In order to be the most efficient, highest earning Lyft/Uber driver you can possibly be, you are going to want to have close to a 5 star driver rating. This probably goes without saying, but I want to emphasize it anyways.A high driver rating will limit the number of riders that decline your service when you are matched with a rider. This means less time spent waiting around for rides and more time driving/earning cash.
A solid driver rating also increases the trust that riders have in your ability. When riders trust you as a driver, they will feel more comfortable in your vehicle and the ride as a whole will be much smoother. Ultimately, this will boost the amount of money you receive in tips, an added bonus that every driver looks for.
Every Lyft driver wants to earn more tips, and a great driver rating is a good jumping off point for consistently better tips. It’s as simple as this: quality service merits better pay. People are visually perceptive creatures, and the first thing that they see when you are matched to them for a ride is either a five star rating or the lack thereof.
So how do you maintain the highly elusive five star rating? There’s no simple answer, but there are several things you can do add some basis point to your rating. I have personally maintained a five star rating over the 6 months that I have been driving for Lyft (I think it’s more like 4.96, but that rounds up to 5 stars on a rider’s screen).
- Know your city well, and use the Waze or Google Maps app to supplement your knowledge. I personally prefer Waze, but both apps work well. If you are using the most efficient route possible to get your riders to their destination in a quick and safe manner, riders are much more likely to give you a positive rating and a good tip. The fewer opportunities that a rider has to poke wholes in your competence as a driver, the more likely they are to reward you with five stars. Knowledge of your city is also a great talking point during rides, you can help educate out-of-town riders on the ins and outs of your city, and chat with locals about current topics in your city. Good conversation makes for quality rides, and quality rides lead to high ratings and more tips.
- Treat every ride like a customer service job. If you’ve ever worked in the customer service industry you know that keeping your customer happy is the number one concern. When a rider hops in your car, be friendly, smile, and make sure to call them by their name. People love hearing their name in a positive tone. Try to have a meaningful conversation with every rider that hops in your car. Talk about what they do for a living (people love to talk about themselves), the weather, events happening in your city, and use your knowledge of the city to drive the conversation. Many drivers supply their cars with waters and snacks, I personally draw the line at water, as this is a cheap resource that no rider could possibly have an issue with. Anything you do to go above and beyond the expectation from a typical Lyft ride will likely boost your driver rating and tips.
- Be patient with riders. Not every passenger is going to be interested in having a great conversation with you, so you are best off just trying to match the energy level of your passengers. You will occasionally get a passenger that is overly critical, intoxicated, not polite or in a bad mood. It is important that you are patient with these riders, you may be bothered by their attitude, but try to the best of your ability to ease any concerns that they have so that they have the best driving experience they are capable of having. It may not be the most enjoyable ride for either of you, but a little damage control can go a long way to preserving a high driver rating.
These are just a few ways to help your driver rating, the best way to keep that rating high is to constantly look for ways to become a better driver. If you make a real effort to do this, you can expect to boost your earnings by as much as 10% to 20% in the form of higher tips (if you’re driving for Lyft) and more accepted rides (riders are less likely to cancel on high rated drivers). If you haven’t signed up to drive yet make sure to get a Lyft driver promotion code first!