[Road Pilot]

Arrived at the pick up location with minutes to spare

PAX calls

Where are you?

I give the address

but I'm nowhere near you.

OK, what's your address

She gives me an address so I start navigating my way to her new location

PAX calls three minutes later

Where are you? I'm around the corner be there in a sec

PAX hangs up

I arrive at new location and call PAX just to be sure

Where are you

I describe my surroundings

Are you in a (describes someone else's car)

No, I'm in a (describe my car)

Back door opens and stranger sits down

Ellen?

Yes but I'm late for my appointment. Don't you live in this city?

No, I live on the North Shore

Well, I'm sure this city's drivers don't work on the North Shore, why are you working here?

Um, because this is where the money is. I suppose I have a right to make money

OK, OK forget the app, I'll direct you

She makes a call to tell someone she is running late

We turn up the street she directed me to and a flat bed truck is backing out of a side street

All traffic is stopped as a cop directs cars to back up so truck has more room

PAX still on phone having a nervous breakdown

That's right, I'm in a traffic jam, looks like I will have to reschedule

Will I be charged? Great.

She hangs up and says

You know I will have to wait several weeks for another appointment, you'll have to drive me home

Moral

When shit like this happens, don't feel so bad about not getting a tip since no one tips anyway

 

[AshyLarry81]

Your mistake is not waiting the 5 minutes at her original pick-up location and then collecting the no show fee. Amazing that some people can't properly use something that's as simple as one push of a button. Let her pay for her stupidity.

 

[Road Pilot]

Your mistake is not waiting the 5 minutes at her original pick-up location and then collecting the no show fee. Amazing that some people can't properly use something that's as simple as one push of a button. Let her pay for her stupidity.

Interesting response

If a PAX calls you from a different location, do you tell them they have five minutes to arrive at the pick up location before you cancel the fare?

 

[AshyLarry81]

I don't tell them anything. Their fault, they pay. Only exception I make is if the GPS states they are somewhere very close due to normal GPS inaccuracies (within 1 minute away). For example, I had one ping at an office complex but the GPS stated they were at an apartment complex right next door. Also keep in mind that there are some pax who intentionally move the pin somewhere else to avoid the surge charges that you would have otherwise earned.

 

[Fuzzyelvis]

Interesting response

If a PAX calls you from a different location, do you tell them they have five minutes to arrive at the pick up location before you cancel the fare?

I just verify where they are and offhandedly ask where they're going. I tell them ok no problem I know where you are now. If worth it I go to them, (surge, trip going the direction I want). If not I wait the extra 2 or 3 mins until I'm at 5 and cancel.

If they're some ridiculous distance away I tell them to cancel. Then if they don't again wait til 5 minutes.

 

[Road Pilot]

I just verify where they are and offhandedly ask where they're going. I tell them ok no problem I know where you are now. If worth it I go to them, (surge, trip going the direction I want). If not I wait the extra 2 or 3 mins until I'm at 5 and cancel.

If they're some ridiculous distance away I tell them to cancel. Then if they don't again wait til 5 minutes.

What's to stop PAX from filing a complaint with Uber? You lose the cancellation fee and a punitive ratings adjustment for an unjustified cancellation.

Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean Uber is not watching me. ; p

 

[AshyLarry81]

One thing you learn from driving with Uber over time is that they don't give a rat's ass about its drivers. They try to game you, so why not try to game them back (within reason)? If you listen and play by all their rules, you wouldn't be making ANY profit and you'd be driving around miserable pax all day.

 

[tb1984]

Arrived at the pick up location with minutes to spare

PAX calls

Where are you?

I give the address

but I'm nowhere near you.

OK, what's your address

She gives me an address so I start navigating my way to her new location

PAX calls three minutes later

Where are you? I'm around the corner be there in a sec

PAX hangs up

I arrive at new location and call PAX just to be sure

Where are you

I describe my surroundings

Are you in a (describes someone else's car)

No, I'm in a (describe my car)

Back door opens and stranger sits down

Ellen?

Yes but I'm late for my appointment. Don't you live in this city?

No, I live on the North Shore

Well, I'm sure this city's drivers don't work on the North Shore, why are you working here?

Um, because this is where the money is. I suppose I have a right to make money

OK, OK forget the app, I'll direct you

She makes a call to tell someone she is running late

We turn up the street she directed me to and a flat bed truck is backing out of a side street

All traffic is stopped as a cop directs cars to back up so truck has more room

PAX still on phone having a nervous breakdown

That's right, I'm in a traffic jam, looks like I will have to reschedule

Will I be charged? Great.

She hangs up and says

You know I will have to wait several weeks for another appointment, you'll have to drive me home

Moral

When shit like this happens, don't feel so bad about not getting a tip since no one tips anyway

Does she live in the Southie?

 

[Road Pilot]

Does she live in the Southie?

why, does the MO sound familiar?

 

[SECOTIME]

If pax calls and says "where are you?"

Cancel

 

[tb1984]

why, does the MO sound familiar?

