You should ONLY be accepting UberComfort Pings
When UberComfort Launched, I made a post about how UberComfort is a scam that not only scams drivers but riders as well. I still stand by those words.
However, since my initial rant, I have started to change my ways, based on a couple things I am seeing.
1) It pays more.
2) It allows you to “skip” the airport queues – less wait = increased earnings.
Increased Pay
Let’s not lie to ourselves and say Uber has the drivers best interests in mind. This is far from the truth. For starters, Uber charges UberComfort customers nearly 3 times more than what they are passing on to drivers. However, you are still seeing increase in pay compared to UberX. There is no denying that. No one should say no to more money, unless they are crazy. (pauses, thought I heard something)
Airport Queues
There are now more and more drivers coming out saying that they go to the airport, wait about 20 minutes and end up with a UberComfort ping. 20 minutes at Houston airports are not common at all. Typically, a short wait is closer to an hour. This is not a coincidence. Just simple math.
But there is not a queue for UberComfort only. So how can short waits be true?
Yes, in order to receive a UberComfort ping, you must have UberX on, so it is still a bit of a gamble, (you may end up with a UberX ping first.) However, there are a vast majority of cars that do not qualify for UberComfort. If there are 100 cars in front of you that do not qualify for UberComfort, guess what? You are next in line for UberComfort. Less waiting at the airport, to me at least, is worth more than the higher UberComfort wait. After all, we only earn if we are actively on a ride.
So, why do I say to only accept UberComfort pings?
For starters, you have a nicer ride than the vast majority of UberX vehicles. That is why you qualified for UberComfort in the first place. Why would you allow UberX riders to jump in at a cheaper rate? You deserve more. Even Uber thinks so. Don’t sell yourself short. UberComfort pings have been flying in like crazy. With a bit of patience, you will earn more overall, with less riders, and best part? Less wear and tear on your vehicle.)
Need helping finding UberComfort rides? Click Here!
Secondly, when you accept ONLY UberComfort pings, you are sending a strong signal to Uber that you only want to work for higher wages. It is a long term game, but by doing so, their data (which they really care about) will show that UberComfort drivers accept more than UberX drivers. Not accepting, while not going to jeopardize your account, creates a negative user experience, which brings me to reason number three…
Riders, yes may very well be requesting UberComfort to see just how much better this is compared to UberX. Remember, one of the main reasons why Uber has been so successful are the low wait times customers enjoy. If UberComfort is 10 minutes away vs. UberX being 2 minutes away, they will likely go with UberX. If all of the UberComfort drivers are busy on UberX, they will not be able to get this time down. Keeping yourself open will give you that opportunity to pick them up in the same amount of time.
Finally, and here is the best part. You want to retain riders for UberComfort. You want them to ONLY use UberComfort. Eventually, riders will associate UberX as the trash cars and long waits. (probably won’t even take that long). and they will want to be picked up by a UberComfort vehicle all the time. Basically, this means your earnings will increase, and increase. If you think this is a far stretch, think again. Uber is enjoying a much higher profit margin with UberComfort vs. UberX, and riders are ordering them like crazy. So whether you accept UberComfort only, or not, UberX may very well be on the chopping block, which will be a win for everybody.
How has your UberComfort experience been?