I’m a huge fan of Uber, and use them a lot. I don’t have a car given that I live in hotels full time. And I find Uber to be the next best thing. UberX is in virtually all cases cheaper than a taxi, while UberBlack often isn’t that much more, but is a lot more comfortable. Also keep in mind that Uber has a pretty lucrative referral program, whereby you can get a free ride of up to $20 by being referred.
Generally I find Uber drivers to be fantastic. And that probably has to do with the instant feedback loop. With every ride you’re asked to rate the driver, and have the option of leaving feedback. The driver won’t actually see what score you leave them, but instead will only see their overall score.
But here’s what most people don’t realize — Uber drivers are also rating Uber riders. Just like you have the option of giving them a 1-5 star rating with every ride, they also have the option of giving you a 1-5 star rating.
Now the truth is that the rider’s rating doesn’t matter quite as much as the driver’s rating. In other words, if a driver’s average rating falls below ~4.5 stars or so, they could be in trouble. Meanwhile as a rider you’re unlikely to be “rejected” from a ride unless you have a really low score.
With that in mind, Uber actually lets riders request to see their rating.
How to check your Uber rating
To check your Uber rating, simply open up the Uber app and be sure you’re signed in. At the top left you’ll see a button which opens up a bunch of options.
Then click on the “HELP” button.
Then click on the “Account” button.
Then scroll to the second thing from the bottom of the page, which reads “I’d like to know my rating.”
The next page explains what you can request, so hit “Submit” to request your Uber rating.
I’d like to know my rating
After each trip, riders and drivers are given the opportunity to rate one another based on their trip experience.
The rating system works to make sure that the most respectful riders and drivers are using Uber. Ratings are always reported as averages, and neither riders nor drivers will see the individual rating left for a particular trip.
You may learn your average rating by tapping Submit below.
Then lastly you’ll get a pop up confirming your request.
Within a couple of hours you should receive an email from Uber with your rating. Here’s the email I received:
Hi Ben,
Thanks for reaching out! Your rating is an average of all your trips taken so far. At this time, it is 4.8.
Fostering a community of mutual respect between both riders and drivers is important for all to get the most out of the Uber experience. You can find out more about how ratings work here.
I’ve collected some additional information that may be helpful for you related to ratings:
Please let me know if you ever have any other questions. I’m always happy to help!
Jonica
help.uber.com
I was damn near devastated when I found out I only had a 4.8 rating, given that I go out of my way to work for that 5 star rating. 😉 Presumably that includes the one star rating I once got from a driver who insisted I had to tip, but…
Is the Uber rating system broken?
I’m a pretty easy going guy, so out of hundreds of Uber rides I’ve only once not given five stars. Not because all rides were perfect, but ultimately because I’m only going to give less than five stars if the driver truly intentionally wrongs me somehow (as the one driver did who demanded a tip).
But is that really how the system should work? On a scale of 1-5, should giving 5 stars really be the default, as opposed to 3 stars, which presumably would be average? Uber seems to think so, because drivers with less than a ~4.5 star rating can get in trouble.
I actually had a conversation about this with an Uber driver a while ago. He was really nice, though I was sort of shocked about what he had to say about how he rates riders. He said “yeah, if someone is just on their phone the whole time or not friendly, I’ll just give them 2-3 stars.” I was sort of taken aback by that, given that if someone took that approach towards rating him, he wouldn’t have a job.
Bottom line
Unless you’re consistently rude or causing problems, your Uber rating shouldn’t matter much as a rider. You’re unlikely to have your ride rejected because of your rating, unless it’s really low. Still, it can be interesting to see what drivers think of you.
So… what’s your Uber rating? And do you by default rate drivers 5 stars, or what “system” do you use?
I don't carry cash and as a result, am unable to tip. I nearly always tip when the option is available which means lyft riders get tips as do any other service people when I am paying by card. That may be one reason for a low rating of 4.67. Up until 2-3 days ago, it was 4.71. Suddenly 4.67.
The other reason may actually be discriminatory. I have a lot of difficulty with...
I don't carry cash and as a result, am unable to tip. I nearly always tip when the option is available which means lyft riders get tips as do any other service people when I am paying by card. That may be one reason for a low rating of 4.67. Up until 2-3 days ago, it was 4.71. Suddenly 4.67.
