UberPool: pro-tips from top driver-partners

Trips with UberPool can be awkward sometimes, so Chris from Melbourne has some great tips on creating a positive vibe for everyone in the car.

“I recommend doing your best to create a positive environment. Getting off on a good foot is key. It starts with a simple hello.  

When riders get into the vehicle, I like to get to know them a bit so that I can introduce them to other riders. For example, “this is Jo, she loves wine!” or “this is Chris, he works at a bank”. When I forget a rider’s name, I just tell them to introduce themselves to the other riders.

If my passengers leave the car more relaxed, or more ready for a job interview, that makes me really happy. ”  

Karma, from Sydney, says that each rider is unique.

“All riders are different. Some riders want to chat a lot and others prefer to listen to music and are in their own world. In those situations where riders don’t seem to want to talk, I just let them be. I think it’s important to respect each rider’s individual needs.”

Riders are sharing space in your car, but they probably do not know each other, so even when you do your best to create a positive environment, not all riders will get along.

Ria shares her ideas for how to break the ice.

“I’m a pretty chatty person, so I just try to talk to the riders. I drive a lot in the evenings and on weekends so people tend to be pretty talkative at those times.

When riders aren’t getting along, I usually ask them to choose some music in the car to lighten the mood. They often end up singing along – it’s a great way to break the ice.”  

If you find that riders are behaving inappropriately toward you or each other, please do not hesitate to reach out to us through the app. If a rider breaches our community guidelines, we may remove their access to the Uber app.

It’s rare but it does happen – sometimes a rider will request an UberPool trip by accident. If your rider didn’t mean to request UberPool or would like a door-to-door ride, they can cancel their trip and request an UberX trip instead.

When you pick up a rider, you can ask them if they meant to request a UberPool trip and share their ride with other riders. If they decide to cancel, that segment of your Pool trip won’t be rated, so it won’t impact your rating.

Unlike with UberX, riders cannot change their destination for trips with UberPool.

If a rider needs to change their destination, you may wish to let them know they can cancel the trip and, if they want, request a new trip to their new destination. You can also cancel the trip in the Uber driver app, which will have no impact on your rating.

You can find out more about the way cancellations work with UberPool in Melbourne here and Sydney here.

Ria, who drives with Uber in Sydney, shares how she deals with riders wanting to change their destination.

“I have had riders put the wrong address. I just apologise to them and explain that unfortunately, we can’t change the destination. I also usually offer to drop them off sooner or at their co-rider’s destination – that can really help.”

We’ve also let riders know that with UberPool, they are unable to change their destination.

At the end of each UberPool trip, you rate each rider who requested a trip separately and each rider also has the option of providing a rating for their trip.

When a rider gives a rating lower than 5, they are prompted with a list of possible reasons. If the rider selects an option that is outside of your control such as an inefficient route, or a difficult co-rider, it won’t affect your overall rating. The app will also exclude low ratings from riders who consistently give lower ratings.