Uber sent me the feedback email today, and since I had some time to kill on the john, this long love letter happened. On a scale of 1-10, I selected 2 as pretty unlikely to suggest Uber driving to friends and family.
Suggestions for improvement? *Ahem*
Stop fighting with competitors by lowering rates. The market isn't large enough to sustain a rate battle, and its time to fully understand your business model. If a driver only takes trips under 2-4 miles, within a 4-6 miles radius, then by merit, you could reasonably expect to "make more," because you'd be able to turn over several rides in an hour within a very small operating area. Less dead time between trips would increase the number of fares, and the stacked ride feature would pay off. But if you take into account that most markets aren't the Bay Area, NYC, or greater L. A., many drivers hang out near city center, but provide a great deal of rides to the suburbs. This trips cut down considerably the amount of rides that can accepted per hour, and with most per mile rates around $1, and per minute around $0.14, most trips aren't actually profitable to the driver. This also decreases the amount of money Uber can collect per fare.
Create an algorithm that rewards drivers with ratings above a 4.85 with a decreased Uber fee percentage, and first ping for any rider that rated them a 5 star. In the same vein, reward riders that maintain a 4.8 or higher with automatic pairing to the closest driver, or a badge that reflects their high rating on the ride accept screen, so that they get accepted faster.
Increase the barriers to entry. Part of what made Uber great was a decently priced ride in a nice car with someone who was from the area. Create a system that retains good drivers, and stop trying to be McD, with a car for every rider. People don't have to have it right now to appreciate the service, so long as wait times aren't ridiculous. A dispatched taxi still takes 30-45 minutes in my small city, whereas most Uber drivers are within 15-20 minutes max.
Create a geofence algorithm setting for drivers, so that anything outside their preferred area (i.e. downtown on a busy Friday night) pays mileage plus pickup fee, paid directly to the driver. Dead miles are exacerbating, and will be a concern for car life, regardless of having a driver operator or computer.
Allow a tip to be added to 5 star rated rides ONLY. If a driver knows that they must perform at a high level to "unlock" a tip option, then service will increase exponentially because of the expectation. Riders should be informed of the change, and the relationship between driver and rider becomes a less hostile environment, as tipping can only become an expectation IF a driver only receives 5 star ratings.
Treat drivers like partners. Roll out features that allow us to do our best, and encourage us to go above and beyond. Cutting rates and oversaturating a market that is randomly controlled does not exude confidence in your "partner." Market saturation only sustains when the user base has exponential growth, and that is not the case with your rider base. It will stagnate as the driver pool becomes more unstable, and corners are cut to veil underlying issues.
By understanding the culture that has been created, and shaping a more conducive narrative is the best way to right the ship. A few tweaks would increase both company profit and driver payouts. Bolster the relationship between drivers and riders, and reclaim confidence in this service.
Too much? Too transparent? Too informative?
Suggestions for improvement? *Ahem*
Stop fighting with competitors by lowering rates. The market isn't large enough to sustain a rate battle, and its time to fully understand your business model. If a driver only takes trips under 2-4 miles, within a 4-6 miles radius, then by merit, you could reasonably expect to "make more," because you'd be able to turn over several rides in an hour within a very small operating area. Less dead time between trips would increase the number of fares, and the stacked ride feature would pay off. But if you take into account that most markets aren't the Bay Area, NYC, or greater L. A., many drivers hang out near city center, but provide a great deal of rides to the suburbs. This trips cut down considerably the amount of rides that can accepted per hour, and with most per mile rates around $1, and per minute around $0.14, most trips aren't actually profitable to the driver. This also decreases the amount of money Uber can collect per fare.
Create an algorithm that rewards drivers with ratings above a 4.85 with a decreased Uber fee percentage, and first ping for any rider that rated them a 5 star. In the same vein, reward riders that maintain a 4.8 or higher with automatic pairing to the closest driver, or a badge that reflects their high rating on the ride accept screen, so that they get accepted faster.
Increase the barriers to entry. Part of what made Uber great was a decently priced ride in a nice car with someone who was from the area. Create a system that retains good drivers, and stop trying to be McD, with a car for every rider. People don't have to have it right now to appreciate the service, so long as wait times aren't ridiculous. A dispatched taxi still takes 30-45 minutes in my small city, whereas most Uber drivers are within 15-20 minutes max.
Create a geofence algorithm setting for drivers, so that anything outside their preferred area (i.e. downtown on a busy Friday night) pays mileage plus pickup fee, paid directly to the driver. Dead miles are exacerbating, and will be a concern for car life, regardless of having a driver operator or computer.
Allow a tip to be added to 5 star rated rides ONLY. If a driver knows that they must perform at a high level to "unlock" a tip option, then service will increase exponentially because of the expectation. Riders should be informed of the change, and the relationship between driver and rider becomes a less hostile environment, as tipping can only become an expectation IF a driver only receives 5 star ratings.
Treat drivers like partners. Roll out features that allow us to do our best, and encourage us to go above and beyond. Cutting rates and oversaturating a market that is randomly controlled does not exude confidence in your "partner." Market saturation only sustains when the user base has exponential growth, and that is not the case with your rider base. It will stagnate as the driver pool becomes more unstable, and corners are cut to veil underlying issues.
By understanding the culture that has been created, and shaping a more conducive narrative is the best way to right the ship. A few tweaks would increase both company profit and driver payouts. Bolster the relationship between drivers and riders, and reclaim confidence in this service.
Too much? Too transparent? Too informative?