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Anyone use Uber? Thoughts, experiences, feedback?

Discussion in 'General Discussions' started by Borla, Dec 28, 2015.

  1. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    Does anyone here regularly use Uber?

    Has anyone used it occasionally?

    If so, what are your thoughts as a customer? I'm assuming no one here has driven for Uber, or tried to (if I'm wrong, please feel free to share your experiences)?

    Anyone have thoughts in general on the service, it's impact on more traditional transportation methods, or feasibility?



    For the first time we have used Uber several times while on a trip. Three out of the four rides were simple, pain free, and enjoyable. I definitely think I'll continue to use it on occasions when we are in major cities.

    Once there is more feedback (assuming anyone has ANY thoughts :p ) I'll share a more detailed post concerning that fourth ride that didn't fit into the 'pain free and enjoyable' category. ;)
     
  2. Japchae

    Japchae Very Tilted

    We've had nothing but good luck. Even on the 4th of July, with three rides in each direction, and surge pricing and we only spent $30 the whole night. Totally worth it the drivers are way nicer. Cabs here are Hella expensive... The cab ride to the pub would be $22 to 28 depending on time of day. Uber is $8. I sometimes tip a few extra bucks if I have cash and if the driver is super cool. We did have some chick that was stoned out of her mind once, but we were only going a few miles. Hubs uses Uber in Chicago regularly when traveling for work. And when he was on San Francisco. Only a few drivers have been pushy about getting a 5 star rating from him. I've never had the problem. I also like being able to get a screen shot of the driver's face, license plate, name, etc. and send it to my husband when I'm en route. I'm sorry for the union cab drivers in some cities, but I can't afford to cab it.
     
  3. Fraeia

    Fraeia Getting Tilted

    Location:
    Newfoundland
    This summer used Uber to get from downtown Toronto to the airport super early in the morning, with a first timer $20 off coupon, and everything was fine. Since I live in Newfoundland and we don't get fancy shit like Uber, I haven't used it since.

    My sister uses Uber frequently. Just today she flew back to Ottawa, and after a couple delayed flights (and a damaged bag) she requested an Uber to pick her up at arrivals. Awhile later the driver called her from the departures area and asked if she could meet him there instead of at arrivals, even though she had a lot of baggage and it would be WAY easier for him to just come around to arrivals (he asked because of disputes with the taxis in that area, we think). After she said no he just hung up and logged the call as a no show on her part. When she tried a different driver the prices had spiked but the second driver had no issues picking her up at arrivals. She wasn't very happy with the experience.
     
  4. redravin

    redravin Cynical Optimist Donor

    Location:
    North
    I'll just leave this here.

     
    • Like Like x 1
  5. martian

    martian Server Monkey Staff Member

    Location:
    Mars
    Cracked is in their glass house, throwing terrible stones...

    But I don't think they're wrong, exactly. The problem with Uber is the whole accountability thing. The idea that literally anyone can sign up is at odds with the idea of ensuring all drivers are responsible, well-intentioned people. I don't think it's fixable in the current model.

    Consider this recent Reddit thread about an Uber passenger whose driver crashed during the ride, reportedly while trying to drift. Assuming you actually believe anything posted on Reddit that's pretty fucking terrifying. It's also only scratching the surface.

    Now, you might argue that these types of things can happen in traditional cabs as well. That's not untrue, but the difference is that traditional cab drivers have to undergo a traditional hiring process; as pointed out in the Cracked video above, the hiring process for Uber consists of watching a video and clicking "I agree." Traditional cab companies also have corporate insurance and a vested interest in keeping their customers happy, which means they're more likely to follow up on complaints, will vet their drivers more thoroughly, and can actually be held responsible if shit does go wrong. Uber, so far as I'm aware, has little to none of any of that.
     
    Last edited: Dec 29, 2015
  6. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    My understanding is that, if a driver's rating drops below 4.6 out of 5.0, they are warned. If their rating continues to drop, they are deactivated as an Uber driver. If there is any serious complaint filed (for unsafe driving, or even things as simple as extreme rudeness) Uber will deactivate you immediately. If you get a low rating, you can take Uber training and get a second chance. If you get a serious complaint, they usually will never reactivate you.


