Let's not forget that Uber started life as UberCab -- an on-demand, black car service launched by Garrett Camp and TK in 2010. A more convenient, "tech-ier," premium-priced service than hailing a cab or calling a Danny DeVito-type dispatcher at a limo service.
The co-founders soon saw the potential to pivot to a global mass-market service renamed UberX (while retaining Uber Black). Over $25 billion of losses later, the rest is history.
But road warriors (like me) soon learned that Uber was not a reliable substitute for business trips on a a tight schedule. Raise your hand if you've ever had an Uber ride canceled by the driver shortly before the promised departure (both to and from the airport). ME ME ME. And keep your hand raised if you were fully satisfied with Uber's customer service response if you bothered to try to contact them. NOT ME
Enter Uber Reserve, which promises to fix Uber's past sins -- for a price. But since I had long ago reverted to a limo service in my home town (NY) for airport trips, I decided to compare my current service to Uber Reserve on a recent trip JFK. Here's how my limo service compared:
> Well designed, user friendly smartphone app -- YES
> Track record for reliable service -- 100%
> Credit card on file automatically charged at trip end - YES
> Cheaper - YES
> Ability to instantly contact a human dispatcher by phone - YES
So in my experience, Uber is offering a more expensive, less reliable, service with maddeningly poor customer support. And based on my admittedly limited sample, Reserve disproportionately rewards Uber over drivers with 50+% take rates. I don't blame DK for doing a happy dance about his new service. But this customer will stand pat with a superior, "old-school" solution.
I don't know anyone who has a favorite Uber driver, but I do know people whose partners take Ubers for work to/from airports. If my partner continues to travel for work as much as she does and she really can requesta specific driver, I'll honestly consider signing up to be an Uber driver so I could get paid to drive her around. Maybe that was part of Uber's calculus?
Now if only corporate travel would include airbnbs, we could also get paid for giving friends a place to stay when they come to town for work...
Let's not forget that Uber started life as UberCab -- an on-demand, black car service launched by Garrett Camp and TK in 2010. A more convenient, "tech-ier," premium-priced service than hailing a cab or calling a Danny DeVito-type dispatcher at a limo service.
The co-founders soon saw the potential to pivot to a global mass-market service renamed UberX (while retaining Uber Black). Over $25 billion of losses later, the rest is history.
But road warriors (like me) soon learned that Uber was not a reliable substitute for business trips on a a tight schedule. Raise your hand if you've ever had an Uber ride canceled by the driver shortly before the promised departure (both to and from the airport). ME ME ME. And keep your hand raised if you were fully satisfied with Uber's customer service response if you bothered to try to contact them. NOT ME
Enter Uber Reserve, which promises to fix Uber's past sins -- for a price. But since I had long ago reverted to a limo service in my home town (NY) for airport trips, I decided to compare my current service to Uber Reserve on a recent trip JFK. Here's how my limo service compared:
> Well designed, user friendly smartphone app -- YES
> Track record for reliable service -- 100%
> Credit card on file automatically charged at trip end - YES
> Cheaper - YES
> Ability to instantly contact a human dispatcher by phone - YES
So in my experience, Uber is offering a more expensive, less reliable, service with maddeningly poor customer support. And based on my admittedly limited sample, Reserve disproportionately rewards Uber over drivers with 50+% take rates. I don't blame DK for doing a happy dance about his new service. But this customer will stand pat with a superior, "old-school" solution.
I don't know anyone who has a favorite Uber driver, but I do know people whose partners take Ubers for work to/from airports. If my partner continues to travel for work as much as she does and she really can requesta specific driver, I'll honestly consider signing up to be an Uber driver so I could get paid to drive her around. Maybe that was part of Uber's calculus?
Now if only corporate travel would include airbnbs, we could also get paid for giving friends a place to stay when they come to town for work...