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Uber is adding trip type preferences, more driver destinations, and long trip notifications for drivers. The changes come as tips to Uber drivers have hit $50 million:
"This week, we're going to hit $50 million dollars in tips for drivers," explained Uber's U.S. and Canada manager Rachel Holt. "We launched the tipping effort in three cities two months ago, but we didn't roll it out all over the U.S. until the middle of July. So we're really, really excited just to see how well that feature has done in just a short period of time."
That $50 million is a lot in context: Lyft has had the feature for years, and hit just $250 million in tips in July. Drivers have made around 200,000 phone calls to support, Holt says, since Uber introduced 24/7 phone service, and on average they reach an agent in less than 30 seconds. Eighty-five percent of drivers have said they're satisfied with the experience.
The new changes today are focused on adding more flexibility to the experience. If you're not super familiar with the driver experience, these might sound mysterious, but they're actually pretty straightforward, and each emphasizes greater freedom in how drivers manage their day.
Pay your Uber driver well, because Uber won't.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 27 2017, @06:58AM (2 children)
Will you be shamed for not tipping?
(Score: 5, Insightful) by hemocyanin on Sunday August 27 2017, @03:24PM
Of course you will. Tips are a method to shift blame from an underpaying boss, to the customer.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 28 2017, @04:49AM
Possibly, but the rates being paid to the drivers are such a measly sum that you should probably be shamed for using the service. For many drivers they wind up making a fraction of minimum wage as Uber classifies them as contractors and as such isn't required to pay even the federal minimum wage.