One of the great things about working rideshare and living the gig life is that you never run out of stories. Every day brings a new conversation, a new situation, or a new lesson about dealing with people.
One situation that comes up from time to time is when passengers ask for recommendations.
“Where should I eat?”
“What’s the best coffee shop around here?”
“What should I see while I’m in town?”
If it’s an area I know well, I’m happy to share recommendations based on places I’ve actually visited. Those suggestions come from personal experience, not something I read online or heard from someone else.
But once we get into areas I don’t regularly work, I’m honest.
I’m not a tour guide. I’m a transportation facilitator.
There’s a big difference.
Just because I know how to get around an area doesn’t mean I know which restaurant has the best food, which hotel has the best service, or which attraction is worth spending your time and money on. Giving recommendations about places I’ve never experienced myself isn’t helping the passenger—it’s guessing. And if that recommendation turns out to be a bad one, I’ve attached my credibility to something I never actually knew.
Sometimes the best answer is simply, “I don’t know.”
That honesty builds more trust than pretending to have an answer for everything.
Recently, I had a passenger take it a step further.
They wanted me to take them on a tour of a local college before heading to the airport.
Now, I know where the college is. I know the general area, and I’ve driven around it many times. But that’s very different from being qualified to give someone a campus tour.
More importantly, they had a flight to catch.
The college is in a different section of town, and adding an unplanned sightseeing trip means dealing with additional traffic, campus congestion, construction, pedestrians, and then making the return trip back toward the airport.
That’s a risk I don’t want to take.
If we hit unexpected traffic and they miss their flight, who’s going to get blamed?
Too often, it’s the driver.
The reality is that I accepted the ride to take the passenger to the airport—not to become a tour guide, vacation planner, or sightseeing chauffeur. Once there’s a fixed deadline like a flight, train, cruise departure, or important appointment, every extra stop increases the chance that something goes wrong.
That’s why I believe in staying within the scope of the job.
If you want a campus tour, schedule a campus tour.
If you want to explore the city, book a sightseeing tour or hire a private driver specifically for that purpose.
If you need a ride to the airport, my focus is getting you there safely, efficiently, and with enough time to make your flight.
Knowing where something is doesn’t automatically make someone an expert on it. More importantly, trying to be everything to every passenger can create unnecessary risks for everyone involved.
Sometimes the most professional thing a driver can say is, “I’m sorry, but that’s outside the scope of this trip.”
Being honest about what you know—and what you don’t—isn’t bad customer service.
It’s good judgment.
Fun, profitable, and safe.