While some passengers are great customers and a pleasure to have in your car, other passengers can be extremely difficult and rude. Dealing with bad customers are often the worst part of being a rideshare driver. But unfortunately, you can’t just kick them out.
If you are a new rideshare driver or are thinking of becoming one, here are some of the worst types of passengers that you can get and how you can deal with them:
1. Eaters
As a driver, it’s important to keep your vehicle clean, especially if your car is from one of Grab’s car rental service partners. However, some passengers are hindrances to keeping a clean car, and one of them is the eater.
This type of passenger has no problem eating and drinking in a rideshare car, which, of course, can be considered rude in some aspects. If you’re not comfortable with letting them eat your car, ask them politely to wait until you reach their destination before they eat their takeout food. But if you don’t want to run the risk of getting a bad review, ask them to eat carefully and offer extra napkins just in case.
2. Drunks
If you work during weekend nights in a busy area, there’s a high chance you’re going to get booked by an individual that has had a little too much to drink, or worse, a whole group of them.
If a passenger is one or two drinks away from losing their dinner, they will likely be able to make it home without making a mess in your car. On the other hand, if a passenger seems like a few minutes away from passing out, decide if you want to let them in your car or not. If they vomit in your car, you can collect a clean-up fee, but it could be your last trip of the night.
3. Rude passengers
Some passengers may be unreasonably rude as soon as they step in your car. However, as long as they don’t cross the line, there’s not much else you can do about it other than being patient. Remain polite for the rest of the ride. If they get angry for something that you cannot control, keep your cool and try to diffuse the situation to the best of your ability.
More importantly, don’t let their actions affect your mood. If they’re having a bad day, it doesn’t mean you will, too.
4. Overloaders
When you arrive at the pick-up spot and see a group of passengers that’s one or two too many, politely inform them that you can’t accommodate all of them in your car for their own safety. It’s better to refuse this type of group than to risk having someone injured in case of an accident.
The biggest struggle of being a rideshare driver is having to deal with these types of passengers, and this list is just the tip of the iceberg. However, just like the other challenges involved with being a driver, there are proper ways to deal with these types of customers.
