how to improve your uber passenger ratingIs the customer always right? In the case of Uber, maybe but if you’re not a good customer, other drivers are going to know it thanks to their rating system.

You might not even know your passenger rating, but it’s located within your Uber app, and it can let other drivers know if they should steer clear of you.

You might not even realize you’ve done something offensive to warrant a less-than-perfect Uber rating, but along with considering things like Uber cost, you should also be thinking about raising your score if it’s on the low side.

Why does your passenger rating matter? Some drivers might turn down your ride request, which means you could be left waiting too long for a ride, and if it gets too low you might not even be allowed to use the app anymore.

No good, right?

Here are some ways you can work on raising your passenger rating.

Be Ready When Your Driver Gets There

If you were to ask most Uber drivers their biggest annoyance from their passengers, it’s likely not the really dramatic nightmares you hear about, like drunk people vomiting in the backseat.

Instead, it’s more likely to be something like passengers who make them wait.

You know when your driver is going there, so there’s no reason they should have to wait around for you. Otherwise, they’re wasting their time and not getting paid for it, so make sure you’re ready and waiting at your pickup spot.

Don’t Blame Your Driver For Things Out of Their Control

When we’re stuck in traffic, we may have an urge to blame the driver, but it’s important to remember it’s not their fault traffic is terrible.

In general, even beyond the specific situation of blaming drivers for things they can’t control, think about treating your drive kindly and warmly.

You don’t want to be cold or unpleasant. Of course, this doesn’t mean you have to become new best friends, but you can work on greeting them and thanking them at the end of the ride.

Keep It Clean and Tidy

If you had a friend get into your car and they brought smelly food or had dirty shoes, you probably wouldn’t be thrilled, right? Why should an Uber driver feel any differently?

Be conscious of things that could be annoying to a driver, particularly if it could impact their other passengers’ experiences, such as bringing mud into the car or dragging in a terrible odor.

If you make a mess in your Uber driver’s car, they’re likely going to have to take time out that they could be making money in order to get it all cleaned up, so you can see why that might be annoying, at a minimum.

Of course, there might be some situations where your Uber driver doesn’t give you a perfect score for things beyond your control, such as having to go a long way to pick you up. You can’t worry too much about that, but focusing on being kind and courteous can help you get a better score, so you’re less likely to be standing around waiting for a ride.