Uber drivers: 9 ways to improve low ratings and avoid deactivation!

If you’re an Uber driver, you know the stress of watching your driver rating slowly fall each week. Passengers rate drivers on a five-star scale, and if your driver rating slips below an average of 4.6 stars, you can be deactivated from the Uber platform.

What can you do to keep your ratings high, and what common advice for drivers actually makes a difference?

I’ve drawn from my own experience, the experiences of other drivers and passengers, and materials from Uber and Lyft to come up with the advice that actually works.

How the Uber driver rating system works

Your driver rating is the average of the 500 most recent rated rides you’ve given. View your ratings in the Uber driver app by tapping on your profile, then tap your rating to see more detail.

Some ratings are excluded from your average, like ratings from riders who frequently give low ratings and ratings due to factors outside of your control, like traffic.

The minimum Uber driver rating is around 4.6, but the exact minimum rating can vary from city to city. Once your rating falls below 4.6, you risk being deactivated.

9 ways to improve your Uber driver ratings

This is the core, essential list of things every driver should do to get good ratings. Some of it is general and common sense, but I’m surprised by how many Uber drivers don’t consistently follow this advice.

Use GPS directions unless the passenger requests a specific route

Passengers want to see that you are following the GPS directions in your navigation app. Some may want you to follow a specific route. In that case, give the customer what they want!

Mount your phone

Too many drivers hold their phones while driving, and it makes passengers feel unsafe. Your passenger might not point it out in the moment, but they’ll send you a bad rating after the ride ends.

Gauge how much conversation your passenger wants. Don’t talk too much!

One word responses from your passengers mean they don’t want to talk. Don’t get personal. Don’t share your life story. Don’t ask for a life story. Ask how the passenger’s day is going and only go farther if they lead the way.

Don’t contact passengers unless you need to. If you must, use text messages. Don’t call.

Passengers prefer text messages, or no contact at all. Bothersome phone calls lead to lower ratings. Only use the phone if you’re having a hard time finding the passenger in a crowded area. Otherwise, stick to text messages.

Keep your car clean, especially the windows

Make sure windows, door handles, buttons, seats, and the floor are clean. Drivers know to keep the paint clean, but very few clean interiors beyond picking up trash. Most importantly, keep your windows clean. Clean windows make your car feel clean even if the paint is a bit dusty.

Maintain your car

Every passenger wants to feel like they are in a safe, reliable vehicle. The vehicle inspection doesn’t pick up on the issues that passengers actually care about, like squeaky breaks, bouncy suspension, and broken mirrors and lights. Keep up with maintenance and fix as many small cosmetic issues as you can afford.

Use the newest, best phone that you can afford

A slow, old phone can cause app issues that lead to pickup and drop-off errors. If your app craps out while you’re on the way to a passenger, you could end up with low ratings.

Don’t smoke in your car and keep it smelling fresh

I’ve seen Uber drives on breaks in parking lots smoking INSIDE their cars, and it’s a huge mistake. Most passengers hate the smell of smoke; it makes them feel like they’re in a cab.

Balance night driving with day driving

I realize that not everybody can do this, but many low ratings come from drunk and disoriented passengers late at night or passengers who get upset that you can’t navigate busy downtown areas. Balance out the crazy nights with daytime, when rides are more likely to go smoothly.

Why drivers get one-star ratings

Many of the worried comments and emails I get are from drivers who are seeing a big, sudden drop in ratings. “I’ve given so many rides, and after just a few bad ones, my ratings are tanking. What’s going on?”

One-star ratings are what is going on. When irate passengers slam on that one-star button, your overall rating can take a huge hit. You can’t always avoid a one-star rating, but there is a lot you can do to avoid them that many drivers don’t do.

The most common causes of one-star ratings for Uber drivers

• Harassment, arguments, and complaining about passenger behavior — As soon as you start arguing with a passenger, even if it feels minor, expect one star. Whatever you do, don’t complain about passenger behavior. Don’t ask them why their pin was in the wrong place. Don’t ask them why they want to go the way they want to go. Swallow the anger — it’s a customer service job after all.
• Taking an inefficient route — This one is less in your control than the others because it’s up to the passenger’s judgement, but passengers feel scammed if you take an overly long or inefficient route. Use your GPS and mount your phone so your passenger can see that you’re following directions and not your own route.
• Unsafe driving — Illegal U-turns, sudden lane changes, near misses with other cars, speeding, and other similar unsafe driving maneuvers are a quick way to a one-star rating.
• Negativity, complaining, discussing politics — I’ve personally been on far too many Uber rides where the driver uses the time to complain about Uber, rant about traffic, or bring up something political or controversial. Many passengers will go straight for the one star after this kind of ride. Keep your conversation light and pleasant.
• Talking too much, especially to women who are alone — Drowning your passengers in conversation is a very bad experience if they’re not receptive to it. The single women I talked to especially hate this. Chatty drivers border on flirtatious and creepy, which is sure to cause a one-star rating.
• Bad personal hygiene — It’s a sensitive issue, but lately I’ve heard lots of people complain that drivers and their cars smell bad. Shower, wear clean clothes, and wear deodorant. That is the expectation of U.S. Uber passengers.

