# New Driver. Got a 1. Now what?



## UberGirlInAnUberWorld (Jan 19, 2016)

I'm a new driver. Just completed my 5th trip today. Yesterday I had a passenger from out of town trying to navigate from the backseat using their own GPS as if my GPS was wrong. We, in fact, were never lost as she kept assuming and made it to the destination ahead of schedule. Well, she gave me a 1. Now my rating is a 3. How long do I have to correct this?


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## uberpa (Nov 12, 2015)

Don't worry. A couple of 5 will bring it up dramatically!
Be yourself and be friendly. Never kiss nobody's ass! Sometimes you need to kick it!


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## Bill Collector (Dec 17, 2015)

Two months ago, I had 10 rated trips with the rating of 4.53

After 150 rated trips, it is 4.85... Just keep getting as much 5 stars as possible ... There is no other way.


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## UberGirlInAnUberWorld (Jan 19, 2016)

But how long is it before they normally deactivate someone? Should I be trying to fix this tonight?


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## galileo5 (Jan 16, 2016)

I'm certain you have a grace period, so don't worry about deactivation this early. If you feel you got along well with the passenger, tell them to give you a five. If you feel awkward or bossed around like this passenger, don't say anything and bomb them.


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## TurkUber (Dec 24, 2015)

Wear tight and revealing clothes. Just Kidding


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## HotRodriguez75 (Oct 16, 2015)

UberGirlInAnUberWorld said:


> I'm a new driver. Just completed my 5th trip today. Yesterday I had a passenger from out of town trying to navigate from the backseat using their own GPS as if my GPS was wrong. We, in fact, were never lost as she kept assuming and made it to the destination ahead of schedule. Well, she gave me a 1. Now my rating is a 3. How long do I have to correct this?


I do not think this is about how long you have to correct this but figuring out how to handle the situation as it happens frequently so your rating is not affected. From what I read, you stood strong on your navigation and pretty much went against the passenger. This typically results in a 1*.

This is how I start my rides after confirming I have the right passenger and will be doing the ride.

I ask 'where you are headed?', if response is good, I move to #2
Start trip and ask 'we are going to 1234 Any Street, correct?"
Click navigate and display the routes and ask 'Do you have a preferred route?'

If yes, I check there route against navigation to determine the difference in time and miles. If I can get them there quicker, I explain the quicker route and reason why (traffic or accident). If they persist, I go there route
If no, I confirm if they want to trust the handy dandy navigation.
At any point during the ride, the passenger wants to navigate or questions my route, I simply say 'If you prefer to navigate, I will turn off my GPS and go by your navigation'. The passenger is happy and gets what they want.

In 5 trips, for you to be at a 3*, you would have to have received a combination of ratings of 5, 4, 4, 1, 1 or 5, 5, 1, 1. So basically, you received two 1* ratings and this is not because of this one rider.


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## TurkUber (Dec 24, 2015)

The only time In my life where I 1* a driver was when she missed like 10 turns. I was in Panama, and she told me it was her first day on the job, but she kept missing turns which was so annoying. Even a RE-TARD wouldnt miss those turns, the navigation software was so clear and concise.


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## Realityshark (Sep 22, 2014)

Ratings are a direct reflection of who you are as a human being. Take whatever steps necessary to correct this erroneous rating. Go to your local uber office and fight it vigorously. Future employers, creditors and even potential spouses will look at your uber rating and make a judgment about you. Your Uber rating is one of the most important things in your life now. This isolated poor rating is more serious than you could ever imagine.


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## UberGirlInAnUberWorld (Jan 19, 2016)

HotRodriguez75 said:


> I do not think this is about how long you have to correct this but figuring out how to handle the situation as it happens frequently so your rating is not affected. From what I read, you stood strong on your navigation and pretty much went against the passenger. This typically results in a 1*.
> 
> This is how I start my rides after confirming I have the right passenger and will be doing the ride.
> 
> ...


When my rating was a 3 it appears it was only from 2 ratings. A 5 and a 1. 6/2 = 3. As of this morning my rating is good again.

When the passenger kept telling me I had missed a turn, I asked her if she was using a different GPS app than I was so that I could adjust mine. She told me no twice, but kept insisting that I was going the wrong way. Her husband told her that I was on path several times.


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## HotRodriguez75 (Oct 16, 2015)

UberGirlInAnUberWorld said:


> When my rating was a 3 it appears it was only from 2 ratings. A 5 and a 1. 6/2 = 3. As of this morning my rating is good again.
> 
> When the passenger kept telling me I had missed a turn, I asked her if she was using a different GPS app than I was so that I could adjust mine. She told me no twice, but kept insisting that I was going the wrong way. Her husband told her that I was on path several times.


In this case, that is when you earn your 1*. Pull over, let her know that she has the choice to use your GPS directions, her GPS directions, or she can get out and request another Uber that may have the same directions as her because her questioning your every turn is distracting and unsafe. At these rates it is not worth it. After 1200 rides, I have learned to manage these situations along with my ratings. If the passenger is not willing cooperate which seems like in your situation, I would be firm on the choices the passenger has knowing I would get a low rating regardless.

