Whether it’s your main source of income or a side gig, driving for Uber is a lucrative business with many benefits. However, having a car and a driving license isn’t enough to successfully work for Uber in North East London. From facing heavy traffic situations to handling diverse passenger demands, you have to put a lot of work into your business to make it work.

G&M Direct Hire is a PCO car hire company in London that offers Uber-ready rental cars to drivers. So we asked our partnered Uber drivers to share some helpful insights and tips. Keep reading to find out.

Keep Your Vehicle in Great Condition

No matter how low maintenance your car is, keeping it in good condition—inside and out—is important to keep your customers happy. Even if you offer great services and drive carefully, an unclean car can leave a bad impression on your passengers and affect your rating.

Regular car washes and maintenance retain the shine and sharpness of vehicles, leaving a great first impression on your customers. And a clean, odour-free interior will keep them comfortable throughout the ride.

If you’re using a rental car for Uber, you don’t necessarily have to take the car for regular washes or servicing because your PCO car hire company will do that. However, make sure to scan the car after every ride for trash that passengers usually leave. Also, keep a good car freshener to eliminate any odour.

Invest in the Right Gear

According to proficient Uber drivers, investing in the right gear can go a long way towards a smooth experience. One of the essential gear is a phone mount. No ride-share vehicle is complete with a phone mount. It helps you keep your hands on the wheel and focus on the road while using the phone when needed.

Your work depends entirely on your phone, so make sure you don’t run out of battery between rides. Get an in-car phone charger to keep your phone running at all times.

Another gear that ride-share drivers suggest is a dash-cam. It may seem redundant or expensive to some drivers, but it can save you a lot of hassle. A dash cam helps you get out of messy situations with passengers and refute any false claims they make. In addition, if there’s an accident, you can use its footage to claim insurance or prove your innocence.

Claim Tax Deductions

If you’re using your own car for Uber, you can claim many tax deductions to reduce your expenses. For example, the gear mentioned above is tax deductible, so you don’t have to worry about paying tax on USB cables/chargers, phone mounts, or dashcams. In addition, you can deduct other common expenses such as:

• Tolls and parking charges
• Car cleaning
• Accountant fees
• Car purchase or lease payments
• Uber service and commission charges
• Snacks for passengers
• Business Cell Phones
• Vehicle and public liability, etc.
• Music apps
• Car floor mats

If you want to claim all the deductible expenses successfully, make sure you keep track of your vehicle expenses. Even if you don’t like record keeping, many apps can do it for you.

Don’t Rely Entirely on GPS

While GPS has made finding any location much quicker, sometimes navigational apps can lead you astray. Every experienced Uber driver would suggest learning about the area—no app can beat the old-fashioned way of navigating the streets. For example, if you mostly drive your Uber in West London, learn all the shortcuts, street names, and other navigational information. With good geographical knowledge, you can choose the most effective route to your destination and avoid any busy roads.

Also read: What GPS is Best for PHV Drivers

Don’t Drive Aimlessly

There would be days when you won’t get back-to-back rides and have to wait a while before getting your next gig. While waiting, avoid driving aimlessly around town to save fuel. Park your car somewhere, take a break, listen to a podcast, or perhaps catch up on reading. If you’re driving a PCO electric car, put it on a charge while you wait.

Know About the Public Bathrooms

While familiarising yourself with the area, don’t forget to check where all the public bathrooms are. This will help not only you but also your occasional long-distance passengers. Find places with free parking, such as grocery stores, restaurants, cafés, etc.  

Those passengers who are travelling to a faraway destination might need to make a pit stop. Telling them about the nearest public bathroom will get you good reviews.

Connect with Your Fellow Drivers

Don’t think of other Uber drivers as your competition; they can also be your allies. Building a community with other drivers will help you with job-related problems and give you a sense of belongingness. You can find these communities on social media or navigational apps like Waze. It’s useful for all PCO drivers in London as it keeps them connected over the app. They share live updates to help each other select the most efficient route and learn about any critical incident or situation.

You can also join Facebook groups to read tips, current issues, etc., or just vent to feel better.

Make the Most of Referral Bonuses

Uber offers incentives to those who bring new drivers. You can send referral invites to your contact list directly from the app. Once your referred driver completes a certain number of trips, you’ll get a bonus. Sending this invite to your friends and family can help you make the most of this bonus.

Also, if you haven’t started your Uber journey, you can grab a referral code from an existing driver to get sign-up rewards.

Help Your Passengers

Being kind and courteous always goes a long way in both professional and personal life. When you see passengers struggling with heavy suitcases or fussy kids, make sure you offer a helping hand to ease them. Not all drivers do this. In fact, most drivers get annoyed when they have to wait a few minutes because of their passengers. You can stand out from the rest, and your customers may offer a generous tip for your helpful behaviour. Besides tips getting good reviews from passengers increases your chances of attracting new ones.

Know about the Congestion Charge Zones

When riding in central London, you have to pay a congestion charge of £15 every day after entering certain zones. Make sure you know about the Congestion Charge zones to avoid accidentally driving into them. However, you don’t have to worry about these charges if you ride an EV because there’s no congestion charge for electric cars in London (only until 2025).

Recommended Read: The Complete Guide to Uber Surge 

Don’t Forget the Music

Playing good music in your car can turn any ride into a comfortable and memorable experience. Not all your passengers will have a good day, but a song can soothe their sorrows. Some of the safest options are classical songs (or pop music if you’re riding with Gen-Z). Be prepared to change the songs according to your passenger’s preferences. You can also connect music apps like Spotify to enhance the experience of your passengers or let them play their music with an aux cord for a five-star rating.

Keep Snacks in Your Car

Having snacks in your car can make any passenger happy. Sometimes you may not reach the pick-up location on time or face any other trouble with a customer; this is where some good snacks will come in handy.

You may also come across stressed or exhausted passengers, and they will appreciate a snack like candies, gum, etc. If you don’t want to deal with crumbs or wrappers, you can offer other amenities like extra phone chargers or bottled water.

Think Before You Speak

While having friendly conversations with your passengers is a good idea to keep them comfortable, make sure you only stick to safe conversation topics. Some passengers are already afraid of getting in a car with a stranger, i.e., you, so always read the room before speaking.

If you feel that your passenger is working, wants to nap, or just doesn’t seem interested in a chat, it’s better to avoid it. On the other hand, those who seem chatty, go ahead and have a nice conversation with them. Don’t talk about things like religion or politics because it can offend them, and they might give you a low rating.

Also Read: 2024 Uber Requirements for PCO Drivers

Ask Your Passengers about the Route

Although Uber and navigational apps will tell you about the destination, asking your customers about the route can be a nice gesture. Also, getting things straight before the ride can save you a lot of hassle because sometimes apps may not tell you the right destination.

Rent a PCO Car for Uber from G&M Direct Hire

We offer a wide range of well-maintained uber-ready cars for rent in London. You can choose any vehicle that you want via our affordable rental package. We also support all our PCO drivers and take care of car maintenance so their business doesn’t have to suffer.

Whether you’re looking for an electric rental car or a luxury car in South East London, we can help you with all your requirements. Check out our PCO rental cars or contact us for details.