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I felt I got burned by Uber the first time I used them during Hurricane Sandy when I was charged a hefty fee because of their dynamic pricing. I gave them anoth
by kyro 14y ago
I felt I got burned by Uber the first time I used them during Hurricane Sandy when I was charged a hefty fee because of their dynamic pricing. I gave them another try a month back and now find myself using the service no fewer than 5 times a week. It literally eliminates every thing I hate about calling a cab. I love it now and almost rely on it at times.
I make sure to ask every single new driver about their experience with Uber and I have heard positive things across the board, save for a few minor complaints (usually about how the cut drivers get aren't that much higher than what they'd get at a traditional cab company). Most say they love it, many say they make extra cash using it on their off-times, and some say they have entire fleets running on Uber. Overall, from my experience, the drivers love and rely on it too.
I think the secret to their success is that they've simplified and streamlined the process elegantly for both drivers and passengers. A few taps and I'm on my way without worry of if I'll even get a cab (although, to be fair, it is at times difficult to find Uber cabs in Brooklyn), and whether I brought cash/credit. But what's really interesting is how they've seemed to simplify the process just enough for drivers. They tell me that everything is provided for them, down to the dashboard mount for the included iPhone. The software itself is simple enough to work and isn't wrought with rules and requirements, and that let's drivers find their own way to make the most out of the software in ways I'm sure the creators didn't expect. For example, one driver actually ended my trip early while I was still in the car, meaning I got charged less, because he didn't want to miss any potential pickups waiting for him at my destination, which I thought was a clever trick.
My point is that Uber is providing a service that both drivers and passengers seem to universally love. No one, as to my knowledge, is getting screwed for the benefit of another. That's why all these lawsuits seem like desperate attempts to take down a company whose service they know is better on all fronts.
- gavinlynch 14y agoI've had the exact same interactions with Taxi drivers. Half of them are completely unprompted by myself, and the driver will bring up Uber and ask me if I like it. Our discussion is always about the benefits of Uber, and invariably after we exchange thoughts about how great it is, and how everybody loves it, one of us brings up, "Everyone, that is, except the dispatchers and Taxi companies". The drivers know, the customers know that this is changing the industry, many of the old models are being cast aside, and the only way some of the old guard can attempt to combat this is via lawsuits. Predictable, if sad. (note: I took an Uber cab to work today :p)
- sqs 14y agoYes, I've also gotten universally positive feedback from all of the Uber drivers I've talked to (Uber Taxi, UberX, and Uber Black in SF). Whenever I take non-Uber cabs, I ask about Uber, and the response is also usually positive. Some of them say they have already applied to Uber and are waiting to hear back. The one negative thing about Uber that I've heard is from a non-Uber cab driver who said that Uber is bad because it cannot be anonymous. He then told me about all of the people he has driven who are committing crimes and marital infidelity, which are not the best examples to use. To be fair, I can think of much better examples where anonymity is valuable. I am a HUGE Uber fan and regular user, but he did make a good point about the loss of an anonymous travel option for those who need it.
- eridius 14y agoUnless Uber manages to actually kill off the taxi industry, which seems extremely unlikely, then the anonymous travel option has not been lost.
- ShabbyDoo 14y agoYour driver sounds quite clever and profit optimizing. I had thought a couple of weeks ago about whether Uber should somehow allow drivers to specify destinations for more efficient routing. As a customer, what do I care of the guy 1/4 mile away has to drop someone off before picking me up, especially if the next alternative is a mile away? This was not an original thought on my part as I once worked on scheduling software for a large truck fleet, and we had implemented a similar feature.