Key strategies to help riders earn and save more

Business owners know that riders are the backbone of their operations, whether they’re delivering goods or transporting people. But what’s rarely talked about is how difficult it is to attain and retain not only good customers, but good riders as well.

Riders take up the job for two main reasons: flexible hours and additional income. 

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With that in mind, any business relying on a fleet of riders needs to implement strategies that support these motivations while also fostering long-term loyalty and satisfaction among their riders.

Here are some tips for creating a supportive rider environment that helps them earn and save more.
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Map out high-demand areas

Any business that relies on riders—whether for deliveries, field services, or logistics—will find that being strategically positioned greatly boosts productivity.

This can be achieved by doubling down on high-demand areas such as office parks, schools, and shopping malls, especially during weekends or rush hour. For a more sophisticated approach, look at heatmaps or simple pin-drop tracking on digital maps (like Google Maps for example). This can be a low-cost way to visualize rider demand and optimize deployment.
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Automatically accept jobs

Many ride-hailing and delivery apps such as Grab come with an “Auto Accept” feature that lets riders take jobs without having to manually tap each time. This allows requests to be accepted even while a job is in process, minimizing downtime. 
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Avoid traffic

While “Avoid traffic” sounds like incredibly obvious advice for riders, it’s always easier said than done.

According to Lalamove, riders should always be sure to use the most updated versions of navigation apps such as Google Maps and Waze. These apps offer real-time traffic updates and suggest faster alternate routes, helping riders save time and avoid congested areas.

It also pays to be aware that ‘rush hour’ is no longer restricted to just one hour. Traffic patterns have become more unpredictable, with congestion often stretching across several hours in the morning and late afternoon, notably between 7AM-10AM and 5PM-8PM according to Lalamove.
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Don’t forget customer service!

Offering great customer service is always a must, even if the link to maximizing earnings for riders isn’t immediate. Yet over time, it can lead to higher tips, better ratings, repeat customers, and even priority access to more jobs.

Advise riders to be on the lookout for common issues such as delivery delays, incorrect items, or lack of updates. Although these issues may not necessarily be the fault of the riders themselves, it’s best to teach them how to deal with irate customers regardless. 

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Focus on four key steps to de-escalating any situation. First, tell riders to stay calm and identify the problem. Then be sure to (respectfully) communicate any potential solutions to the problem. For example, delayed deliveries can be explained with an update to the customer, along with an estimated new arrival time––and even a redirection to the proper customer support channels could work.

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Finally, end by always thanking the customer. Though it’s a small gesture, it can go a long way in making a rider someone’s perfect courier.

At eTap Solutions, it’s understood that empowering riders is one of the best ways to run a business. To that end, eTap’s self-service payment kiosks offer riders the option to top-up to major e-wallets like GCash and PayMaya, on top of in-app wallets at a number of rider partners. Finally, eTap machines can be found where riders will naturally find themselves anyway, like pharmacies, grocery stores, and bake shops.

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Want to know how eTap Solutions helps businesses give the best for their riders? Contact the official eTap Solutions page on LinkedIn or Joe at joe@etapinc.com for more!

Article by Pancho Dizon
Graphic by Brennan Cahilig

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