Gridwise blog

As Lyft drivers, we receive a lot of communication from the company. They tell us how well we’re doing, whether we missed a ride, and when we got a tip. They never have a problem getting through to us; it all comes automatically through the app.

It’s a bit different when we’re talking about communication from drivers to Lyft. Why? Because it isn’t automatic.

There are lots of reasons drivers might need to contact Lyft Customer Support. For instance ...

• There might be a dispute over a payment
• You could get an unfair rating or comment you wish to contest
• You might want to print out monthly income or tax information
• There may be incidents you need to report such as accidents or damages caused by passengers.

How you should contact Lyft Customer Support depends on your reason for contacting them. Here are the various options so you can decide which works best for your specific concerns.

The In-app Help Section

Lyft’s colorful way of interacting with people who use the service is also part of the fabric of the app. You’ll notice this as you work your way toward the In-app Help Section.

Tap on your photo on the upper left of the screen, then tap “Help.” Here you have the option of tapping one of the topics listed, or one of the bright pink icons on the bottom of the screen. 

The icons can lead you to help with most concerns, such as reporting an accident, lost and found, earnings or bonuses, safety issues and passenger problems, profile settings, express drive, and “other topics.”

The information under the list of topics can also be found through the icons. The lines with words provide a shortcut to some “hot topics.”

Passenger Scenario ...

Now let’s try it out. Say your rider wants you to make an unscheduled stop, and wait while he or she goes into the house to change clothes for work. If you think it’s worth your time to wait, then go ahead and wait.

But knowing that a driver’s time easily converts to money, it’s hard to imagine that a ten-minute, unscheduled and marginally paid wait period is something you want to deal with. As you can imagine, though, saying “no” could lead to an issue. Whether you give in to the passenger’s whims or stand your ground, you’re still probably going to get less than a five-star rating. 

You can give the passenger a one- or two-star rating as well, and you’ll get a chance to say exactly why you did so right in the app—but you may want to let Lyft know what happened.

From the array of icons, tap on the shield and the words, “Ride, passenger, or safety issue.” Next, tap “Issue with a passenger,” and then, “I was rated unfairly.” 

A new screen pops up, and at the top you’ll see some information about ratings, and how you can rate passengers and provide information in the app, up to 24 hours after the ride.

If you still need to express yourself more clearly or at greater length than you can in the app, you can scroll down to the “Contact us” button, and tap it. That allows you to tell Lyft how you wish to be contacted, whether by phone, text, or email. A Lyft representative will get back with you, usually within a reasonable time frame.

Also note that you can set up your app to reflect your preferred way for Lyft to contact you.

The In-app Help Section is a convenient way to contact Lyft customer support, and it can also help you get in touch with an actual human being. This feature can also be a worthwhile source of general information about driving for Lyft. 

Using the Dashboard

There is an alternate way to get assistance through the Lyft app, and it’s through the dashboard. Tap on your photo from the main screen, and then on “Dashboard.” Tap the three lines on the upper left, and your dashboard options will open. 

Scroll all the way to the bottom of the screen, and tap “Help.” You’ll see the same help screen that appears on the Lyft website, which is for both passengers and drivers. Although this can be a useful interface, it’s not as direct and concise as the In-app Help Section.

The next time you stop for coffee, or when you’re parked and waiting for your town to come alive with Lyft passengers, read through the help section and familiarize yourself with how to use it. You’ll be glad you did that if you need to contact Customer Support in a hurry.

Contacting Lyft via Email or Phone

There is no direct email address or phone number for Lyft Customer Support. Instead, as discussed in the previous section, you let them know you want to email, text, or speak with a representative by following the prompts in the app or on the website.

In either case, tap on “Contact Support” and a series of forms will pop up. Describe your question or concern in detail, and submit your form. This is as close as you will come to direct email, but be assured that it works. 

Lyft’s Customer Support team is very responsive and supportive. It’s easy to see how the method they use to get information tells them exactly what you need, which can make them even more efficient. 

The Lyft Hub

Lyft Hubs offer a warm welcome and face-to-face help. You can pick up your amp, learn how to use it, tackle features of the app that have been baffling you, and ask any kind of question you want about your status, including how to be a great driver and how to get those five-star ratings.

Find a Lyft Hub near you. You’ll say, “Sweet!” when they offer you a cushy chair and a piece of candy when you visit.

