# Can We Discuss Lyft?



## Desert Driver (Nov 9, 2014)

Later today I have my "mentor" session with Lyft. Does anyone have any advice or comments for me?

Does it make sense to run Uber & Lyft simultaneously?
Is there a downside to running both Uber and Lyft simultaneously?
Is one better or worse?
Will I have to dye my gray moustache pink?
Any input will be appreciated.


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## LAuberX (Jun 3, 2014)

Do the mentor session with somebody on this forum.

Too many ways to fail otherwise....


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## StephenJBlue (Sep 23, 2014)

Desert Driver said:


> Later today I have my "mentor" session with Lyft. Does anyone have any advice or comments for me?
> 
> Does it make sense to run Uber & Lyft simultaneously?
> Is there a downside to running both Uber and Lyft simultaneously?
> ...


I do lyft mentor sessions. My advice:

Greet the Mentor with a fist bump and a smile.
Make sure you car is clean. No junk in the trunk either! 
Ask questions about how it works. Engage the Mentor.
Don't Mention Über.
For the test ride, verbally request that the Mentor please put on their Safety Belt.

For your questions:
Yes, it makes sense. I run both. The Lyft rides act as "filler" to help keep me busy.
No downside. Just make sure to log out of one when you have a trip on the other.
I love my Lyft pax. At least here, the Über pax are fairly pretentious. No problems with keeping Lyft ratings high. Plus they like to chat more and typically sit in the front seat.
You don't need to have the mustache on the car. Lyft now has a small in-window sign they will send you after a certain number of rides.


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## DjTim (Oct 18, 2014)

Desert Driver said:


> Later today I have my "mentor" session with Lyft. Does anyone have any advice or comments for me?
> 
> Does it make sense to run Uber & Lyft simultaneously?
> Is there a downside to running both Uber and Lyft simultaneously?
> ...



Does it make sense to run Uber & Lyft simultaneously? - Yes, most drivers to. Sign up for Sidecar as well, and run all 3.
Is there a downside to running both Uber and Lyft simultaneously? Yes, you could get a ping on both apps at the same time and you need to pick and choose. Just watch your acceptance rate.
Is one better or worse? Uber has surge and Lyft has Prime Time. I personally like Lyft riders better in the Chicago area, and Uber riders in the Chicago Suburbs. I think you will need to figure this one out for your location
Will I have to dye my gray moustache pink? Nope - they don't even give out cuddle stashes anymore.
Make sure the mentor spends more then 10 minutes driving. As LAuberX said - try and use a mentor from here, if not - no big deal, I would keep the Uber thing on the down-low. Just say "Hey I've done this before, I drove for Uber for a while and then I picked up a gig, and now I thought I would try Lyft for a while.

Good luck!


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## Desert Driver (Nov 9, 2014)

LAuberX said:


> Do the mentor session with somebody on this forum.
> 
> Too many ways to fail otherwise....


How the hell does one fail the mentor meeting?


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## Desert Driver (Nov 9, 2014)

StrawJim said:


> I do lyft mentor sessions. My advice:
> 
> Greet the Mentor with a fist bump and a smile.
> Make sure you car is clean. No junk in the trunk either!
> ...


Those are some excellent tips, StrawJim. Thanks!


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## LAuberX (Jun 3, 2014)

Desert Driver said:


> How the hell does one fail the mentor meeting?


I Failed, the lazy 20 something chic with 40 rides under her belt failed me, or in Lyft language "I am on a wait list"....(in L.A. where they still pay for driver recruiting since April, so a "fail", not really a "wait")


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## MikeB (Dec 2, 2014)

Lyft put me also on waiting list, but then in about a month sent email that I'm good to go. What I found switching between Lyft and Uber in downtime is that after I accepted the ride and am concentrated on the road to get there - I've often forgotten to turn off the other device, so I'd get a call on it, so I would cancel that trip, so my acceptance and cancellation rates went up. Also, I quit Lyft, because it pays less, so that is a bigger waste of my time. It's rarely a big time lapse between the new pings with Uber. At least I try to avoid driving at the times when the demand is pretty slow.


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## DjTim (Oct 18, 2014)

Desert Driver said:


> How the hell does one fail the mentor meeting?


Some have straight up failed due to vehicle, background checks or insurance. Some get waitlisted - the current thinking on the waitlist is that you already drive for x company, you don't need to drive for Lyft or the other popular opinion is that the mentor doesn't do the session right and you get waitlisted.

I signed up for Lyft before Uber. It took me a total of 10 days from application, mentor ride and then approval to drive. Some it took longer. The mentor I had, he had been driving for Lyft for 6 months and was only part time. I don't recall how many riders he said he had. My mentor session lasted 20, maybe 30 minutes.


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## Samename (Oct 31, 2014)

There is a Lyft forum here. How do we get this moved there? Do I use the report feature? I've never tried it before..


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## LookyLou (Apr 28, 2014)

Desert Driver said:


> How the hell does one fail the mentor meeting?


Consider the Mentor session a job interview being conducted by a fellow driver. Dress nice, conduct yourself professionally and make sure your car is very clean and free of any personal belongings.


