando should be burned to the ground,the foundation razed with bulldozers,and the earth should be salted. The tongue of all who speak the word " Uber" should be yanked out by the root with tongs !


----------



## tohunt4me

Uberchampion said:


> These idiots will have us tipping pax by the end of the year...smh


Don't forget mints,water phone chargers leap out to open & close doors and ego stroking for duration of ride.


----------



## tohunt4me

Yam Digger said:


> Accountants call that: "Cooking the Books".


Only so much hot air may fill a baloon until the Bubble Bursts.


----------



## Lowestformofwit

Yam Digger said:


> Accountants call that: "Cooking the Books".


So, can we expect a new "celebrity" recipe book out in time for Christmas: "Cooking with Travis"? All concoctions sure to leave a nasty taste in your mouth.
At least 25% added to the sticker price when you reach the checkout.


----------



## Subjugator

Umm wheres this thread going? I lost track.


----------



## Lowestformofwit

Yam Digger said:


> And let's not forget the obligatory "Happy Finish"


Neil Diamond's still hoping!


----------



## Steven Ambrose

ABC123DEF said:


> As if we have money to tip anybody with?!


I have money because of combined first job and second job income, but if I worked Uber by itself, forget about it.


----------



## freddieman

they really need to raise the min ride fares. its a real moral demoralizer. that should be the first step in making drivers a lil perkier making those rides.


----------



## Steven Ambrose

UberLaLa said:


> Think I just tossed some lunch in my mouth!


About Orlando being so low. Tampa Bay used to be there to until they went to $ 0.80 a mile.


----------



## VegasR

Koffee said:


> Lol. Henry Ford did not dream up the automobile, he created the assembly line to speed up the process and make manufacturing cheaper.
> 
> So Kim needs to actually go to school
> 
> Koffee


I thought that was pretty funny. That's 8th grade stuff.

Also, what is Ford's other famous business move? Excellent pay for his workers.


----------



## tohunt4me

Subjugator said:


> Umm wheres this thread going? I lost track.


Pay attention o ye of short attention.


----------



## Hugo

Tedgey said:


> Look elsewhere. Nobody is going to knock anybody for being a veteran.


You must be young, as I remember too well how some treated Vietnam vets.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/history...coming-home-vietnam-veterans-american-society


----------



## Trebor

"Tips is one way to solve that, but we're trying to solve it in a more impactful way," Kim said. "For us, it's giving them a better bottom line, and that's a much harder problem to solve for but we want to get better at the earnings aspect of it first."



Correct. Tips are not the long term answer to raising our bottom line. But what is so freaking hard to understand that raising the rates just 20 cents a mile can have a profound impact on my bottom line?

#raisetherates


----------



## UberLaLa

Trebor said:


> "Tips is one way to solve that, but we're trying to solve it in a more impactful way," Kim said. "For us, it's giving them a better bottom line, and that's a much harder problem to solve for but we want to get better at the earnings aspect of it first."
> 
> Correct. Tips are not the long term answer to raising our bottom line. But what is so freaking hard to understand that raising the rates just 20 cents a mile can have a profound impact on my bottom line?
> 
> #raisetherates


When one is at _breakeven..._even .20 cents becomes _some profit_ - very little, but some...


----------



## Tedgey

Hugo said:


> You must be young, as I remember too well how some treated Vietnam vets.
> 
> http://www.encyclopedia.com/history...coming-home-vietnam-veterans-american-society


Thank you for the link. It was informative.

"Rather than being greeted with anger and hostility, however, most Vietnam veterans received very little reaction when they returned home."

I noticed they didn't provide any actual images of protestors spitting at returning veterans or any of the more outlandish claims the pro war people (or more accurately the anti-antiwar people) were making.

Don't get me wrong, I'm against the idea of spitting on anyone and I'm hardly a pacifist. But I object to the argument that is often made that a person that is against the war is against the soldier.


----------



## UberLaLa

Tedgey said:


> Thank you for the link. It was informative.
> 
> "Rather than being greeted with anger and hostility, however, most Vietnam veterans received very little reaction when they returned home."
> 
> I noticed they didn't provide any actual images of protestors spitting at returning veterans or any of the more outlandish claims the pro war people (or more accurately the anti-antiwar people) were making.
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I'm against the idea of spitting on anyone and I'm hardly a pacifist. But I object to the argument that is often made that a person that is against the war is against the soldier.


THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY


----------



## Golfer48625

If I collect, say 10 badges I can trade them in for a carnival stuffed animal.....


----------



## Nightcrawler86

Let's hit Uber where it hurts people. Let's strike and freeze Minneapolis for this weekend. That's the only way. On my part I'm striking by myself, haven't driven for a month now, found another gig. But Uber is personal for me. I've driven enough to know the feeling of being looked down upon, while ruining your decent car. I would to see Uber succumb to its drivers. If everyone could follow my lead, there would be no Uber!!! Do you understand that? Think about it a moment. You hold the key!!! Not Uber!!! Commit to action. Let's make history! Let's create headlines! We ARE Uber! Without us drivers there would be no Uber! Just contemplate this. Stop being a sheep, and think! Is it really worth it, to put in all the hours, ruin your car without being compensated enough to cover for a replacement parts or a new car, and endure all the condescending arguments and rude behavior? That's how you loose your dignity! Then comes stress and anxiety. So take ownership and act decisively. Don't wait for loose sleep over when things are going to change! Be the change! I repeat, WE are Uber, so if we really had the resolve, we could change it overnight. The sad thing is, each person thinks, my stopping driving doesn't mean anything to Uber, but what if we all do it, without thinking of it and waiting for some one ?