I would take that as a "Yes". I just don't know why young people in Southie can be so rude like that(and I'm still in the early 30s). I've encountered a lot of people since Ubering, just a small percentage of them was rude, but the level of rudeness was still expected. But, young people in Southie, they take the rudeness up to another whole level just like what you described. Most of my blown-ups has been with young people who live in the Southie.

 

[Michael - Cleveland]

What's to stop PAX from filing a complaint with Uber? You lose the cancellation fee and a punitive ratings adjustment for an unjustified cancellation.

Nothing... but if you email Uber enough explaining that the rider was a no-show, you WILL get the cancellation fee reinstated. Uber may not charge the pax (that's their choice) but they WILL pay you... because
1) those are the terms of your agreement and
2) it's less expensive to just pay you $4 (net) than to keep paying a CSR $10/hr to argue with you.
Just be polite - and very, very persistent.

BTW - When EITHER party cancels a ride, neither party can rate the other.
There is no 'punitive' rating.

 

[Another Uber Driver]

does the MO sound familiar?

The MO ain't confined to South Boston. I am originally from Massachusetts (Noth Shoah, just like the Original Poster), so I am not unfamiliar. I have seen more than one person create a catastrophe to avoid tipping and/or paying/ They create the impression of an irate customer just to get someone to reduce the bill or to make it so that everyone "understands" why they do not tip. Sometimes, as in this case, they create the crisis to deflect blame that rightly belongs to them. All of this is histrionics, nothing more. Likely, the user will
boo-hoo-hoo to Uber and try to get the charge either reduced or taken off altogether. If that happens, Uber likely will take it out of the Original Poster's hide. From what I have gleaned from several topics, Uber makes no allowance for following the customer's directions, even though its stated policy is that you must do that.

Uber: the FeePay of the ground transportation marketplace.

 

[Road Pilot]

I would take that as a "Yes". I just don't know why young people in Southie can be so rude like that(and I'm still in the early 30s). I've encountered a lot of people since Ubering, just a small percentage of them was rude, but the level of rudeness was still expected. But, young people in Southie, they take the rudeness up to another whole level just like what you described. Most of my blown-ups has been with young people who live in the Southie.

The fare was a middle aged woman

I had a similar experience with an elderly woman

Can't say I have seen overtly rude behavior by young people from SB

 

[Road Pilot]

Nothing... but if you email Uber enough explaining that the rider was a no-show, you WILL get the cancellation fee reinstated. Uber may not charge the pax (that's their choice) but they WILL pay you... because
1) those are the terms of your agreement and
2) it's less expensive to just pay you $4 (net) than to keep paying a CSR $10/hr to argue with you.
Just be polite - and very, very persistent.

BTW - When EITHER party cancels a ride, neither party can rate the other.
There is no 'punitive' rating.

Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge. For the record, I was referring to Uber's negative ratings for drivers who cancel fares

 

[Michael - Cleveland]

I was referring to Uber's negative ratings for drivers who cancel fares

Hi - What negative ratings for drivers who cancel fares?
Are you talking about how Uber tracks something like that internally, but doesn't 'share' with drivers?

 

[Road Pilot]

Hi - What negative ratings for drivers who cancel fares?
Are you talking about how Uber tracks something like that internally, but doesn't 'share' with drivers?

It is my understanding that Uber tracks cancellations and maintains an internal rating system for Partners that is taken into account when determining a Partner's overall rating

 

[Michael - Cleveland]

It is my understanding that Uber tracks cancellations and maintains an internal rating system for Partners that is taken into account when determining a Partner's overall rating

While I'm sure uber tracks everything, I'm not aware of any internal rating kept on drivers... (beyond the stupid star rating). Maybe a CSR here like thehappytypist can answer that question.

I've gotten the impression over time that aside from automated bluster warnings, that if you are productive and have a decent rating from riders, that Uber isn't going to bother you about things that by contract you have a right to do.

I've tried both extremes...
at first I was accepting every ping I could... THAT was stupid.
Then I cherry picked to the extreme, trying to focus on SELECT and surge...
THAT was exhausting and not as productive as others have reported in different markets.
I've settled into a happy medium of sorts, just going with the flow, accepting all but stupid pings and letting the SELECT rides just find me. It's been much less stressful for me this way. YMMV

 

[thehappytypist]

It is my understanding that Uber tracks cancellations and maintains an internal rating system for Partners that is taken into account when determining a Partner's overall rating

It's not an internal rating but they do track cancellation rates and this has become more important with uberPOOL since they keep a close eye on those who cancel on the second rider often. As for regular old cancellations, I wouldn't worry about it too much unless you get warnings. Acceptance rate will affect you more.

 

[Michael - Cleveland]

It's not an internal rating but they do track cancellation rates and this has become more important with uberPOOL since they keep a close eye on those who cancel on the second rider often. As for regular old cancellations, I wouldn't worry about it too much unless you get warnings. Acceptance rate will affect you more.

That's what I figured...
Thanks for checking in and commenting.
It's always appreciated.