Tips help say “thanks.” And with rideshare drivers, there’s a lot to be thankful for — whether it’s whisking you to your flight in the middle of the night or getting the objective relationship advice you might just need to hear.

But some drivers just rake in more tips than others — one even spilled about a tip that was $120. Here are the secrets of the top-tipped drivers on Lyft's platform.

“I can tell in the first five or ten seconds if a rider wants to talk. One-word responses and looking down means they don’t. But if they are engaged, I like to chat the entire ride.” — Todd Scepaniak, Aberdeen, South Dakota 

“Let me put it this way: It’s like being a DJ. You have to read the crowd to know what music has to play — you have to read the signs. The first few questions will tell you a lot.

“After I accept a ride, I also check the rating of the person. If it’s a lower rating, I see it as a challenge to be extra accommodating. I often end up with a tip.” — Paul Casamayor, San Antonio, Texas

“I try to anticipate what kind of music they want to listen to based on their profile picture or what bar they are going to. If I’m going to a rock-and-roll bar, I’ll play classic rock. If I’m picking someone up from a farm, I’ll have country music playing.” — Todd

“When my rides are going to Disneyland, I’ll put on a Disney song that has no words so you can still talk to them. The first thing I hear from them every time is ‘Oh my God, you’re playing Disney music!’ 

“I also pay attention to what they are wearing, because they often come dressed as their favorite character: If I see they have Mermaid ears, I will play every song from The Little Mermaid.” — Manny Campos, Orange County, California

“My first question is ‘Hey, is the temperature in the car OK?’ Normally it is, but sometimes they’ll go, ‘Oh my God, thank you for asking.’ Then I give the approximate time of arrival.”  — Paul

“If I pick people up at the airport, I ask about the weather. ‘Where are you visiting from and how cold is it?’ Or if they’re wearing a jersey, boom, I’ll ask them about the game. You just need to make it personalized.

“It’s kind of like being a bartender. They want to tell a story, and they want to hear your story. I’m ex-Navy, and I keep my hat on the dashboard so they can see where I was, what ship I was on. You’d be surprised how often people want to talk about that.” — Tim Comes, Brookings, South Dakota

“I may not be fully into what’s going on. For instance, they might start talking about Pokémon. I know nothing about Pokémon. But you just have to ask the right questions: ‘How did you get involved?’ And soon enough, they are sharing about themselves. They start handing out Pokémon cards.” — Manny

“From the moment you pick up someone from the airport, you need to know your city. Even locals might not know about a new restaurant. So I have information about every restaurant downtown. Information is you giving them money without giving them money, you know? That leads to tips.” — Paul

“We get a lot of hunters and fishermen up here. And I can talk about hunting all day with these people, tell them where the locals go and where to find birds. We build a good rapport from that.” — Todd

“If you know your city, know your routes, you can always avoid traffic. Obviously, I always ask them if I can change the route because I know a faster way. It’s important for their own security — and it’s good for tips.” — Paul

“I have a business mindset. So when I went into rideshare, I developed a strategy. I started researching businesses, airports, the convention centers, and driving in that area to get a feel for what customer it drew and when. I also started keeping a spreadsheet and selecting what days not to work based on tips — for me, it turned out that Fridays were not so good. Everyone was in such a hurry to get to their dinner plans, they often forgot to tip. So I stopped driving on Fridays.” — Manny

“I’ll drive from 3 p.m. till 3 a.m. on weekends to get the bar rush. A lot of times, I’m the only car out there — which riders can see in their app. They tip because they are so grateful to not be stranded. 

“I also keep track of who I drop off throughout the night. If I go to the country club, that’s a ten-minute drive out of town. I’ll make sure to stay on so I can bring them back.” — Todd

“I don’t go out if my car is not clean. A clean car creates this immediate confidence for your passenger. It says, ‘This guy is taking transportation seriously.’

“The key is floor mats. They are the first to get dirty. Especially if people are eating. So I always check them out after I finish the ride.” — Paul 

“I always have it smelling like a new car in there. I invested in electric air fresheners that can sense when someone is in the car. Customers are always complimenting them.” — Todd

“I keep charging cables in the backseat. It really makes a difference. People feel taken care of, especially after a night out.” — Tim

“Another thing I do is provide free water. It works perfectly when you pick someone up from the airport, or downtown, where water is sold for $5 a bottle. Water at a time like that can change your day.” — Paul

“I picked up one girl from a bar after her boyfriend left her. She was so mad, she tipped me $120.” — Tim

“I once drove a mother who was visiting her daughter in rehab to a store out of the way. Normally, I don’t leave the area, but when she opened up about what was going on, I was happy to. I said, ‘I’m all ears if you need to talk.’ We talked a while, and I opened up with a similar story in my family. By the end of the ride, she tipped me over $100. I tried to protest, but she had already walked away!” — Manny

“I get a lot of truckers from out of town who are heading to pick up a truck from the giant parking lot where they are all stored. I could just drop them off and let them find it on their own, but I don’t. I drive them around, looking to see if any numbers match. I’ve been stuck there for an hour trying to find a truck. But they tip really well after that.” — Tim