Uber Drivers Forum banner

Tap to accept next request

3K views 27 replies 17 participants last post by  R.M.Ahmad 
#1 ·
I keep my iphone on silent/vibrate, so that I get notified with a soft vibration for when email notifications and texts come through, or when errands or my wife calls (if on the job, i usually reject all calls, but this way my phone is not constantly pinging sounds, and ringing out loud bothering the client/customer - but also as i prefer to have a bit more privacy for myself this way).

So I have a bluetooth headset to route audio/navigation instructions, and "mute" my iphone loudspeaker (but NOT all the audio) with the slide iPhone canceller button..

The problem is that as my attention is focused on the road, and because the phone is on silent, whilst navigating through Google Maps/Waze, the tap for next ride request notification only comes in silent/visually (i don't think it even triggers a vibrate buzz)? - so more often than not I miss them, or catch them too late.. they are also such a small banner that it is hard to press tap to accept them - very fiddly... but i digress with the latter.

Does anyone know how to keep the phone on silent this way but get these secondary notifications/alerts WITH SOUND, and as per app? Or is that an iPhone "feature"? The Do not Disturb Me option, i think would be too destructive, and i would miss seeing the calls from my wife or other errands as well (can't add "safe" unblocked numbers from the bank for example, as they always dial in with no ID or with random number)..

Any ideas?

There's a vibrate on alert option in the ACCESSIBILITY menu, which I've just turned on, and just realised it exists - so I'll trial this out, to see if it will vibrate whilst the uber Driver app is on the background.. but ideally this would produce sound as well, like when i receive a call or mail and the phone is on silent, the audio still gets routed to my ear piece, but cancelled on the loudspeaker
 
See less See more
#4 · (Edited)
Exactly, this is a surge killer.

More importantly however is that Uber pax these days are too stupid to understand that you are still completing a job.

They'll wonder why you are taking a non-direct route to their location and mark you down for poor pickup.

Heaven forbid you have to drive a couple blocks in the opposite direction to drop off your current pax.

Worst-case is when you have to drive past them standing in the road. They are too stupid to see that there are passengers on board and will try to flag you down!
 
#8 ·
I've never had any issues like any of the posters above... only the fact I miss them because of no sound. So I must be missing something... I would say if you accept next trip request, you make more $$ in the long run, as the job is already there to drive to, without you having to wait for a new request, which may or may not come soon enough. Who cares about ratings (within reason, of course)? If the customer asks, I always explain I was finishing another job... and for the most part they tell me their app advised them of so anyways - so it is more of a curiosity comment than a complaint.

Equally I'v had these come through at surge pricing. So why say they are surge killers? Doesn't affect the amount of demand/supply in all logic I can think of.
 
#10 ·
If you accept a staked job, you lose the opportunity to see the surge map on the home screen.

You could be sent a non-surge or low surge job despite being smack dab in the middle of a high surge zone.
Do you honestly think that by seeing the map you are going to better what Uber wants to give you? I've been in surge areas of x2 and still gotten zero surge jobs. Also, what makes you think that driving towards these areas will guarantee that they will stay on surged by the time you reach them? Like I said, maybe I'm missing something, but I still believe it's a lot quicker and more profitable to accept your next request. Time wasted is money you lose ;)! But each to their own. I'm happy taking the trips you reject, as whilst I'm already making money, you are still waiting for that ever elusive surge or the next trip request.
 
#11 ·
You will only get it when you get it.

When it happens to you that you're sent a non/low surge job and you ignore it.

Then you're sent an extremely low rated passenger and you ignore it.

Then you're sent a job 12+ minutes away and you ignore it.

Then you get a sweet job just around the corner, on high surge going a considerable distance.

Then and only then will you understand that you wouldn't have got that job had you accepted the first one.

Also, it's BECAUSE the algorithm doesn't want you to get all the cream jobs (not that such a thing even exists on Uber) that you MUSTN'T just blindly accept everything they ping your way.

If you've just completed a decent job, you're no longer in the algorithm's good graces. It's not WANTING you to score again as they are other more deserving or needy drivers in your area.