The other reason may actually be discriminatory. I have a lot of difficulty with my legs and if there is no one in the front seat, I try to sit in front seat. I'm continually told there is more room in back but no, there isn't more room between seat and door frame and most of the time, I have to nearly lay down sideways just to get my legs out if in back. I know several drivers have definitely been annoyed with my sitting in front and probably after I got out, when they moved the seat back forward. That's the other thing is if my legs are bent too much or too long, I get sharp pain in both knees. One person had seat back so far, I literally had to lay down in back seat to keep the pain from getting to be too much. I don't complain, it is my problem. I do truly think in my case, there is some discrimination but am not likely to be able to prove it. I am in fact probably going to go with Lyft pretty exclusively as I am tired of being downgraded so badly. There is no means of contacting Uber to discuss.
I'm a driver with a 4.86. I used to give everyone 5 stars. I do pretty well with tips, but there are days with very few tips. From now on, Im giving 4 stars as a rule, and only 5 stars when there's a tip.
This thread is great. As a driver (4.89 rating) with hundreds of trips I can honestly say that many riders give 4 because they think this is for good service. I give every rider 5 unless it is an extreme situation. For those who say rider ratings do not matter, you are wrong. I will never pick up someone less than 4.5 and many drivers won't under 4.7. This means either you have to wait...
This thread is great. As a driver (4.89 rating) with hundreds of trips I can honestly say that many riders give 4 because they think this is for good service. I give every rider 5 unless it is an extreme situation. For those who say rider ratings do not matter, you are wrong. I will never pick up someone less than 4.5 and many drivers won't under 4.7. This means either you have to wait longer for a ride, or you get a crappier driver who is less choosy, or both. Oh, and I will never pick up Pool requests, they screw the driver in a few ways.
Try this one 5am you get a call 20 minutes away. Woman at a train station tells you she appreciates you coming so far to get her. I take her bags and place them in my Lincoln MKC 2015 .She talks to you the whole way never shuts up. I take her home get her bags for her and thank her. She then does me the huge favor of giving me 1 star. I know...
Try this one 5am you get a call 20 minutes away. Woman at a train station tells you she appreciates you coming so far to get her. I take her bags and place them in my Lincoln MKC 2015 .She talks to you the whole way never shuts up. I take her home get her bags for her and thank her. She then does me the huge favor of giving me 1 star. I know why there are so many drivers that are bitter. We provide better service then any taxi. We are cheaper, The customer does not tip you. Then they feel its there duty to try and get you fired for the huge fare of 5 bucks. Wow how disheartening is that. Nice way to treat you fellow man who is trying to make a few extra bucks for his family.
I'm a part time Uber driver in my home country (Finland). We are instructed to give customers only 1 or 5 stars. If the customer is clearly behaving in an inappropriate manner we are told to give them 1 star. In all other cases we are expected to give 5 stars irrespective of if we are tipped or if the passenger wants to chat with us.
So far I have driven 200+ trips and only...
I'm a part time Uber driver in my home country (Finland). We are instructed to give customers only 1 or 5 stars. If the customer is clearly behaving in an inappropriate manner we are told to give them 1 star. In all other cases we are expected to give 5 stars irrespective of if we are tipped or if the passenger wants to chat with us.
So far I have driven 200+ trips and only once I had to give 1 star. This was a heavily intoxicated girl who ordered me to a wrong spot, was unable to tell her exact address (she said a name of a bar which I did not know) and then blamed me for not picking her up from the right spot in a timely fashion. I even gave her discount on the trip to silence her complaints didn't work). And then on top of that she forgot her purse with her home keys to my car and I had to drive back to her so that she could get in. The bitch gave me 3 stars.
All of you guys talking about not tipping, or only tipping for "exceptional service"...do you know that you sound like jerks?
Do you also jot tip pizza delivery, bar tenders and waitress? Wouls you tip in a yellow cab? They are both taxis.
On a $6 fair, uber takes $1.50, leaving all of 4.50 for that driver. Stop being a cheap jerk, start being a decent person.
I know this is an old comment thread, but I found the post when I was trying to find out my rating as a rider.
Knowing that an Uber driver can get booted if her rating drops to 4, my rating system for drivers is simple:
If I think they deserve to keep their job without making any changes, they get a 5.