Safety with Lyft

If you are in any kind of trouble during your driving shift, Lyft is NOT the first point of contact. Always dial “911” for emergencies.

Once you are safe again, use the In-app Help Section to report an accident, a need for roadside assistance, or to tell Lyft about a citation, damage, or a need to have your car cleaned.

Lyft on Social Media

Lyft on Facebook

You can visit Lyft on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lyft/. There you’ll find photos and videos of drivers and riders smiling ear-to-ear during their Lyft experiences. There are also listings for local Lyft events, from launch parties for new hubs to tailgate rallies for drivers who appreciate those large, ride-rich events.

Lyft on Twitter

Lyft uses Twitter in an interesting way—you can actually contact Customer Support through their feed! It’s the same deal as the email form, though. Tweet to them, and they will get back to you as soon as humanly possible.

Here’s how to find Lyft on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lyft. You’ll find some interesting stories and videos as well.

Lyft on Instagram

There’s even more fun to be had on Lyft’s Instagram. Lots of video stories on topics such as safety and culture, plus phenomenal photos of happy people tootling around the planet in their Lyft vehicles. Find them all at @lyft.

Before you think, “Ah, just another food courier service,” think again. Founded in 2013 by two college students, goPuff has changed the delivery game by focusing all its efforts on the huge demand for convenience store items. From mouthwash to cereal to a pint of ice cream, goPuff allows customers to order everything they could find at their local convenience store and have it delivered to their door.

What differentiates from other courier services is that it goes beyond just delivering—it’s the first-of-its-kind digital convenience retailer. With 150+ centrally located facilities throughout the U.S., each of which stocks more than 2,500 products, goPuff is changing the courier game by not just delivering the products, but also stocking and supplying them. 

While the business model itself seems great, we’re more focused on understanding one thing: Is it worth it to drive for goPuff? Read on to see what you think. 

Driver requirements

As a fast-growing company, goPuff needs drivers in many cities, and this demand will grow rapidly with its continued expansion into new locations. To become a goPuff driver, you must be passionate about helping people and meet the following requirements: 

• Be at least 21 years old
• Have a valid driver's license
• Have a car and auto insurance in your own name
• Have an iPhone 5 with iOS 10 or newer, or an Android 4.4.3 or newer
• Be willing and able to pass a background check
• Be willing and able to pass a prepaid alcohol delivery training course (where applicable)

If you fit these requirements, check goPuff’s website to confirm that there’s a warehouse in your city. If there isn’t, don’t be discouraged because that could change.

The process of applying for a goPuff driver position is quick and easy, and you can fill out an application on the website in less than ten minutes. Once you’ve completed it, you’ll be prompted to schedule an interview. Depending on your location, it will take place either in person or on the phone. Once you’ve been hired, you can start scheduling shifts immediately unless you’re in a location that allows alcohol delivery. In that case, you’ll need to pass a delivery training course before you can start driving.

How does it work for drivers?

If you drive for goPuff, you can arrange a schedule that works best for you. The company has its drivers sign up for shifts a week in advance. 

When it’s time for your shift, you’ll go to the goPuff warehouse and wait for orders to be ready for delivery. Drivers have commented in online career websites that they don’t have to wait very long for orders to be ready. Deliveries are made within a 30-minute drive from the warehouse, and once completed you head back for more.  

How much can you make with goPuff?

One thing that makes goPuff different from other delivery services is that drivers don’t have to run around so much. Rather than having to go to a convenience store, pick out the items, pay for the items, and then deliver the items, drivers go to one central location: the goPuff warehouse. An operations team fulfills the order, packs it up, and hands it to you—all you have to do is grab it and go. 

The goPuff business model promises customers that they will only be charged a set delivery fee of $1.95, and there are no added surge charges when demand is high. This is great for the customer—but what about the drivers delivering these products? 

Like other delivery services, goPuff drivers are independent contractors. To ensure adequate pay, the company guarantees a minimum hourly wage for drivers of $10 on weekdays and $12 on weekends (these may vary based on your market). Drivers can also keep 100 percent of their tips. 

Here’s a goPuff wage scenario: Let’s say you drive a five-hour shift with a minimum of $12 per hour for a total of $60 pay but only end up making $50, goPuff will pay you the $10 difference. There is the opportunity to make more if you get multiple back to back deliveries and tips, and most drivers have reported making $10 - $16/hour on average.

