One of the greatest things about driving with holoholo drivers is meeting people from all over the world. All kinds of passengers from different backgrounds use holoholo, and mostly provide wonderful experiences for drivers. However, unfortunately negative interactions do happen, and we want to prepare our drivers with the best ways to navigate those situations.
You’ll learn about:
- De-escalation techniques
- Cancelling Rides
How to deal with problem passengers
The majority of rides will go exactly as planned and will actually be fairly uneventful. But unexpected rides do happen, and you should be ready to deal with those situations.
When passions flare up it can be difficult to deal with unruly passengers, and often we choose the least effective methods. When this happens you need to try to de-escalate the situations.
De-escalate Tips
Communication – Be aware of your tone, body language, & word choice. This includes even your personal appearance or the first impression you make.
Triggering Event – Triggering events, whether they are fear or frustration based, can cause a person to become combative. Your awareness of what’s triggering them can help you take better actions to defuse the situation.
The CAIRO Method – The CAIRO Method is conflict management and stands for Calm, Assertive, Informing behavior, Reflect/redirect, and Opening behavior. This system emphasizes keeping calm and asking questions that give passengers a platform to address their feelings.
Learn more about the CAIRO method
If you’re ever in an unexpected passenger situation, you should:
- Understand that each rider is different
- Approach any situation with respect
- Try to make them feel as comfortable as possible
No matter what happens during your ride, keep in mind that you are in control.
Remember, you can always:
- Cancel a ride
- Ask your passenger to get out of the car
When to Cancel a Ride
Odds are that you’ll never need to cancel a ride, but sometimes it’s the safest option available. And it can be comforting just knowing that the option is there. If you feel unsafe or if a passenger becomes belligerent, you may cancel the ride at any time.
Times to Cancel a Ride
Cancellations are here for when things don’t go as planned, like emergency or safety concerns, such as:
- When a passengers makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable
- When a passenger is an unaccompanied minor (17 & under)
- A passenger is traveling with a child without a passenger seat
- There are not enough seat belts for the entire party (Suggest using holoholo XL or SpeediShuttle)
- You are unable to safely pick up the rider
- Personal emergencies
It’s important to note that cancelling too many rides can put your status as a holoholo driver at risk. Choose wisely.
Times NOT to cancel
- Passengers have a service animal or wheelchair with them
- Passengers are going somewhere outside your planned route or is inconvenient to get to.
What to Do After a Bad Ride
If an unexpected moment happens during a trip, take some time to collect yourself before your next ride. Take a deep breath and think about what just happened so you can get safely back on the road with confidence.
After a problem ride consider:
- Taking a break: have a cup of coffee or stretch your legs
- Contact Driver Support for additional help