Being an Uber driver can be an excellent way to earn some extra money and be your own boss, with flexible hours and the opportunity to set your own schedule. But there are certain key considerations you should keep in mind to maximize earnings.
Offering water and snacks to your passengers can help increase ratings and generate tips. Furthermore, this expense can even be deducted as part of their taxes!
1. Be Flexible
Your success as an Uber driver depends on when and where you drive. Consult a map in your locality to identify times when riders may request rides, then time your availability accordingly.
Uber offers weekly promotions such as Quests and Boosts that can increase earnings for drivers working during peak demand times in featured areas. These incentives encourage drivers to work more hours during these peak demand periods in order to take advantage of them and earn extra income.
Passengers tend to tip more generously if they feel you provided exceptional service. To earn more tips, keep conversations limited and don’t use GPS shortcuts unless sure they will save both time and distance.
2. Be Safe
Uber puts safety of both its drivers and passengers first. All drivers undergo extensive background checks, as well as providing proof of liability insurance before being approved to drive for them.
Keep a friend handy who can notify both yourself and the police if something seems off during a ride, should something seem suspicious or unsafe. In such an instance, immediately report your driver via Uber or Lyft as soon as you feel unsafe.
Avoid discussing political or religious topics with passengers as this could easily offend and give you a poor rating. Also avoid distracting the driver with loud music or excessive speaking; these actions could cause them to lose focus on driving, leading to accidents and injuries and ultimately decreasing ratings and earnings. Ensure all passengers wear their seatbelts.
3. Be in the Right Place at the Right Time
As an Uber driver, you can maximize your earnings by driving at optimal times and locations. Uber’s heat maps display where and when demand for rides is highest. Plus, weekly promotions such as Boosts provide extra compensation per ride!
Uber applies surge pricing when demand outpaces supply of drivers. New drivers may be tempted to drive where there are surges, but Guendelsberger learned this only increased wear and tear on her vehicle and cost money in repairs.
Instead, she suggests using UberPool or sharing rides with another passenger to reduce costs and earn referral bonuses by sharing your unique Uber driver invite code with friends.
4. Be on Time
Uber offers multiple ways to make extra money. Riders can tip you through the app after every trip, while Uber Eats deliveries increase during rush hour or meal times.
Guendelsberger advises drivers to take advantage of SURGE pricing, when prices double in highly congested areas. She cautions that racing to such areas often doesn’t work because other drivers also compete there and the surge period often ends before you get there.
Finally, drivers need to complete trips quickly in order to gain maximum base pay each week. A tool like Circuit Route Planner can help them do just this and find fast routes while avoiding traffic jams – this allows them to complete more trips while still staying within the rules set by their agency. Furthermore, drivers should keep their car clean and neat so passengers are more likely to tip them.
5. Keep Your Passengers Happy
Maintaining excellent service is key to keeping your Uber rating high and earning more tips. Even small gestures like opening doors and helping passengers with their luggage can make a big difference for passengers and your bottom line.
Keep your vehicle tidy to increase revenue. Stock it with essentials, such as wet wipes and air freshener; additionally, investing in a car vacuum could come in handy for clearing away dirt from seats and carpets between rides.
An emergency backup vehicle can help minimize downtime caused by mechanical problems and unexpected events. Plus, having two cars allows you to increase earnings through Uber Eats or Lyft during busy times – plus it keeps you aware of any major events taking place nearby that offer unique earning opportunities! It is advisable to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in your city so you can take full advantage of special earning opportunities during big gatherings like festivals.
6. Be a Good Communicator
Drivers for Uber must be able to communicate effectively with their passengers. Some use text messaging or the in-app chat feature while others keep pads of paper handy to record requests from riders.
As Uber drivers are officially independent contractors and do not work set schedules, the company can’t compel them to work at certain times or locations, making it harder for Uber to balance passenger demand with driver supply at the lowest possible cost for both Uber and its riders.
Uber offers new drivers an incentive for completing certain rides – similar to how video game designers and psychologists use encouragement as motivation – when signing up as drivers, which encourages them to remain with the company. In addition, gamification through stickers has also been implemented at Uber as part of its incentives package.
7. Be a Good Listener
Uber drivers are keenly perceptive, and can quickly gauge who they perceive to be an enemy or potential ally within an instantaneous glance. Their observations aren’t meant as judgmental – it provides valuable information, according to one platinum-level driver.
Once they notice you on their ride to work or from an event, riders quickly evaluate your driving style in just minutes. If your brakes are hard on them or driving is unsatisfactory, their riders could quickly judge your driving and even penalise you accordingly.
An effective way to boost your rating with Uber is driving during peak times – you can see where most demand lies with their heat map feature – this will not only increase earnings, but it’ll also cut wait times significantly.
8. Be a Good Driver
Uber can be an excellent way to earn extra income, but getting a taxi license in the UK requires being the consummate professional. That means keeping a clean car, offering water and snacks to passengers and following basic etiquette when riding an Uber service.
Driving for Uber can be a difficult and time-consuming job, so taking regular breaks is essential in remaining healthy and focused – both qualities essential to increasing earnings.
At peak times when demand is highest, driving during rush hours such as morning rush or late nights when people need rides home from bars and concerts is essential. To do this successfully requires both early morning start times to drive during morning rush and later night drives home after bars/concerts close down.