----------



## Nightcrawler86

Adieu said:


> Sure they are.
> 
> Hippies, anarchist wannabes, anti-everything-stage teens, feminists, pacifists, greens, far right pseudomilitia wannabes, etc all have some degree of an issue with you right away
> 
> That grows to certain resentment if you turn out to be firm, assertive, difficult to intimidate, good at realigning those who are out of line, and a law order and procedure respecting type....all qualities a good military instills and nurtures in its men
> 
> Make em feel self-conscious, ashamed of their actions or even just wounded that their guano wouldnt fly with you? Done, they hate you
> 
> ...oh and thats BEFORE all manner of displaced persons, refugees, former victims of war, envious ex-servicemen of rival militaries from hostile regimes past and present (many of whom try implementing universal conscription fresh out of high school at one point or another --- so nearly ALL adult male expats and immigrants from some countries), true believer communists and islamists here for study abroad or travel or for purely financial reasons, etc
> 
> AND then, if youre a jacked grunt or even just look like one, a significant share of geeks gays shy or effeminate types and so on who'll see in you their jock tormentors from middle or high school...
> 
> ...yup, wouldnt recommend it. Especially since surely plenty o drivers served, but its gonna be the most stereotypical and thus easy to pigeonhole and resent ones that will go broadcasting it right and left whenever they get the chance
> 
> And they are just TOO easy to judge


Please don't flatter yourself, why would anyone rate you down for being in the military, unless you were not courteous. I'm an immigrant and I don't have anything against anyone who served in the military. But you sound very paranoid, categorizing all those different groups into your contempt box.


----------



## Adieu

Nightcrawler86 said:


> Please don't flatter yourself, why would anyone rate you down for being in the military, unless you were not courteous. I'm an immigrant and I don't have anything against anyone who served in the military. But you sound very paranoid, categorizing all those different groups into your contempt box.


Me?

I'm an immigrant minority myself.

I am an equal opportunity hater.

You serve? I'll be hatin on ya. You didnt? STILL hatin ya.


----------



## Who Me?

Ya know what? Even if UBER were to install a Tips Option in their App, Most UBER Riders would IGNORE it or NOT Tip you. Its because UBER has done such a great job in creating a Non-Tipping Rider culture. I can tell you that only a small percentage of Lyft Riders tip.

I think instead of Tipping, let's start with a higher Minimum Fare like $5.00 or close to it. No more of this $2.xx CRAP. If ALL fares had a $5.00 minimum. I think that would be better than Tipping.

Of course I'm dreaming. Higher Minimum Fare is NOT going to happen either because UBER has done such a great job in creating a CheapASS Rider culture.


----------



## Adieu

Who Me? said:


> Ya know what? Even if UBER were to install a Tips Option in their App, Most UBER Riders would IGNORE it or NOT Tip you. Its because UBER has done such a great job in creating a Non-Tipping Rider culture. I can tell you that only a small percentage of Lyft Riders tip.
> 
> I think instead of Tipping, let's start with a higher Minimum Fare like $5.00 or close to it. No more of this $2.xx CRAP. If ALL fares had a $5.00 minimum. I think that would be better than Tipping.
> 
> Of course I'm dreaming. Higher Minimum Fare is NOT going to happen either because UBER has done such a great job in creating a CheapASS Rider culture.


There's places with $5 minfares


----------



## Who Me?

I wish it was...in Seattle.
Perhaps one day.


----------



## freddieman

Adieu said:


> There's places with $5 minfares


i think he was thinking net for driver after uber fees and %


----------



## Gordiano

Who Me? said:


> Ya know what? Even if UBER were to install a Tips Option in their App, Most UBER Riders would IGNORE it or NOT Tip you. Its because UBER has done such a great job in creating a Non-Tipping Rider culture. I can tell you that only a small percentage of Lyft Riders tip.
> 
> I think instead of Tipping, let's start with a higher Minimum Fare like $5.00 or close to it. No more of this $2.xx CRAP. If ALL fares had a $5.00 minimum. I think that would be better than Tipping.
> 
> Of course I'm dreaming. Higher Minimum Fare is NOT going to happen either because UBER has done such a great job in creating a CheapASS Rider culture.


While I agree that most would still not tip, it would still be nice to be able to have the option for those who want to.

I remember when I started Lyft, I thought, hey at least I'll make tips now..... wrong! Cheap people are cheap people. Last week I made $9 on Lyft. Pathetic.


----------



## Wardell Curry

SERIOUSLY, can someone tell me what the point of badges are? There is literally no benefit to earning them because it's not like you can turn them in fro monetary rewards. All it shows is that you are doing your job and passengers appreciate the work you do. But even then, 95 % of these people will never tip because Uber has ingrained it into their minds that tipping is not only not required, it isn't expected. Gee uber, thanks for speaking on behalf of all drivers with that line. **** YOU UBER.


