# Questions about Lyft



## Kassie (Sep 13, 2014)

1. I had my mentor session a week ago and it went great, but I haven't heard from Lyft since that day. Today I got the "Earn More Money This Week" email. I went to the Lyft website and it directed me to the banking and tax sections, which I completed. 

I turned on the app and went on driver mode without a problem. Does this mean I'm approved and authorized to drive? I also have a referral code assigned and everything seems to be working. I could keep the app open and wait for a ping, but I'm not planning on driving today, so I'd hate to start by rejecting my first ride.

2. While driving, does the Lyft app work the same as Ubers? (get a ping, accept, and navigation directs you to rider, hit arrive, start trip, etc.)

3. Also, regarding the HOURS section on the website, are the hours we pick set in stone, or can we drive at any time like with Uber? I usually don't know which hours I can drive until the day before, so scheduling my hours a week ahead is not ideal for me. 

Thanks for any info anybody can provide.


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## Brandy (Sep 15, 2014)

1: Yes Ma'am you are all clear to drive.

2: I haven't used the Uber app yet but it sounds exactly the same.

3: I haven't found any substance to the Hours section other than giving you an estimate of how much you'll make that day. I read somewhere that if too many drivers say they're working that block, it will grey it out for new drivers, but I think that's very rare.


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## Baron VonStudley (Jun 20, 2014)

The hours are as useful as **** on a bull. 
As for the navigation the Lyft app will open an external navigation program. Currently you can set preference for google maps Apple maps or waze. 
Welcome aboard


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## Doodle (Jul 17, 2014)

Welcome abroad!
1) Yes. You are all clear.
2) Pretty much the same with a few minor differences. The request comes in the same. The minor difference is with the pick up and wait times for cancellations. For Lyft, you hit "Tap to arrive" when you arrive. Then the ride starts automatically after 1 minute (i.e. no need to slide to begin trip like in Uber). In other words, you are still getting paid something to wait for passengers to come out. Lyft's cancellation policy is wait 3 mins, then call the passenger. If no one picks up, hit "cancel-client no show" and drive off. You will get a $5 cancellation fee (I think you have to wait at least 5 to 10 mins for Uber)
3) You can entirely disregard the HOURS section and all the emails about it. It's an old system and doesn't really come into play anymore.

Happy to answer any other questions.


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## Sheldon (Aug 1, 2014)

Doodle said:


> Welcome abroad!
> 1) Yes. You are all clear.
> 2) Pretty much the same with a few minor differences. The request comes in the same. The minor difference is with the pick up and wait times for cancellations. For Lyft, you hit "Tap to arrive" when you arrive. Then the ride starts automatically after 1 minute (i.e. no need to slide to begin trip like in Uber). In other words, you are still getting paid something to wait for passengers to come out. Lyft's cancellation policy is wait 3 mins, then call the passenger. If no one picks up, hit "cancel-client no show" and drive off. You will get a $5 cancellation fee (I think you have to wait at least 5 to 10 mins for Uber)
> 3) You can entirely disregard the HOURS section and all the emails about it. It's an old system and doesn't really come into play anymore.
> ...


I wonder if the hours system is enforced in smaller markets maybe?


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## Kassie (Sep 13, 2014)

Thanks to everyone for helping me out. Now that I'm actually Lyfting I have a couple of more questions:

1. As I'm navigating towards the passenger and arrive at the pin, the map opens wider and the pin moves. Am I supposed to stop right there because that's where they placed the pin and hit "Arrived"? The situation yesterday was was that a couple of passengers were actually about a block away, and one of them complained that the ride had started even before he got in the car. Should I visually identify the passenger before hitting "Arrived"?

2. My rating on the daily summary says "still pending". I don't care much about it yet, but I'm just curious if the passengers see any rating at all, and if they know I'm new by the amount of lyfts I've given. Do they get that info on their app?

3. After arriving at the destination the only way to end the ride seems to be to back out of Google maps and then go back into the Lyft app and end the ride. Is this the only way of doing this, or am I missing something?

