Topline
Uber drivers have been rating passengers for years and for the first time riders will finally be able to see exactly what drivers think of them, the ride-sharing company announced Wednesday, offering users a closer look into the ratings system that determines whether or not they can be kicked off the app.
Uber is now letting riders see their rating breakdown.
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Key Facts
Starting Wednesday, all Uber users will be able to see a breakdown of exactly how their rating is calculated, from “how many drivers gave you a stellar 5-star rating, how many handed out the dreaded single star, and everything in between,” the company said in a blog post.
The breakdown can be accessed by going to the app’s settings menu, tapping “Privacy” and then selecting “Privacy Center,” Uber said.
Once in the privacy center, Uber says users can swipe to the right and click “would you like to see a summary of how you use Uber,” scrolling down to the “browse your data” section and then tap “View my ratings” to see the breakdown.
The breakdown will only display users’ last 500 journeys as rider ratings are only calculated using the average score from these rides, Uber said.
If users are not proud of what they see, Uber offered some tips for boosting their rating, including not slamming doors, wearing seatbelts, taking trash and belongings with you and being ready on time.
Key Background
Uber’s bidirectional rating system has been a mainstay of its app for years, effectively serving as a crowdsourced quality control for those using the platform. Ratings can determine whether or not riders or drivers can keep using the app and the inconsistent nature of public ratings—which could see people treat various issues very differently from one another—has led to some confusion over how the system is managed.
Tangent
Uber’s rating system does not have a hard cut-off for when it will ban someone from using the app, something the company says recognizes cultural differences in how people rate one another. In the U.S., the five large cities with the lowest average passenger ratings are: New York City, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Boston, and Minneapolis—St. Paul. San Antonio, St Louis and Nashville have the highest average rider ratings.
What To Watch For
Pandemic recovery. Uber suffered big losses earlier in the pandemic, but recent figures reported on the company’s fourth quarter beat forecasts and suggest it is on track to recover from pandemic losses.
Further Reading
The rating game: How Uber and its peers turned us into horrible bosses (Verge)
I drive for Uber and Lyft — here’s what your driver thinks about you based on your rating (Insider)