Pros of driving with goPuff

No driving around to restaurants or stores: Because all items for delivery are stored in the goPuff warehouse, your only destination to complete a delivery is the customer’s location. 

Guaranteed pay: goPuff’s minimum hourly wage guarantee means drivers are properly compensated. If your pay doesn’t add up to the minimum promised, goPuff will make up the difference, taking the guesswork out of your hourly pay. 

Ability to make more money: Like most other delivery apps, there is no earnings cap. Although we haven’t heard of any drivers making more than $16 per hour (yet), the possibility is there with nearby deliveries and generous tips.

Cons of driving with goPuff

Delivery distance: Because goPuff drivers deliver up to a thirty-minute radius of the warehouse, a single delivery could potentially take up to an hour. 

Lack of flexibility: Similar to delivering for a local restaurant, you have a set schedule that you create the week before. As a result, there’s no option to start and stop driving as you please. 

Potentially lower compensation than other courier services: While it’s great that goPuff ensures a minimum hourly wage, the payment model does not take distance driven into consideration like Uber Eats and other apps do. 

Is goPuff right for me?

Driving for goPuff means consistent pay and work without the hassle of picking up orders at convenience stores or restaurants. If you’re looking to diversify your rideshare driving with some deliveries and want something with a guaranteed minimum hourly pay and set schedules, goPuff may be a good fit for you. As the company continues to expand to new markets at a rapid pace, there will be a growing need for delivery drivers and more shifts available. 

How does it stack up against the competition?

Interested in how driving for goPuff stacks up against other courier delivery apps? We’ve got you covered! Check out the graphic below to see driving requirements, payment details, and more.

If you’re a rideshare driver, odds are you work with either Uber or Lyft. By far the most popular platforms here in the US, these apps have taken over the ride-sharing services marketplace in a major way.

Ten years ago, this wasn’t the case. Options for rideshare were limited because they mostly didn’t exist yet.

Now, the success of app-based ride share has rapidly expanded the industry, allowing for specializations by region and purpose. Hailing a cab in New York? There’s a rideshare app for that. Getting kids to school? An app for that, too.

Let’s examine the top rideshare services and why the drivers are choosing these platforms.

Uber

With over two million drivers in 80 different countries, Uber is by and large the most popular and widespread rideshare service. It was the first contender in the market and has been working to disrupt a system that hadn’t seen any major changes since the 1930s.

With brand recognition and a host of premium vehicle choices, full-time and part-time drivers sign up to drive for Uber for the options it creates. The demand for Uber rides is highest in cities, but the company continues to grow and the market continues to expand.

Lyft

Lyft is Uber’s fiercest competitor. Although its user base is smaller (Lyft holds around 30% of the ride hail market share), Lyft can be just as useful to have in your driver’s arsenal as Uber. Maybe you won’t be getting back-to-back pings, but many drivers even prefer using this service over the other competition.

For one, it can be less overwhelming to the rookie driver. You can turn the app on and pick up passengers at a more leisurely rate, giving you time to take breaks and hone your driving practices.

Via

Via is about actually sharing rides. The app, available now in ten US cities, links riders headed in the same direction to carpooling drivers, cutting carbon emissions and offering riders cheaper prices than Uber or Lyft.

Via offers its drivers two ways to earn: Blue mode and Flex mode. Flex mode is a flat-rate payment system where drivers earn per ride while Blue mode guarantees an hourly wage.

Via operates in spaces where there is a lot of driver demand, putting fewer miles on your vehicle and eliminating the need for long-distance trips. You’ll likely develop regulars and be able to build a relationship with your passengers. Since you typically work during commuter hours, your passengers are also easier to handle than night-time riders.

Wingz

Wingz connects passengers to a personal driver for pre-scheduled, door-to-door rides. Earnings are determined per ride, so how much you earn depends on how much you want to work.

Drivers will see a lot of airport and event drives (good for higher fares and friendly clients) as well as senior rides. Wingz is a smaller service, but the pre-schedule feature allows drivers more peace of mind about who is getting in your car.

CURB

CURB allows passengers to hail yellow cabs in the moment or in advance, and they can be tracked easily through the app. As a taxi driver, you are fully covered under insurance and are paid based on how long the meter is running.

Since your drives are metered, it’s easy enough to take detours at the passenger’s request. There’s no surge pricing option, but the fares are slightly higher and there’s a service fee up front to help recover costs.

