Part 1: Interview with a Professional Uber/Lyft Driver – Tipping, Surge Pricing & More

Part 2: Interview with a Professional Uber/Lyft Driver – How Much Money do Drivers Earn?

I first met Harry Campbell back in August 2014, long before he was the ride-sharing guy. His first web presence was at www.yourpfpro.com, a financial website for young professionals. And as it turned out, Harry is also a miles and points guy, so we’ve stayed in touch ever since.

Then a few years ago, he turned his time and attention to his new brand, TheRideShareGuy.com. Maybe you’ve heard of him or seen his blog/podcast/Youtube channel. He’s my go-to resource when I have ride-share questions, so I wanted to sit down with him and get his view as both an insider, because he still drives for both Uber and Lyft, and also as a mentor and resource for drivers.

I asked Harry some tough questions, because as a consumer, there’s a lot about the ride-sharing world I’d like to understand. I want, as I’m sure you do, to have the best possible ride-sharing experience, and understanding this from both a passenger as well as a driver perspective helps! Harry’s got a unique window into the sharing economy, so let’s see what he has to say.

Shelli: Is there an over-saturation of drivers (in certain places of course)? Is this why Uber/Lyft can keep cutting back on how much drivers earn?

Harry: Both Uber and Lyft cut rates almost annually on drivers, but they don’t really give very convincing reasons why. They say lower rates will bring drivers more money, but we have not seen evidence for that. Over-saturation of drivers is definitely an issue, but so is Uber’s burn rate of drivers.  In 2015, Uber announced nearly half of its drivers quit after one year, but so far it doesn’t look like as though the pool of drivers will let up. Flexibility and the ability to earn money on your own time is tempting for a lot of people, even though Uber and Lyft cut rates. Continue reading →

Part 1: Interview with a Professional Uber/Lyft Driver – Tipping, Surge Pricing & More

I first met Harry Campbell back in August 2014, long before he was the ride-sharing guy. His first web presence was at www.yourpfpro.com, a financial website for young professionals. And as it turned out, Harry is also a miles and points guy, so we’ve stayed in touch ever since.

Then a few years ago, he turned his time and attention to his new brand, TheRideShareGuy.com. Maybe you’ve heard of him or seen his blog/podcast/Youtube channel. He’s my go-to resource when I have ride-share questions, so I wanted to sit down with him and get his view as both an insider, because he still drives for both Uber and Lyft, and also as a mentor and resource for drivers.

I asked Harry some tough questions, because as a consumer, there’s a lot about the ride-sharing world I’d like to understand. I want, as I’m sure you do, to have the best possible ride-sharing experience, and understanding this from both a passenger as well as a driver perspective helps! Harry’s got a unique window into the sharing economy, so let’s see what he has to say.

Shelli: I’ve been curious about who drives for Uber/Lyft. In 2015, your course came out. Who’s your typical student? Driving, regardless for which company, seems like one of those things that people do thinking, “Well, I drive, why not drive others around for money?” Yet, all jobs require a certain amount of training and basic knowledge. Have you approached Uber/Lyft to provide a certain payback to the drivers if they take the course, sorta like a professional development benefit? It would seem that drivers who invest in a course would be more committed to the work.

Harry: Our typical student is a new driver, someone just starting out, but also people who have been driving a little while and want to grow their business. These are people who see driving as just one of many ways to make money on a flexible schedule, and they want to learn how to maximize their driving so they have free time for other pursuits (monetary, usually, but it could also be personal pursuits).

My course was really created to help people maximize their earnings, not necessarily get a payback from Lyft or Uber to certify professional development. There are classes out there that are more geared to teaching people how to be a good driver and how to improve the passenger experience. Our course is for people who already pretty much know those basics and want to take it to the next level. Continue reading →