The Stanley Cup finals were filled with excitement, as the Washington Capitals went on to win the Cup. An epic series with dominance shown by the Capital’s superstars, hockey has a lot that it can teach Uber drivers about driving for rideshare companies.
1. Major Events Lead to Major Earnings
Driver earnings soar when there are major events in a city. If you have a Taylor Swift concert or a playoff game in your area, you need to be out driving. Fares are higher. Fans often only need a short ride to the hotel.
It’s a great time to earn extra money.
Uber even paid for the metro station to stay open an hour later for Washington fans during Game 6 of their series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. A major promotion move, the event helped drivers earn more money and was leveraged as a way for Uber to market their business.
2. Take Advantage of the Other Team’s (Driver’s) Mistakes
We actually took this tip from air hockey players. Sometimes, you have to take advantage of other driver’s mistakes. If you find passengers complaining in your area about drivers that are rude, won’t change the radio station or don’t provide water for their passengers, learn from these mistakes and capitalize on them.
Just like in hockey, if another player misses the puck or looks the other way, you need to capitalize on their mistakes.
Take those rides no one else wants to take. Hustle your way to higher earnings.
3. Violations Can Hurt Your Earnings
Violations in hockey can be illegal hits, taking performance-enhancing drugs, elbowing or even embellishment. For an Uber driver, this can mean speeding, driving the wrong way or driving recklessly.
Your fines might not be as hefty as in the NHL, but you’ll still face tickets and possible license suspension.
Ryan Getzlaf had to pay $10,000 for inappropriate remarks to an official. Your penalty might be monetary, or it could be the result of a bad rating from your passenger.
In either case, your earnings will be negatively impacted – not a good thing for an Uber driver trying to pay their bills.
4. Sometimes, to Win, You Have to Join the Other Team
Marc-Andre Fleury played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and despite his great success with the team, he was chosen by the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft. He changed his team, just like many Uber drivers chose to leave to drive for Lyft, and he found great success.
He might not have won the Stanley Cup this year, but he was able to bring the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup finals.
A major success for any team, and even greater success for a team that played their first season this year.
When your earnings are drying up at Uber, you need a switch teams or else you start losing your patience for driving. Sometimes, all you need is a change to get yourself back on track. Drive for other rideshare companies, test out the competition and see what works best for your success.
