entropy

I've read various posts in the forum, such as:


And on my own, drivers seem to expect 5* ratings for doing their jobs. I find it a bit ridiculous. If I have a scale of 1-5, but the only ones that people choose are 4 or 5, you lose the whole dynamic range, especially if the driver gets "in trouble" for getting "down" to a 4.

1: Driver killed a pedestrian/biker enroute
2: Driver almost killed a pedestrian/biker
3: Something was wrong: dirty car, rude driver, poor driving skills
4: Good, courteous
5: Excellent

I've experienced everything from my scale of 2-5. But if I give someone a 4 (a "B", average) for doing their job, how do you recognize people who are actually a pleasure/great?

paulwuk

MY default is "4", and the scale varies pretty much like you. 5 is there for above and beyond. I've had one mechanical problem with a car (rattling exhaust) in the last 100 trips, he got a 3, as otherwise it was fine, clean, courteous, better than taxi.

A typical Singapore taxi would get 4. A typical New York taxi would get 2.

cbn42

I agree, Uber's scale is ridiculous. They should do it like eBay, where you rate your experience as positive or negative.

cestmoi123

I generally do a five for "ride was to expectations," and, when I thought someone was particularly good, I add a comment to that effect. The comments get read, I usually get a "great to hear, thanks for the feedback" email from Uber shortly after filing the rating.

Eastbay1K

They should, but they don't. So, I just play along, as I don't want to ruin any decent-enough driver's livelihood.

davie355

If the ride is safe, clean, comfortable, and timely -- 5 stars.

Comfort includes a polite, professional demeanor. No complaining about low fares on Uber; no gawking at girls on the street. No loud music, explicit music, or extreme temperatures inside the car.

For timeliness, I excuse traffic, but not dawdling. Last year in a Seattle suburb I observed a driver not move for 5 minutes after he accepted my pickup request. I zoomed in and noticed the car was parked in a driveway in a cul-de-sac. I asked the driver what was up with that -- he said he was sitting at home and had to get ready!

entropy

But shouldn't that be the baseline? There's no way to tell if a driver is outstanding.

I've had plenty of drivers that are OK, but a few who are great. In a proper rating system the OK's should be 4 and the great ones 5's. And the system and enforcement should be built around it. But if people go around saying a driver's rating <4 is puts them at risk, everyone gives a 5.

paulwuk

This morning's commute was in UberExec, rather than UberX, not many cars arround in the Singapore subburbs at 9AM on a Sudnay morning, so an extra Ł10.

It was a perfectly functional drive, but nothing out of the ordinary, so 4*. The person who drove me in last week and provided a few magazines and bottles of water in the back got 5* (I didn't avail myself of either), but it's the thought that counts.

If a rating of 4-5* is fine, then there's not a problem with giving 4*. I've been using uber twice a day for the last 3 weeks, and have given 1 <4* -- he refused to use the GPS, and the first time in an Uber I've ever felt "That was close" when he cut across 3 lanes of traffic to the exit. It was so bad I had to double-check I hadn't got in a taxi when I got out! Nowhere near as bad as a typical taxi driver in NYC, but in the bottom 50% for Singapore taxis, and well below the standards I expect from Uber. I gave him 2* -- perhaps it was an off day, but then an occasional 2* rating isn't going to impact on someone with a string of 4 and 5*s.

Uber wants an explanation when you give <4*, so to my mind "4* = normal 5* = above and beyond" is the right scale.

How many 1-3*s do FTers give out? Mine I think is somewhere arround 1 in 50, although it's still early days (I think I've given 2, maybe 3)

Miami305

In my 1000+ rides, I have given out a total of two 3* ratings. One was for a driver who argued with me on how we were supposed to travel to arrive at the destination, ultimately going against my wishes and driving a longer route that he deemed to be better, and he drove a filthy vehicle. The second
3* rating was given to a driver whose vehicle smelled heavily of cigarettes, started the ride before I entered the vehicle, and almost hit multiple pedestrians.

I have also given out a single 1* rating. This driver missed an exit, and refused to follow the GPS re-routing him back. I asked him to terminate the ride immediately, and instead he drove me back to my original pickup location and demanded I exit.

MSPeconomist

If you asked the driver to terminate the ride and let you out of the vehicle but he refused, isn't that kidnapping? Taking you back to the your origination point IMO deserved worse consequences than just a rating of 1 as it could easily have caused you to miss an appointment or a flight.

timtim2008

what you may not understand..(or care).

if you rate a driver a 4 (or less). you basically, telling uber to fire/suspend his/her driving account.


if there overall average rating falls below 4.5. they are deactivated from driving..

that's why the drivers all ask & beg you..
uber doesn't explain this to the customer very well (if at all).
so most people give 3 and 4 thinking its average. no harm no foul.
but you're basically getting the driver terminated.


uber know its can hire thousands of new drivers at any given moment, so they dont really care.

most uber drivers at best make $8 thru $12 an hour. and its his/her only source of income.

plus most cities are under $1 a mile. (the driver isnt really making any money, after car note, oil change, tires, etc.).

Miami305

I contacted the police department. They said: "Did he let you out of the car? If yes, then what is the issue?" The willingness of the local police to serve leaves something to be desired.

I also left feedback with Uber describing the situation. Take a wild guess what Uber did. I'll give you a hint: it rhymes with nothing.

goteed1

I agree with Timtim. These poor guys are just trying to earn a few bucks. I always default to 5 starts unless they do something wrong. It's not a College Entrance Exam, it's a way of keeping the driver employed. In the years I have been using Uber, I have had only two really bad drivers. One in New Orleans was a mess. She should not have been behind the wheel of any car let alone driving for Uber. I immediately contacted Uber after the ride, because I thought she was an accident waiting to happen. The other driver was just a nice guy, but he missed the freeway exit and didn't take my suggestion on re-routing. I gave him 4 stars out of 5.

MSPeconomist

At least in some cities, Uber helps with the purchase of a new car, perhaps by giving the car loan.

goteed1

One other point I wanted to make, I have had so many many really BAD experiences with taxis, that I'm always grateful for a service like Uber, where I can get picked up anywhere and arrive without all the drama from a taxi cab, like arguing about credit cards, listening to a political rant for the whole ride, being taken for a longer ride, well the list goes on and on. So I'm just real happy that the service is offered.