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 →

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 expectation amongst drivers that driving is a way to meet friends? There have been many stories about people who feel like drivers butt into conversations or try too hard to buddy up to passengers. Maybe for tips?? Even Ben over at OMAAT wrote about this being his number one Uber pet peeve.

Harry: I wouldn’t say rideshare driving is necessarily for making friends, but there is certainly a community of rideshare drivers out there who talk on Facebook or have their own local group meetups to “talk shop.” Being part of a community is something we actually encourage rideshare drivers to do, because it’s helpful to talk to people who know exactly what you’re going through.

Overall, what we recommend at TheRideShareGuy.com is for a driver to read their passenger though. Are they texting on their cellphone, not making eye contact, or stressed about getting somewhere? That might be a driver’s cue to be a little more relaxed, maybe not ask a lot of questions. On the other hand, if the person asks for tips about where to eat (if they’re visiting that city) or places to go, we definitely encourage drivers to chat and help a passenger out. After all, ratings are a pretty big deal, and being helpful to passengers is good for drivers’ bottom line, particularly if they’re driving on Lyft and get a tip!

Finally, sometimes it really pays off for drivers to be aware of what their passengers are saying. We definitely recommend drivers get dash cams, but on top of that: be aware. There was just a story about a driver rescuing a teen from pimps all because he listened to what the pimps were saying in the car. Continue reading →