Uber. The bully business model.

[Zee]

uber (or something similar) or die

 

[GagHalfrunt]

1) Taxi's never innovate. They never change with the times. Which is what you get with any unionized industry. No change/adaptation to the industry - so they would rather whither away and die than adapt. Hostess was a great example of that in recent history - and plenty are still on-going and will die as well (Chicago teacher's union for example).

2) In relation to #1, the concept of making it easy to order a cab is far beyond their mindsets. The thought of making an App that you could pay with, tell them where to go, and call them to a location? Ludicrous! That's witchcraft! Well, at least for cab scum. Last I checked I still had to look up the number for the cab company and give them a voice phone and a time to pick me up. And don't you dare ask the cab driver to pay with your company card They will have a hissy fit if you use a credit card.

3) As they get more and more comfy with their industry of shit, the taxi drivers don't care for things such as looking nice for customers. Not having a vehicle that smells like shit, looks like shit, etc... Also drivers are the scum of the Earth. Next time you get out of a Taxi, get out to get your bags out of the trunk and ask your driver "What is the total?" The real total will be right in your sight through the back windshield - I did this test and 90% of the time they straight up lied. I always liked it because if they did lie (usually by a few dollars) I just pay them the amount they said when I would normally tip more.

4) Yet with Uber - in a competitive, low priced market... I've had numerous drivers that were above and beyond friendly... Hell, I had one in Vegas that offerred to charge my devices, offered me bottles of water, and offered mints as well heh. I've run into tons of interesting people with recent or current careers that are actually intelligent people. Never had that with Taxi drivers.

To put it simply though, adapt or die. Taxi's don't want to adapt, thus they are forced to die. And good riddance.

All of the above. My last Uber I fired up the app and ordered my driver. and paid via CC. Took about a minute. Driver arrived less than 3 minutes after that. Pleasant lady in a fairly new Subaru that was meticulously clean, smelled good, air conditioned and comfortable. I got to choose the radio station and volume and she drove just fine, never felt in danger of my life. Cost less than half what a taxi would charge for that route and the experience beat taxis by a mile.

Granted, at this point Uber have a HUGE advantage in being lightly regulated and not gouged to death on medallion/licensing fees just to get into the business. But they're doing things right, they're passing along substantial savings and providing a easier and more pleasant experience. They deserve to be winning. Public transport has been fat and lazy, they were granted a near monopoly and did nothing to improve because they never had to. Now they finally have some competition and they're getting their ass kicked by a superior business. .

 

[Ns1]

All of the above. My last Uber I fired up the app and ordered my driver. and paid via CC. Took about a minute. Driver arrived less than 3 minutes after that. Pleasant lady in a fairly new Subaru that was meticulously clean, smelled good, air conditioned and comfortable. I got to choose the radio station and volume and she drove just fine, never felt in danger of my life. Cost less than half what a taxi would charge for that route and the experience beat taxis by a mile.

She'll be off the road in a few months, after she does the math and realizing that she can't possibly be driving around in a new Subaru, taxi'ing people around for 75 cents/mile net.

 

[BD231]

You on the bus brah ... dunno, this app isn't that much cheaper than a regular cab unless you chum up with the driver, who's usally a pot smoker methhead drunk ... or maybe that's just my luck.

http://ktla.com/2016/03/03/uber-driver-suspected-of-dui-after-slamming-into-party-bus-in-san-diego/

 

[Ns1]

this app isn't that much cheaper than a regular cab unless you chum up with the driver, who's usally a pot smoker methhead drunk ... or maybe that's just my luck.

Depends on location and whether or not it's surging. Non surge, it's marginally cheaper in places like SF + NYC, but waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay cheaper in places like SoCal, Vegas, Arizona.

ex) In Vegas, my entire Uber fare was about the same as the pickup + credit card fee from a cab

 

[norseamd]

At the start of the PC cycle, there was a company that made a personal word processor. Their business crashed as fast as it successfully rose.

Link, or can you give some more details?

 

[thrilling]

Here is a good Youtube link to their money making Scam.

