The most common reason why a driver might be late is due to them not knowing your area well, them not knowing how to follow the GPS on the app, or in general not knowing what they're doing. I would expect it's a combination of all of these and most likely the last one of them not knowing what they're doing. If you find you're getting a lot of drivers not know what they're doing then it's likely because all of the good drivers check your rating prior to accepting your request and decide it's better to not pick you up. Go and check your rating and if you see it's less than 4.5 then think about how you behave when riding in an Uber.

The best/easiest way to improve your rating is to tip the driver. How much to tip is up to you and can vary on many things and I have no idea how much people in Memphis tip. As a rider I use a general rule of tip $1/5mins of a trip. But to be a 5-start rider you don't have to tip. Below are my tips on how to get 5-stars

1. be ready (this means be in the street) when the Uber arrives
2. if you need a phone charger ask nicely (but don't expect to get one)
3. don't ask for refreshments (if they're available the the driver will let you know)
4. don't ask for an aux cable or change the radio station (driver will ask you if they want you to control the radio) (If the radio is too loud or not loud enough it is okay the let the driver know this)
5. in general don't cause drama during the ride.

 

That can't be. Uber drivers claim they're better than the "nasty ol' cabs," and promised the world they'd show the taxi industry, "How it's done."

Are you saying Uber drivers are no better than cab drivers? ;-)

 

\/ \/ \/ \/ \/ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Let me guess, you request pools.

The drivers do not like the Uber Pools, so they let the requests expire. If one driver lets a request expire, the program then offers it to the next driver and so forth down the line until someone accepts it. This creates two types of delays. The first is that there is a delay because the request is not accepted until it moves through one or more driver. If the request does get moved down the proverbial line, you are not being assigned the driver closest to you. This means that it will take the driver longer to get to you than you might like. Solution? Stop requesting Uber Pool.

Another problem is that you might be requesting from somewhere that is just outside a surge zone. If that is the case, the drivers will not accept your request because they do not want to take a base rate trip when they could be carrying a surge rate trip. That one is all about the Benjamins. Solution? Other than moving yourself inside a surge zone, there ain't much that you can do. Even if Uber were to let a customer send a message with the request such as "I tip well", half the drivers would not believe it, anyhow, as they have been burned before on such promises.

I like it when I get a ping and then a minute later the pax calls asking me what is taking so long.

"Yes, Ma'am. you see I had to pull over to let a fire engine pass, then a jaywalker with an 'I dare you to hit me attitude' stepped in front of me. After that, some bicycle spandex boy weaved in front of me, so I had to slam on the brakes, again. I had to wait three cycles of the light to make a turn because a METRObus was blocking the intersection on the first arrow, some clueless jerk in a Volvo stopped at the second green arrow, but I finally got through. After that, I had to go around a UPS, FedEX and Mail truck all parked with impunity in a NO STANDING IN RUSH HOUR Zone, so it took me three more cycles of the light to get through that intersection. As of now, I am only two blocks from you, but if you look up the street, you will see that there are four bunched METRObusses in this Flashy Arrow Hell in which I am sitting. As soon as every one of them stops and picks up and discharges, I might get to you after four cycles of the light. Sadly for you, it is now going to take even longer for you to get a ride, as I am cancelling rather than listen to your caterwauling all the way to wherever it is that you want to go and receiving one whole star as my reward. Thank you for using Uber and HAVE a nice day!".

The most common reason why a driver might be late is due to them not knowing your area well, them not knowing how to follow the GPS on the app, or in general not knowing what they're doing.

(emphasis mine)

You receive that for which you pay.

I do not know about licencing requirements in Memphis, but if there are any requirements that cab or limousine drivers know even a minimum of geography, there are choices:

1. Call a taxi
2. Hail a taxi.
3. Book a limousine. For your purposes in Tennessee, if a limousine driver must know something about geography, book a limousine. If there are no such requirements, you are better off with UberX. Why pay a premium for a driver who gets lost when you can get a driver who gets lost for Uber Pool rates, which are little more than a bus?
4. In fact, take a bus. While a bus driver does get lost every once in a while, most of them run on fixed routes, so they do know where they are going on the route.

