Should the Driver Load Luggage?

Question: “I see drivers at the airport just waiting in their cars, or standing idly by as the rider struggles to load the luggage. Should I let the rider load their luggage?”

It really depends on the situation. The short answer is, drivers that are able bodied, SHOULD offer to load the luggage for their rider. Why? Because it basic customer service. I get that there is a whole argument that taxi’s and black cars, often charge more for this service. While this is true, this doesn’t necessarily make it a good customer service practice. After all, rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft have knocked these companies off their feet. They cam e in and changed the entire industry. A lot of this, (besides cheaper prices) is the fact that you get better customer service. With that said, there are drivers that do rideshare that are unable to physically pick up luggage. If you are one of these drivers, this article does not apply to you, for obvious reasons. You should not exacerbate your medical condition over some luggage.

So what do you do if you are unable to pick up the luggage?
For the most part, rides will give you a pass if you look older, or maybe they see that you have a handicap parking permit/license plates. (after all, they have to make sure they have the right vehicle by matching the license plate to what is in the app right?)

If you do not have either , you can always tell them verbally like, “Hey, I want to help, but I threw out my back.” Don’t get me wrong, you don’t owe them an explanation, it really is none of their business. However, if you want to keep your ratings high, you may want to disclose why you can not pick up their luggage, like their last driver did. Remember, they are going to compare you to every other driver they had. Bonus: Telling them what happened, can be a very good ice breaker. They might just say, “That sucks, what happened?” Double Bonus: You get pity points that turns into a tip. After all, if you are driving while in pain, you must really need the money right? If both you and your rider need assistance, I would ask another driver for help, or one of the airport employees. For the most part, if someone notices ya’ll struggling, they will step in.

If you are a lazy driver…
If you are a lazy driver that just refuses to pickup luggage because it is not required, or maybe picking up luggage is “below” you. Then you honestly can not complain about that rider not tipping. Sure, you will get tippers still(tipping is just programmed into some people) but you will have less tips than the person who helps with luggage. Nor can you complain that you are getting less and less pings because you are ruining the service levels of rideshare. If someone has a bad time, they are not going to use the service again.

Loading luggage is not required, but it basic customer service goes a long way to keeping rides happy and tippy!

If you have any questions for a driver, leave a comment below with your question!