Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
For the first time, Uber is allowing its customers to see how many five-star ratings theyâve received from drivers â as well as how many shameful one-star reviews theyâve racked up.
For years, the two-way rating system has fueled Uberâs power over its riders and drivers. Low-performing drivers â those with an average of four stars or less â were at risk of deactivation. Even some poorly behaved passengers could get kicked off the platform if they received enough one-star ratings. Now, Uber is offering its customers fresh insight into how they are perceived by drivers.
Customers will be able to access a breakdown of their average ratings in the Uber appâs new privacy menu, which will be available to customers globally starting Wednesday, February 15th.
To access the Privacy Center and ratings breakdown in the app, go to the settings menu, tap âPrivacy,â and then âPrivacy Center.â Then, swipe to the right and click on the âWould you like to see a summary of how you use Uberâ tile. Scroll down to the âBrowse your dataâ section and tap on âView my ratingsâ to see the breakdown.
In the interest of transparency, I found my own ratings breakdown and am publishing it below. Apparently, Iâm well-liked, which will no doubt come as a shock to my many haters.
Andrew J. Hawkins
My ratings breakdown, according to the Uber app.
If you looked at your ratings breakdown and were aghast at what you found, Uber has some tips for how to improve your standing.
Pack it in, pack it out: Drivers shouldnât have to clean up after you. Always make sure to take your trash and any other belongings with you. Donât leave a mess behind.
Buckle Up: Studies show that unbuckled passengers in the back seat can put the driver at greater risk of injury in a crash. So always remember to buckle up for your and the driverâs safety.
Be ready: Remember that driversâ time is valuable and they shouldnât have to wait for you. A smooth pickup is better for everyone so be ready to go when the driver arrives.
Treat everyone and everything with respect: As outlined in our Community Guidelines, we want riders and drivers to feel safe, respectful, and positive. Always treat your driver and their vehicle as you would want to be treated.
Donât slam the door! It is easy to accidentally slam a door if you arenât thinking about it, and drivers have consistently cited door slams as a reason why they deduct stars.
Uber had been experimenting with different ways for riders and drivers to give feedback to each other for years. In 2017, the company introduced a feature that allowed drivers to offer additional comments to riders regarding their behavior. Drivers would choose from a list of reasons: âwait time,â âpatience,â ânumber of riders,â âattitude,â âwanted new route,â or âother.â If a rider gets the same âtagâ twice within 30 days, a notification would appear when they open the Uber app to let them know that their behavior is affecting their rating.
Uber also publicized its community guidelines, which include a list of awful behaviors that will get you banned from Uber. A lot is pretty self-explanatory: donât trash your driverâs car, donât assault or insult your driver, and definitely donât try to have sex with your driver. (According to women who drive for Uber, that last rule is often ignored by male passengers.)
In addition to the new ratings breakdowns, Uber is also publishing data on which cities have the highest and lowest average ratings in the country. As expected, New York City is undefeated in its density of surly attitudes. No. 1 city in the world, baby!
Top 10 highest average rider rating among large US cities
1. San Antonio
2. St Louis
3. Nashville
4. Salt Lake City
5. Kansas City
6. Sacramento
7. Tampa Bay
8. Charlotte
9. Las Vegas
10. Portland
Top 10 lowest average rider rating among large US cities
1. New York City
2. Seattle
3. Washington, DC
4. Boston
5. Minneapolis – St. Paul
6. San Francisco
7. Philadelphia
8. Los Angeles
9. Baltimore-Maryland
10. Chicago