----------



## wk1102

Wardell Curry said:


> SERIOUSLY, can someone tell me what the point of badges are? There is literally no benefit to earning them because it's not like you can turn them in fro monetary rewards. All it shows is that you are doing your job and passengers appreciate the work you do. But even then, 95 % of these people will never tip because Uber has ingrained it into their minds that tipping is not only not required, it isn't expected. Gee uber, thanks for speaking on behalf of all drivers with that line. &%[email protected]!* YOU UBER.


No real point it's just a smokescreen. Uber says they are making ratings less of a fear factor but the total opposite is true.

Along with the new pretty badges and the new app, the riders do not get promoted to rate us like they used to. this means we will get rated by a much smaller % of riders. Only a few will go out of their way to give a 5 but if you puss someone off you know they will take that 30 seconds to rate you low.

Just like lower rates means higher earnings.... it means the opposite


----------



## Speedyracer

"For us, it's giving them a better bottom line, and that's a much harder problem to solve for but we want to get better at the earnings aspect of it first."

Am I the only one that reads this quote from above and hears that ubers 68 BILLION dollar surplus doesn't satisfy there greed and that's why drivers don't make more?
Uber just needs to learn how to make a bigger profit. Give then some time... Pay increase are coming. Omg.


----------



## JDDex

What a bunch of BULLSHIT! They have NO good reasons for no tipping in app.... but OH... they are working on other ways to increase bottom line? Horseshit.


----------



## KMANDERSON

There still a fear factor at these per mile rates?


----------



## Trebor

Nightcrawler86 said:


> Let's hit Uber where it hurts people. Let's strike and freeze Minneapolis for this weekend. That's the only way. On my part I'm striking by myself, haven't driven for a month now, found another gig. But Uber is personal for me. I've driven enough to know the feeling of being looked down upon, while ruining your decent car. I would to see Uber succumb to its drivers. If everyone could follow my lead, there would be no Uber!!! Do you understand that? Think about it a moment. You hold the key!!! Not Uber!!! Commit to action. Let's make history! Let's create headlines! We ARE Uber! Without us drivers there would be no Uber! Just contemplate this. Stop being a sheep, and think! Is it really worth it, to put in all the hours, ruin your car without being compensated enough to cover for a replacement parts or a new car, and endure all the condescending arguments and rude behavior? That's how you loose your dignity! Then comes stress and anxiety. So take ownership and act decisively. Don't wait for loose sleep over when things are going to change! Be the change! I repeat, WE are Uber, so if we really had the resolve, we could change it overnight. The sad thing is, each person thinks, my stopping driving doesn't mean anything to Uber, but what if we all do it, without thinking of it and waiting for some one ?


Minneapolis is probably one of Uber's smallest markets. How is that going to hurt them?


----------



## _McUber_

thezeus88 said:


> Yeah, the way they address tipping is by creating those stupid badges.
> 
> If a pax is able to give us a badge, it will psychologically make them them feel better about not tipping.... they feel that by giving us a badge they are doing us a favor.
> 
> That article is so stupid


Agree.


----------



## _McUber_

hm07 said:


> And still you will drive for them, and because you and 1000's of others will they have no reason to stop treating drivers like crap. You've heard of battered wife syndrome right?
> 
> You, and all the other drivers who - on their own free will - drive for a company they know will abuse them are the problem and always will be.
> 
> They say 'jump' and you all say 'how high?'


Rather more of a Stockholm Syndrome.


----------



## Trebor

Nightcrawler86 said:


> Please don't flatter yourself, why would anyone rate you down for being in the military, unless you were not courteous. I'm an immigrant and I don't have anything against anyone who served in the military. But you sound very paranoid, categorizing all those different groups into your contempt box.





Adieu said:


> Me?
> 
> I'm an immigrant minority myself.
> 
> I am an equal opportunity hater.
> 
> You serve? I'll be hatin on ya. You didnt? STILL hatin ya.


I served myself and down here in Texas we can opt in for specialty plates. At first I was not to sure how people would react, especially since we have a high percentage of arabic/middle eastern riders here in Houston. Not once have I been chastised for my license plates. In fact, whenever it is brought up, they usually leave me with a tip. Come think about it, I have never had a Arabic person bring up the license plates. Perhaps, they are afraid I may have a flashback or something. So its a good thing if they think you look like a grunt.

I also feel like I get away with a lot in terms of speeding, changing lanes quickly in traffic and not using my blinker when it comes to police offers. Typically they speed up like they are about to pull me over, but then back off. 

Oh and my rating? It stays around 4.9. Typically changes by .01 every once in a while, but it stays pretty damn close to 4.9.

So yes, you are being paranoid, but you have every right to be. I was to. Especially depending on what year you served in. If it was Vietnam, you have a very good reason to be cautious, but most Americans have changed their views since then. They have been trained by facebook/social media to thank you for your service and show gratitude by what you did as a person. They may hate war, but they will thank you for your service anyways. Most of our riders are millennial's and it is "cool" to post Thank you for your service on Facebook on veterans day.

Remember, "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet." - General James Mattis.

This holds even more true when you are driving for Uber. The taxi profession is one of the most dangerous jobs out there. Trust me, paranoia will always be there. When I hear a some Arabic in my backseat, I start drawing up plans in my head like there is no tomorrow. I have been out for 10 years, but it still gets to me. Your not alone in your paranoia. Its a safety mechanism. Complacency Kills.