Arro

Arro is a global ride-share service for taxi drivers. It offers low fees, driver support, and fast pickups in Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, NYC, and San Francisco.

In addition to getting riders connected to taxi drivers, it allows an easy payment system for riders already in your car. The app also allows drivers to schedule bookings two days in advance- which helps drivers plan their day.

Kango

Kango is Uber for families. If you’re over 21 and have experience in childcare, Kango is a great way to earn $35/hour and maintain flexible hours. It also offers a $25 activation bonus for your first completed ride. This service offers grocery delivery, restaurant take-out, and pharmacy pick-up-- your happy customers get their errands done, and you get paid.

There’s a strict approval process, though. Expect to get a background check, fingerprinted, and to attend a Kango training session. Want to earn even more? Drivers can offer to babysit, tutor, help with homework, and help kids with e-learning services.

Kid Car

If you’re in the NYC area, Kid Car offers a kid-centered experience for drivers who want friendly riders and daytime hours. Another plus with Kid Car is that rides are scheduled 24 hours in advance- so you can build your day ahead of time with the hours you want.

The opportunity for recurring rides with the same family increases tip earnings, and Kid Car promises 1.5-3x the earnings on local rides and airport transfers. The vetting process is important- so make sure your driving record is squeaky clean.

Veyo

Veyo connects qualified drivers with seniors and disabled people who need a lift to non-emergency medical appointments. Operating in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Michigan, and Virginia, it’s looking for drivers that are CPR and first-aid certified, and will undergo APA/HIPAA education, customer sensitivity training, and a background check. Don’t have all that? Veyo will provide it for free.

Pay is determined by the city and the number of miles driven. Veyo also offers hundreds of dollars of potential bonuses in the driver sign-up and referral process.

HopSkipDrive

Another rideshare app for kids, this service is great for drivers who don’t want to deal with the safety concerns of driving adults around at night. With the chance to earn up to $30 an hour, a massive opportunity for tips, and pay estimates before you accept a ride, it’s a good alternative to typical rideshare services.

Drivers are screened for criminal records, must have 5 years of childcare experience, be 23 or older, and have a newer car.

Using the right tools can maximize your driving profits, learn the best apps for rideshare drivers.

COVID-19 sure has made a mess of things. 

For drivers, the bulk of the chaos we’ve endured involves the way the gig economy landscape was turned over on its head. It’s no longer a no-brainer to go out and make money doing rideshare only. People aren’t back in restaurants and bars just yet, and those ball games and huge concert events that generated tons of riders are still a long ways off.

At Gridwise, we want to help you create a set of circumstances where you can work and make the kind of money you (and we!) know you deserve. 

In this new and strange world, we have to put something straight and right up front. If you want to succeed, you’re going to have to find more than one way to bring in the money.

The good news is, once you do that, you can make as much or more than you did before COVID caused the economy to hit the skids.

With your monetary health in mind, we put together this post to give you ideas to help you put together, and build, a hybrid driving gig of your own - one that’s perfect for your lifestyle and excellent for your financial stability. Here’s what we’ll cover.

• How rideshare & delivery have changed since COVID-19
• The solution: Hybrid driving gigs - earning from more than one platform
• How you can track and analyze your earnings
• Finding the “best” times to drive
• Know what you’re doing around airports
• Find new “hives” of activity for riders
• Surges: a gift they probably won’t keep giving
• Collect more tips: add that extra garnish to inspire customer generosity

How rideshare & delivery have changed since COVID-19

Before you can figure out how to make the most of the changes that have taken place, let’s take a closer look at them.

People are working from home, they’re doing their shopping online, they aren’t really yet going to movies or plays in droves, and the bars are operating at limited capacity. Rideshare business is picking up, but it’s different than it was before. There aren’t as many people out there, and you won’t find them in all the “usual” places.

What’s more, there are many indications that things might stay this way, at least to some degree, even after the last speck of virus has been eradicated from planet earth. People will continue to work from home, mainly because they (and their companies) have discovered that they can! 

Also, companies are reluctant to send people back to the office while they’ll have to invest in tons of new office fixtures and enforce new policies to foster social distancing. There’s also the possibility that there could be a recurrence of the virus, and workers would have to go back home again. 