 

[Ns1]

I love hearing driver stories

New
I had this lady on Melrose the other day. She was standing across the street from where she had dropped the pin. I was across the street at the address where she had dropped the pin. She had the nerves to point her finger towards the ground where she wanted me to cross the street and pick her up.

She had a 4.4 rating.

I made eye contact with her, then I cancelled in her face after 2 minutes. I got another ping immediately afterwards, and the pax was standing right by her. I did a U in her face, and I picked up the pax. She looked real stupid, when the pax was getting in my car.

Those paxes always think they're big shut.

 

[Imp]

Here is a good Youtube link to their money making Scam.

If that preview image didn't say Uber, I'd have thought she was a victim of violence.

 

[thrilling]

Get out of my car!
http://www.smobserved.com/story/201...k-to-er-a-fing-moron-in-viral-video/1601.html

 

[Skel]

I love hearing driver stories

Everytime I see/hear stories like that i wonder "How are they different than the normal taxi assholes?"

 

[Ns1]

Everytime I see/hear stories like that i wonder "How are they different than the normal taxi assholes?"

you're paying less, and they have less regulations protecting the consumer. And there's an app instead of dispatch.


that's about it.

 

[Skel]

you're paying less, and they have less regulations protecting the consumer. And there's an app instead of dispatch.


that's about it.

I was more thinking about this post when I said that.. Which isn't the first time I've heard someone talk about uber being something different than just another cab company. For every asshole cab driver I've seen stories of asshole uber drivers.

1) Taxi's never innovate. They never change with the times. Which is what you get with any unionized industry. No change/adaptation to the industry - so they would rather whither away and die than adapt. Hostess was a great example of that in recent history - and plenty are still on-going and will die as well (Chicago teacher's union for example).

2) In relation to #1, the concept of making it easy to order a cab is far beyond their mindsets. The thought of making an App that you could pay with, tell them where to go, and call them to a location? Ludicrous! That's witchcraft! Well, at least for cab scum. Last I checked I still had to look up the number for the cab company and give them a voice phone and a time to pick me up. And don't you dare ask the cab driver to pay with your company card They will have a hissy fit if you use a credit card.

3) As they get more and more comfy with their industry of shit, the taxi drivers don't care for things such as looking nice for customers. Not having a vehicle that smells like shit, looks like shit, etc... Also drivers are the scum of the Earth. Next time you get out of a Taxi, get out to get your bags out of the trunk and ask your driver "What is the total?" The real total will be right in your sight through the back windshield - I did this test and 90% of the time they straight up lied. I always liked it because if they did lie (usually by a few dollars) I just pay them the amount they said when I would normally tip more.

4) Yet with Uber - in a competitive, low priced market... I've had numerous drivers that were above and beyond friendly... Hell, I had one in Vegas that offerred to charge my devices, offered me bottles of water, and offered mints as well heh. I've run into tons of interesting people with recent or current careers that are actually intelligent people. Never had that with Taxi drivers.

To put it simply though, adapt or die. Taxi's don't want to adapt, thus they are forced to die. And good riddance.

I just don't get how Uber is really anything special. Maybe I'm just not using it enough to care, but I can say that I've used both in various cities and they're shades of each other.

1. It's an app vs a phone call to me. Look up a phone number vs installing and setting up an account in an app.. not sure the groundbreaking stuff here. I've never once had an issue looking up a phone number nor any issues calling anyone. If I really insisted on not talking to someone most of the cab companies I've used all have web sites where you can book a cab (example link) It might not be as streamlined as the Uber App, but it's there... wheeee

2. I've not seen a cab that didn't accept credit cards in a long time. I'm sure they're out there, I just haven't seen them. Granted, I've only used known companies and not some random guy at the end of a bar night saying he's a cab in his own car.

3. I had a Uber driver in San Fran that had the worst BO. It's jsut like anything else in the world, some people are assholes, some are not.. still not sure how Uber is special here.

4. I've had cab drivers in Vegas offer me anything I could think of. I've had them offer to sell me whatever substance I wanted, give be bottles (granted branded with Strip clubs) and offered to pick up me with a hooker if I wanted it. As for conversation, I can't get most of the cab drivers to shut up. It's not some magic Uber thing that I've seen..

