A. How do we verify the performance quality of a specific driver?
Welcome Pickups pays much attention to having a high-quality driver fleet in each destination.
The driver performance quality is monitored in the following ways:
Via the driver leaderboard metrics (review score, acceptance rate, reliability rate, extra rides/experiences).
Via the flagging system
B. What is the flagging system and how does it work?
The flagging system is basically a quality control process that is applied by the Support team in order to measure and maintain the performance of the driver fleet at a high level.
When an incident with a transfer or sightseeing ride happens, the Support team will investigate the case thoroughly and will decide to issue a flag based on the severity of the incident.
C. What are the different types of flags a Welcome driver can receive?
1. Black flags: This flag is issued for the most severe type of incidents (zero-tolerance)
The Support team can issue a Black flag for the following reasons:
Personalized, sarcastic, ironic, and disrespectful comments towards Welcome employees or fellow Welcome drivers
Comments on a person’s nationality, race, sex, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, political views, appearance
Exhibiting any kind of violent behavior toward ANY person
Operating a Welcome transfer while under the influence of alcohol or narcotic substances, or smoking while driving
Privately offering and booking a service with a Welcome Traveler, when that service is offered by Welcome, without booking it via Welcome and its tools
Directly asking Welcome Travelers for additional fees outside of Welcome processes
Using names, images, logos, and distinctive features representing our Company and its products/services, WELCOME, WELCOME PICKUPS other than for the sole purpose of executing transfers provided by the Company
If you receive one black flag from Welcome it will subsequently mean the termination of your relationship with the company.
2. Purple flags: This flag is issued when a driver scores very low on one of the leaderboard metrics.
The Support team can issue a Purple flag for the following specific reasons:
The Driver has a Reliability Rate of 48 out of 60 or less.
The driver has an Acceptance rate of 24 out of 60 or less.
The driver has a Rating (Review score) of 4,49 or less over the last 60 reviews received
The driver has sent a non-welcome driver for a transfer without consulting Welcome and/or the traveler.
If you receive one purple flag this may lead to a long suspension period from the Welcome app. If you receive a second purple flag within the last 60 days, you may be offboarded from the Welcome app indefinitely.
In the following articles, more info can be found on how to improve the above metrics:
3. Red flags: This flag is issued for a major incident that happened with a transfer.
The Support team can issue a Red flag for the following reasons:
The driver didn't go to the pickup location at all as he forgot about the transfer or overslept.
The driver is late due to bad scheduling (accepting 2 transfers too close to each other) and the customer is not willing to wait.
The transfer has a flight delay and the driver didn't go to the pickup location at the new delayed arrival time.
The driver is late due to heavy traffic or an accident on the road and the customer is not willing to wait.
The driver claims to have been at the pickup location on time but didn't use the driver app at all or used the driver app incorrectly (no GPS pins, GPS pins show that driver was not on time, GPS pins show that driver was not at the correct pickup location or GPS pins show that driver didn't wait the full complimentary waiting time).
The driver removed a transfer under 3 hours before the pickup time without suggesting another driver.
The driver removed a transfer under 3 hours before the pickup time because he reached the limit of reassignments for that day and no other driver managed to accept it from the broadcast on time (see Strict Removal policy article that explains this process in detail).
The driver removed a transfer at any given moment without suggesting another driver and the transfer ended up being canceled.
The driver arrived with a delay of more than 15 minutes but the transfer was operated.
The driver didn't bring a baby seat (or the correct type of baby seat) for the transfer.
The driver's car was dirty, smelly, or in poor technical condition (no working A/C, damaged interior or exterior,...)
In the case of a red flag and based on your previous performance, you will receive a suspension period. If you receive a second red flag within the last 60 days, you may be offboarded from the Welcome app indefinitely.
MONETARY PENALTIES FOR RED FLAGS
“Not providing a Baby Seat” - The driver didn't bring a baby seat (or the correct type of baby seat) for the transfer. If this happens, 50% of the driver’s cut for this transfer will be deducted from the driver’s future payment, and the driver’s account will also be suspended for 3 days.
“Excessive driver lateness” - The driver arrived with a delay of more than 15 minutes but the transfer was operated. If this occurs, 50% of the driver’s cut for this transfer will be deducted from the driver’s future payment.
“Driver No-Show” - The traveler left after not being able to find the driver at the meeting point at the pickup time or no driver was ever-present. If this happens, 50% of the potential driver’s cut for this transfer will be deducted from the driver’s future payment
The above monetary penalties will take effect from April 25th, 2023. This will affect all destinations at once.
"Removal of a transfer under 3 hours before the pickup time without suggesting another driver" - in case the driver removes a transfer from his schedule without finding a replacement and the transfer ends up being saved by another driver, the Support team will issue a monetary penalty of 10 euro (in case the transfer's driver cut is more than 30 euro) or 5 euro (in case the transfer's driver cut is less than 30 euro).
Please note that in case you received one of the first 3 monetary penalty red flags that are mentioned above and you have any additional information related to it that you want to share with our team, you can send information to Customer support within 7 calendar days after a flag was issued, and we’ll look into it.
In the following articles, more info can be found on how to avoid the above incidents from happening:
4. Yellow Flags: This flag is issued for a major incident that happened with a transfer.
The Support team can issue a Yellow flag for the following reasons:
The driver removed a transfer between 8 and 3 hours before the pickup time without suggesting another driver.
The driver removed a transfer between 8 and 3 hours before the pickup time because he reached the limit of reassignments for that day and no other driver managed to accept it from the broadcast on time (see Strict Removal policy article that explains this process in detail).
The driver didn't drop the customer off at the correct location.
The driver was less than 15 minutes late for the transfer but the transfer was operated.
The driver was driving dangerously and/or at a high speed
The driver didn't use the driver app at all for the transfer or the driver didn't use the driver app correctly.
The driver didn't hand out bottles of water to the travelers.
The driver didn't hold the Welcome board when meeting the customer.
The driver didn't have the sanitizing gel and hand wipes available in the car.
The driver didn't provide an invoice to the customer at the end of the ride.
The driver wrote a message in the Whatsapp group that is not related to the reassignment of a transfer.
The Driver contacted the Support Emergency line without having a real emergency
(currently being with a customer and not being able to resolve an issue)
The driver was not picking up multiple call attempts by the support throughout the day (this is accompanied in some cases by a 24-hour suspension)
If you receive one yellow flag, the penalty will be minor and connected to a retraining program from Welcome. If you keep on receiving a big number of yellow flags, that might lead to the termination of the relationship between the two parties.
5. Grey Flags: This type of flag will be issued when multiple violations of the same type occur and will trigger a 10-day suspension.
A grey flag should be issued once:
A driver received a purple flag shortly after being retrained for an incident that led to the issuance of the same type of flag
20% of a driver’s transfers have been reported by travelers and the reporting leads to the issuance of yellow flags
5% or more of a driver’s most recent transfers were flagged with a red flag
In the following articles, more info can be found on how to avoid the above incidents from happening: