5 Ways To Be More Welcoming (and make your customers feel safe)

Dress nicely
I know you are thinking, I do dress nice. You wouldn’t believe how many people work in gym shorts or sweat pants. The way you dress is often your first impression. If you dress sloppy, you will be perceived as sloppy. If you dress nicely (nice shorts, or pants and a collar or stylish shirt) your trust level will go up.

Choose a well-lit place to park
You do not always have control over this, but when you do, park under the light or next to the alley instead of in the alley. Weigh the pros and cons to safety and the distance your customer has to walk.

Get out of your car to greet them
Again, you don’t always have control over this, but when you do, get out of the car to greet them. Open the door if you can. This gives your customer the chance to see that you aren’t shady, read your body language and feel welcome in your car.

Smile!
This one is free. Smile when you see them, smile when you talk to them, and smile when you say goodbye. This requires conscious effort to make it a habit. So write it on the back of your hand, put a reminder on your visor or always look into your rear view mirror before getting out of the car… and smile.

Avoid the personal (and sometimes creepy) conversation
Let your customer drive the conversation. Sharing unsolicited personal stories or asking personal questions makes people feel uneasy. Read the situation and figure out what your customer values. If it happens to be conversation, let them keep the conversation alive. They are more likely to leave your car with a positive feeling.

Stay Tuned for next week… We will talk about ways we Uber drivers can keep safe.