The cost of moving delicate office equipment and highly protected data is high, and the idea of doing it twice is downright daunting to corporate CFOs, to say the least. Ultimately, some of them might even begin to think how nice it would be to no longer be on the line for that expensive office space.

For rush hour drivers, there is no rush anymore. Sure, there are some workers who have to report to offices or other facilities, but that 9-5 crowd is more than a little sparse these days. Happy hour is off the table right now, too, since people are no longer at work to hang after work.

Recreation has taken an even bigger hit, as bars and restaurants can only slowly come back to operating at full capacity. Summer fun - as in amusement parks, outdoor festivals, concerts, and even swimming pools will only be open with limited operations, or not even open at all this summer. 

Yup. it’s a summer bummer! 

For delivery, though, all of this is a good thing! They say people are getting spoiled, and now even have come to expect, to get everything they want delivered to their doors. Because there’s so much new business, the delivery apps have been trying to entice new drivers to work for them.

Should you convert to being only a delivery driver? That’s probably not such a great idea. While you might do fabulous business while people are still staying at home, things could change as the economy opens up more, later in the year.

Also, while there’s been this tremendous surge in delivery volume, the companies are struggling to make a profit. One day soon, they’ll have to cut their expenses, and one of them might be the bonuses and perks they’re offering drivers at the moment.

So...if you can’t depend on rideshare OR delivery for a sole source of income, what options are left?

The solution: The hybrid driving gig - earning from more than one platform

Seeing how the world has changed, those of us who depend on the gig economy are going to have to go through a transformation of our own. That might mean working across the available platforms. 

Even if the morning rush hour rideshare customers stay at home forever, there will be companies (like Amazon and Uber) looking for drivers like you to do early morning deliveries from retailers to customers and also between work colleagues and friends. 

Later in the day, you might find the happy hour crowd waiting like a bunch of hungry birds for your food deliveries! Then, a little later, after the dinner calls die down, you can switch to rideshare to ferry people back and forth to visit one another’s apartments or homes...or even to the bars and back.

You get the idea, and trust us when we say the opportunities are out there. In fact, we’ve already put together blog posts that give you inside information on the various rideshare and delivery companies, their platforms, new services, and their successes.

Remember: There is nothing stopping you from driving for as many platforms as you want. There is no cost to download the apps, and as long as you are approved, you’re free to move freely from one to the other whenever you wish!

How you can track and analyze your earnings

As you try all the different platforms, you’ll want to know how you’re doing on each one. Trying to keep track of them individually could get confusing, unless you’re really good at setting up your own spreadsheets and crunching numbers. But wait! You’re not? Don’t worry. You don’t have to do that!

The Gridwise app lets you use as many services as you want. Then, it’ll track ALL your earnings,, and mileage too! Once you do that, you can arrange the data and see it all on one screen. 

That’ll give you a picture of which of the apps are making the most money for you, so you can plan your days and nights based on the best ways to  keep on cashing in! 

All you have to do is open Gridwise, turn on the tracking feature, and drive, deliver, and do what you need to do out there. Then, when you finish your day’s work, you can enter your earnings for each individual app, and Gridwise will do all the fancy - and easy to read - graphics for you. You can give it a try right now - download it here.

Finding the “best” times to drive

There’s really no way anyone can tell you what the most profitable times to drive and deliver will be for you. For one thing, you’ll want to set your own hours. You might have other gigs, or the need to care for children or other family members. Driving might have to be worked around those scheduling constraints. 

For another, where you live is going to play a major part in what your hybrid gig life will look like.  If you’re in a city, there will be rhythms to traffic and certain hours that are nowhere near as active as they once were. 

If you’re in the suburbs or the country, the delivery business might be quite brisk during the week, and then die off on weekends. Or, it could be the reverse! You’ll have to run your own experiment.

Be patient and observant. Sure, people aren’t going to baseball games anymore, but they are playing golf and tennis, and some other sports too! Sometimes they need a “Lyft” from home to the court, course, or playing field and back again. 

Know what you’re doing around airports

In case you well-seasoned drivers are offended, we’re not insinuating you don’t know what you’re doing - but things are different than they used to be. While it might have paid to start your work day sitting in the airport queue before, now that people aren’t flying very many places, you might be stuck there all day.

Gridwise always has one finger on the pulse of airport traffic, so use the airport tab to see what the daily passenger volume looks like. That way, you won’t be waiting for passengers that may never ping you! You can check on the status of the queues, too.