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## LookyLou (Apr 28, 2014)

LAuberX said:


> I Failed, the lazy 20 something chic with 40 rides under her belt failed me, or in Lyft language "I am on a wait list"....(in L.A. where they still pay for driver recruiting since April, so a "fail", not really a "wait")


Time for you to come out of the closet.


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## Desert Driver (Nov 9, 2014)

LookyLou said:


> Consider the Mentor session a job interview being conducted by a fellow driver. Dress nice, conduct yourself professionally and make sure your car is very clean and free of any personal belongings.


That just seems like common sense, but thanks for the input LookyLou. I'll also assume that farting, clipping my nails, and picking my teeth are verboten. But all "smartassiness" aside, thanks for offering the tips and I'll be sure to report back here on how my mentor session goes in a couple hours.


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## UL Driver SF (Aug 29, 2014)

LAuberX said:


> Do the mentor session with somebody on this forum.
> 
> Too many ways to fail otherwise....


Seriously?

I thought it was pretty simple. Did it in my hometown. Has it changed or something?


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## Robert420 (Aug 30, 2014)

UL Driver SF said:


> Seriously?
> 
> I thought it was pretty simple. Did it in my hometown. Has it changed or something?


Through the grapevine, I heard there were some mentor failing peoples for the following listed below.


Not Having a nice car
Mentioning they might also apply for Uber
Not fluent in English
Failing them cause there already enough drivers on the Lyft Platform
Failing them cause it's the first time they really every had power over somebody.


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## UL Driver SF (Aug 29, 2014)

Robert420 said:


> Through the grapevine, I heard there were some mentor failing peoples for the following listed below.
> 
> 
> Not Having a nice car
> ...


Damn that sucks.


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## Desert Driver (Nov 9, 2014)

The mentor meeting went flawlessly. I did everything correctly and I passed with flying colors. The background check is being done on me right now. Assuming the three felony arson convictions are not discovered, I'll be driving Lyft in no time

Thanks, everyone, for your pointers, tips, and support.


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## DjTim (Oct 18, 2014)

Desert Driver said:


> The mentor meeting went flawlessly. I did everything correctly and I passed with flying colors. The background check is being done on me right now. Assuming the three felony arson convictions are not discovered, I'll be driving Lyft in no time
> 
> Thanks, everyone, for your pointers, tips, and support.


Burnem all - That's what I say. Glad it went well. I think you'll like Lyft riders.


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## the sandman (Dec 3, 2014)

I am a lyft mentor for the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

I have done 8 mentor sessions and I failed 2.

1st fail was a guy who I had a hard time understanding and when I asked him to speak louder and more clearly I saw he was aggitated. So he failed on not able to communicate effectively and hostility.

2nd fail was a car that smelled like cigs and had paint flaking off of the car. I asked the guy how long he had the car, he said since new. It was a 2008 prius.
My response was if I was a customer do you think I would enjoy a ride in your car? He told me no and that is why he failed.


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## UberCbus (Nov 10, 2014)

I do both

Friday and Sturday nights here I only run Lyft, as the tips can greatly influence the end of the night earnings. Usually ends up around 30 to 40%. Covers the 20% fee, and then some. 

Plus, minimum trip is $4, and they dont run me 11 to 12 miles like Uber will to get a $5 trip, then take 80% and then a $1, leaving me with 45 minutes wasted for $3.20 

Its a college town here, and a lot of them are service employees, and half of them tip. I would say 10% cash and the rest on the app. 

I use uber to fill downtime on Sundays and Mondays, then in the mornings to get me from the burbs downtown 

Now thats in THIS market, obviously every single market is different

My mentor session was an hour, and the lady was a complete rockstar. I really felt ready to go after our meeting, and was confident in the app and the company

My cuddlestache showed up in the mail after I completed my 30th ride, the college girls love taking selfies with it in the car

I need to find a hashtag or something, cause its kind of fun to see them after they post them up

Running both apps can be tricky, I have had to pick and choose a couple of times and it does affect acceptance ratings. Closest trip always wins for me, thats how I pick which one I am taking

Good luck, keep us updated!


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## Lidman (Nov 13, 2014)

Do the mentor sessions cost anything out of your pocket?


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## the sandman (Dec 3, 2014)

If the mentee is like 20 to 25 mins away I will meet them half way. If they are 19 min or less I have them drive to the Kroger that is near me.

So just a little gas on my end. Other than that left pays me 35 for the session.

The mentor session does not cost anything out of pocket. It is a job interview in essence. Why would you have to pay for that ?


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## DjTim (Oct 18, 2014)

Lidman said:


> Do the mentor sessions cost anything out of your pocket?


Gas and time only, no cash or anything like that. Some markets require a car inspection, like Uber I think.


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## Desert Driver (Nov 9, 2014)

Lidman said:


> Do the mentor sessions cost anything out of your pocket?


No. But Lyft saves a little money because if the mentor fails the driver, no background check is ordered.


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## DjTim (Oct 18, 2014)

Desert Driver said:


> No. But Lyft saves a little money because if the mentor fails the driver, no background check is ordered.


My background was run before I had my mentor drive. Maybe they changed it?