If I think they need to make changes (cleanliness of...
I know this is an old comment thread, but I found the post when I was trying to find out my rating as a rider.
Knowing that an Uber driver can get booted if her rating drops to 4, my rating system for drivers is simple:
If I think they deserve to keep their job without making any changes, they get a 5.
If I think they need to make changes (cleanliness of car, attitude, etc.) but otherwise deserve to keep their job, they get a 4 (wake up call?).
If I think they should not be driving me or any other paying customer around, they get a 1.
So far I've only given 5's.
I give all my riders 5 stars whether they're silent the whole journey or chatty. If the rider(s) are arguing between each other or become argumentative towards me, I may give them 4 stars. If they have young children that they can't control or they leave a mess (crumbs etc) maybe 3 or 4 stars.
But around 98% of my riders receive 5* ratings.
I give my riders 5 stars by default.
My husband just started driving for Uber a day ago. I am certain that learning the layout of the nearby cities is the biggest challenge at this point. Hopefully, the navigation system is on point and his passengers are cool about with a newbie.
He is a very social being and loves to learn about people and sincerely is a good listener. Remember, the rating should reflect the current ride, not how you feel...
My husband just started driving for Uber a day ago. I am certain that learning the layout of the nearby cities is the biggest challenge at this point. Hopefully, the navigation system is on point and his passengers are cool about with a newbie.
He is a very social being and loves to learn about people and sincerely is a good listener. Remember, the rating should reflect the current ride, not how you feel about your past driver.
We are all trying to make a living and enjoy the simple things in life. Just relax. Having a great day is a choice.
This is how an Uber driver feels. Riders are brutal with their harsh ratings of drivers. Drivers get sick of it and well, payback is a 1. Maybe if riders would not be so judgemental and harsh with their rating then perhaps all of u would be a 5 as would majority of the Uber drivers.
Five Stars. I hadn't realized that riders were also rated until one of our San Francisco drivers said to us, "I know that you're really nice people because every driver has given you five stars." We were flattered. AND, he refused a tip.
After more than a 100 rides with Uber since last year (I usually make at least once a week trip), I'm glad to know I'm a perfect 5 score.
I've never tipped any drivers (and I simply can't understand this absurd US culture), and I mostly used Uber at Brazil (my country of Residence), but also used it at US and Russia.
I'm usually friendly and interested to know more about the drivers....
After more than a 100 rides with Uber since last year (I usually make at least once a week trip), I'm glad to know I'm a perfect 5 score.
I've never tipped any drivers (and I simply can't understand this absurd US culture), and I mostly used Uber at Brazil (my country of Residence), but also used it at US and Russia.
I'm usually friendly and interested to know more about the drivers. And I've been honest on my ratings, usually giving 5 stars, but not afraid of rating 4 when something is not in conformity with the standard (specially when taking Uber Black). Only twice I rated a driver 3* (and both times were to the same driver), because he not only didn't provide the expected level of service on Uber Black, but also seemed to be uninterested and not friendly. Felt like I was driving an usual cab.
I think Uber rating system for passengers a bit flawed. It should be more a dichotomy, because as a client I'm usually either good or not. For drivers, the system also isn't too good, because a driver with a rating lower than 4.7 have some important less money per week, and many people think that rating a driver 4* is good enough because they're above average.
@Jana and @TK, I think what people are finding out is that their rating paradigm was overly generous. In my case, I always rated everyone a 5 with one exception. That was when I gave a 3 someone who tried to longhaul me in Chicago to take advantage of a surge. I figured this would be a standard practice since the ratings are so important to Uber drives. What I found out from getting my...
@Jana and @TK, I think what people are finding out is that their rating paradigm was overly generous. In my case, I always rated everyone a 5 with one exception. That was when I gave a 3 someone who tried to longhaul me in Chicago to take advantage of a surge. I figured this would be a standard practice since the ratings are so important to Uber drives. What I found out from getting my rating is this is not a standard practice and thus I will adjust my behavior going forward to reflect that.
Ben,
Like you I refer a lot of people to Uber. When traveling out side of my home country (USA), I don't get my free $20 ride. Is this the case for you?
Also, have you figured out a way to see the number of free rides you have?