Find new “hives” of activity for riders

As society has gone through the COVID-19 lockdowns, much has changed, to be sure. Some “old” passenger-rich venues are closed or on different schedules, while new and different activities have become possible. Passengers tell us bars at 50% capacity are beginning to hop a lot earlier. Revelers come out at around 8 or 9 rather than 10 or 12, to make sure they get in.

Outside of the bar scene, other areas have taken on more importance in the daily lives of riders. Here are a few.

• Parks
• Trail heads
• Open green spaces in cities
• Restaurants with outdoor dining
• Large bars where 50% capacity will be a large crowd of people
• Hospitals
• Courthouses
• Factories
• Universities (some researchers are being welcomed back for summer)

Surges: a gift that probably won’t keep giving

In many areas, the rideshare and delivery companies are offering premiums to drivers. This has a lot to do with trying to get people to come back out to work. To make it enticing enough for drivers to give up collecting unemployment (plus the $600 a week supplement), the companies are placing big surges on rideshare and delivery prices, at all hours of the day and night.

The customers aren’t too happy about this, but that doesn’t mean they won’t ride with you or request a delivery. They almost expect to pay a premium, because they realize a lot of drivers haven’t come back to work yet.

The companies aren’t happy at all about this, and they probably won’t be offering them for much longer. Have you ever heard that old saying, “Make hay while the sun shines?” It applies here. Watch the various apps for surges and bonuses. Some (especially Postmates and Grubhub) will send you push notifications. Use this info to figure out who you’ll work for on a given day.

Collect more tips: add that extra garnish to inspire customer generosity

As your earnings pile up (and you track them with Gridwise!), you might notice something else that’s different from times past. In this crazy environment, customers and passengers are tipping more! 

Maybe it’s because they have to wait longer for you to get there, and have time to think about how much you’re sacrificing to be out there working. Whatever the reason, we can't help but like it!

If you want this new and wildly appealing trend to continue, stay at the top of your game. Go that extra mile to offer extras, from opening doors and trunks (so they don’t have to touch yet another strange surface), to engaging them in conversation at the level where they feel comfortable, even while you talk through a mask.

For delivery, always honor their wishes. Maybe a busy mom wants contact-free delivery to the front porch, while Grandpa needs you to bring it to his apartment door. A knock on the door or a ring on the bell is always appreciated by people who are awaiting package deliveries. Leave a little note in the app, too - the personal touch can often bring out the best in people.

Also - follow all the guidelines for sanitization and social distancing. When you run a “tight ship,” showing your care and concern for your riders and customers, they’re far more likely to see how much you deserve that little something extra from them.

Adaptability = success

Sure, the rideshare and delivery world has been turned upside down, and you’re going to have to think beyond what was “normal” several months ago. That’s easy for you, though! As a gig economy worker, you’re used to blazing your own path. The point is to be adaptable, and use the resources available to you.

Those include rideshare apps, delivery apps, and other businesses that are cropping up to serve the new situation that’s been created by the coronavirus situation. Lucky for you, there’s lots of help...from Gridwise! Download the app to get everything you need to keep track of your earnings and record your mileage for optimizing your tax deductions.

Check the Perks tab for quick connections to news about your hybrid driving gig on our blog, and J and Brandon’s podcast. 

Lecture 1: Why Your Rating Matters

Both Uber & Lyft platforms use a star system to rate drivers and passengers. The highest rating is 5 stars, and the lowest is 1 star. The star rating system matters in two ways:

1. Giving you crucial information about a passenger before you accept
2. Increase the frequency you receive trips

How star rating is calculated

With Gridwise Academy, It is essential to learn the foundations of the star rating system before we dive into the strategies you can leverage. The average driver rating is 4.7 stars. New drivers start fresh with 5 stars and are rated after each completed trip.

Most passengers tend to rate 5 stars if they get safely to their destination. Exceptional drivers consistently rate 4.85 or above. This rating is also the minimum required for some benefits.

Your star rating can affect your ability to earn money on each platform. A low star rating can lead to deactivation, so take your rating seriously, as too many complaints and low scores are a clear signal to have your account reviewed.

Important Note: Only the recent 500 rated trips will be used to calculate your star rating, so do not be afraid of old ratings. Focus on improving new trips. Gridwise J Tweet

Passenger ratings offer clues about the trip before you accept

Customers can be rated just like drivers are. A passenger star rating is shown to you when you are offered a trip on the driver app. Use this rating to decide if the trip is worth taking.