----------



## Steveyoungerthanmontana

Tedgey said:


> http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-is-recommitting-itself-to-putting-its-drivers-first-2016-11
> Lol what the **** is this? Increase the bottom line but not through tips, but it's harder to increase the bottom line? Just allow tips, you stupid idiot!!!
> *Uber is making changes to eliminate the fear factor for drivers*
> Biz Carson​Uber has had a bumpy ride with its drivers.
> 
> The ride-hailing company has faced widely publicized driver protests over fair pay and treatment, and its recent efforts building self-driving car technology has created more distrust.
> 
> But Uber, which is valued at $68 billion in private markets and which is a closely watched IPO candidate, says that forging stronger ties with drivers is now a top priority.
> 
> Jeff Jones, the company's new ridesharing president, posted a long note on LinkedIn promising to do a better job with drivers, and the company says it's pouring more resources into its driver experience team, which focuses solely on understanding the needs of drivers and building technology for the people behind the wheel. A new set of tools released by the team before Thanksgiving is designed to address some of drivers' biggest gripes, executives at the company say.
> 
> "Perception is hard to change, but I think it's changing," Ryan Fujiu, a senior product manager at Uber, told Business Insider. "If you go out and talk to drivers and you actually get a sense of 'Hey, these things are improving'."
> 
> Still, with arch-rival Lyft perceived as the more driver-friendly ride-hailing service, and with Uber refusing to provide a mechanism for drivers to collect tips within the app, the company still has a lot of work to do.
> 
> *Fearing the ratings*
> Step one is eliminating the fear factor.
> 
> "When we talked to drivers, for the longest time, they'd say 'Well I'm just afraid about being deactivated or I'm afraid my ratings will hurt my ability to make money,'" says Nundu Janakiram, a group product manager at Uber.
> 
> Uber isn't eliminating the five-star rating that passengers give drivers (low ratings mean drivers can be "deactivated" from Uber's service).
> 
> But the company's new "Compliments" system broadens the feedback system. Passengers can now compliment a driver, by choosing from things like "excellent service" or "expert navigation," to help reinforce what a driver is doing right, Janakiram said.
> 
> The idea is to pivot ratings away from the negative aspect that instilled fear in drivers and turn it into a positive experience. Only a "vanishingly small" number of people are deactivated for having low ratings, Janakiram said, and the company wanted to move to reinforcing with drivers who are doing their jobs well that they are excelling - not just getting in touch when an issue comes up.
> 
> *Ditching servant status*
> 
> Experimenting with the rating system is just one thing Uber is trying to do to balance the relationship between drivers and riders. The five-star system is a two-way feedback system where drivers also rate riders, and Uber has already taken small steps measures,like charging riders if drivers wait outside for more than two minutes, to help riders understand how valuable a driver's time is.
> 
> Still, feedback from Uber drivers shows it's important to them that riders look at them as another human being and just a servant, said Evelyn Kim, a senior design manager at the company.
> 
> "That's kind of the relationship that we're trying to equalize that a little more," Kim said.
> 
> Many members of the driver experience team have become Uber drivers themselves to understand what it means to be in the driver's seat. There's even a mock seat set-up in the driver experience team's part of Uber headquarters so employees can feel it first hand.
> 
> "In other places I've worked, if an app crashed all of a sudden, it wasn't good, but it didn't mean that it wasn't making money today and it didn't mean that a person wasn't able to make rent that week," Janakiram said. "That's reflected even in the size of the team. The driver team is one of the largest product and engineering tech teams in the company, just in numbers, because the company puts a lot of emphasis in it as well."
> 
> In Uber's early days, the driver experience team did a lot of first-hand research, with members testing new navigation apps in their cars, and hailing rides with Uber drivers to ask them questions.
> 
> As Uber has expanded across the world, the company is developing new, more efficient feedback systems.
> 
> The company is building out greenlight centers, a one-stop shop for Uber onboarding, vehicle checks, and support in cities, throughout the US. And Uber is bringing in more drivers to sit alongside designers and engineers during research sessions, and the groups try to come up with solutions to their problems. Things like compliments are just one example of a feature developed out of those conversations. Another one, a "Pause" button, that allows drivers to pause accepting requests if they need to take a break also came from feedback from drivers who ended up in back-to-back-to-back Uber trips.
> 
> Uber's rider base is becoming increasingly suburban, where people already likely to own cars, Fujui said. In the last six months, the biggest source globally of new driver sign-ups has been from the rider base - a stark contrast to the early days of the company when it was largely made up of professional drivers.
> 
> Drivers may be more wary to voice complaints or challenges with their livelihood at stake (a problem not unique to Uber). But unlocking the ideas and solving the problems of Uber's drivers has moved to the forefront of Uber's priorities.
> 
> *The last holdout*
> Uber's driver experience team is working through a punch-list of drivers' needs.
> 
> But that raises an important question: Why doesn't Uber allow tips, especially when drivers clearly want the option?
> 
> Compared to Lyft, which allows riders to tip their drivers at the end of the ride from within the app, Uber has been reluctant to allow the same. Only as part of a proposed settlement did Uber clarify its stance on tips, which is that drivers are allowed to accept them and can have signs in their car saying such, but it's not required for riders to do so.
> 
> "Drivers do ask about tips, and it's something that they definitely compare us, but it's an opportunity for us to look at a variety of ways to address competition," said Molly Stevens, a senior design research manager. "It's definitely a factor that comes up, and we're not ignoring it, but we're trying to address it in other ways."
> 
> Kim, the senior design manager, compared it to when Henry Ford was dreaming up the automobile and drivers were saying they needed faster horses. People wanted something faster, but thought faster horses were the solution before the car came along. The same goes for tips, she argues - people want more money, but tipping doesn't have to be the answer.
> 
> "Tips is one way to solve that, but we're trying to solve it in a more impactful way," Kim said. "For us, it's giving them a better bottom line, and that's a much harder problem to solve for but we want to get better at the earnings aspect of it first."
> 
> Sorry for the formatting issues
> Tl/dr: just more bullshit from Uber.


