22 Essential Tips For Uber, Oga-Taxi & Taxify Drivers

Every business has its share of a few bad eggs. The ride-share service is definitely not an exception.

The ride-share service – as provided by Uber, Taxify and Oga Taxi – is fast becoming a big source of employment and extra-income for Nigerians.

However, there have been not a few cases where some drivers have wittingly and unwittingly offended customers.

As a result of such occurrences, Autojosh is offering some essential tips for ride-share drivers  in order to for them to offer better and more professional services.

1. Be courteous to your passengers. Especially on the phone. Avoid arguments. Remember, the customer is always right.

2. Speak only when spoken to. During rides with clients, keep your opinions to yourself, except the passenger solicits for it.

3. Do not get too personal with passengers. The passenger is not your friend or relative. The passenger is an esteemed client. They deserve your professionalism.

4. Always decline requests politely. If necessary, explain why a client’s request is been declined.

5. Be neat. Dress appropriately. There should be a difference between you and a bus conductor.

6. Be Patient: Admittedly, this advice is easier given than done. In this line of work, it is typical for your patience to be tested. Nonetheless, try to exercise some patience when dealing with clients.

7. Learn to zone out of the environment when being insulted. Simply block out your mind from every unkind words being uttered by an unruly passenger.

8. Get a Dashboard Camera. A dashboard camera should be an essential item in your car. You never know when you will get a bad passenger that you will need proof of their actions. Indeed, nothing beats recorded video in court.

9. Use Your Discretion. Decline passengers who you are not comfortable with or feel safe with.

10. Keep the Music Down. You never know, your choice of music could be offensive to the passenger.

11. End a trip if you feel a passenger is behaving in an intolerable manner. However, let this be the last resort.

12. Do not physically remove a passenger. However, in a case when it becomes imperative to do so, do it at a public where there are witnesses, or at a police station.

13. No matter how irritated you are – on no account must you drive a passenger to your home.

14. Never be cynical or sarcastic. Use the right and appropriate tone and choice of words when interacting with a client.

15. Cash or online payment. If you prefer cash transaction, politely explain why to the passenger before the trip is started.

16. Take your personal safety serious. Decline rides with passengers that you are not comfortable with – or destinations that you feel are risky. Never let earning money or the worry of your rating get in the way of doing what you need to do to be safe.

17. Do not be ashamed to ask for directions. Ask your passenger for direction if you are unsure of it. Navigational devices are not always accurate. If you are using a navigational device, minimize distraction while driving. Input destination only when the car is stationary.

18. When your passenger is indulging in an illegal or unsafe act during the ride, you may politely request that they refrain from it. If they do not comply with your request, end the trip and drop them off at the nearest safe place or at the police station.

19. Get a POS device. Save yourself the worries of whether a bank transfer claim by a client to your bank account is genuine or not. Get a POS device.

20. You deserve your pay. If a passenger has demonstrated no evidence of a capacity to pay after a trip, insist on your pay. Stand your grounds. Let him or her look for someone to borrow from.

21. Rest. This is very important. It could be very exhausting driving for long hours. Take out time off work for some well deserve rest. The great thing about the ride-share service is that you can turn off your app when you decide to be off duty and turn it on when you resume.

22. Secure yourself. Have a pepper spray or a Taser. Be prepared to defend yourself when necessary. Even if you are deactivated for life by Uber, Taxify, etc, it’s worth it if you are still alive and uninjured.