I like to think I'm a nice person but my Uber rating tells a different story

I like to think of myself as a nice person, so I was devastated to discover I have a terrible Uber rating.

Just like Airbnb and Amazon, one of the key features of the ride sharing service is its rating system which allows passengers to rate drivers out of five stars.

My low Uber rating came as a shock. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

As a passenger it gives me a certain degree of comfort when stepping into a random vehicle to be assured by the Uber app that my driver has a high star rating.

I can't remember ever having a driver with a star rating of anything less than high four stars and that's not surprising as Uber expects its drivers to generally achieve a rating of five stars with anything lower a cause for concern.

But it turns out while I have been diligently bestowing five star ratings on my drivers (with the exception of that one driver who managed to get lost on the freeway on the way to Melbourne Airport), the accolades have not been reciprocal.

Uber drivers also rate their passengers and if you swipe right on your Uber app it is now possible to discover what your passenger rating is.

I confidently swiped and discovered a crushing Uber rating of 4.23 stars.

At first I tried to console myself that 4.23 stars wasn't that bad, after all the rating system is out of 5 stars.

However I quickly realised that every friend, family member and colleague that I confided in about my Uber rating had ratings of somewhere between 4.8 stars and a perfect 5 stars.

"I've never seen an Uber rating as low as yours," my friend who works at Uber (unhelpfully) said.

"What did you do?" asked another. "Oh my goodness, did you vomit in an Uber?".

For the record, I have never vomited in an Uber.

The problem is that I don't actually know what I have done.

I've cancelled a few Ubers in my time when they were taking too long to come, but always in plenty of time, and sometimes I talk on my phone or send emails instead of talking to the driver but I felt my Uber sins were relatively small in the scheme of things.

There was no way of discovering what caused my terrible Uber rating but it appeared I was stuck with it and my rating was starting to impact my life.

"I'm a nice person," I said to my husband, seeking reassurance. "Don't you think?".

"Yes I do," said my husband somewhat gleefully. "But it seems on an objective anonymous rating system you are not."

My low Uber rating didn't just affect my self-worth it was also limiting my ability to get a ride.

It seemed to take longer and longer for an Uber driver to accept my booking request.

A driver confirmed my worst suspicions.

"I nearly wasn't going to pick you up," he said. "Your rating is very low, but you seem like a nice girl."

Rachel Botsman is the author of Who can you trust?

The problem I had encountered is becoming increasingly common in our digital world and is outlined by author and speaker Rachel Botsman, in her book, Who can you trust?.

"Conventions of how trust is built, managed, lost and repaired – in brands, leaders, and entire systems are being turned upside down," she says. "Technology is creating new mechanisms that are enabling us to trust unknown people, companies and ideas."

Botsman says reputation is going to become a currency more powerful than our credit scores in the real world.

With my currency shot, I had no choice but to begin an Uber charm offensive.

I now race out the door for each booking, never letting my driver have to wait even a minute for me, I greet them warmly and make small talk finishing by thanking them profusely for the ride.

I never cancel, waiting doggedly for my Uber as empty taxis whizz past.

I'm even seriously considering bringing little bottles of water and mints to my drivers in an attempt to curry favour.

Ever so slowly, my Uber rating is recovering.

It's been an interesting lesson in how quickly an online reputation can be lost and how difficult it is to regain.

I've inched my way up to a 4.36 star rating over the last few months, still embarrassingly low, but at least giving me hope that one day my Uber shame will be over.

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