What I have seen is Uber backdoor themselves into the cab market. They also seem to fuck over their drivers a lot (at least from what I've read). I'm interested to see what happens down the road. Things like this or AirBNB that offer the same services yet think they should be exempt from things like taxes are going to end up either changing the world, or falling in line. My money is they'll fall in line. I just can't see cities letting go of any taxes, let alone ones like hotels ones in places like Vegas.

 

[Ns1]

2. I've not seen a cab that didn't accept credit cards in a long time. I'm sure they're out there, I just haven't seen them. Granted, I've only used known companies and not some random guy at the end of a bar night saying he's a cab in his own car.

The cab in LV I stopped next to wanted $3-4 just to use a CC to pay for the fare. Fuck that noise.

 

[pcslookout]

The cab in LV I stopped next to wanted $3-4 just to use a CC to pay for the fare. Fuck that noise.

Your kidding ?

 

[Imp]

^Seems hefty unless you took a $100 ride.

This is Square's fees in Canada. You can probably check Paypal for theirs for another comparison.

https://squareup.com/help/ca/en/article/5068-what-are-square-s-fees

 

[Ns1]

Your kidding ?

nope, going from Aria to Airport was about ~$12 with Uber. We pulled up next to a cab while we were leaving:

- $3.30 pickup
- $1.80 for airport (may be higher)
- $3 credit card fee
= $8.10 just to get in a cab

+
$2.40/mile + $0.20/minute

 

[thrilling]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ry-drivers-in-london-plan-strike-to-boost-pay
Uber’s Food-Delivery Drivers in London Plan Strike on Pay
This should be fun.

 

[Pantoot]

nope, going from Aria to Airport was about ~$12 with Uber. We pulled up next to a cab while we were leaving:

- $3.30 pickup
- $1.80 for airport (may be higher)
- $3 credit card fee
= $8.10 just to get in a cab

+
$2.40/mile + $0.20/minute

Plus, you know the cab is going to get on the freeway to get to the airport, unlike the uber, which will take the quicker route behind the strip.

 

[Skel]

The cab in LV I stopped next to wanted $3-4 just to use a CC to pay for the fare. Fuck that noise.

I believe you, but I've never had that happen to me. The only time I've ever seen crap like that was when Superbowl was in Phoenix. The Taxis were flat out ripping people off, with things like $100 just to get the in car. A lot of people lost jobs the next day but it did happen.

 

[Ns1]

I believe you, but I've never had that happen to me. The only time I've ever seen crap like that was when Superbowl was in Phoenix. The Taxis were flat out ripping people off, with things like $100 just to get the in car. A lot of people lost jobs the next day but it did happen.

Yeah a lot of this stuff is city dependent IMO. Uber drivers rip people off at events just the same. You may have not run into one yet, but they're definitely there.

 

[Ns1]

^Seems hefty unless you took a $100 ride.

This is Square's fees in Canada. You can probably check Paypal for theirs for another comparison.

https://squareup.com/help/ca/en/article/5068-what-are-square-s-fees

It's a flat Fee for using your card, no matter what the fare is.

 

[Staples]

The worst part of Uber is that they pay drivers shit but since these people are often stupid and can't do math.

Should I care? Probably not.

Guess I am a bleeding heart.

 

[SearchMaster]

The worst part of Uber is that they pay drivers shit but since these people are often stupid and can't do math.

Should I care? Probably not.

Guess I am a bleeding heart.

They have a choice, you know.

If enough people say it's not worth it, then demand for drivers will go up and so will the driver compensation. Right now, to a lot of people, it seems like an easy way to either make some money as a second job or a "better than nothing" primary job.

 

[Mai72]

I've lived in South Korea and Thailand, and in both countries the cabs were clean. The drivers were courteous and in SK they never expect a tip. In Thailand, they expect tips especially if you're a fa-lang (foreigner). In SK, you can even use your credit card. Oh, and in both countries riding in a cab is cheap. Unlike here in NJ. And many of the cabs are filthy.

I know in SK, Uber has been outlawed. I know they have Uber black which still runs in SK. In Thailand, they are everywhere. It's only a matter of time before people get upset I guess. But for now, I think Uber is great.