James
@ James -- That's correct, the free rides only work in the country/denomination in which they were issued. You should be able to see how many free rides you have in the emails you receive indicating you've received a free ride.
https://onemileatatime.com/uberx-drivers-actually-make-money/
Perhaps this why your rating is not a five Ben.
@ Danny -- Hah! In fairness, we did give the guy a pizza. :D
I agree with Jana, anyone who rates down future drivers because one or two drivers has rated them down in the past is merely proving their lower score correct.
As long as their a decent driver and get me where I want to go by a sensible route in a reasonably amount of time, I'll give them a 5. I've dolled out a couple of 4's but I don't see that as a bad score - as lucky says, 3 should be "average". If you just rate everybody 5 all the time it makes the whole rating system pointless. Its like on ebay where...
As long as their a decent driver and get me where I want to go by a sensible route in a reasonably amount of time, I'll give them a 5. I've dolled out a couple of 4's but I don't see that as a bad score - as lucky says, 3 should be "average". If you just rate everybody 5 all the time it makes the whole rating system pointless. Its like on ebay where you buy a thing for $2 and you get a "5 stars A+++++++++++++++++++++++++ buyer" rating as feedback. What's the point?
If the driver is chatty I'll attempt to chat back but I always sit in the back and I do consider it a driver/customer relationship - I would prefer not to have to talk at all to them besides initial pleasantries. Uber is **not** ride share. Ride share is when someone is going where you want to go anyway, and you tag along for the ride. Uber is most definitely a taxi service.
I'm sorry to read that so many people take the ratings so personally that they plan on taking it out on the drivers going forward. Your ratings don't really mean anything, does it. Also, if one's reaction is to get back at the drivers going forward, then perhaps you have a blind spot to your personality and really aren't a five in real life.
I'm a perfect 5! Surprising because me (and my friends) may have been somewhat tipsy on some of those trips. ;-) I only tip about 20% of the time only IF I happen to have a couple of singles in my pocket and the driver was particularly charming.
I' m also a 4.7, always ultra polite, never make them wait and have always given 5 stars. Add me to the list of those who is going to be more cut throat going forward. If you want to blather on about your personal business which is no interest of me, take me on short cuts that are really long cuts and in general just not know when to STFU you can expect me to...
I' m also a 4.7, always ultra polite, never make them wait and have always given 5 stars. Add me to the list of those who is going to be more cut throat going forward. If you want to blather on about your personal business which is no interest of me, take me on short cuts that are really long cuts and in general just not know when to STFU you can expect me to rate accordingly. I had always given 5 stars because I was aware of driver's being in jeopardy if their ratings drop, but no more being nice just because.
I typically give a 4 or 5 because I really have not had any bad experiences. I have a 4.7 - which is odd because I am damn charming. Really.
@Robert:
I have a 4.9 rating. Never once in several dozen rides have I offered a tip. I do always say a friendly hello when getting in, never make the driver wait, participate in conversation as much as possible (or as much as I'm in the mood for) and always say thank you at the end. Overall, just be a friendly, empathetic person and you should get high marks.
I got.."Thanks for reaching out! Your rating is an average of all your trips taken so far. At this time, it is ."
Having taken easily over a hundred Uber rides I'm assuming this is a glitch. Last time I asked a driver it was 4.9 though.
4.6 over eight rides. I've never made one wait, never once barked any orders (or even offered directions). Rated every driver a 5.
I'm with Robert. From now on I'm going to rate the drivers more harshly unless they're truly outstanding or personable.
Do you have to rate the driver immediately after the ride or can you wait?
4.9. I usually love to talk to the drivers; Egyptian, Ethiopian, Indonesian...
Although once I was so blackout drunk I didn't know how or when I got home. Thank goodness for the Uber notification with the little map and time on it!
I've only rated 2 drivers below 5. First was Paris to CDG: The driver refused to allow an open window for fear of dust getting in his spotless car. Second was a...
4.9. I usually love to talk to the drivers; Egyptian, Ethiopian, Indonesian...
Although once I was so blackout drunk I didn't know how or when I got home. Thank goodness for the Uber notification with the little map and time on it!
I've only rated 2 drivers below 5. First was Paris to CDG: The driver refused to allow an open window for fear of dust getting in his spotless car. Second was a driver using a rather adult image of a naked male as his iphone wallpaper (mounted to the dash). I'm not gay but was amused; my female friend thought it was weird and was uncomfortable.