Sounds like you are a new to Uber. Do you have a phone mount? If you are holding your phone in your hand navigating, this typically makes a passenger uncomfy. I use a 8" tablet that is CD mounted which the passenger has a clear view of the routes, real-time navigation, etc. Do you have the navigation sound on, this also annoys the passenger. My sound is turned off since I can easily see my tablet with a quick glance. Some drivers invest in bluetooth to hear the navigation.

As far as the husband, she was probably the account holder and if she was questioning your directions, he probably had to listen to her rant about the navigation while she 1*'d you. A no win situation, which is why I would have earned that 1*. Trust me, it feels so good knowing you are going to get a 1*.

As far as your ratings, if you are providing a good experience over time low rated trips won't matter. I am at a 4.85 which it takes a hit on the weekends when I drive the bar crowd but during the week it goes back up when I pick up the business people. Don't worry too much about your ratings unless it continually goes down. That usually means you as a driver is doing something wrong.


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## UberGirlInAnUberWorld (Jan 19, 2016)

HotRodriguez75 said:


> In this case, that is when you earn your 1*. Pull over, let her know that she has the choice to use your GPS directions, her GPS directions, or she can get out and request another Uber that may have the same directions as her because her questioning your every turn is distracting and unsafe. At these rates it is not worth it. After 1200 rides, I have learned to manage these situations along with my ratings. If the passenger is not willing cooperate which seems like in your situation, I would be firm on the choices the passenger has knowing I would get a low rating regardless.
> 
> Sounds like you are a new to Uber. Do you have a phone mount? If you are holding your phone in your hand navigating, this typically makes a passenger uncomfy. I use a 8" tablet that is CD mounted which the passenger has a clear view of the routes, real-time navigation, etc. Do you have the navigation sound on, this also annoys the passenger. My sound is turned off since I can easily see my tablet with a quick glance. Some drivers invest in bluetooth to hear the navigation.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I knew she was a one right away. I forgot to mention that the trip started off badly because her pin dropped in one place, but she called to tell me the pin was wrong and she was 4 blocks away. Well, the pin was right. She was wrong.

& Yes my phone is mounted and muted. I have a Bluetooth headset that I use to listen in my left ear.

Anywho. I expect to encounter passengers like this. I was just more concerned with being deactivated so soon after payin to get the TNC license.


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## HotRodriguez75 (Oct 16, 2015)

UberGirlInAnUberWorld said:


> Yeah, I knew she was a one right away. I forgot to mention that the trip started off badly because her pin dropped in one place, but she called to tell me the pin was wrong and she was 4 blocks away. Well, the pin was right. She was wrong.
> 
> & Yes my phone is mounted and muted. I have a Bluetooth headset that I use to listen in my left ear.
> 
> Anywho. I expect to encounter passengers like this. I was just more concerned with being deactivated so soon after payin to get the TNC license.


In that case, I would have sat at the pin, waited the 5 minutes, cancelled, logged off, and moved on. A rider cannot rate you if you do not start the ride. It is my way of educating the passenger that they enter the destination, clearly see the address the pin dropped at, can zoom in and really see where the pin is at, and not to treat someone trying to give you a ride as if they intentionally went to the wrong destination. It's common courtesy and mutual respect and the second you question your actions against mine, sorry ride is not happening. Like I said, I do also save my 1*'s for special occasions.

Don't worry about your ratings too much. Monitor them, but do not let them instill fear of deactivation. Trust me, 100% of the drivers feared deactivation within the first month until they understood how ratings worked.

I will say this, it does not benefit Uber in any way for deactivating new drivers that are providing clean and safe rides. On the other hand, I think many drivers deserve to be deactivated. I am a rider at least twice a week on Uber or Lyft and 50% of the time, the experience is indicative of the low rates and Uber's desperate need to continually on board new drivers. I have seen dirty and smelly cars, bad attitudes, cherry picking, not even driving my direction to pick me up, demanding tips, super slow drivers, device in hand while driving.

Just keep on moving, enjoy yourself, only do rides that you are comfortable with, maximize your earnings and all will fall into place.


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## Andy Fielder (Sep 6, 2014)

HotRodriguez75 gave great tips on both his posts. If he were teaching the class, I'd sign up even as a 4.83. I know all about chasing ratings. Sometimes I think my ego and desire for the elusive 5.0 keeps me here more than the revenue (especially since the January rate adjustments). Lately I've been doing better and attribute it to the same principles governing every other acquired skill. The more often I drive, the better I get. That confidence makes me more relaxed and pax pick up on that. If you feel sure of yourself, pax relax and feel comfortable chatting with you or their friends or buried in their phone knowing you'll get them there safely without extending the trip. I sense they like it when I'm familiar with their destination and opt out of the GPS. If the GPS route has us stranded on what feels like a parking lot, whipping over to a side street shows you're thinking of them. I try to remember to ask if they have a preferred route and always take that over the GPS. Like taking a client to lunch: if you let them pick the restaurant, you are off the hook if the food or service is lousy. I never ask for ratings or tips. The work should speak for itself. It's a good button to ask if they have everything as they exit. It's thoughtful and saves you long drives back to Santa Monica from the valley to return a set of keys.


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