The average passenger star rating is lower than the average driver rating. A typical passenger rating is 4.6 stars. Passenger ratings below 4 stars can warn you of trouble. Think about what caused other drivers like you to rate this passenger low. Maybe they have a problematic pick up, or perhaps they do not tip.

A high star rating is required for driving Premium or Lux

Certain benefits require a minimum star rating. For example, premium drivers are required to have 4.85 stars or higher to qualify for premier trips. These trips pay more than regular trips if your vehicle qualifies. If you don't meet the requirements, then you will miss out on these additional trips.

Your rating affects your driver benefits

Both Uber & Lyft offer benefits to drivers that are only available to highly-rated drivers. For example, the Uber Pro program's upper rewards tiers require a minimum star rating to qualify. These benefits directly impact the ability for you to save money.

Take Action For Lecture 1

1. Find your star rating in your driver app
2. Think of ways to increase your rating, or take our course on just that

Table of Contents

Lecture 1: Supplies to Keep on Hand

Having these cleaning supplies on hand ahead of time will save you lots of trouble when things get messy. Passengers are people, and people can make messes sometimes. Although most are courteous when in another's vehicle, mistakes do happen.

This list of items we recommend you have will also save you money on some of the bigger clean-ups. Keep in mind that the items we recommend you have in your ready to go kit area tax-deductible business expense, so be sure to review our tax lectures again for a refresher on how to track these types of expenses.

Items to keep in your trunk

1. Bucket large enough to hold all of your items
2. Interior detailer cleaning spray
3. Paper towels
4. Plastic bags
5. Glass cleaning spray

Items to keep in the cabin

1. Sickness bags
2. Rubber winter floor mats
3. Duster

Take Action for Lecture 1

1. Start tracking these expenses in the Gridwise app

Table of Contents

Lecture 1: (Gridwise Academy): How to Increase your tips

Tipping is not required, but you can increase the chances of getting them

1. Finish the trip safely
2. Be polite
3. Be conversational
4. Offer additional amenities

Finish the trip safely

Safe driving is the number one cause for complaints and 1-star ratings according to a survey we conducted on 1000 passengers.

Getting your passenger to where they want to be safe will be the biggest reason for you to get a tip. This means focus on safe driving at all times and good navigation to get your customer from pickup to drop off and you should see more tips and more stars in your app.

Be polite

Treat others the way you want to be treated yourself. This is even more true when you are picking up paying customers who may expect this as part of your service. Be polite to your passengers, and not only will you get polite treatment back, but you may see more money in your tip jar.

Be conversational

The average Uber or Lyft trip averages 13 minutes. That is a lot of time spent in the small confines of the car. We are social creatures, and conversations naturally occur. Be mindful of this conversational flow and go along with it. If your passenger seems to want to have a conversation, entertain them with such. If your passenger has headphones in and wants to be left alone, then leave them alone and focus on safe driving.

Offer additional amenities

Although rideshare is simply about getting a passenger from pickup to drop off, you can offer other things to make their trip more enjoyable. Many drivers offer water and mints, music, and air conditioning. These amenities are not required, but you may find yourself with more gratified customers and more tips if you do.

Take Action for Lecture 1

1. Look at offering additional services and amenities
2. Strike a friendly conversation with your next passenger
3. Start logging your tip earnings in the Gridwise app now
4. Consistently track your tip earnings over the next few weeks to see if this course helped

Table of Contents

https://youtu.be/aDRYtCkxDyc

Lecture 1: The best times to drive

Follow the movement patterns of the people in your city.

1. Morning rush hour
2. Evening rush hour
3. Sports, concerts, and shows
4. Airport schedule
5. Follow the alcohol

Rush Hour

The morning rush hour is a great time to find riders because many have to get to work. Next is lunchtime as hungry office workers head out for food, and others look to delivery. As the workday comes to an end, the evening rush hour is another great time to find rides as the same workers you drove to work have to get back home.

Sports, Concerts, and Shows

Think about the weekends in your city. What events are happening around you this weekend that the people in your city will need transportation to and from? Sporting events and concerts are major drivers of demand.

Airports

Go even further by studying your airport arrival and departure flights to get a sense of how many people are coming into or out of town.