----------



## Retired Senior

hm07 said:


> And still you will drive for them, and because you and 1000's of others will they have no reason to stop treating drivers like crap. You've heard of battered wife syndrome right?
> 
> You, and all the other drivers who - on their own free will - drive for a company they know will abuse them are the problem and always will be.
> 
> They say 'jump' and you all say 'how high?'


You know Dude, it took 4 hours (time which previously would have been spent watching the movies I downloaded last night) to make $50. Even if you cut that in half (to account for gas and taxes) I still ended up with $25 that I would not have been able to make any other way. If you multiply that by 100, you get the amount of cash that I need to buy one of the high end desk-top PCs capable of VR. So yeah, driving for uber ride/share does serve my needs as they now are.

As far as kissing Uber's collective asses... I don't do that. When they arbitrarily began assigning me Uber Eats deliveries yesterday I cancelled each one and sent several angry e-mails to Uber.com. I also got on the phone with a female rep for Uber Eats and told her that I did not sign up for this service and that every time they sent me on a food delivery I would cancel. This morning in my e-mail I found what for them was a very nice apology, which included a promise that I had been removed from the Uber Eats drivers list but that they saw a high number of customer given 5 star reviews and hoped that I would stay on as a ride share driver. Fine with me.

And explain something to me... if you think that the Uber drivers are in general assholes why did you become one? Or did you simply join this Uber driver community forum to get your rocks off by putting other people down?


----------



## Retired Senior

Tedgey said:


> That's not why they "cut" tips. Tipping has never been a part of Uber. They used to say the tip was included but a judge made them stop saying that so now they just say it's not necessary.
> 
> The anti-tip sentiment is part of a wider movement that objects to tipping as part of a cultural norm. There's lots of places in the world where a driver doesn't get a tip. As a matter of fact there's lots of drivers in the USA who don't get tipped. When was the last time you tipped the FedEx driver? Or a bus driver? Or the postman? Or the trash man?


 Well, when I still had a normal middle class life I gave holiday envelopes to the newspaper delivery boy, the regular postman, and - once or twice - the weekly garbage collection team. Also the landscapers....

Since 2007 when my real estate business went to hell and I could not find a comparable job I have become much tighter with my money... I now live in a one bedroom 60 year old condo, I frequent food pantries and I meet the requirements for the SNAP program (food stamps) and Medicaid. Even with my Social Security monthly payment I am living on less than $1000 a month.

I worry that I am going to make just enough to get disqualified for these benefits and then the Uber requirements will change and I'll be out of a job and need to re-qualify for these safety net programs in a Donald Trump world.

So yes, it is true, I don't tip anymore... but I will pay the going rate for a job well done... like a haircut for instance.... I'd like to say I tip waiters for a good restaurant experience but I do all my eating at home. Luckily I paid attention when my Italian-American mother asked for my help in the kitchen!

Of course, being the oldest of 5 kids spread out over 12 years meant that I changed a lot of my siblings cloth diapers.... something that my kid sister never finds amusing when I bring it up....


----------



## Hugo

Retired Senior said:


> < . . . >
> And explain something to me... if you think that the Uber drivers are in general assholes why did you become one? Or did you simply join this Uber driver community forum to get your rocks off by putting other people down?


Notice that was his first and only post? He's probably one of the many taxi drivers that troll this forum. I've read that uberpeople.net was founded by taxi drivers for the purpose of further demoralizing Uber drivers. Don't know if that's true, but at the least, it makes a great conspiracy theory.


----------



## Tedgey

Retired Senior said:


> Well, when I still had a normal middle class life I gave holiday envelopes to the newspaper delivery boy, the regular postman, and - once or twice - the weekly garbage collection team. Also the landscapers....
> 
> Since 2007 when my real estate business went to hell and I could not find a comparable job I have become much tighter with my money... I now live in a one bedroom 60 year old condo, I frequent food pantries and I meet the requirements for the SNAP program (food stamps) and Medicaid. Even with my Social Security monthly payment I am living on less than $1000 a month.
> 
> I worry that I am going to make just enough to get disqualified for these benefits and then the Uber requirements will change and I'll be out of a job and need to re-qualify for these safety net programs in a Donald Trump world.
> 
> So yes, it is true, I don't tip anymore... but I will pay the going rate for a job well done... like a haircut for instance.... I'd like to say I tip waiters for a good restaurant experience but I do all my eating at home. Luckily I paid attention when my Italian-American mother asked for my help in the kitchen!
> 
> Of course, being the oldest of 5 kids spread out over 12 years meant that I changed a lot of my siblings cloth diapers.... something that my kid sister never finds amusing when I bring it up....


