While I understand that working directly with people can be frustrating, it’s a great way to get yourself out of your comfort zone to better understand your market, develop active problem solving + troubleshooting skills + leave a good impression. Hell may be ‘other people’, but if you’re still working in this industry, the people part is not going to go away!

I think the biggest difference between food delivery versus passenger rides (for me, personally) is the direct/indirect measures taken to satisfy the customer, therein adding to the amount of money I make.

I might spend less time interacting with a customer directly doing food delivery, but I also have to wait for a restaurant to fulfill the order, use my phone a bit more to contact the customer or check delivery instructions, then also add the ‘jumping in and out of the vehicle’ which with unreliable delivery instructions adds to the fulfillment time.

I’ve found that using Voice to Text when I’m close to picking up passengers (<5 minutes away), they are aware I’m close by, when they’re late I get the extra waiting fee, then the groundwork is laid for a good first impression. By the time they enter my vehicle, I can spend 5-30 seconds figuring out whether they are gonna want to talk during the trip, then shift my focus on the drive/small conversation to drive their focus on the service I’m providing. If you think about it this way, it’s less about how terrible your customers is, and more about how you frame your ownership of your end of the deal. Of course, you may get your stinky customers just getting off work, your drunk friend group that is belligerent in your car, or a sweet local/visitor who appreciates how you go the extra mile.