From rude riders to spilled drinks, this former Uber driver is helping others navigate the job

As more people take up side hustles working as rideshare and food delivery drivers, the owner of a new downtown London office is attempting to support them face-to-face.

Momen Aghber is the general manager of Uber Business Hub, an office located at 344 Richmond St., where local Uber drivers can receive free advice on how to use the platform and deal with common customer issues. 

“[Drivers] see Uber as a faceless company, where if we need some kind of support then we need to call the support line. Sometimes it’s AI that replies to you and you don’t get real answers,” he said.

Aghber, a former rideshare driver who now manages a 20-vehicle Uber fleet, said he will sit down with drivers to fill out registration paperwork, answer any questions about using the app and provide one-on-one training about customer service skills. 

“Uber gives good service [but] how will it be the best in the world if the driver doesn’t have any training?” said Uber driver Basen Al Sabe. “It’s not training for driving the car, but how to make relations, how to fix the problem, how to figure things out.” 

There are more than 7,500 registered Uber and Lyft drivers in London, according to data from the city in April. That’s one rideshare driver for every 60 people in a city of 450,000.

Al Sabe said in his five months as a driver, he has encountered several customer issues that he wishes he had more support navigating. Some of these included passengers leaving food crumbs and spilled drinks in the car, asking to make unscheduled stops or putting in the wrong address.

One common problem in London, Al Sabe said, is people forgetting their phones at home or in bars. Turning around for the passenger is an inconvenience, he said, but it often feels like there’s no other choice. 

“We have two options. The first option is that I help the rider. The other option is the rider will complain about me to Uber,” said Al Sabe.

An Uber spokesperson told CBC News the company is not affiliated with the London Uber Business Hub, and that sharing account information with third-party services can increase risk of fraud and account takeovers.

Uber provides 24/7 in-app support to help drivers with questions or issues they encounter such as account issues, trip-related questions or fare reviews, the company said in a statement to CBC News.

Uber also said it has an agreement with UFCW Canada, the country's largest private sector union, allowing the union to represent drivers at their request if issues arise such as account deactivation or account dispute issues, for no cost to the drivers and delivery people.

However, Aghber said there’s not enough specific or personal training for Uber drivers to navigate the realities of the job.

“[Drivers] think of it as an easy side-hustle. We just download the app and go with it. They don’t know the things behind it and what you need to operate this business,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s a business.”