It's not you cutting out tips that's taken the lead on this change of heart toward the practice. It's been rich people and the ease in which they can tell others they don't carry cash. There's nothing in the world rich people like more than not tipping and now with their cashless lives it's easier and easier and they love it. There are more and more country clubs that advertise no tipping and the rich love it more than their own kids. Uber is not a trend setter here or in any other way. They're just along for the ride


----------



## elelegido

I picked up a young guy this morning and took him to the Uber tower on Market & 11th. I asked him along the way if Uber management in the tower knows that the drivers hate them and their company. He said he was a back end systems engineer, and he gave me a geek answer. "I am sure they have all the data sources necessary to tell them the opinions of drivers", he said. "Yeah, but do they know that drivers hate them and their company?", I asked again. He repeated the same answer back to me. It was like dealing with Uber support, so I gave up. He got out, I one starred him as is customary for rides given to Uber employees, and that was that.


----------



## Buddywannaride

The upfront fare overcharges riders and Uber pockets 100 percent of it. Giving drivers their cut would help somewhat. Also raising per mile and per minute rates even a little would help. And a prominent tip feature in the app would help. A gas card that Uber pays for would be a dream come true. A way to pay federal and state income tax would be decent.


----------



## Nell

Sfla415guy said:


> How about they get rid of this apparently enormous team and divide their pay amongst the drivers who actually make the company money. Call me crazy, but you would think that if the largest sector of your $68Billion company (which one would assume is also an expensive part of said company) is obviously failing at it's singular task... wait what am I thinking. I was going to make a comment using logical thinking and business 101 to point out what's so backwards here but I forgot we were talking about Uber....
> 
> Side note, I'd love to meet one of these drivers who "worked side by side" with uber. There must be a lot of them sonewhere... I've never been able to give feedback outside the app. So, thank you "mystery uber feedback driver" for making our voice heard and all of our concerns regarding our low self esteem. I'm so glad my self esteem is now boosted everytime I turn my app on. I was worried for a minute they would just boost earnings with all of the feedback, from most likely every single driver who fills out the "check ins", but it's a relief knowing we finally got through to them. Earning a living is just a miniscule part of Uber. It's being a volunteer for your community, taking a loss for the team, helping the younger generation break the ugly and demoralizing practice of tipping, and knowing at the end of a long day that you got 2 badges for being funny, 1 for knowing how to use a GPS, and someone FINALLY appreciates your new air freshener scent. aahhhh feels so good. Thanks Uber.​


yep hit them right where it hurts..


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## Wil_Iam_Fuber'd

I didn't read all 8 pages, so if I missed the beacon of positivity in this thread I apologize. Given this article, and the recent decision to "partner" with prostitutes, pimps, and pushers, it has never been more clear that I made the correct decision to sever ties with this outfit a year ago. The only way this company will ever care about drivers (and this is only true if they're a legitimate business and not a scam), is if they begin defecting in droves. Find something else to do and go do it. Come back only when they implement actual economic change. It's the only way!!


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## Wil_Iam_Fuber'd

elelegido said:


> I picked up a young guy this morning and took him to the Uber tower on Market & 11th. I asked him along the way if Uber management in the tower knows that the drivers hate them and their company. He said he was a back end systems engineer, and he gave me a geek answer. "I am sure they have all the data sources necessary to tell them the opinions of drivers", he said. "Yeah, but do they know that drivers hate them and their company?", I asked again. He repeated the same answer back to me. It was like dealing with Uber support, so I gave up. He got out, I one starred him as is customary for rides given to Uber employees, and that was that.


He obviously wasn't going to tell you the "truth" which is, "Yes sir, we know that. I got an email from Travis last month about this issue and so we have fixed that problem in a coming app update. I programmed all of the new robots to 'Love Uber'. Have a nice day!"


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## Sueron

How about we give Uber badges, and we keep an extra 10%.. Why not, if Uber think badges are so good.


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## Wil_Iam_Fuber'd

Sueron said:


> How about we give Uber badges, and we keep an extra 10%.. Why not, if Uber think badges are so good.


Love this idea...did you have a few in mind?


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## ctb

Pretty simple to me. That statement above is PR Bullshit, and Uber needs to get off it's azz, and increase fares so drivers can make decent money.


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## Rat

Coaststarlight said:


> Yup, bs, but the mock driver seat was funny, if that doesn't tell you they're just trying to look busy idk what does, you can just sit in any car and understand the layout of the driver's point of view.. but that wouldn't fool anyone lol


But you're forgetting that sitting in a mockup is "first hand experience".


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## Rat

Smarterthanmanagement said:


> If they actually wanted to design a proper system to address the earnings issue (without tipping), you would get the pickup location and dropoff, and a fare estimate (what you take in) everytime a ping comes through. If it's not enough $ (or the destinations are inconvenient), you let it pass, and there is no punishment for low acceptance.


This would result in some passengers not getting a ride. This will reduce the customer base and possibly entail discrimination lawsuits. I know you want to cherry pick calls, but you can't legally do that.


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## Wardell Curry

The scary part of Uber is they actually think a majority of their drivers are happy while that couldn't be further from the truth.


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## GaryWinFlorida

Amazing that they cannot understand how urgent the low pay issue is and have zero clue as to how to fix it. Tipping is a great start, but if they are adamant about the tipping thing as they seem to be (??? they have a bug about this ???) then here are some other solutions:

1. Raise the friggin' rates. The service is waaaaayyyyy too cheap and that is why so many high school kids use it. Did you have a way to hire a private car to take you from point A to point B when you were 15 years old??? Could you ever afford a private car service or taxi?

