Summary: In the world of ridesharing, drivers are often faced with a critical decision: to accept or reject a ride request. Some drivers maintain a 100% acceptance rate, accepting every ride request they receive. This raises an intriguing question: Does maintaining a 100% acceptance rate indicate that a driver is "brainwashed" by platform incentives or operational norms, or is it a strategic choice?
The Psychology of a 100% Acceptance Rate
According to a Social Behavior & Personality Journal study by Qiuyun Guo (2024)
" continuous algorithmic monitoring of gig workers and limited flexibility to deviate from instructions have been perceived as a threat to gig workers" (para, 2).This pressure can create a psychological environment where drivers feel they have no choice but to accept all ride requests, regardless of personal choice or inconvenience.
- Gig workers who experience algorithmic control as a hindrance may feel pressured to conform to the rules and hide their true feelings (facades of conformity).
- This pressure to conform can negatively impact gig workers' well-being
Guo, Q. (2024).
You could be driving on the interstate or making a turn, and a ride pops up, and you may want to quickly accept because there is traffic on the road or congestion. There is an auto-accept feature that many drivers use to keep moving without distractions.
While auto-accept might be an option for some drivers, for others, it may not be the best route.
Economic Implications of Accepting All Rides
From an economic standpoint, accepting every ride is an excellent strategy to maximize earnings. However, not all rides are equally profitable. Factors such as distance to the pickup location, likelihood of securing a return trip, and rider behavior can all affect the overall profitability of a ride.
This suggests a strategic approach to selecting rides could be more economically beneficial than a blanket acceptance of trips. Most drivers are going to accept only the best trips.
From my experience driving Uber, I usually ended up in a surge zone, so I didn't think about being picky. It all depends on your market and what works best; if you earn an income as a private driver, this isn't an issue.
Operational Efficiency and Driver Satisfaction
Maintaining a 100% acceptance rate can also impact operational efficiency and driver satisfaction. By accepting all ride requests, drivers may frequently find themselves in less optimal conditions, such as being sent to remote or unsafe areas, dealing with difficult passengers, or enduring unprofitable routes.
The pressure to accept the ride is there, and as I brought out in a previous article, moving the goalpost is part of why many people decide to keep a high acceptance rate. At any given moment, a change could occur, and you are looking at not getting access to specific trips for a low acceptance rate.
Granted, plenty of videos recommend not having a high acceptance rate, but what happens when the goal post is moved or a policy has changed?
According to DoorDash:
There is currently no minimum requirement; however, there is an incentive to get to top dasher status where you can "Dash Now." So, while the policy states one thing, dashers are seeing different outcomes depending on who you ask. Dash now means you can dash anytime you want, so that suggests waiting for the next scheduled shift (Dasher Ratings Explained, n.d.).
The keyword that I heard was "door dash is constantly changing their algorithm" in this video (Moore Driven, 2024)
If you are comfortable changing the algorithm, Doordash may be your app. It may not be a stable sign for some drivers but to each their own.
I remember more incentives before the COVID-19 pandemic, but they slowly disappeared. The key is what is happening in your market and if it makes sense.
The ideal situation is where you don't have to make your entire income from the gig economy (not financial advice). An article that evaluates the job quality of work in the remote gig economy in Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa revealed the following data on gig workers (Wood et al., 2019).
The chart below shows about 39% of respondents do not use the gig economy for primary work.
"Only 39% of gig workers age 35-54 say their gig money is their primary income, and just over a quarter, 27%, of gig workers age 55+ have a gig job to provide their primary income. Over half of African-American gig economy employees, 55%, say that their gig economy job is their primary source of income." (Edison Research Poll)
The data from the United States, According to Edison Research Poll:
Here is a bar chart to visualize the data further:
Conclusion
The decision to maintain a 100% acceptance rate is complex and influenced by various factors, including policies, economic incentives, and personal work style. While it might not be accurate to label these drivers as ""Brainwashed,""there is undoubtedly a significant degree of influence exerted by rideshare companies that can sway driver behavior. Drivers must weigh the benefits of potential rewards against the realities of operational challenges and personal satisfaction.
A more balanced approach to accepting rides might improve drivers' earnings and enhance their overall job satisfaction and safety.
References
Woo. AJ, Graham M, Lehdonvirta V, Hjorth I. Good Gig, Bad Gig: Autonomy and Algorithmic Control in the Global Gig Economy. Work Employ Soc. 2019 Feb;33(1):56-75. doi: 10.1177/0950017018785616. Epub 2018 Aug 8. PMID: 30886460; PMCID: PMC6380453.
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