    Fired from Uber: Why drivers get deactivated, and how to get reactivated | RideSharingDriver


    I also know from experience that they follow up on even minor complaints, as described below.

    The bad ride:

    Uber said he was 3 minutes away. I could see him 3-4 blocks away on the map. It took him 8-9 minutes to get to us (and it was raining out) after he took several wrong turns and went out of his way by several blocks. Then he couldn't get his GPS on his phone to work, so he pulled over, stopped, and tried 3-4 times but it wouldn't let him enter an address. So he asked me to put it into my phone and me give him turn by turn directions because he couldn't hear my phone from the backseat to the front. Then he kept either forgetting or not paying attention and asking again and again when his next turn was, or repeating back the wrong thing.

    So I rated him 3-stars instead of 5 and left a comment about having to use my GPS and him not being equipped with one that worked. Within a minute or two I got an email from Uber saying that the driver screwed up when he picked us up. He hit "start ride" then immediately hit "end ride" a few seconds later, so Uber wasn't calculating anything for the ride. So they said that the $5 I'd been charged got refunded due to this error. Another few minutes later I get a second email from Uber. It apologized for the issue with the GPS, then it referenced the email I had gotten a few minutes earlier stating that my money had already been refunded anyway, so they hoped that was satisfactory (it was). I'm pretty sure it wasn't a form email, because it specifically referenced the other email instead of just being a "Sorry for the issue" type thing.

    On one hand I felt bad for the guy a little bit (thus 3-stars instead of 1 or 2). He wasn't rude or unsafe, he was just incompetent IMO. But on the other hand I feel that any ratings-based service should be given accurate feedback to assist both the company and future customers.


    Any one have opinions as to what they would've done in a similar situation?
     
  7. ASU2003

    ASU2003 Very Tilted

    Location:
    Where ever I roam
    It is one thing if it is a once and a while thing for someone to do if they have a car and are going someplace. But, I think the problem happens in those cities like NYC, Paris, and Key West where it is a small area, and you have lots of people who want to take people places. The roads aren't made for unlimited numbers of cars, and there aren't enough people needing rides to make it worth it.

    I don't own a working car at the moment, so I should be their target demographic, but I don't see how it would be an efficient way to get me around my mid-size town. I would hope that there aren't people just driving around waiting for people to request rides, but at the same time, having someone drive from their house, pick me up, drive me someplace, and then drive home and repeating the process a few hours later doesn't make a lot of sense either.

    And then you get the Wall St. bubble mess that is a joke, but these guys running this should know better and get out now...
     
  8. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member



    The impression I got from both the drivers I talked to and where the drivers seemed to be when I opened the map (it'll show you available drivers and where they are) is that they stayed in busy neighborhoods where rides would be frequent. In a decent sized city, I can see that working. So in Nashville there were tons of drivers parked in places around lower Broadway and The Gulch, two neighborhoods with lots of bars, restaurants, and hotels. In fact, at one bar in The Gulch I pulled up the app and it showed a driver very close. I requested a ride, the driver accepted, and I literally watched him start his car and pull out of the parking lot right across the street from me. So these people probably aren't randomly driving around, they are parking in an area they've learned generates rides and waiting for a request.
     
  9. RedSneaker

    RedSneaker Very Tilted

    It was great in Miami. Very cost effective.

    Haven't used it in the big city. There's an investigation going on here about a robbery/kidnapping. But may be all false.
     
  10. ralphie250

    ralphie250 Fully Erect Donor

    Location:
    At work..
  11. Charlatan

    Charlatan sous les pavés, la plage

    Location:
    Temasek
    I use Uber almost exclusively when I am in London. They are not only cheaper than black cabs, but the app allows me to track my progress across town, forward receipts to my assistant, call the driver, etc. Did I mention it's a lot cheaper?

    I have used it on occasion in Singapore but the cost here is exorbitant. It seems like they are always on surge pricing and there are not enough cars so there is never one nearby when needed. Also, regular cabs are cheap and plentiful and have a very powerful app that gives me 90% of what uber does (if they could send me my receipt by email they'd be 100%).
     