I feel that last interaction with the passengers is important, and as they're getting out of my car I'm busy pushing buttons on my phone. It's not like the Uber app that has the orange swipe button to end the ride over the map.

Thanks!


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## LookyLou (Apr 28, 2014)

1. You are doing it correctly, But obviously the pin may not be exactly correct. Before you hit "navigate" take a look at the address listed on the Lyft app. When The Google Maps navigation app opens confirm that the address listed is the same as the Lyft app. When you arrive at the pin look around and try to identify that actual address on a bldg, house, etc. Hit "arrived".

With the newest Lyft app the ride starts 1 minute after you hit arrived. After waiting 3 minutes and if no one shows up call or text them. At this point you can hit "cancel" and "no show" and you will receive $5.00 cancellation fee and you can move on. If they answer and are not at pin go ahead and drive to them if they are not giving you an attitude about it. If they are fine with it then you are being paid the extra mileage and time for their mistake. If they are giving you an attitude just "cancel" and "no show" and move on. Either way they are paying for their mistake. The advantage of cancelling if they are giving you an attitude is that they can't rate you. If they are already pissed about "their" mistake or the ride starting after 1 minute they are probably going to give a bad rating.

2. The rating will show to you as pending for the first little while. This is normal. I think mine kicked in somewhere between 10-20 rides. I am not sure what shows up to the riders during this time. It may still show you as new, but it could also show your actual rating.

3. Yes you need to switch from Google Maps to Lyft to close out the ride. If you are using an iPhone you can easily switch between open apps by double clicking the "home" button at the bottom and slide scrolling back and forth between them without closing them. I am sure it is similar on Android, but not exactly sure of the procedure.


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## Baron VonStudley (Jun 20, 2014)

It's the most important thing to know about ratings. Do not get hung up at first. You will be akward at first and your ratings will bounce because statistically you need a large sample of rides to make a stable rating. It is the last 100 rides average. So as they drop off with new rides it should be more indicative of your service level. I have stellar conversations and fun while lyfting but most passengers don't understand that rating a 4 will get you fired they think they are rating you good. You can educate new users best by knowing yourself. If you haven't yet take a ride or 2 as a passenger. Observe the driver and if they are like me always happy to answer questions. You should also keep in contact with your nentor it's their job to help you through the first leg of your journey


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## Doodle (Jul 17, 2014)

To add to the points already made above.

1) if they passengers are already in the car and are pissy about the ride already started, play the blame Lyft card. Tell them that Lyft automatically starts the ride 1 min after you arrive at the destination and that you have no control over that (white lie). 

2) when ever someone says lyft or uber is cool, this is your cue to bring up that ridesharing is safer than cabs bc of the 2-way accountability. Mention that both parties are known and get rated and have high standards. If you tell people that you at risk of deactivation for going below 4.7, chances are they will give you a 5 if nothing went wrong during the ride. You can also fudge and say 4.8 if you like.

3) I typically do not end the ride until after they leave the car. So don't worry about fumbling buttons bad just do your usual exit goodbyes. Unless it is a situation where they re asking me how payments and tips work then I end it when them in the car. Don't worry that you are overcharging them for chatting and saying going by, it likely only cost them an addition 20 to 40 cents!


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## Jim Sunny (Sep 11, 2014)

To echo what the Baron mentioned above, most riders (especially newer ones) think that a 4 is a good rating, when in reality it puts you in the danger zone of possible deactivation. In 10 rides (for example), if you get seven 5s and three 4s, you'll be contacted by Lyft and told to clean up your act. Which is why what Doodle recommends is correct. The riders need to be educated on the ratings system, politely and discretely so that they aren't made to feel uncomfortable.