Avoid bad ratings by canceling problem rides before they start

Even though Uber encourages you to accept and complete all rides, you are allowed to cancel any ride for just about any reason. If you’re worried about your ratings, there are a few common scenarios where it’s smarter to cancel the ride and move on because a bad rating is just about guaranteed.

If you can, try to cancel the ride without triggering the $5 – $10 cancellation fee. If you continually cancel and collect the fee, you’re way more likely to get in trouble with Uber. Cancel within five minutes of getting the request to avoid the cancellation fee.

If your ratings are slipping, consider canceling these types of problem rides:

• Passengers who call or text and sound angry, impatient, or upset — If it seems like they’re in a bad mood, you’re going to catch a bad rating no matter how good of a ride you give. It’s better to cancel and move on.
• Passengers who call and seem very drunk or disoriented — Many people use Uber to get a safe ride home when they’re drunk, but experienced drivers know that when a passenger sounds too intoxicated and disoriented, communication problems are going to happen, and you’re going to take the blame.
• Passengers who send you to an incorrect address, far from their actual location — Many passengers will blame you for their mistakes and get upset when it takes you a while to get to the correct location. In this situation, call the passenger. If they seem intoxicated and upset, you can cancel.

4.6 or stars or less? Strategies to boost your rating when your job is on the line

When your rating dips to 4.6 or below, Uber may warn you that your account has been flagged for low ratings. Once you get the low ratings email from Uber, it’s time to re-think your strategy and start working on new ways to boost your ratings.

When you’re at a 4.6 or below, these strategies can nurse your rating back to health

• Drive easier daytime hours — Many one-star situations occur late at night with intoxicated passengers. By sticking to the daytime hours, you’re much more likely to give routine rides to people in decent moods who have their heads on straight enough to give you a good rating and give you the benefit of the doubt if a problem arises
• Try harder to communicate with passengers — Breakdowns in communication are often the reason for pickup and drop-off mix-ups, so try harder to make the process as clear as possible for your passenger. Send a prepared text message after you receive a ride request, and only call your passenger if you absolutely have to. If it’s rush hour, let the passenger know that you’re going to hit some traffic. If it seems like you’re taking your passenger home, ask if they have a preferred way to get there.
• If you’re a chatty person, talk less — So many drivers talk too much. A few pleasantries at the beginning of the ride is enough, then cut off the chatter unless your passenger is leading the way.
• Try to be more self aware and self critical — Identify the problem, and try to realize that you are to blame for some of it. Is it the pickup, the drop-off, the ride, the route, or what? If you really focus on how your passengers behave and when, you should be able to identify what you’re doing wrong.

As general as it sounds, the best way to work your way up from a 4.6 is to be more aware of your habits and how people react to you. It’s not always an easy thing to do, because it might mean admitting to yourself that you talk too much, or you drive too aggressively or too passively, or that you’re just not great at using your phone. Once you recognize your shortcomings, you can start to change.

• Rejected by Uber: Can you reapply?
• Fired from Uber: Why drivers get deactivated

Ratings FAQ

My average star rating is below 4.6. How long until I get deactivated?

It depends on several factors, including the market you’re in and the number of rides that you have completed. You’ll know you have a real problem when Uber sends you an email warning that your account has been flagged for low ratings. Once that email comes, you can be deactivated within days.

Can I be reactivated if I get deactivated due to low ratings?

You may be able to take a “Quality improvement course” called the 7×7 Experience if you are deactivated for low ratings. After you are deactivated, Uber will send info about the course. It is a paid course.

You will be reactivated if you successfully complete the course and submit a photo of your completion certificate.

Can I dispute ratings?

You can try to dispute ratings by contacting Uber driver support, but it’s rare for Uber to remove a rating. Uber has systems in place to remove unfair ratings from passengers who frequently request refunds or leave 1-star ratings.

Don’t worry about your rating until it hits 4.7 or less

Unless you’re at risk of deactivation, stressing about your ratings isn’t productive. Reading into every bad rating only causes undue stress. The reality is that some passengers are impossible to please, some don’t understand the five-star system, and some make a mistake when they rate you and never bother to correct it.

No driver is perfect. Anything higher than a 4.8 is a great rating. Don’t worry about the occasional bad rating.

In the end, becoming more aware of your habits and how other people react to you is the key to maintaining a higher rating. This is a customer service job: Find what the customer wants and give it to them.