# Round trips



## Harry Seaward (Mar 7, 2017)

What's the concensus?
In both of my cases I told the pax to hurry and they were in and out in less than 2 minutes. I figured I was making money driving vs. sitting idle waiting for a ping.


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## swingset (Feb 26, 2017)

If it's under 5 minutes, it's fine by me. Figure, even if it was a one way and I had another ping immediately, I still have dead travel to get to them....so it's more efficient and lucrative to round trip it all things being equal.

The exception is close to surge time...then I'd rather ditch the pax and get new riders at 2x or whatever.


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## Harry Seaward (Mar 7, 2017)

swingset said:


> If it's under 5 minutes, it's fine by me. Figure, even if it was a one way and I had another ping immediately, I still have dead travel to get to them....so it's more efficient and lucrative to round trip it all things being equal.
> 
> The exception is close to surge time...then I'd rather ditch the pax and get new riders at 2x or whatever.


Yeah, this is how I looked at it, but the lady the other night kept saying "are you sure??" like she expected me to bolt on her even after I told her I would wait. I'm sure it happened to her and I just wondered why a driver would do that to a pax, especially after agreeing to it.


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## freddieman (Oct 24, 2016)

Short round trips = "I'll drop u off destination and u can order another ride"

Long round trips = "I'll wait up to 15-30 mins". The 15-30 min gives me time to smoke, stretch, bathroom break, breathe in fresh air, maybe even grab a bite to eat. It's somewhat ok since the "meter" is still running. Basically my chance to take a break and get lil compensation.


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## Harry Seaward (Mar 7, 2017)

freddieman said:


> Short round trips = "I'll drop u off destination and u can order another ride"


What's the reasoning behind this?


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## swingset (Feb 26, 2017)

I tell round trippers that I can only hang for 5 minutes at their stop, and if they will be longer just cancel and order another uber home. After 5, I'm burning $$. I've not had anyone have a problem with this.


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## steveK2016 (Jul 31, 2016)

I tell them they have 2 minutes or if I get another ping. This at least makes them hustle with what they need to get done. If it's a quick pickup/drop off and go, I'm all good but any longer than 2 minutes, I'm out.


Harry Seaward said:


> What's the reasoning behind this?


2 minimum fares versus 1 minimum fare...


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## freddieman (Oct 24, 2016)

Harry Seaward said:


> What's the reasoning behind this?


Ur best earnings at this gig is to have the tires rotating fastest possible, for the longest as possible....so basically lots of freeway driving. Freeway driving is the least amount of wear tear along with best gas mileage.

As a driver, mileage runs are what ur after (if it's not surging). U don't want to wait on min fare rides cause ur not getting paid really. The few cents waiting is just paying for ur car idling. U need to get paid for ur time to right?

Isn't looking at the fare after u did a short round trip not enough evidence not to do it? Now unless u get paid a prepaid tip, that would be ok of course.


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## SuzeCB (Oct 30, 2016)

Drug run...


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## Harry Seaward (Mar 7, 2017)

freddieman said:


> Ur best earnings at this gig is to have the tires rotating fastest possible, for the longest as possible....so basically lots of freeway driving. Freeway driving is the least amount of wear tear along with best gas mileage.
> 
> As a driver, mileage runs are what ur after (if it's not surging). U don't want to wait on min fare rides cause ur not getting paid really. The few cents waiting is just paying for ur car idling. U need to get paid for ur time to right?
> 
> Isn't looking at the fare after u did a short round trip not enough evidence not to do it? Now unless u get paid a prepaid tip, that would be ok of course.


Every day I sit at traffic lights on minimum fare rides longer than I've waited on any of my round trip rides. Just seems shitty to dump someone at a Circle-K at midnight when you know you'll be available to get another pax in 3 minutes. You'll get the next ping anyway since Uber thinks your ride is over at the destination. If you get no ping it means you weren't missing out on anything.



SuzeCB said:


> Drug run...


Haha..... I'm pretty sure my longest round trip was exactly this.


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## rickasmith98 (Sep 26, 2016)

steveK2016 said:


> I tell them they have 2 minutes or if I get another ping. This at least makes them hustle with what they need to get done. If it's a quick pickup/drop off and go, I'm all good but any longer than 2 minutes, I'm out.
> 
> 2 minimum fares versus 1 minimum fare...