I was surprised to find out mine was only 4.5. I have never once made a driver wait and am a pretty low key customer. I have given every driver a 5 with one exception for a truly terrible ride. I think I will be much harsher going forward with my ratings. Are those of you with a lot of rides and high ratings giving cash tips to your drivers or something?
Is JRL, Justin Ross Lee? If so, no surprise on the crappy rating.
Mine is 4.9. :)
Rated a 3.8 ...
You'd think I'm smoking cigars while spray-painting graffiti in the back seat. Oh well, still have never had a problem catching an Uber, so it's kind of nebulous.
JRL
@Bill it looks like 4 is not a good vote for Uber:
http://uk.businessinsider.com/leaked-charts-show-how-ubers-driver-rating-system-works-2015-2?r=US
Yikes - I'm 4.7! I'm disappointed! I was hoping for at least 4.8.
I'm a college language professor--- teaching English writing a good deal of the time. In order to grade/rate students' writing, a universal scale (rubric) is used, which specifically delineates what score should be assigned based in a specific list of criteria. Uber should provide something similar.
4.8 here. I'm not sure why so many people are worried about their rating unless it's lower than a 4.0. I tend to give driver's ratings of 4 unless they really are superb in which case they get a 5--a particularly speedy or unusually friendly driver or who accommodates a special request or the like. I've only once given lower than a 3--a 2 to a driver who got lost and didn't seem competent at...
4.8 here. I'm not sure why so many people are worried about their rating unless it's lower than a 4.0. I tend to give driver's ratings of 4 unless they really are superb in which case they get a 5--a particularly speedy or unusually friendly driver or who accommodates a special request or the like. I've only once given lower than a 3--a 2 to a driver who got lost and didn't seem competent at all in the DC area. I had an email within an hr from Uber indicating they'd evaluated the route and the driver didn't execute it correctly, and that they'd refunded part of my ride to reflect what it should have cost had the driver known where he was going. I was mightily impressed. But who knows what rating that driver gave me? OTOH, who cares?
I got a 4.8 average over about 75 rides. Like Adam, on the rare (2) occasions when I have given a driver a 3, both times I was contacted by Uber Customer Service for an explanation. Once was because the driver didn't help me with my bags (not that he needed to, but the fact that he didn't offer didn't then rate a 4 or 5 in my opinion) and another who took a longer...
I got a 4.8 average over about 75 rides. Like Adam, on the rare (2) occasions when I have given a driver a 3, both times I was contacted by Uber Customer Service for an explanation. Once was because the driver didn't help me with my bags (not that he needed to, but the fact that he didn't offer didn't then rate a 4 or 5 in my opinion) and another who took a longer than necessary route without asking me first. In both cases, after hearing my explanation, Uber offered a partial refund of the fare. I thought that was very generous and shows that they hold the drivers to a high standard.
@Callum @Neil S.
In the past when I've had a tough day or just not in the mood to chat, I honestly tell that to the driver. Only been the case a handful of times, but the driver has always respected my wish. I've probably been lucky with empathetic drivers!
Expecting the customer to interact with the driver is not the Uber model -- Uber is supposed to be your "private driver." (Their words.)
A Lyft driver, on the other hand, could reasonably expect the customers to be talking to them and friendly, since that is what Lyft is supposed to be all about.
4.9 for me. I probably got a 4 from one driver. Maybe he didn't like me making out with my date the whole ride. :/
Uber drives me crazy. I mean, yeah, I use it all the time, but sometimes after a full work day, I just want to go home in silence. So I'm penalized if I don't entertain the driver by chatting the whole way?
I'm the customer. It's providing a service TO ME. I am not providing a service to the driver. Beyond paying him.
I do also let the driver know when I get out that I'm giving him a five - just to lay on a bit of guilt.
Signed, 4.9
With regards to what that driver said, you need to remember Uber is not actually a taxi service - its a "ride share".
While sitting in the back of the taxi blanking the driver may be the norm for many people, plenty of others find that incredibly rude. Many of the drivers I've spoken to in fact say that the interaction with customers from all over the world is what makes the job worthwhile...
