197th Nation Added : UBERIA
I am reminded of my civics teacher who then said- "A nation is an union of people who seem to find among themselves a sense of connect" . Not sure if I got that right then (including the exam score), 20 years later -this day, I get the sense of what she meant then but in a context that is so very different.
Like me, I find a nation full of admirers for this business that essentially runs on 4 wheels, 365 days a year and round the clock with a single minded focus on ensuring that - the ones who cool themselves in the back seats feel quite privileged and take pride in building this nation- UBERia. Yes, I am talking about a nation that has it's citizens like me and many who seem to be utterly impressed with UBER and find in it - a national movement !
Before I take any further time, here are my 6 reasons to say, what makes UBER so special
1.If it's Uber -You don't chase cabs, the cabs chase you !
2.There's no one fit solution - There's an Uber for every need and for every price sensitive consumer- be it for just a couple (UberGo) or the Uber SUV(for the gang full of fun geeks).And if you want to show off - then, there's UberBlack !
3. For the first time in the universe, when you add a friend - the two of you enjoy two free rides ! Remembering those good old friends of yours' gives you more rides to cheer !
4.Even if you forgot the faces of those wonderful friends who took you on a ride (and at times took you for a ride) - you can trace them back !
5.And by the way, the pricing and the timing is so transparent that, you cant fool your family that you got caught up in a traffic jam when they had called !
6.And the best of all is reserved for the last . UBER is more concerned about the money that you lost on account of network or a system related bug. They chase you for reimbursing money into your account ! This one, came as a surprise (phew , I never even remembered that I was overcharged)
Fellow Uberians, do feel free to add your experiences !
A fellow friend of mine, wrote a very interesting piece on the Uber journey . I would request my readers to read this. Quite insightful, quite different and in almost all counts -quite a counter view ! I am sure, you will enjoy reading it as much as I did
https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/taxis-drivers-where-uber-ola-could-step-up-plate-jay-srinivasan
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer
9 年Viiay...Agree with the points and the last one is the best and I am sure this will really help them moving to the customer even more closely. My experiences with Uber was always excellent and much much better than ola. The question of whether these aggregators have a sustainable business model or not , I can only say that time will tell. Today the drivers are being paid additional amount per ride to ensure a discounted ride for the clients. How long they can pay back from their own kitty..? But for the time being, let the customer experiences the convenience and the price competitiveness which they would not have dreamt off in earlier years .....
As with many things in the new brave world of technology-enabled commerce (I was witness to the "Internet bust" in 2000 in the US when I was laid off as a result and now it's the mobile craze in 2015), one has to wait until the dust settles to offer judgment. This is not to say that real services are not being delivered or that lives are not being bettered. But individual stories have a way of starting to go unstuck. Uber and Ola may belong in that class. Both are beginning to face incredible hurdles - questioning the very first observation "you don't chase cabs, the cabs chase you". I wish that were true. Alas, no more. Drivers now behave like autorickshaw drivers of yore, asking where you wish to go and turning you down more often than not. Long distance drives (one Bangalore is known for) are turned down one out of every two times, forcing Uber to revise its rates beyond 10 km. There are no cabs available at critical times of the day. The fact is, India is a very difficult market and these new age technology-enabled service companies are just beginning to realize that players in this country game every option. Uber drivers now routinely "break" journeys in connivance with customers so they could bill them separately. You will begin to discover these more and more with more emerging ventures - so-called "food tech" (nothing but glorified food delivery services enabled by mobile apps), local services like plumbers, electricians, etc.
?? Building AI That People Love - Not Just Tolerate
9 年Lalit Singh, MD, MBA absolutely ! The last one is my personal favourite too .
Managing Director, McGraw Hill India; operating at the interface of health, education & technology to make an impact
9 年Last one is a winner! That's how you build a brand!!