Have tried telling customers about the potential ping too. The problem is that when we are on an active trip, the only way we're going to get a ping is if there is someone in the immediate area of the destination address entered. If we weren't on an active trip, we'd be open to the entire city perhaps, not that we would want to take pings 20 minutes away but we would have a much bigger geographic area eligible to us for pings. By being on an active trip, we drastically reduce the radius from which we would get a ping, so no one really knows the opportunity cost of us waiting.

Might have been that if we ended the trip and didn't wait, we'd have gotten a ping from a not too far away area for a decently long trip that would have taken us back to where we started out or wanted to be, which would be the ideal. Conversely, if we did get a ping and didn't have to drive too far to pick them up and even if it was a short trip, my minimum fare is $3.00 and that's the same as a 15-minute wait for my market. Honestly I'd rather spend my time driving to and picking up a new rider than sitting in my car waiting.

For example, picked up a passenger the other night who entered a hotel as her destination but on the way she wants to stop at "RJs" and get a meal. Tried to explain to her about the wait thing and she was being so nice and told me, just end the trip at RJs and she would request another ride. But we got to RJs and she discovered they were closing in 15 minutes so she really didn't have time to eat in. She then told me that if I got a ping while she was inside, to end the trip and take it. Couldn't have asked for a nicer customer but the situation was still potentially costing me. The likelihood of a new ping coming in from the hotel was similar to a snowball's chance in hell. In hindsight, should have changed her destination to the RJs while we were there and then changed it back to the hotel when she got in the car. At least if i had gotten a new ping, it would have been from someone within spitting distance of where i actually was. The sad thing is, I completely see it from her side too. If she had to request another Uber, the minimum she's going to be charged is $5.00+booking fee, so it's likely to cost her a few more dollars. The reasonable thing for Uber to do is to charge more for waiting time, this would help us offset our potential loss of revenue from missing pings but also allow us to accommodate our customers.


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## steveK2016 (Jul 31, 2016)

Inuse the stacked ping as an excuse to end the trip as quickly as possible. Even if i dont get a stacked ping, the reaspnable pax will say "oh i guess he got another request"

granted not everyone is reasonable but most are.


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## Oscar Levant (Aug 15, 2014)

Harry Seaward said:


> What's the concensus?
> In both of my cases I told the pax to hurry and they were in and out in less than 2 minutes. I figured I was making money driving vs. sitting idle waiting for a ping.


I tell them Im only allowed by Uber to wait 5 minutes. I change my destination to source destination so I don't get a stacked call nearby when waiting.

Waiting time is not adequate compensation for an adult with a car. IN fact, precisely 40 years ago, I drove a taxi and the waiting time was ten bucks an hour, and by adjusting for inflation, it should be $100 per hour, or something like that. so, we're not getting paid enough to wait, trust me on that one. So, every minute you are idle with a rider, is worth less than a minute when the wheels are rolling, rider or no rider ( because you are moving to the next non idle ride sooner). IF they promise me a nice tip, then I'll consider it ( but I won't solicit, I don't believe in it, really, but that's up to you. )

On the other hand, if it's a round trip and it's like $35 each way, then, and only then, will I consider it.


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## PepeLePiu (Feb 3, 2017)

I tell the customers that if I get another request I might have to end the current trip regardless of time at the drop off location.
But this is, in my opinion, the best way to handle this situation: If you get another ping while waiting on a rider, you can see where is coming from and check how long it will take you to get there, I always accept the other ping and, since you can't cancel if you are on a current trip just get the pax to update the drop off location and the stack ping will go to another driver, so no cancellation is necessary. I do end the trip if I am in an outlining area and the pick up is in a hotel or a bar, usually they are longer trips. But so far I only have done that 3 times in 400+ trips.


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## rickasmith98 (Sep 26, 2016)

Think i am missing something. Are you saying the current passenger you are waiting at a drive thru or whatever, if they update their destination address after you've accepted the new stacked ping, will force the stacked ping to another driver? If so, how does this benefit you except by not dinging your acceptance rate? Does the current passenger have to simply change the address or can they just type over it and update it with the same address they originally entered? Sorry for my confusion.


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

I make 15 cents a minute waiting on a passenger. Pre-expenses I make more driving, but according to my estimates, the vehicle expenses make it so that I actually make more waiting than driving. $9/hr is the wait rate and I have no expenses, whereas depending on my true expenses my average hourly rate is likely between $6 per hour and $8.25 per hour.

