# Chasing the elusive surge price



## jakeV

More often then not when I'm in a surge pricing area by myself I won't get a ride. It will surge for 5-10 minutes then it will go off. Then there are other times when I'm in a usually busy area but there are no cars available and I get a call all the way across the area without surge. Sometimes I feel like there is no method to the madness. I've wondered if it is just based on customers looking at their screens without even actually requesting a ride. Other times I imagine some guy at the office just selecting random parts of the map and putting in exponentials whenever he feels like it. I've never got above a 1.75x fare. I've noticed with the new map as of a couple months ago that the surge is even more sporadic. At least they stopped suckering me in with text messages that it was surging to come drive - that never worked.

Any tricks/techniques to get a surge fare?


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## UberComic

People generally wait for the surge to end, use Lyft, or call a cab. They really should just raise fares slightly across the board and do away with the surge pricing. I started actually avoiding surge areas because of this.


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## dark knight

Raising fares sounds reasonable but what's the solution for when there really is more riders then drivers? A queue?


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## blair

I only have luck getting surge when its holiday or big event going on. In general its more often late night


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## UberComic

dark knight said:


> Raising fares sounds reasonable but what's the solution for when there really is more riders then drivers? A queue?


I have no idea. There are tons of complaints online about surge pricing. To not address this is bad for Uber's business. I ran a business for ten years, and we took all complaints to heart to give the best service possible.

I feel drivers are more likely to get a bad rating on surge trips. Driver ratings are the easiest target for frustrated riders.


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## blair

Surge pricing is the only complaint I've heard from the consumer. They could consider making their surge process/formula more transparent. I do think it's a bit hocus pocus at times.



UberComic said:


> I have no idea. There are tons of complaints online about surge pricing. To not address this is bad for Uber's business. I ran a business for ten years, and we took all complaints to heart to give the best service possible.
> 
> I feel drivers are more likely to get a bad rating on surge trips. Driver ratings are the easiest target for frustrated riders.


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## Wyatt

It's definitely based on how many apps are open, not actual requests. 

The best way to get a surge ride is to be near the bars at last call or a stadium after an event. 

Think drunk/desperation.


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## blair

So there must be a minimal surge activator. There are times during the day where there are no cars available and I will come on and boomshaka I get a request instantly. I know people were looking for a car, why not make it surge so I have more incentive to go on. That can be scary situation because when no cars within 15 minutes that means when I do go on the rider will likely be pretty far away.


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## Wyatt

Swear to god I got three calls in a row last night at about 3am, like rapid fire, all were over 15 min away from a busy spot, I turned them all down. Then I fire up Uber to see wtf is going on and I'm the only car within 10 miles in any direction. I turned down 2 more within the next 30 seconds that were over 15 min away in a spot known for short rides, then finally took one that was closer to me. Don't jump on that first call every time when it's late, there's another one coming, and don't drive without the customer app running.


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## blair

Driving with the customer app running does increase chances of Surge wherever you are.


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## Wyatt

I turned down a ride the other night because I could see I was the only car around. I quickly went off line, knowing that there is an active request in my area with no-one else around to claim it. After 5 seconds I logged back on and low and behold my area was surging 1.5 and I immediately got a request. Ha!


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## zaner

Had surge come on twice this morning in my zone for 10 minutes both times. 1.5x and 1.75x. Sitting right in the middle of it - no requests...


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## Wyatt

Did you get a request after it ended?
People are waiting it out or finding other rides.


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## steveO

Yea people definitely wait out the surge. I find people are less tactical late night, and often surge will last longer.


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## Rich Chen

I will have to avoid driving in Downtown area in San Francisco during rush hours. I often get bad rating for something I am out of control. Not sure how other drivers can drive there all the time.


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## jakeV

I read Uber was offering minimum hourly pay guarantees for San Fran at rush hour. I thought I read some of the offers were $35 an hour.


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## Rich Chen

how do those drivers deal with bad traffic + surge price = bad ratings?


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## franklin

I read about that minimum guarantee too. Interesting because I'd heard there are beaucoup drivers in SF. Uber would do well to show some consistency in how drivers are treated.


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## Sydney Uber

Wyatt said:


> I turned down a ride the other night because I could see I was the only car around. I quickly went off line, knowing that there is an active request in my area with no-one else around to claim it. After 5 seconds I logged back on and low and behold my area was surging 1.5 and I immediately got a request. Ha!


I always thought that trick could work - tried it a couple of Times myself with the same outcome. Good to get confirmation from the other side of the world that it helps push the cards your way


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## Tony T

I would rather a fare increase across the board and no surges apart from maybe double fare on certain days that stay double all day .


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## Tony T

Riders are no longer falling for the surge price , they know if they wait 5 or 10 min the price will revert back to normal


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## RedMagnolia

I'm also noticing less surge pricing in Seattle as there seems to be far more drivers on the road than there was in Jan/Feb. When surge does show up I notice it doesn't last as long or I have also noticed it will be surging and there are cars all over the place. Weather seems to impact how many drivers there are on the road in Seattle, snow, no drivers; rain, decrease in drivers.


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## Tony T

I'm staring to be suspicious of this surge pricing now as this morning I was bang in the middle of a 1.5 X surge for 10 minutes with no requests then it jumped up to 1.75x and for a further 10 minutes I waited and still no requests then it just disappeared , and I had no request after 20 minutes in a surge .
Something doesn't add up 
Is someone just pressing a button randomly to create surges


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## Wyatt

They are waiting and watching. Did the requests pour in after the surge ended?


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