Uber to deactivate riders with low ratings

Photo by the AP. Sketched by the Pan Pacific Agency.

TAIPEI, May 31, 2019, Taiwan News. Ride-hailing service leader Uber announced on Tuesday (May 28) that riders with low ratings may lose access to Uber, reported the Taiwan News.

For years, ratings did not seem to affect Uber riders, no matter how inappropriately they behave. Not any more.

“Riders may lose access to Uber if they develop a significantly below average rating,” according to a news release put out by Uber. “If your rating is lower than the average in your city, we’ll let you know how to improve.

“And if your rating is significantly below average, you could temporarily or permanently lose access to the app,” said Kate Parker, head of Safety Brand and Initiatives in the news release.

According to Uber rules, after each trip, both riders and drivers are given the opportunity to rate one another based on their trip experience. But neither parties will see the individual rating left for a particular trip.

In 2017, Uber introduced a new feature that allowed drivers to offer additional feedback about riders if something “went wrong” on the ride, such as “wait time,” “attitude,” “wanted new route,” or “other,” reported The Verge.

Riders who get the same “tag” twice within 30 days will be notified when they open their Uber app, to let them know their misbehavior is affecting their rating. And now, finally, poor behavior will cost riders something more than just a rating.

Uber also introduced a new set of global community guidelines, along with a video guide. Starting with the U.S. and Canada, users are asked to confirm that they understand the guidelines or they may lose access to the app.

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