To enhance the Uber driver application, he takes the road as a driver of Uber.

The Uber pilot product manager is proud of his 96 rides (and no tickets … until now).

Daniel Danker knows they are nothing compared to the thousands of races that some drivers have to their credit. But every runner he drops helps him understand the Uber service – and provides more insight than anything he would get from a feedback survey or second-hand notes.

So, a few times a month, he opens the Uber Driver App and sails around San Francisco for a few hours, taking pbadengers, tricks and chatting with the bikers at the back of his Mazda car. . (He lets them know that he is an employee of Uber and not a regular driver.)

It sounds simple, but there is a lot to take as a driver. Last week, I accompanied Danker for more than an hour. We boarded four different pbadengers on UberX trips and earned $ 24 (not including tips and before expenses such as gas, insurance and maintenance).

The average hourly wage of UberX drivers at home is about $ 13, according to Ridester, a driver-only resource website that takes into account data from lower-paying states like North Carolina. and Texas. Another thing to keep in mind: as Uber drivers are independent contractors, they do not enjoy any benefits, such as health insurance or sick pay.

Yet millions of people have chosen to drive for Uber. On our way, Danker seemed amused when a runner entered his Uber car wearing a Lyft sweatshirt. Another guy was drinking coffee on a park terrace and did not seem to be bored to walk a few feet from the nearby loading area.

I have seen, for each exit, the drivers are bombarded with information such as the name of the rider, the clbadification, the place of care and the type of driving (whether it is a UberX or 'a Uber Pool) and are forced to make a quick decision as to whether to accept or refuse the ride. If you are in a city with the Uber Driver Rewards program, you can also get more information, such as the rider's orientation.

Image: sasha lekach / mashable

Then you have to get the rider to the destination as efficiently as possible, choosing between the Uber map, Google Maps or Waze – while respecting the rules of the road and keeping your eyes on the road. Once the pbadenger has buckled up, you will learn to speak if someone wants to chat, sit in silence or listen to the radio. Danker says that he noticed that people are quite modest when it comes to saying it's hot or cold.

The driver app also includes a heat map showing where you can earn more or are more likely to get a travel request. It also includes a profile of your driver and Uber Eats ratings, as well as your acceptance and cancellation rates.

Last year, after the inauguration of Uber CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi (and hilarious sucking driving), Uber revised its pilot application. So now, it shows more clearly the distribution of your income, including how much you have earned, what the rider has paid and the discount from Uber. Despite all the information, some drivers want to know more. In the UK, a group of pilots claims all Uber data on them and on their journeys.

Here in the United States, the details are quite detailed. Uber showed he lost 32 cents. Drivers here may be earning money, but Uber is still looking for a way to make a profit. Last year he lost $ 1.8 billion. In its IPO earlier this month, Uber's competitor Lyft announced losses of nearly $ 1 billion.

Mr. Danker said the drivers were primarily concerned with revenues and flexibility. He therefore wanted the driver's application and experience to focus on these elements, to make more money efficiently through promotions and quests. "(which are essentially rewarding incentives for activities such as three consecutive runners), or through data reports and targeted experiences indicating the times of day and the places to drive.

After reviewing the driver's data, Mr. Danker stated that the more people drive, the better their driving index improves, probably as they become familiar with the application and the way they work. driving experience. The myths about increased exposure that worsens your rating only hurt drivers, he said. As for Danker, he stays above 4.70.

"I care a lot about my rating," he said.

And that goes both ways – he will not pick the riders having a bad grade since he knows that it's a major red flag and could come back to hurt him.

The application is not perfect – and Danker knows it well. Improvements such as more voice control are starting to make the app less distracting.

Pilots are encouraged to share their comments, which are then forwarded to the pilot team and examined for bugs and patterns. According to Danker, driver forums can also be useful for reporting problems. Although it sounds like a squeaky wheel, others probably have the same grip.

When he talks to other drivers, he says that "instant mutual respect" is occurring, as they realize he was walking in their shoes and that he was in the dark. it was not just a suit that looked at the spreadsheets from above. But drivers often remind him that the amount of time he has spent driving is in no way comparable to that of a driver who depends on Uber to live.

Danker mainly uses its IRL knowledge to modify the application, but it also influences experiments and tests on new or modified features. He had experience with Uber Express Pool at peak times. He has to deal with a forgotten mobile phone at the back. He drove to Halloween. And after each release, he sends the team information about what he has learned.

"I want to go there and get an idea of ​​that," he said.

The typical user of Uber is not very familiar with the separate driver application. Danker had to drive to realize that the way Uber informed drivers about tips was confusing and buried. Now tip notifications arrive at the center of the app as soon as the runner pays.

According to Mr. Danker, the new vice presidents recruited from within the company usually come with him to see how one feels in the front seat and not in the pbadenger seat. This is how most people interact with the service. (Competitor Uber, Lyft, offers a similar program for executives.) You see things differently when you have to have a car inspected in an Uber hub or find a place to go to the bathroom for eight hours, or for how long 2 minutes may feel while waiting for a pbadenger.

A big delivery: the pilots really work for the runners, not for Uber. It is the riders who overturn and affect the driver ratings. Uber society feels like a distant presence.

One thing Danker has not yet experienced: vomiting. There is always more to learn.