  12. ralphie250

    ralphie250 Fully Erect Donor

    Location:
    At work..
    I've never used it before, but this is my question.... If uber was $5 and a cab was$5 which one would you use
     
  13. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    Uber.


    Except in the real world Uber is $5 and a cab is $8.
     
  14. Poetry

    Poetry Totally Sharky, Complete

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    I use it when I'm in San Francisco-- everything is so close together, it's pretty cheap.

    I don't use it when I'm in Los Angeles, as everything is assmiles away from everything else. But my uncle has been telling me about the glories of sharing an Uber. Haven't bothered looking up how to do that yet, but I probably should.
     
  15. ralphie250

    ralphie250 Fully Erect Donor

    Location:
    At work..
    why uber?
     
  16. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member


    1) I can see right on my phone where the nearest cars are before I even request it.
    2) The driver desperately wants me to give him a 5-star rating, so he's working hard to be polite and friendly.
    3) Many/Most will offer you a free bottle of water and/or a piece of gum or mint (I've always declined, but there could be times I want one).
    4) I don't have to get out cash or a credit card at the end of a ride, I just get out and walk away.
    5) Based on the one mediocre experience I had out of my rides last weekend, they actually care about responding to complaints. Aside from the two emails I mentioned above, I've since got a third email telling me that if I still feel anything needs done to make me feel better about the issue I had, to please let them know (I was fine with the refund, don't feel a need to escalate anything further).
    6) It is extremely easy to adjust the level of car you want. Need a car that fits 5+ people? You can easily select that in the app. Want something nicer than a basic sedan? You can select that in the app. Want a REALLY nice car, like a new BMW, Mercedes, etc.? You can select that in the app.
     
  17. cynthetiq

    cynthetiq Administrator Staff Member Donor

    Location:
    New York City
    In NYC Uber is the more expensive than a livery cab which has a specific book rate from point A to point B. A metered rate can be cheaper if you A) aren't in traffic, B) only going somewhere in Midtown/Downtown because that's where most of them are.

    So in many markets where taxis are not readily available I can see the attraction. Where cabs are regulated by the city, I see it as a disruption to those that paid around $250,000 for the medallion on their taxi cab and in order to pay the mortgage on it that cab needs to be rolling 24 hours a day with as many fares as possible. Taxi cab drivers in NYC are IMHO like any entry level position. It's fair honest work that can bring someone from poverty to a lower middle income status.

    I won't take Uber in NYC. Maybe in another city, but I doubt it. Their service disruption model isn't something that I like. Offering cab drivers and livery cab driver (ones that cannot pickup from the street via a hail, only by phone) $10,000 a month guaranteed to be an Uber driver is a bad move.

    Re: the bad drivers, Uber drivers generally are still TLC governed so their car and their record is still something that has oversight here in NYC.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  18. redux

    redux Very Tilted

    Location:
    Foggy Bottom
    For the most part, I take cabs to get around DC. When I know cabs are not readily accessible with a wave of the hand, I'll use Uber. As an aside, since DC switched from a zone system to a meter system, it is harder for cabbies to rip off tourists, which was a common practice in the past.

    My limited Uber experience has been positive in terms of cost, quality of the vehicle , driver professionalism, etc.
     
  19. ralphie250

    ralphie250 Fully Erect Donor

    Location:
    At work..
    why in nyc is uber more expensive? I would think would be cheaper. but this coming from someone who has only taken a cab once and that is cause I was way too drunk to drive home.
     
  20. ASU2003

    ASU2003 Very Tilted

    Location:
    Where ever I roam
    I'm not a big fan of taxis by any stretch of the imagination, and I avoid them like the plague in Vegas because they are evil in preventing the monorail from getting to the Airport.

    I understand that taxis need to evolve and improve, but the regulations on them are there for a reason. I'm just not sure why Uber or Lyft seem like a better "job" to have then taxi driver. I will give Uber credit in making the newer car requirement that weeds out a lot of "problems" from allowing poor people drive. Not that all poor people are criminals, but they weeded out a lot of them with requiring the newer cars.