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## Doodle (Jul 17, 2014)

On more point to make about the pick up. I highly recommend taking a screenshot of your screen before you tap to arrive. After you hit tap to arrive, the original pick up address disappears, so the screenshot is handy for several reasons.
- You can refer to the pick up address just in case, you misread the address and doubt yourself
- In case, the passenger calls and you can tell him/her exactly what the pick up address you were given and not have to fumble around looking around b/c it's not on the app
- As a very last resort, you have some photographic evidence in case you get trouble customers or if you need to email Lyft
- Screenshot acts a timer for your 3 mins wait > call > cancel routine


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## Kassie (Sep 13, 2014)

Thanks for the advice gents. I had a weird thing happen yesterday with Google Maps. I picked up a fare and he told me he was going to South Land Park. There was a big food truck festival going on in the park, so I asked him if he was going to the festival and he said no, that he lived right by the park. So I inputed "South Land Park" on the navigation and we headed that way.

My next Lyft ping came about three hours later when I was at home. I didn't recognize the address, but it was only 5 minutes away, so I hit "Navigate", and Google Maps took me right back to South Land Park, which is actually about 20 minutes away from my house. 

As I got stuck in the festival traffic I started thinking there had to be something wrong because I never get pings at my house for that area, so I put the passengers address into Waze, and of course, it was in a completely different area, much closer to my house. So I started heading there thinking the passenger would cancel, but he didn't, and he was cool about the long wait (about 45 minutes total)

So it was probably my phone's mistake, and my fault for not connecting the dots faster, but I have to be aware of addresses from now on and not rely solely on the "navigate" button.


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## Doodle (Jul 17, 2014)

Wow certainly interesting. Do you use an iPhone or android?


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## Kassie (Sep 13, 2014)

Doodle said:


> Wow certainly interesting. Do you use an iPhone or android?


I use Uber's iPhone and my personal Android for Lyft and navigation.


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## LookyLou (Apr 28, 2014)

Kassie said:


> Thanks for the advice gents. I had a weird thing happen yesterday with Google Maps. I picked up a fare and he told me he was going to South Land Park. There was a big food truck festival going on in the park, so I asked him if he was going to the festival and he said no, that he lived right by the park. So I inputed "South Land Park" on the navigation and we headed that way.
> 
> My next Lyft ping came about three hours later when I was at home. I didn't recognize the address, but it was only 5 minutes away, so I hit "Navigate", and Google Maps took me right back to South Land Park, which is actually about 20 minutes away from my house.
> 
> ...


I had that same thing happen several times when I first started. It seems like it would do that for a night, then stop for a few days and then start doing that again.

Now I look at the address on the app before I hit the navigate button and then confirm that the address is the same. I think it is a google maps glitch because it would do it on both Lyft and Sidecar on the same night. Sidecar is very similar to Lyft in the way it hands off the info from the app to whatever navigation app you prefer.


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## frndthDuvel (Aug 31, 2014)

Doodle said:


> Welcome abroad!
> 1) Yes. You are all clear.
> 2) Pretty much the same with a few minor differences. The request comes in the same. The minor difference is with the pick up and wait times for cancellations. For Lyft, you hit "Tap to arrive" when you arrive. Then the ride starts automatically after 1 minute (i.e. no need to slide to begin trip like in Uber). In other words, you are still getting paid something to wait for passengers to come out. Lyft's cancellation policy is wait 3 mins, then call the passenger. If no one picks up, hit "cancel-client no show" and drive off. You will get a $5 cancellation fee (I think you have to wait at least 5 to 10 mins for Uber)
> 3) You can entirely disregard the HOURS section and all the emails about it. It's an old system and doesn't really come into play anymore.
> ...


Thanks so much for this info. I have only driven about 24 Lyft rides so far. I was tapping to arrive, usually when the Rider was on the curb. But for some I would tap,and then see the Trip has Started message. I was thinking it was my mistake and worrying the Rider would be pissed I started early. So the last few days I was hitting Cancel trip,and when it asked me to confirm, I would wait till the Rider came out and then hit the Dont cancel prompt. Which of course then means I could not call the Rider. So glad to know the Lyft cancellation policy and the Tap To Arrive feature.
Just got my rating after hitting 20. Yaay still 5!


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