I have some cheap pax though sometimes who say they want me to end the trip so they don't get charged for wait time and they still want me to wait for them. I've only waited for such pax when they took me out to boonieville and I didn't want to deadhead back. They get charged extra booking fees so unless they make me wait a really long time they might actually pay more doing that.


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## PepeLePiu (Feb 3, 2017)

rickasmith98 said:


> Think i am missing something. Are you saying the current passenger you are waiting at a drive thru or whatever, if they update their destination address after you've accepted the new stacked ping, will force the stacked ping to another driver? If so, how does this benefit you except by not dinging your acceptance rate? Does the current passenger have to simply change the address or can they just type over it and update it with the same address they originally entered? Sorry for my confusion.


Yes it does. as long as you haven't ended the trip a pax can update.
Ok, we talking about round trips, on Lyft you can put more than 1 destination, on Uber you can't. So the only way a pax can get a round trip is to update the address on the trip before you get to your destination, that way you will not receive another ping.
But if pax doesn't do it and asks you to wait for him/her/them, the moment you get closer to the drop off you might get a ping, in this case you can tell your pax that you already got another ping and will have to end the trip or... ask pax to update the drop off location to the original and the ping that got stacked will drop. That does not affect your acceptance or cancelation rate since you accepted the ping but Uber "rerouted" you to the original pax and you don't have to cancel since Uber already cancelled the trip for you, thus you will be able to finish the trip and pax save some money and you get extra miles on the same trip.

Now the original question was...



Harry Seaward said:


> What's the concensus?
> In both of my cases I told the pax to hurry and they were in and out in less than 2 minutes. I figured I was making money driving vs. sitting idle waiting for a ping.


My opinion is to warn pax that you might get another request while you waiting, that gives you a choice to end a trip unless they update the address on their app (and this is key, so you don't have to fight Uber later over an unpaid portion of the trip), if you think the next one could be more profitable. Remember though, that you are already at a pax location and you don't have to drive to get the next one.


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## Harry Seaward (Mar 7, 2017)

PepeLePiu said:


> So the only way a pax can get a round trip is to update the address on the trip before you get to your destination


The android app lets drivers change the destination. I almost always make the pax do it, but I have a dashcam so a pax could never successfully claim I took them where they didn't want to go if I ever have to change the destination from the driver app.



PepeLePiu said:


> My opinion is to warn pax that you might get another request while you waiting, that gives you a choice to end a trip unless they update the address on their app (and this is key, so you don't have to fight Uber later over an unpaid portion of the trip), if you think the next one could be more profitable. Remember though, that you are already at a pax location and you don't have to drive to get the next one.


I can see this being a concern on a long round trip (which I would set to go offline for anyway), but if I'm a mile from the first pax's house waiting for them to get their whatever and get a ping, I'll accept it knowing I'll have pax 1 back home and can then go get pax 2.


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## PepeLePiu (Feb 3, 2017)

Harry Seaward said:


> The android app lets drivers change the destination. I almost always make the pax do it, but I have a dashcam so a pax could never successfully claim I took them where they didn't want to go if I ever have to change the destination from the driver app.


I only update on my app if pax is unable to change it on theirs, I also have the dash camera so I think I'm well covered. But I get your point. On a long distance trip I will go offline, that way I can't mess things up. On short trips I rather keep my options open.


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## Coachman (Sep 22, 2015)

I don't mind round trips. One of my most common round trips is to the liquor store. They're usually pretty fast.


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## nickd8775 (Jul 12, 2015)

My best round trip was airport to a house in the suburbs and back. Guy forgot his passport and spent 10 minutes trying to look for it at home. Luckily he found it and I had a nice round trip and ended up back at the airport. He gave himself 4 hours till his flight so that round trip still had him back at the airport with 2.5 hours till takeoff. 30 miles each way.


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## Coachman (Sep 22, 2015)

My best round trip was 46 miles out and 46 miles back.


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## Jagent (Jan 29, 2017)

Too many variables to just say yes or no. 
Surging?
Is the halfway point in the middle of nowhere? 
How long is the wait? 
Do I like the pax?


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## 105398 (Aug 28, 2016)

Jagent said:


> Too many variables to just say yes or no.
> Surging?
> Is the halfway point in the middle of nowhere?
> How long is the wait?
> Do I like the pax?


Exactly. Round trips can be great if you vet the rider and figure out the above.

