Uber and Lyft drivers work hard to deliver a valuable service. But too few of them adopt a rather simple principle of customer service: When it’s very hot, turn on the damned air conditioning.
I understand if I sound like one of those jerk customers, but that’s the result of sitting in a car for a summer journey in Washington, D.C. As customer service oriented businesses, Uber and Lyft should be doing far more to encourage drivers to employ air conditioning. It’s a concern for two reasons.
First, because too many drivers prefer not to turn on their air conditioning at all. This is normally fine in light traffic as wind via open windows will substitute effectively for air conditioning. But in heavy traffic, it’s a killer. The second problem arises in those drivers who are reluctant to turn up their air conditioning as needed. My most regular experience is that of a driver who resentfully turns the air conditioning to a low setting when asked.
This is not to say all drivers act this way. I find a striking correspondence between those drivers who have clean cars and a professional demeanor and excellent air conditioning service. Sadly, there are too few of them.
Yes, I recognize that the margins in Uber-Lyft driving are narrow, and that drivers have many incentives to maximize earnings on each ride. But I persist in the contention that riders should not be expected to sit in an encroaching mist of avoidable sweat.
Again, drivers don’t deserve all the blame. I also recognize that ride-sharing firms struggle themselves in operating in legal environments defined by Big Union patrons like New York City mayor and Democratic presidential aspirant, Bill de Blasio. But Uber and Lyft could treat their drivers better and bump their fares to account for the increased fuel needs on hot days. They could also reward drivers who provide excellent customer service and air conditioning abundance.
Air conditioning should be an implied expectation of contract the moment a driver accepts a fare on a very hot day.
