Hot Take: Is it cool to ask for a 6th-floor pick-up? Either way, no need to drive each other nuts over grey areas in private-hire rides
Last week, a conversation between a private-hire driver and his passenger set off a storm of debate on acceptable behaviour between drivers and their customers.
In the shared screenshot, the passenger requested that the driver drive up to the sixth-floor carpark of their pick-up venue without specifying why.
Then the conversation shifted gears with the driver’s reply: “U handicapped uh?? Go up lvl extra $5 wrong pick up.” The passenger promptly yielded and said they would head down to the pick-up spot.
End of conversation? Not quite.
“Don’t be self entitle,” tacked on the driver. “We r not your personal driver.”
The incident revved up heated responses from the public, which were largely split into two opposing sides: Those who agreed with the driver and found satisfaction in his response, and those who said the passenger was not wrong to ask and that the driver could have worded his reply more politely.
‘SELF-ENTITLED’ REQUEST
It’s clear that many in the first camp of opinion are themselves aggrieved private-hire drivers who have met their fair share of demanding passengers. A few comments pointed out that the driver was simply expressing the voices of his peers.
Passengers these days are only getting more demanding, and their requests are more unreasonable, they griped.
Riders should follow the pick-up rules, they chastised, and stop pushing your luck with overtaxed drivers to go the extra mile for you.
Perhaps they do have a point. After all, there have been several instances of out-of-pocket requests from ride-hailing passengers, such as taking a detour to avoid ERP charges, that have made the news.
Keeping in mind that publicised incidents such as these are likely just the tip of the iceberg, private-hire drivers in Singapore have good reason to be wary of passengers when they demand something out of the ordinary.
‘RUDE’ RESPONSE
Members of the public who sided with the passenger stressed that it was not wrong for the passenger to make an auxiliary request, especially if it was already put forth early on during the booking process.
Not everyone could agree on whether the passenger’s request was overstepping reasonable bounds or not — but even so, many disapproved of the driver’s tone as unnecessarily “rude”.
If he didn’t want to accommodate the request, he could have simply declined firmly but “nicely”, they said.
KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU
When it comes to understanding each other, it seems like the driver and passenger in this incident were on different lanes. So who’s at fault?
On one hand, it’s true that some ride-hailing customers have gotten too used to taking a mile when drivers give them an inch.
But then again, is it fair to let a few rotten apples spoil the entire barrel? In the case of this incident, does the driver’s past experiences with vexing passengers warrant such aggressive treatment of all his future customers?
Private-hire drivers, like any other service providers, are being hired to render a service to customers. And when it comes to customer service, is basic courtesy not one of the most essential things?
However, passengers also need to keep in mind that while private-hire drivers offer us convenience and comfort, they are not at our beck and call.
We are customers on the benefiting end of a purchased service. The onus is on us to head to the pick-up point stated in the booking — because that is the agreement we’ve made in purchasing the service.
Of course, sometimes we need a little extra help from our day-to-day service providers. Perhaps we’re dealing with an injury, or are travelling with a person whose mobility is significantly limited or impaired (an elderly relative, for example).
In such cases, it would be best to explain to the driver, clearly and politely, the need for a special request outside the standard parameters of the booking.
That being said, bear in mind that drivers have the right to decline such requests.
'JUST' BUSINESS?
In response to queries from TODAY, Grab confirmed that customers are automatically charged extra fees for changes in drop-off locations, but not pick-up, as users are unable to change their pick-up locations once they have booked a ride.
Gojek stated that their app allows riders to change their pick-up location even after they’ve been matched with a driver with no additional fees, as long as the new location is within 200 metres from the original pick-up point and before the driver has reached the original pick-up location.
It’s not clear which ride-hailing platform this driver was operating on. However, this incident — like the ongoing debate on whether drivers should help passengers with their luggage — is yet another spotlight on the grey areas that remain in the modern age of ride-hailing services.
What does “customer service” mean when drivers are no longer directly employed by a company? Does it still matter, or has the proliferation of app-based service purchases rendered such exchanges purely “business”, with no room left for human sentiment?
Is it reasonable for drivers to overfocus on the financial benefit in their interactions with customers? Is it acceptable for passengers to put the squeeze on drivers in an attempt to get the most bang for their buck?
Until we have the answers to these questions, this incident drives home the point that politeness is not just free, but priceless.
Either way, it’s probably safe to say that this particular driver won’t be getting five stars.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Amanda Yeap is a senior journalist at TODAY who wishes we could all be a little more empathetic and kinder to one another.
CLARIFICATION: Grab has clarified that for changes in drop-off locations made by the customer after booking a ride, the additional charge is automatically reflected in the app. As for changes in pick-up locations, drivers are not allowed to ask for any additional charges, but they have the right to decline requests if they are unable to fulfill them.