I've had situations when chatting I realize it's a round trip for them, and if the criteria (quoted) is good I'll offer to stay. Had an airport pickup a few days after Christmas - 25 miles to a suburb to pickup a puppy for his kids (why he came here instead of in his home state I never asked). Got chatting and he was flying back in a few hours, and a small puppy in a crate is fine by me (if I offer). Went for coffee for an hour, he texted me back and zoomed right back to the airport. Great ride. Dog didn't make a peep.

I don't offer round trips, and definitely don't offer to accept non-assistance pets, but given the above criteria worked out perfectly.

Round trip in the city with a long wait - usually a waste of time.


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## rickasmith98 (Sep 26, 2016)

PepeLePiu said:


> Yes it does. as long as you haven't ended the trip a pax can update.
> Ok, we talking about round trips, on Lyft you can put more than 1 destination, on Uber you can't. So the only way a pax can get a round trip is to update the address on the trip before you get to your destination, that way you will not receive another ping.
> But if pax doesn't do it and asks you to wait for him/her/them, the moment you get closer to the drop off you might get a ping, in this case you can tell your pax that you already got another ping and will have to end the trip or... ask pax to update the drop off location to the original and the ping that got stacked will drop. That does not affect your acceptance or cancelation rate since you accepted the ping but Uber "rerouted" you to the original pax and you don't have to cancel since Uber already cancelled the trip for you, thus you will be able to finish the trip and pax save some money and you get extra miles on the same trip.
> 
> ...


Everyone says to get the passenger to update the address but we can do that for them. Is there a reason why, if you have asked the passenger for their permission, you just don't do it for them? Have done this many times and the minute I have completed the address update, my phone pings loudly and then the passenger's a mere second behind me, alerting them of the update.


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## SuzeCB (Oct 30, 2016)

rickasmith98 said:


> Everyone says to get the passenger to update the address but we can do that for them. Is there a reason why, if you have asked the passenger for their permission, you just don't do it for them? Have done this many times and the minute I have completed the address update, my phone pings loudly and then the passenger's a mere second behind me, alerting them of the update.


If you change it, the packs can turn around later and say that you were trying to get more money. If they change it their argument is moot. Their attempt at fraud is thwarted. CYA


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## steveK2016 (Jul 31, 2016)

rickasmith98 said:


> Everyone says to get the passenger to update the address but we can do that for them. Is there a reason why, if you have asked the passenger for their permission, you just don't do it for them? Have done this many times and the minute I have completed the address update, my phone pings loudly and then the passenger's a mere second behind me, alerting them of the update.


https://uberpeople.net/threads/always-have-pax-change-address-in-app-no-exceptions.106306/

Do you want to be on the side of this argument "But...but... they told me to change it!'

The argument on the phone being tracked, the boyfriend ordered the Uber and disembarked at the bottom location and his girlfriend rode it back up north. Had I not gotten the original pax to update the address in the app, I wouldn't have had ANY leg to argue that it was a true trip.

Not every pax is going to try to screw you, but you only need one to screw you big before you realize you need to do this regularly. I had a similar insufficient route review a few weeks prior to this that cost me about $5. Because of that loss, I made it a point to always have the pax change it.

I'm damn glad I did or I'd been out $170!


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## thepanttherlady (Nov 3, 2016)

I'll wait no more than 5 minutes. Had a short one the other night. Got $6 tip in cash and $5 more in app (Lyft).


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## PepeLePiu (Feb 3, 2017)

rickasmith98 said:


> Everyone says to get the passenger to update the address but we can do that for them. Is there a reason why, if you have asked the passenger for their permission, you just don't do it for them? Have done this many times and the minute I have completed the address update, my phone pings loudly and then the passenger's a mere second behind me, alerting them of the update.


Yes, but that might give a discontent pax an excuse to challenge the trip, specially if when is updated the price goes up beyond the price they thought they would be paying. The only instance I do that is if, for some reason, the pax is unable to do it. That usually happens when they have multiple choice of destination or they chose the wrong city. I had this pax going to fourth st. in another city and the price was like $ 140+ I tried to change it on the phone but couldn't, I did it on my app and it went thru with no problem. So that and sometimes drunk people would be my exception.


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## uberpete (Mar 22, 2017)

99% of all round trip rides I've taken have been like 2 miles to a gas station to get more alcohol or cigarettes. Total waste of time. I tell them I'll wait 5 minutes and then go if they're not out. I try to be nice and polite but not going to lose out on too much money. Yeah I could make more just ending it right there but I feel like being nice is good karma.


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