2. Put a surcharge on more than one passenger. Simple! One passenger, regular rate. Two + 10%, three + 20%, etc. Right now it costs four kids less to share an Uber from their front door to the front door of the mall than it costs to take the bus and walk to and from pick-up and destination. A private car that's cheaper than a city bus???????? How does that make sense to anyone?

3. Make a deal with some gas companies for bulk purchases and give (real) discount cards to drivers. Not the stupid gas cards we can get now to save 25 cents on a fill-up ... something real like every other transport company has.

4. Find some programs to actually benefit drivers that aren't all about finding additional profit centers for Uber. Lower the profit margin on the Xchange leasing program, etc.

5. Instead of Pool ... provide a cheaper service that uses older, shittier cars. Right now a ride in my brand new 2017 Elantra costs the same as a ride in a 2009 Corolla with ripped seats and a broken radio.

... there are a gazillion other ways, no doubt. They have no interest. Their model is to simply provide a service that is cheaper than it costs to render the service because they can pass the expense off to their drivers. Every time they sign up a new driver they get a free car, free insurance, free maintenance and an ever-lasting free tank of gas to use for their business. They can thus offer a service that is so cheap that EVERYONE wants it and it becomes politically impossible to regulate because of its popularity. That is their business model. And it isn't a stupid one. It stinks, but it's brilliant.


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## insidejob911

RedoBeach said:


> Don't be surprised, their usual response to my bluntly honest and no holds barred emails to Uber is, "We admire your enthusiasm," and "Thank you for your input, your creativity is excellent," or "We are impressed by your of resolve and ingenuity." One of these was in response to my #909th email trying to reconcile several hundred dollars in pay when I finally lost it and wrote F off, ain't nobody got time for thieving, patronizing liars.
> 
> Sometimes I'd rather they had a more human response to my comment instead emphatically detailing how much they love my passion for driving. Maybe it wouldn't feel so bad if Uber simply responded by saying F You too, instead of padding me with bs compliments and stealing my paycheck in the process.


How did they steal your paycheck???


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## RedoBeach

insidejob911 said:


> How did they steal your paycheck???


That would be when they don't calculate earnings according to contract or they don't deposit your weekly payment statements, all of which have happened on multiple occasion. You'll get used to it.


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## No.bs

FUberX said:


> That's weird I didn't see anything about increasing pay


I don't know if its increasing pay or more or less stop taking the cuts that they take. 25 percent is insane! Even when they keep cutting fares to attract more pax they sure as hell didn't consider cutting their share. When I see my 600 shrinking to 450 at the end of a week and its my truck, my fuel, my effort and my customer service that make their app succeed, i wanna puke. Seriously. Its a flawed system that should be based on individual performance and rating, not some bottom line standard. That uber app is only sucessful because of the drivers making it a success. Now Sadly, this empire that the drivers built will now replace them with self driving cars. Good ol corporate merica!


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## No.bs

hm07 said:


> And still you will drive for them, and because you and 1000's of others will they have no reason to stop treating drivers like crap. You've heard of battered wife syndrome right?
> 
> You, and all the other drivers who - on their own free will - drive for a company they know will abuse them are the problem and always will be.
> 
> They say 'jump' and you all say 'how high?'


Im not sure if you've heard or maybe you are one of those who actually believe Obama when he says that the American economy is doing good. Whether you haven't heard or are just foolish, it is not doing good. At all. In fact we are in for some seriously dark days ahead but thats not the point. America is more under employed today then it has ever been in history. And it will continue. Driving for Uber is no ones first choice dude. But for many, its their only choice. Me included because my trade is dead cold right now and daycare is more then my mortgage. That doesn't mean Im gonna jump because Uber tells me too. I just make the most out of whats in front me. You don't know a single person on this forum personaly and have no justification in assuming you know what there lives are like and why they choose Uber to make an income. Comments like the one you made are just factless and rude.
Take care.


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## _McUber_

I would assume there are three types of Uber drivers in NYC, and this pertains only to NYC. Those who have their vehicles paid for are better off and Uber is OK for them if driving is their only means of income. No one can blame them. The second type is immigrants, new and old, who have zero prospect of improving their lot in life any time soon, and the last are the bunch who got in due to the false advertisement for whatever reason and thought it would be temporary and to their horror they learned the hard way that they are stuck for a long haul. And all in all have bills to pay and maybe big families to support or help support. It is not much of a choice in a cut throat city like New York to drive Uber. Those who are casting a stone at Uber drivers either do not live in this city or are flat out insensitive to the immediate demands of survival in a hopeless economy in a merciless city. It is a horrible job. People tolerate it either because they have no better choice or simply because they are stuck. God help you all.


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## ABC123DEF

ctb said:


> Pretty simple to me. That statement above is PR Bullshit, and Uber needs to get off it's azz, and increase fares so drivers can make decent money.


A thinning of the herd somehow would be nice, too. And stop all the relentless driver recruiting ads 24/7 on every radio, TV, and Internet outlet.


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## elelegido

Even major Uber investor Google has its doubts. Type in "I want to work for Uber" into Google and Google adds "why?" to the suggested search list


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## swordfish909

Lmao, helped only if I can redeem these badges at banks.