But the algorithm is limited by its need to actually dispatch work. So the other drivers in the area that are in need, have made less money and have been sitting idle for longer will only be sent a less profitable trip AFTER you have been given first refusal.

Use two phones. Have the rider app open and see where the other cars are.

The algorithm will be forced to bounce those jobs you've ignored to those cars and you can watch them disappear.

After you've let a few scraps go, then try accepting a job.

Do this for a shift then tell me if it's still better your way :)
 
#13 ·
Only the driver app home screen will tell you WHERE the surge is, by what multiplier and where you are in relation to that surge.

The rider app will just confirm whether there are higher prices at your location.

It won't let you know that it's surging even one street away.
 
#16 ·
No one answered the question. I too have this issue with my iPhone while in a ride with Waze up front. I get a small silent drop down for a couple of secs prompting me to tap to accept. If I happen to see it, I never do that, but instead, I double tap the home button and bring up Uber to see the ping info.

So the question remains about how to get sound for these stacked pings with Waze open for Nav in the front.
 
#17 ·
No one answered the question. I too have this issue with my iPhone while in a ride with Waze up front. I get a small silent drop down for a couple of secs prompting me to tap to accept. If I happen to see it, I never do that, but instead, I double tap the home button and bring up Uber to see the ping info.

So the question remains about how to get sound for these stacked pings with Waze open for Nav in the front.
Try this, it works for me. Go to settings/Notifications/UBER /allow notifications/allow sounds etc.

Hope this helps.
 
#23 ·
deesto

I have 2 phones in my car, 1 specially for Uber & 1 for private calls...When a rider calls me I have Uber phone calls diverted to my other phone, so now distractions with Uber app/crashing....If I need to answer phone, just park up for a minute and answer calls from personal mobile...simples
 
#25 ·
Thanks for the insight.

I know I am late for the party but as I do it pretty much for fun (as a side job) I don't have regrets. Having said that I still want a decent enough return for my time. :)
You are not late to the party at all.....in fact it may just be about to liven up somewhat.

Competition is happening in ph and you will see a manifestation of this with multiple apps in which to work from in the not to distance future.

You are self employed and can cancel and refuse any job you wish, as long as you do this within the law then it is fine.

All the best
 
#26 ·
We can cancel or not tap in to accept, but Uber may at anytime decide that you are damaging their brand and log you off for a certain period.
Lets hope that some good competition comes into London, on Uber is getting harder to make things happen.

On this forward trip option there's something that we drivers have to be careful when doing a long shift, the 10hrs on trip time can be wasted due to us being on two jobs at the same time (5mins to complete trip 1 - accept trip two 9mins away, there might be an overlap of time here). Has anyone thought about this?
 
#27 ·
That approach worked nicely back in September but the goalposts have since moved.

Please also be advised that where you see eight cars on the rider app, many, many more exist in reality.

The rider app only shows a maximum of eight cars even if there are literally hundreds lurking.

If you're going to try this, it's best to be in a place where there are seven or less cars including your own on screen.

The only problem with acceptance rate used to be that when you went down to 10%, you'd lose access to the non-Poop category.

This catergory no longer exists and all UberX drivers WILL be sent Poop jobs regardless. So there is no longer anything to lose.

I would say this though... try experimenting with the "set destination" function.

Point it at airports when you start an early shift. The priority isn't great and you will often get short trips, but occasionally, you'll get a flyer.

Annoying yes, but it means you can't really be held accountable for the acceptance rating.

Often riders don't have access to the extra stops feature (because they are using an old version of the rider app).

Or they simply don't use the feature.

So Uber may think you are completing a job when in fact you know it's a wait and return or that there is an additional stop(s) which could have been decided at the last minute.

Unless we are to press "no more trips" each and every time, Uber will keep pinging trip requests.

Don't worry about your acceptance rating.

It's the cancellation rating that they care more about these days.
I am not worried about the acceptance rating. Last Saturday I had some passengers with me in the Staines area. I was constantly getting pings. When I finished, I had nearly 30 requests, accepted 13 and completed only 11. Uber is not driver friendly at all. They treat us like slaves like any other employer who doesn't care about any employee.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top