Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Why Complain About Uber When They Are Doing Their Best!
Written by JC
If you’ve never hear about the Uber on-demand car service before, I’ll let you into a little secret. This company makes being able to get from A to B as easy as possible. No more waiting for buses that don’t turn up on time, heading down into less than savory subway stations or standing in the rain trying to hail a taxi that speeds by leaving a trail of wet spray in its path.
In recent years the Uber on-demand car service has gone high tech like a lot of other companies, and it’s now even easier to get a ride wherever you are, and whatever time of day it is.
How Uber Works
The first thing you need to do is pay a visit to their website and sign-up for an account. This couldn’t be easier and once done, you can download the app to your mobile device. Incidentally, if you think you need to reach for your wallet at this stage, thing again! This app is available for free from Google Play Store, the Apple App Store and BlackBerry App World.
When you’re ready to use the service, there are several different types of taxi you can opt for and these include, black car, UberX, SUV, LUX and of course your everyday taxi. However, do bear in mind it depends on what city you’re in so you may not get all the options.
Once you’ve selected the type of car you want, simply enter your location and the app will do the rest. Using GPS detection, Uber will find the nearest driver to your location and you don’t have to worry about staring at your phone because they will send you a text when your ride is on its way.
Pricing
Uber couldn’t be more transparent about the way they fix the pricing. If you know your destination, you can easily get a quote for the cab ride before you even book anything. You also don’t need
to worry about having cash with you. All the taxi drivers or companies who are signed up with Uber pay what you might call a subscription so they can be listed.
to worry about having cash with you. All the taxi drivers or companies who are signed up with Uber pay what you might call a subscription so they can be listed.
When you’ve arrived at your chosen destination, no money changes hands between you and the cab driver because your credit card will automatically be charged by Uber and they’ll even send you a receipt.
Complaints
The last main “party night” we had in the US was New Years Eve, and I’m sure many of you are still thinking back to the day after! It was reported in Business Insider that many customers (new and old) decided to use the Uber on-demand car service because New Years Eve is one night when it can be near impossible to get a cab.
However, the complaints that followed on Twitter and various other social networks the next day were rife! People complained about having to pay anywhere from $190 to $400 for a taxi ride that was only a few miles. Right now, you might be thinking these customers had every right to complain but there is one thing everyone missed!
This is the fact that you could still get a quote for your cab ride just like you do any other night of the year, and it seems that some people were, shall we say, a little “too happy” so they forgot about this tiny detail or didn’t care at the time.
In Uber’s Defense
When major holidays arrive in the US, Uber knows there will be a shortage of cabs (anyone who didn’t use their service on New Year’s Eve will tell you how hard it can be to get a ride last minute). What Uber do is operate something called “surge pricing”.
What this means is you WILL pay more than you would normally but it also means Uber can make sure there are enough cabs available for everyone. This also means cabbies that are registered with Uber are likely to work rather than join the party because they can earn more money. Add all this together and what do you get? More taxis on the road!
Whilst Uber did take to Twitter and sent out a huge apology to all its customers over the complaints levied on New Year’s Eve, I think this was testament to the fact this company offers nothing more than a decent, safe and for the most part fairly priced service.
Whilst Uber did take to Twitter and sent out a huge apology to all its customers over the complaints levied on New Year’s Eve, I think this was testament to the fact this company offers nothing more than a decent, safe and for the most part fairly priced service.
If you still think surge pricing is an unfair method of getting people to pay more at peak taxi times, then you might want to ponder the fact that Uber will NOT let you book a car unless you agree to the price you’ve been quoted and that you accept it’s due to the surge pricing system!
Overall
Personally, for me, Uber is a great idea. Think about it this way. You’re a woman alone at night in a big city you don’t know. There isn’t a cab in sight and you’re not happy about using the subway. All you need to do is wait somewhere that’s very public while you book a cab using your mobile device.
You’re collected by a trustworthy professional who delivers you to your door without any trouble, and you don’t have to worry about carrying cash. What could be better than that!
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Uber is a great idea, what worries me is a heavy financial involvement from google
ReplyDeleteI strongly suspect, we might be witnessing birth of 800 pound gorilla in
personal transportation industry, which in 10 years might be in control of most of
the market, or at least that better part of it.
Rest of taxi operators will be forced to cater to local drunks, crack heads, hookers
or people who in general live on fringes of society.