If use Uber you must,

5. Summon Uber Black (if available in Memphis).

I do not know the licencing requirements for limousines or taxis in Memphis (or anywhere in Tennessee, for that matter), but here, the cab drivers in most jurisdictions must have a minimal knowledge of geography. The limousine drivers in Maryland or the District of Columbia must have a basic knowledge of geography. Virginia has no special licence for limousine drivers. In fact, most of the complaints about Uber Black here arise from drivers who carry Virginia plates.

check your rating and if you see it's less than 4.5 then think about how you behave when riding in an Uber.

Below are my tips on how to get 5-stars

1. be ready (this means be in the street) when the Uber arrives
2. if you need a phone charger ask nicely (but don't expect to get one)
3. don't ask for refreshments (if they're available the the driver will let you know)
4. don't ask for an aux cable or change the radio station (driver will ask you if they want you to control the radio) (If the radio is too loud or not loud enough it is okay the let the driver know this)
5. in general don't cause drama during the ride.

^^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^^

Pay heed to what germainebell is telling you.

Drivers do avoid low rated users. If I am close, generally I do not pay much attention to the ratings, especially on Uber Taxi, but if I must travel for a trip, I pay more attention to them. This goes double if I am driving UberX that day instead of Uber Taxi.

Pay particular attention to Number One. One of the most frequent sources of complaints is passengers who keep drivers waiting. Even if we start the trip, Uber pays drivers very little to wait. In addition, in The Big City, many passengers request rides at addresses where there is no standing in rush hour. The driver can not wait in those places until you decide that you are good and ready to come out of the building.

On Number Three, I do not let the customer know that I have water or candy. I do have the water in the door pockets where the customer can see it. If he just takes it, that is fine. If he asks, I tell him to take it. Thus, I do not mind if the customer asks.

I leave the radio OFF, be it in the cab or UberX. This is an old cab driver habit, as here, the law requires that cab drivers secure the passenger's consent to play a radio or CD player. The Regulators always have interpreted this as its being necessary to secure active consent; lack of objection has never been interpreted as sufficient. If they want music, I will turn on the thing, but this is one of the few times that I will invoke the "my car/my rules" maxim: I do not allow opera, disco or rap.

That can't be. Uber drivers claim they're better than the "nasty ol' cabs," and promised the world they'd show the taxi industry, "How it's done."

Are you saying Uber drivers are no better than cab drivers? ;-)

It appears that they are worse. While it might take a bit of time from calling to the cab's arrival, once the dispatcher or computer finds a cab, the driver goes promptly to the address, as a rule.

 

I'm never late. I have never had the ride start before I got there.

 

The most common reason why a driver might be late is due to them not knowing your area well, them not knowing how to follow the GPS on the app, or in general not knowing what they're doing. I would expect it's a combination of all of these and most likely the last one of them not knowing what they're doing. If you find you're getting a lot of drivers not know what they're doing then it's likely because all of the good drivers check your rating prior to accepting your request and decide it's better to not pick you up. Go and check your rating and if you see it's less than 4.5 then think about how you behave when riding in an Uber.

The best/easiest way to improve your rating is to tip the driver. How much to tip is up to you and can vary on many things and I have no idea how much people in Memphis tip. As a rider I use a general rule of tip $1/5mins of a trip. But to be a 5-start rider you don't have to tip. Below are my tips on how to get 5-stars

1. be ready (this means be in the street) when the Uber arrives
2. if you need a phone charger ask nicely (but don't expect to get one)
3. don't ask for refreshments (if they're available the the driver will let you know)
4. don't ask for an aux cable or change the radio station (driver will ask you if they want you to control the radio) (If the radio is too loud or not loud enough it is okay the let the driver know this)
5. in general don't cause drama during the ride.

" I DREAM of a pax like this"