Follow the Alcohol

Follow the drinking and nightlife scene in your city. Rather than risk a DUI many revelers opt for rideshare solutions. You’ll most likely find increased demands around last calls in areas of your city where the bars and nightclubs are. The best times to drive are the times where the people in your city are moving and in need of transportation. Once you understand this concept the question of when should you drive becomes less daunting.

Gridwise Events List

Check our events list to see the events happening near you Click Here

If you aren’t sure of the movement patterns of your city, take a clue from the driver apps. They basically tell you when and where the rides are from the surge map. Study when and where surge happens in your city and write down these locations and times. By keeping track of the surge pattern, you’ll be able to pinpoint the demand spots in your market. Try this in your driver app now!

Take Action for Lecture 1

1. Look at the events happening in your city this weekend in the Gridwise app
2. Take note of your airport arrivals and departure numbers in the next 4 hours in the Gridwise app
3. Write down the top events that may attract out of town visitors and the peak arrivals and departure times at your airport
4. Write down the times you think are the best to drive based on step 3 above
5. Let us know in the comments section below!

Lecture 2: How the Surge Works

Ideally, the number of drivers in a given area will be exactly equal to the number of riders in a given area. So whenever there are more riders than drivers, rideshare services will launch a surge. This doesn’t necessarily mean there are a ton of potential riders, there is just an imbalance. So the surge is simply meant to do one thing: Redistribute drivers.

The surge is a way to get drivers onto the road when passengers are looking for rides. Random Uber Employee Tweet

How to Spot Surge In Your Driver App

The surge will be displayed as colored areas on the map in both the Uber & Lyft driver apps. Take a look at the below images for examples of what this looks like in-app.

The surge is a way to get drivers onto the road when passengers are looking for rides. When there are too many people looking for trips, for example when a sporting event lets out, there can be a sudden spike of wait times as all the available drivers nearby are booked.

By temporarily increasing prices, surge can boost the supply of drivers in that area. This increase in driver supply can be from a combination of drivers logging on for the surge payouts, and drivers from surrounding areas relocating to catch the surge.

As more and more drivers flock to the surge the number of passengers looking for rides balances out and demand stabilizes. When this happens the surge will slowly decrease and eventually disappear. The entire system is automated and completely dynamic, which means it adapts to the current situation. Think about how you can use this knowledge to your advantage.

The dynamic design of the surge system allows you to use this to your advantage. By understanding the supply and demand patterns across your city, you can predict when and where surge happens. So how do you do it?

1. Brave the bars
2. Wake up for the morning rush
3. Know about big events
4. Get out in the rain

Brave the bars

The late-night bar crowd on Thursday’s, Friday’s, and Wednesday’s can be a gold mine for the driver willing to deal with a more “exuberant” crowd. From about 9:00 – 11:00 you can find riders that are headed to the bars from the more docile parts of the city. Then from 1:30 – 3:00 you can catch riders in popular going-out areas who will need a designated driver to get them back home. These areas will almost always have big increases in demand which turn into predictable and sustainable surges.

Wake up for the morning rush

Demand during the early morning hours from 6:00 – 10:00 is very high in most cities because of the high volume of commuters either going to work, going to the airport, or leaving the airport. Depending on your city, you can find workers either coming from the suburbs or more residential parts of the city into the downtown areas.

Mornings are also a great time to catch business travelers going to and coming from airports. You can use your Gridwise app to know when flights are coming in and catch a big fare at the airport. Or hang near hotels and find a traveler catching their early flight.

Know about big events

If you want to predict rider demand look no further than your local sporting, concert, and theatre venues. When they are having some of their bigger events, hundreds to thousands of people will be looking for rides to their next destination after the event is over.

You can spend an hour looking through multiple websites for events or you can check the Gridwise events list.

Get out in the rain

Many drivers have a love/hate relationship with the rain. While it can be a pain to drive in a downpour, there is almost always a significant amount of demand during a rainstorm because riders who may have otherwise taken a long walk to their destination will decide to take a ride, while some drivers will decide it’s not worth it to try and drive.

Take Action for Lecture 2

1. Open up your driver app and see if there are any surges happening in your area
2. Check out the events listing for compound events in your city
3. Check out the airport graph for arrivals and departure peaks
4. Write down your weekend surge predictions by listing the hours you expect peak demand, and the areas you expect these to happen