With regards to what that driver said, you need to remember Uber is not actually a taxi service - its a "ride share".
While sitting in the back of the taxi blanking the driver may be the norm for many people, plenty of others find that incredibly rude. Many of the drivers I've spoken to in fact say that the interaction with customers from all over the world is what makes the job worthwhile to them. After Uber take their cut and fuel/wear and tear is taken into account, I'd imagine their hourly wage is pretty low.
4.7, even though I typically don't tip when using Uber. Interesting.
Just submitted a request for my rating. I know a 5-star Lyft rating as I received an email informing me, and I tend to use the two apps interchangeably, depending on which quotes the shortest wait time. Curious to see about Uber.
I don't understand why they are so secretive about this. I agree it should be displayed on the app.
4.9. I actually got a $50 ride credit from Lyft recently for having a 5.0 and having stopped riding them in favor of Uber for a bit. Made me shift back some business. Competition is good.
I say the customer comes first. Get out of the Uber business if you can't deal with all types of riders. I mean you're doing it for the money right? No one rides for free?
I wonder why they can't just include the user rating somewhere in the app instead than spending time to answer to the emails of the ones who ask about it.
4.7
Having 5 be the norm for a standard ride is dumb. This is just like grade inflation in schools where an A is expected and a C is basically an F.
Uber's system is worthless. Have you ever rejected a driver because he is a lowly 4.6? There is no way to tell in a three tenths of point spread who does a great job and who is just a hired craigslist laborer working a shift in a resprayed Toyota Tercel. With 5 being both the maximum and the norm at Uber, you can only demerit. So I average 4, saving the 5 for the good...
Uber's system is worthless. Have you ever rejected a driver because he is a lowly 4.6? There is no way to tell in a three tenths of point spread who does a great job and who is just a hired craigslist laborer working a shift in a resprayed Toyota Tercel. With 5 being both the maximum and the norm at Uber, you can only demerit. So I average 4, saving the 5 for the good guys, and 3, 2, or 1 for the bad trips (which have been more and more frequent these days). I know it's not how the system works, but at least I have some control of rewarding the good rides.
Lyft does it a bit better by providing the option to Tip the driver if they're exceptional. I feel OK giving a 5 for an average trip. If they do an amazing job, I'll thrown em a few extra bucks.
I'm a 4.7. I wonder what I did?
I take a pretty straightforward approach. 5 keeps them on the job. 4 gets them closer to being out of a job. If I feel the driver was courteous, safe and someone I would ride with again, I give them 5. I've had very good luck with getting only good ones so far, except one who ditched my ride after a couple of passes at AUS and not being able to find me. Since we didn't ride I couldn't rate him, but that would have been a 3.
Yay ! I had a rating of 5 :)
This is pretty cool. I just did mine, I am a 5. To be fair I have only taken maybe 20ish rides on Uber. So I assume that's why it's high.
Asked for mine a few months ago and was 4.9. Clearly I've gotten something less than 5 stars at some point. But I'm brutally honest when I rate drivers. For instance, if their car is messy, or they clearly smoke and the car reeks of it, I'll dole out less than 5 stars. The other instance is if the driver is just a shitty driver. Have had a few drivers that refuse to listen to...
Asked for mine a few months ago and was 4.9. Clearly I've gotten something less than 5 stars at some point. But I'm brutally honest when I rate drivers. For instance, if their car is messy, or they clearly smoke and the car reeks of it, I'll dole out less than 5 stars. The other instance is if the driver is just a shitty driver. Have had a few drivers that refuse to listen to my directions even though I live in the city and they don't, and it ends ups taking twice as long and costing me more money. Or if they are one of those "pedal to the metal for one city block then slam on the brakes because it's a red light they could clearly see when they were at the end of the block before" drivers.
On the few occasions where I've given less than 4 stars, I received an email from Uber customer support asking for further explanation and sometimes I'm given a credit. I'm not trying to game the system and get money back on purpose at the expense of drivers, but Uber has a certain level of professionalism they strive to maintain, and I think it's our duty as riders to be honest about the drivers. Plus, if a driver is unsafe, they shouldn't be on the road at all, let alone driving for Uber.
You can always just ask your next Uber driver what your rating is. They have access to it while you're riding with them (and prior to picking you up).
Mine is 4.9...I win :)