The driver and ratings system has long been a part of Uber’s service. However, the only real implication was felt by drivers who could see their bonuses curtailed or even access to the service limited if they were consistently rated poorly. Drivers could also rate passengers but it didn’t seem to change much. That’s no longer going to be the case. Uber today confirmed that it will start deactivating riders with “below average” ratings from the app.
The company says that riders could lose access to the Uber app if they rack up a significantly below average rating.
They will be shown tips on how to improve their ratings which may include polite behavior, avoiding leaving trash in the vehicle, or avoiding request to the driver to go over the speed limit. Riders will be given multiple opportunities to improve their rating before they are deactivated from the app.
The company acknowledges that accountability is a two-way street and that while drivers have long been expected to meet a minium rating threshold which varies from city to city, a similar approach will now be taken for riders. Uber does say that it only expects a small number of riders to ultimately be impacted by ratings-based deactivations.