Last month, I wrote about my friend’s plummeting rating after using Uber few times in Brazil (read more here) and I noted that this is not uncommon occurrence, unfortunately, in many countries.
This week Whine Wednesday deals with couple of other Uber related issues; drivers demanding extra cash payment in order to pick up (reader mentioned on the previous piece) and probe for the destination before decide whether to cancel the ride or not.
1. Extra Cash Payment
Reader noted on the piece I wrote last month about issues using the service in Bali. I have used the service along with Grab and Blue Bird (local taxi company that has their own app too) on the island.
Sebastian was recently there and the driver had demanded extra cash after accepting the ride before picking up. You can report these after the fact even if you agree at the time with the driver.
2. Drivers Messaging Using The App Asking For Your Destination
This is usually a bad sign. If the driver doesn’t like your destination, he/she usually asks you to cancel or cancels by him/herself.
And something that has never previously happened to me:
3. Driver Cancels The Trip At The Pick Up Because Doesn’t Like The Destination
This happened to me for the first time when trying to get to the airport in New Delhi. Uber driver didn’t want to go to the airport from DoubleTree Gurgaon as he only wanted rides to/from the immediate area. This wasted 25 minutes of my time.
Conclusion
Uber needs to be really careful here. Nobody wants them to turn another cab company with less than stellar drivers that only want to “screw” riders.
It shouldn’t take more than 10 years before we have driverless Uber vehicles roaming on the streets that you just summon on your app. These are already being tested in some US cities, although manned with Uber employees that can take over the control of the car if needed.
I like Uber a lot and it really has made using cab services around the world much easier.
“Nobody wants them to turn another cab company with less than stellar drivers that only want to “screw” riders.”
Well brother that’s what they are in numerous countries, especially Brazil in my experience. And honestly if you read carefully through their proposals for driverless cars, they’ll wind up screwing many of their own drivers in the USA, who in turn were previously screwed out of their taxi jobs and then joined Uber for lesser wages.
Ain’t that a kicker.
And people wonder why I rent so many cars.
I’ve never had a problem with Uber.
To be fair, I have had fewer issues with Uber than with regular taxis. But I still prefer to take the wheel myself and not be reliant on anyone else.
I think a lot of this depends on how much a car is needed. I’m on a trip now, and plan to be in my hotel for all but one outside meeting. The transaction time for getting my Ubers is maybe 5 minutes coming and going.
With a rental, I have to shuttle to the agency, wait in line, deal with the agent, figure out the car if I’m unfamiliar with it, then reverse the process returning to the airport.
Uber is a lot cheaper than renting a car when I factor in parking at the hotel. And I’m helping a hard working entrepreneur make a living, which is frosting on the cake.
I guess that’s a fair point. Parking in city centre locations can be difficult and expensive, so Uber makes a lot of sense if you’re on a business trip, staying in one place or commuting short distances.
My trips, however, are all purely for leisure and I tend to move around a fair bit, so Uber and cab fares rack up quickly and can be difficult at out of town locations.
Horses for courses, I guess.
After backlash from drivers, Uber has now swung the other way and is becoming customer unfriendly: I had one driver not end drive and continue for miles on my clock, which you can see on the map – yet Uber customer service said nothing is wrong with that…
In some countries, the driver ratings no longer show in the app and poor drivers appear to continue on the platform…
The more taxi-like problems and scams there are on Uber, the less likely I am to use them. Thankfully, there are more and more alternatives…
What country/city was your neverending trip?
San Francisco, CA, USA!
It was a good fare, he drove a fee miles, than stopped for 15min, maybe waiting for fare or getting food, who knows…
…but Lyft is available, too, so you have choices…
This was a big problem at KL airport this year, where in previous years was never an issue. Uber drivers can wait here for hours in a queue till they get a pick up so you would think they would be keen. On last trip driver phoned (somehow) to ask where we were going, and how we were going to pay, then said he was stuck in a traffic jam – from the map i could see he was actually in a car park. After 20 mins called him, and he said he was stuck because someone had blocked him in. Had to cancel the trip and start again, the next driver showed up, but again, wanted payment in cash. This is due to Uber taking a chunky percentage of the fare off the driver when paying through the app. Also know of a KL resident who used Uber and the driver tried to drop them off to another car so he could (somehow) take another fare.
Same thing just happened to me an hour ago!!! KLIA is just the worst place to hail an UBER!!
In the last three years I had one, single truly unpleasant experience with Uber and please rest assured I have escalated it and got a truly significant coupon toward the next ride. Unfortunately it happened in my hometown NYC.
In the countries where there is no tip option with card payment, I do tip in cash. I guess everything in life is circumstantial but kindness and politeness are pretty reciprocal things, especially in such a person to person service.
Maybe there is no option to tip in the app in some countries because… you’re culturally not expected or even supposed to tip!
Of course, you think that since you tip anyone in NYC, you should do that as well in any other place, right? You are supposed to check what the local tipping culture is like (and if there is any at all).
Absolutely Ricardo. But the only country I do not tip at all is Japan where I lived years ago. I live in NYC but I’m 0th generation American;) Still, when I travel I do tip if I *appreciate* any service. It’s true, here in NYC, we tip more or less 20% which is considered very generous for European standards.