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## Desert Driver (Nov 9, 2014)

DjTim said:


> My background was run before I had my mentor drive. Maybe they changed it?


My mentor explained that his evaluation of me was the go/no go for the background check. That's all I'm waiting for now, then I be a Lyfter.


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## LookyLou (Apr 28, 2014)

Desert Driver said:


> No. But Lyft saves a little money because if the mentor fails the driver, no background check is ordered.


I believe they run your DMV before your session and as soon as you request a mentor session the first time it triggers the background check. So, if you request a mentor session and it is not accepted or it is canceled by either party, your background check is put in progress.


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## Desert Driver (Nov 9, 2014)

Got the ALL CLEAR from Lyft this morning. My mentor session was Tuesday. Background check was ordered upon successful completion of the mentor session. The felony arson convictions were not discovered, so I'm driving Lyft tonight! I plan to keep both Uber and Lyft running.

Thanks again to everyone who gave me tips, pointers, and encouragement prior to my mentor session.


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## UL Driver SF (Aug 29, 2014)

Congrats.


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## DriversOfTheWorldUnite (Nov 11, 2014)

felony arson convictions??


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## Desert Driver (Nov 9, 2014)

So, when running both Uber and Lyft, do you just flip back and forth while waiting for a ping so they won't go offline? Or does the Lyft driver app allow it to be a background app without logging you out? That's a really annoying "feature" with Uber driver app. I like to use my phone as my e-reader while waiting for a ping, but I have to keep flipping back to the app every, what, two minutes.


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## Desert Driver (Nov 9, 2014)

DRIVERSOFTHEWORLDUNITE said:


> felony arson convictions??


It was a joke. They were only misdemeanors.


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## UL Driver SF (Aug 29, 2014)

Desert Driver said:


> So, when running both Uber and Lyft, do you just flip back and forth while waiting for a ping so they won't go offline? Or does the Lyft driver app allow it to be a background app without logging you out? That's a really annoying "feature" with Uber driver app. I like to use my phone as my e-reader while waiting for a ping, but I have to keep flipping back to the app every, what, two minutes.


I use 2 different devices, one for uber and one for lyft.

I use an iPad for web work.


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## LookyLou (Apr 28, 2014)

Desert Driver said:


> So, when running both Uber and Lyft, do you just flip back and forth while waiting for a ping so they won't go offline? Or does the Lyft driver app allow it to be a background app without logging you out? That's a really annoying "feature" with Uber driver app. I like to use my phone as my e-reader while waiting for a ping, but I have to keep flipping back to the app every, what, two minutes.


Yes, just leave the Uber app up front and visible and the Lyft app running in the background. The Lyft app will not keep prompting you to stay logged in like the Uber app does.

Good luck and Lyft On!


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## DjTim (Oct 18, 2014)

Desert Driver said:


> So, when running both Uber and Lyft, do you just flip back and forth while waiting for a ping so they won't go offline? Or does the Lyft driver app allow it to be a background app without logging you out? That's a really annoying "feature" with Uber driver app. I like to use my phone as my e-reader while waiting for a ping, but I have to keep flipping back to the app every, what, two minutes.


Uber Partners app is a PITA. Lyft and Sidecar can run in the background without any issues. Just don't forget to log out of either app when you accept a ping.


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## Desert Driver (Nov 9, 2014)

LookyLou said:


> Yes, just leave the Uber app up front and visible and the Lyft app running in the background. The Lyft app will not keep prompting you to stay logged in like the Uber app does.
> 
> Good luck and Lyft On!


Figuring it out. So far tonight - 2 Ubers and 2 Lyfts.


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## DjTim (Oct 18, 2014)

Desert Driver said:


> Figuring it out. So far tonight - 2 Ubers and 2 Lyfts.


One thing I found that works for me during busy times, I'll run Uber for 1 hour and then Lyft the next. This doesn't work if you signed up for any type of bonus. When it's slow, I always log Lyft in first, and if I don't get a pin in 10 minutes, then I'll log Uber in and let the first ping win.


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## Samename (Oct 31, 2014)

In SD I run both Uber and Lyft on my personal phone. Uber usually pings first, but I prefer Lyft. But staying busy is my priority when out on the road, so whichever comes first.


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## Luberon (Nov 24, 2014)

The first ping always wins. In my city Lyft usually has more pings and shorter pickups which together with tips makes it my first choice during busy periods. During slow times I run both apps. I care less about bonuses since Lyft bonuses are out my reach as a part time driver while Uber guarantees are just a scam IMO.


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## Desert Driver (Nov 9, 2014)

Samename said:


> In SD I run both Uber and Lyft on my personal phone. Uber usually pings first, but I prefer Lyft. But staying busy is my priority when out on the road, so whichever comes first.





Luberon said:


> The first ping always wins. In my city Lyft usually has more pings and shorter pickups which together with tips makes it my first choice during busy periods. During slow times I run both apps. I care less about bonuses since Lyft bonuses are out my reach as a part time driver while Uber guarantees are just a scam IMO.


I, too, thought Uber guarantees were a scam. Then they spiffed me $82 for the crappy returns on Thanksgiving Eve.


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