Driver customer service policy

Ola requires all drivers to maintain a high standard of customer service. Exceptional customer service is essential for achieving a high performance and quality service by drivers. Drivers get only one chance at a first impression so it is very important for you to provide excellent customer service. This will allow you to receive good ratings and the customer to take an Ola ride with you again.

Customer service covers all aspects of your dealings with customers. Here are a few tips and recommendations from Ola on customer service.

Hygiene and cleanliness

• Be neatly attired in casual apparel with clean clothing.
• Pay attention to personal hygiene and grooming standards. Shower daily, brush teeth and hair and use deodorant.
• Do not use spray deodorisers that get in the seat fabric and are passed on to the riders’ clothes.
• Maintain your vehicle so it is free of visible dents and scratches, inside and out.
• Keep your vehicle clean and litter-free, inside and out.

Rider courtesy

• Treat riders with dignity and respect at all times. Be polite and well mannered when greeting riders.
• Accept all riders, regardless of differences in culture, language, religion, accents, gender and speech patterns.
• You should be polite, respectful and well mannered when greeting riders. Even if your day is not going as well as expected, try to keep smiling. You will be amazed at how your good attitude rubs off on riders.
• Manage riders’ items in a safe manner, taking into account manual handling best practices.
• At the start of a ride, check with your rider to see if the music, volume and temperature suit their preferences. As a guideline, try not to play music above your sound system’s mid-level or listen to loud music through any earphone device.
• Respect riders’ privacy and only engage in personal conversation with riders if riders start the conversation. Be mindful of the fact that riders may appear to be friendly but may dislike personal questions.
• Politely confirm your rider’s destination and if you don’t know it, ask the rider more questions. Never guess the destination.
• Do not proactively ask for tips, or additional compensation from the rider. Even if the rider offers you a cash payment for an additional journey, you must refuse this and politely request that the customer adds their additional stop into the Ola app.

More customer service guidelines and recommendations can be found in our Customer Service Policy.

Driving behaviour

• Drive in a safe and professional manner (two hands on the wheel) and comply with road rules.
• Do not take any personal calls while the rider is in the vehicle, except in the event of an emergency or when you are required to navigate to the customer’s destination.
• Do not drive with a vehicle that is not the vehicle you have registered with your account.
• If you have registered multiple vehicles, please be sure to switch the vehicle displayed in the app, to the right vehicle you are driving, in every session. You can find out how to add or switch between vehicles in our FAQS , under the “Managing your Vehicles” section.

Navigational Ability

• Use equipment in your vehicle in a safe and professional manner.
• Do not stop your vehicle for refueling during the journey. All refuels should be done before accepting a trip request or after completing a trip.
• Do not make any personal stops during the journey unless it is for an emergency.
• When using navigational aids like GPS and street directories, always confirm the route with the customer first to avoid any misunderstandings. The customer’s way is always the best way.
• Always strive to reach the pickup point before pickup time. You must notify the rider if you are delayed and inform them of when you expect to reach the pickup point.
• Always ensure that you only pick up and drop off passengers at locations where you are legally allowed to do so – please be guided by road signs in the area and ensure you do not stop in ‘no stopping’, ‘no parking’ and ‘taxi zones’ for any reason. Refer to your local road rules if you need further clarification.
• Drivers can only carry out booked passenger services – this means you must not ply, stand, queue or park for hire on roads, taxi zones, hotel foyers or other road-related areas. Bookings must be made before you stop the vehicle at the place where the passenger is to be picked up.