[kirykl]

It's weird because in a way they should be the same company because they share the driver pool. But the experience is different I think it's a positive feedback loop because drivers expect a happier and more engaging customer with Lyft. And Lyft offers in app tips.

[abawany]

Customer responsiveness by the parent company is a big factor too, IMO. I was a user of both Uber and Lyft with a mild preference for the former. One day, for some reason, their credit card system was declining my specified card and there was no way available to contact them to get this fixed. I fired up the Lyft app and was on my way shortly. I have used Lyft's Twitter channel when I have had issues and their response was swift, courteous, and effective.

Plus in the Central Texas area, all of the drivers that I have used who work for both TNCs indicate that Lyft treats them better than Uber.

[icebraining]

When was your experience? At least nowadays there's https://help.uber.com, [e-mail] and @Uber_Support. I've used the first regarding a promo that didn't work for my ride, and they refunded it fairly quickly.

[abawany]

It was last summer. In-app, there appeared no obvious way to contact them to get status on the payment problem. Changing cards did not work either, which lead me to the conclusion that the payment processing was at fault especially since the same card was working fine for Lyft.

I uninstalled the app shortly after and exclusively use Lyft now.

[dwg]

I avoid using Lyft specifically because it has tips. Lack of tips is one of the best things about Uber.

[kirykl]

Drivers aren't aware of the tip until the next day and only have a time reference for it, so there's no pressure to tip

[dwg]

Didn't know that; thank you for pointing it out. If you have to have tips, that’s a good way to handle it.

Nonetheless I prefer doing away with tips for other reasons:

* It’s just one more thing I have to decide, and I’m tired of doing it. I don’t even do a good job. I often tip people based on completely irrelevant things.

* Tips don’t lead to better/friendlier service. Taxi drivers regularly get well over 20% tips but I’ve had very few good experiences in a taxi. Rather, they just expect a tip and get quite made if you leave a small one.

* Tipping is gamed by service workers who learn what to do to get bigger tips and then focus on those things. Other aspects of service are often neglected.

* In Japan service is far superior to America in all the ways I care about, but tipping is virtually nonexistent. Having spent time there, I just can’t get behind tipping.

[ipsi]

I think Gett (a Black Cab app I use in London) improves upon tipping somewhat as well - your choices are 0%, 5%, 10%, or 12%. That's it. No giving a 20% tip (or a 100% tip because you were drunk-typing or whatever).

I've always just set it to the maximum tip amount, because I figured (a) It's not that much, and (b) it would result in me getting better ratings, though after what GP said, maybe they have no idea how much I tipped :-/

[ams6110]

Maybe the tips are why Lyft drivers are perceived as "nicer"

[dwg]

"perceived" being the key word?

[habosa]

It's totally a positive feedback loop. It's like Southwest airlines. They've got the same planes as everyone else and I am sure their staff has experience working for the airlines we hate. But because as a customer I think of them as nicer I treat them nicer and everyone is happier.

I know my Lyft drivers likely drive for Uber too but in an Uber I don't expect a friendly driver so I never give them a chance. In a Lyft I try to strike up a conversaion and often enjoy it.