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## MadCityDriver

Coaststarlight said:


> Yup, bs, but the mock driver seat was funny, if that doesn't tell you they're just trying to look busy idk what does, you can just sit in any car and understand the layout of the driver's point of view.. but that wouldn't fool anyone lol


Do they have a mock 2 am drunk who can't find your car because he or she can't see straight?


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## DirtyRead

i think the new guy will make some good changes and i have had a lightly better feeling and interaction with Uber. But, you want to make me happy forget about putting tip inn the app i don’t care. to me its not a tip if it aint cash and in my hand right on spot. I also don’t care about a fake driving machine what ever it is. I WANT MORE MONEY PER RIDE or HIGHER RATES . If they were not wasting money on video games and frat boy think tanks it would be no problem. If you want to know what a drver wants, ASK THE DRIVER without the facade of being a chatty rider.


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## Toonces-the-cat

The biggest fear I have is that driving for Uber will put me in the poor house. The biggest complaint I hear from drivers is that they are not getting paid enough. I would rather get $5 than 5 *


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## ABC123DEF

Even a cat has the sense to want cash over stars.


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## RedFox

*"For us, it's giving them a better bottom line, and that's a much harder problem to solve for but we want to get better at the earnings aspect of it first."*

How about increasing the base fare you fu*king idiots. P.S. *Uber is a technology company* in case your were not aware.


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## DriverX

Driving and Driven said:


> "Kim, the senior design manager, compared it to when Henry Ford was dreaming up the automobile and drivers were saying they needed faster horses. People wanted something faster, but thought faster horses were the solution before the car came along. The same goes for tips, she argues - people want more money, but tipping doesn't have to be the answer."


Surge used to be the answer. Currently dangling promos and boost or guaranteed hours are supposed to be the answer, oh and pool.


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## Ubershafted

...but tipping doesn't have to be the answer. How arrogant and full of sh*t for them to say


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## tohellwithu

******ed, moron uber ass....F****u travis and ur f**** partners. Uber will rot in hell.


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## AngryBadgerCrow

I could probably tolerate most of this crap if it weren't for the Uber Stride thing I just got briefly hooked onto today (hi, I'm new here, as you can probably tell.) I know how to live cheap and poor, and as was said earlier, yeah it's like battered spouse syndrome, but I could tolerate it as long as it actually kept me "living." My bills aren't too much, my roommate is awesome, I can make it work better than "zero income."

Then Uber Stride lured me in with the promise of genuinely affordable healthcare. Healthcare that isn't Medi-Cal's BS! Showing me plans as low as $80/mo and other unbelievable things! And it kept it going JUST long enough that my skepticism was assuaged, and I began signing up.. And suddenly all the nice healthcare options disappeared like an opinion on Facebook. That actually drove me to have a few drinks. That luring me in with the low hanging fruit that I can actually reach, only to have it yanked away at the last second.

...How the Hell do you guys make all this work? I've been at it for six months now and I'm still struggling to figure it out "until I can find a proper job."


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## uberdriverfornow

It's just like the gas companies coming up with all of those ridiculous commercials talking about all the various ways they are changing the world with their technology that started appearing on tv like 10 years go. It's all a smoke screen to direct attention from the high prices of gas and all the oil spills.

They want people to subconsciously think they are changing the world for the better. All smoke and mirrors.


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## TwoFiddyMile

AngryBadgerCrow said:


> I could probably tolerate most of this crap if it weren't for the Uber Stride thing I just got briefly hooked onto today (hi, I'm new here, as you can probably tell.) I know how to live cheap and poor, and as was said earlier, yeah it's like battered spouse syndrome, but I could tolerate it as long as it actually kept me "living." My bills aren't too much, my roommate is awesome, I can make it work better than "zero income."
> 
> Then Uber Stride lured me in with the promise of genuinely affordable healthcare. Healthcare that isn't Medi-Cal's BS! Showing me plans as low as $80/mo and other unbelievable things! And it kept it going JUST long enough that my skepticism was assuaged, and I began signing up.. And suddenly all the nice healthcare options disappeared like an opinion on Facebook. That actually drove me to have a few drinks. That luring me in with the low hanging fruit that I can actually reach, only to have it yanked away at the last second.
> 
> ...How the Hell do you guys make all this work? I've been at it for six months now and I'm still struggling to figure it out "until I can find a proper job."


UberHealthCare...it surges JUST as you get wheeled into surgery.


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## AngryBadgerCrow

That's not funny, someone's liable to do that and try to implement it.


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## TwoFiddyMile

AngryBadgerCrow said:


> That's not funny, someone's liable to do that and try to implement it.


There's NOTHING funny about UberNomics and the New Uber World.


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## melusine3

TwoFiddyMile said:


> Allow me to interpret this article:
> Uber has bad press for poor driver treatment and relations.
> Said article is attempted damage control to make PAX and INVESTORS feel good about the path Uber is on.
> 
> So they once again lie. They say driver relations are job 1.
> Nothing to see here, except that unfortunately...
> People will believe it.


People believe we make "Up to $1,500 per week!" still. I explain the math to them, particularly about deadhead miles that we are NOT paid for, and my tips have gone up considerably.


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## TwoFiddyMile

A 
Blast
From
The
Past.


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