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Well put. I'm sure that, at the end of the day, many NYC Uber customers were happy to pay more for the certainty of knowing that they would get where they want
by URSpider94 14y ago
Well put. I'm sure that, at the end of the day, many NYC Uber customers were happy to pay more for the certainty of knowing that they would get where they wanted to go in the days after the storm. Isn't that what Uber is about in the first place?
Nonetheless, our cultural norm in the US is strongly against "price gouging" during emergencies, which means, I suppose, that merchants should continue charging pre-disaster prices for gasoline, plywood, generators, and car service, and that the lucky customers who get there first get served, while the rest suffer.
The author's suggestions on ways to thread this particular needle are why even lean start-ups need a good marketing lead.
- colmvp 14y agoI know I'm going to sound like a broken record but I really appreciate what Airbnb and some of their hosts did during this time. Airbnb waived transaction fees while some hosts (encouraged by the company itself) significantly dropped their rates so that people in areas affected by the Hurricane could find an affordable place to stay. Both the company and hosts could've easily taken advantage of the situation and jacked up their rates. But they didn't.
- flyinRyan 14y agoThey didn't do this out of the goodness of their own hearts (well, they might have but why would we assume that?). It's great PR. Just book the lost revenue under advertising expense. Not everyone can do that though, for some emergencies for you are emergencies for them too and raise their prices.