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I wonder what the turnover is?

2K views 17 replies 11 participants last post by  WollyDriver 
#1 · (Edited)
I remember speaking to a Uber driver a few months ago who told me he was thinking of leaving the job after a bad experience.

Apparently he had picked up 3 young guys from the cricket all with their shirts tied around their waists and holding beer bottles.

They then proceeded to wind down all the windows, turn up the volume and shout out to people in nearby cars hanging their half naked body out.

Traffic was bumper to bumper so he had nowhere to stop .

They had kept calling him an "old ****" as he pretended to laugh with them.

He said he was petrified. He was an older man with a distinguished accent who had retired as a Law Clerk and was doing Uber just for something to do .

But the night I used his service from Waterloo to Surry hills he still looked petrified as he recounted the story telling me they had somehow pressed the "cancel " button during the trip without his knowledge.

They had boasted to each other and how lucky he was for being a Uber Driver and how they usually get a taxi to Maroubra and actually walk off from the Taxi without paying, leaving the driver sitting there shouting at them to return as they laughed it off.

I wonder how many go into Uber with no people type experience and think its going to be wonderful meeting all nice people only to get a shock like this guy did.

I know the Taxi industry has a high turnover too, but thats more because the driver pays up front to rent the Cab with many not making much after their "pay in" (cab rental)

But with Uber is high turnover due to financial or more because of people eg drunks , louts, .
Is it too stressful for some? I wonder how many go in with certain expectations or beliefs then find its not like that ?

I remember some years ago a lady in my street had signed up to deliver the local newspaper to your letterbox.
I remember her telling my Mother how wonderful that job would be for her every Wednesday delivering about 1000 newspapers into letterboxes around the suburban neighourbood.

"I will get exercise and get paid for it " she said , and "walk in the bright sun and talk to all the elderly people working in their gardens " she said excitedly .

A few weeks later when she came over to our house she was in a opposite mood. "
" Oh it was terrible !! she said , " it was pouring with rain and as i put the newspaper in the letterbox a small dog jumped out and nipped me on the leg """ !!!!

"It was nothing like i thought it would be !!!
 
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#2 ·
These are the reasons that I only drive daytime weekdays.
On the odd occasion when I drive on a weekend, the experience is of a lower grade.
Never drive nights.

He was an older man with a distinguished accent who had retired as a Law Clerk and was doing Uber just for something to do
Was not a Law Clerk, but otherwise same for me.
 
#5 ·
I had two guys Saturday night who unknown to me when I took the job, the previous Uber made an excuse of not taking them all the way from Riverstone to bondi...said something along the lines of being tired and not wanting to go so far..so he dropped them in Kellyville....well I get them from Kellyville and didnt take long to realize why the previous driver dumped them...they guys were ok but very boisterous...I did warn one of them that if he didnt settle down he was out...his mate calmed him down and for the rest of the trip well behaved...they thanked me when we got to Bondi...$20 tip for actually not kicking them and a fare of $90 ... plus 5 star lol...

I only drive nights after spending years being stuck in the traffic gridlock in the mornings...most pax are respectful and Im not a small bloke so the more boisterous ones tend to behave lest I turf them...
 
#6 ·
Apparently he had picked up 3 young guys from the cricket all with their shirts tied around their waists and holding beer bottles.
They then proceeded to wind down all the windows, turn up the volume and shout out to people in nearby cars hanging their half naked body out.
But the night I used his service from Waterloo to Surry hills he still looked petrified as he recounted the story telling me they had somehow pressed the "cancel " button during the trip without his knowledge.
I've extracted the warning signs that this driver should have noted:
1) No shirts, beer bottles in hand. Don't let them in the car until the beer bottles are gone, and shirts on. Admittedly, I did some near naked guys around halloween, but that was their "outfit" as opposed to shirtless tools...
2) Hanging out the window is a no. Seat belts are mandatory, no seat belt, no ride
3) Cancelled trip - immediate stop and eject. In traffic that isn't moving is perfect, easily safe for them to get out without even pulling over :)

I wonder how many go into Uber with no people type experience and think its going to be wonderful meeting all nice people only to get a shock like this guy did.
I equally wonder how many don't start uber because they are worried about these rare events?
Sure, they do happen from time to time, but in my experience they are pretty rare. Just this week, I had 3 guys in the car going to Darling Harbour, as we get close, they decide one should stay in the car and go home to Bondi (sick), I got the destination address before they got out of the car. By the time I got to Bathurst St, the trip was cancelled. I immediately pulled over and told him, your friend has cancelled the trip, you have to get out /etc
He didn't look well, but I'm not going to drive for free, besides, we were right next to town hall, so pretty easy for him to get a train to bondi, or another uber or taxi etc... (BTW, it was a 1.6 surge, so I was also happy to get a new ping with surge right away ;)

If the trip is cancelled, (on android) it will switch back to the Uber app, and sit on the "idle" screen, so it is obvious you are not "on trip". Not sure what happens on iphone, but it should be pretty obvious if the trip has been cancelled...
 
#11 ·
I pretty much only work Saturday nights. I've had drunk idiots on multiple occasions, but I can usually handle them. You just have to lay down the rules. (or keep them entertained with porn) ;)

In all seriousness, I actually prefer driving at night. I'm just use to it and I much prefer the night time crowd, they are way more fun.
 
#17 ·
I drive mornings and nights....

Morning pax are more quiet and they really into their phones, catching up on email, news, social media..

Evenings pax are more relaxed but still a lot into their phones...

Fridays/Saturday nights are where the tools come out to play....also want to chat or have music on. watch out after 10pm.....need to be on guard :)
 
#18 ·
And also a notification on the top of the screen.
Also, it switches from whatever maps app you have open and goes back to the Uber app. At least, thats what I recall happening for me last week.

Hopefully I won't have a need to find out again, I think that is my first on-trip cancel (where I didn't ask my friend to instigate when we were "using up" their free uber credit when I first started).

Like fields I would try to contact uber support, and ask them to charge the full trip, and also advise of any other issues caused during the trip. You never know, they just might re-calculate the trip as per the original request.
 
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