Dear Uber: YOUR ACCEPTANCE RATE PROBLEM EXPLAINED The biggest issue is that the offers you’re sending drivers are too low. You quote your own external expenses without accounting for—or even acknowledging—driver expenses, including vehicle purchase, depreciation, maintenance, fuel, operating expenses, car washes, etc. You also refuse to listen to drivers and won’t provide basic preference settings that would help solve your AR challenges. Allowing drivers to set their preferences for each shift would dramatically reduce declines because you’d stop sending offers they will automatically reject. Some examples: - Area/location - Ride types (UberX, Comfort, Shared, etc.) - Airport on/off - Maximum trip length - Minimum passenger rating (finally fixed!) - No stops - Minimum rate/fare These are basic settings independent contractors should be allowed to choose. I often do short shifts (1–2 hours) in the suburbs between other commitments. Without area preferences, I’m forced to decline 80% of the offers you send me—all going downtown. This wastes my time, causes longer wait times for riders, and increases systemwide inefficiency. Allowing me to stay in-area lets you send offers I can’t take to drivers who can, saving time and inconvenience for everyone. It also lets you know which areas to incentivize. For instance, if 80% of drivers have “airport rides” set to OFF, you know you need to add an incentive there. The inverse is also true. There are times when I’m working on multiple apps. I may be one or two deliveries away from a large bonus but still open to high-paying ride offers. Letting me set a minimum rate for that period may mean I see few or no offers—but it gives you the option to know you have a driver in the area who will accept at a particular rate. Instead of games, bells and whistles, hocus-pocus, and trickery—give the independent contractors working on your platform real choice. Stop punishing drivers for choosing what makes sense for their business. Or start paying our SSI, FICA taxes and offering benefits, vacation, 401(k), etc., because we are really employees if you deny us these choices. Provide real preference options and watch your AR problem dramatically improve.