Uber makes it harder to give drivers bad ratings

Ask any Uber driver for their biggest gripes and ratings will very likely be near the top of list. Now, Uber is trying to address some of its drivers' biggest complaints about ratings.

The company introduced four updates to driver ratings that will make it more difficult for riders to give drivers poor ratings and make the process easier to understand for both.

On the driver side, the biggest change is that Uber passengers will no longer be able to give drivers four stars or less without explaining why they're doing so. The change will go into effect "starting soon," according to Uber.

The change is meant to address one common complaint with drivers that don't know why their rating went down or what they should be doing better.

Likewise, some Uber passengers don't understand that anything less than a perfect five stars is considered "bad" under Uber's rating system, as it brings a driver's total average down. Now, with the new changes, Uber will introduce an in-app scale that defines what each star means.

Uber will also start taking into account when a bad rating may not actually be deserved. If a rider frequently hands out ratings that are four stars or less, then the company will throw them out so they no longer count towards a driver's average. The company will also discount bad ratings on account of factors like traffic of GPS complaints.

Finally, the Uber app will start prompting users to provide ratings and reviews after each trip — something that's been buried in the app in more recent updates.

These updates are the latest move in the company's pledge to do more to keep its drivers happy. Beginning with tipping earlier this year, Uber has steadily rolled out driver-focused updates meant to address common complaints and concerns. Other changes have included making it easier to decline rides and UberPool improvements.

Ratings, however, have long been a sore spot for many drivers whose ability to work depends on maintaining a certain rating. Now, Uber is hoping these changes will go a long way toward fixing some of the biggest issues.