Last two cab rides....one backed into a parked car, and then did a runner. His details were passed to the police. The next one ignored my instructions on how to get from the airport to my flat....kept saying his way was better. His way was slower, $11 more expensive, and wanted another $8.40 for an unnecessary toll. Told him to shove it...
There are decent cab drivers out there. But most are horrific.
Cabdriving is pretty easy, and a job open to people who aren't qualified for better ones. A lot of the training is "on the job" and there's going to be drivers who are pretty woeful and confused at first. But they improve.
However. There are some drivers who have a poor attitude. As a passenger, I've had a few I'd like to have been able to rate down. Just like as a driver I've had a few passengers I'd like to have rated.
This is where Uber shines over the taxi system. Unless a driver is getting fairly solid five star ratings, they won't last long. An average of 4.6, and you're on the edge. 4.5, and unless you have some pretty convincing explanations, you're off the system.
I'm at 4.94 stars as an Uber driver. I just do what I did as a cab driver. Aim to get the passenger to their destination with a smile on their face. It's pretty easy, really, because that's what the passenger wants, and I do a lot of driving with my ears, as it were. If they want the temperature up or down, I do it. If they want to be the DJ, that's fine. In fact I love it when passengers play their favourite music, I get to hear some really good tunes that way, and I have happy passengers singing along.
Taking directions from the passenger is always good. For one thing, it lets them know they are in control, it keeps them on familiar streets. And, if they often make the same journey, the passenger will know all the lights and shortcuts. I learn a lot of good tricks that way.
But often times, I'll find that the passenger is taking me a longer way than the route I would have picked. I had one elderly gent one weekend afternoon, and he went from a regional shopping centre to his home in the suburbs. He went this way and that, past the school, past the church, up one loop street, down another. I eventually asked him, when we got there, why he had taken that route.
"Oh, that's the way the bus goes," he said. Well, fair enough.
As a driver, I'm loving Uber. The money is about the same, but the passengers tend to be a little more tech-savvy. They all have smartphones, for one thing. The app takes care of a lot of the navigation, and I don't have to hassle with the cabcharge machine or try to make change out of a fifty. Just click the "End Ride" button, give the passenger five stars, and that's it. Passengers love it for different reasons. Water and mints on these hot afternoons, for one thing. Lower costs, for another.
And the ability to rate the driver and give feedback. It's encouraged by the app, and in the email sent after every ride, giving details.
So, if you get an Uber driver who is taking you the long way, has a smelly car, plays loud obnoxious Justin Beiber, or whatever, and doesn't accept instructions to fix the problem, give them a one-star rating and explain why on the feedback form. They won't last long unless they change their attitude.
As an Uber driver, the last thing I want is word of mouth about what a lousy experience it's been.
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