An unpleasant experience with my favorite Mobility Platform

I don’t have a complaining nature. I generally let go of things, situations and sometimes behavior of a person thinking there must be some reason behind it but the recent situations that I faced with one of the biggies, #Uber, got me drafting the following.

By now you all must have figured out that this going to be a rant post; a long one. So, brace yourself.

1. It all started with ignorance. I had to take my brother to get his tests done as he was suffering from severe back pain. Little did we know the extent of the disease that was eating him up from the inside. To shed some light, the pain was so severe that he was unable to get up in the first place. I was the only one with him at that time and we had to come down to the ground floor from our flat at the second floor. Trust me, the stairs seemed never-ending. I booked an Uber; we received the details. I knew I have to bring him down as the drivers start reacting if the riders are late. We got down and I saw the cab hasn’t moved an inch. I called the driver. He said it’ll take another 15 minutes. I told him I’m with a patient who needs to be taken immediately and he can’t stand for long so you either come right now or please cancel the trip so that I can book another. He didn’t do anything. I had to cancel on my own. Not to my surprise Uber charged me the cancellation fee for something the driver should have been responsible.

2. We say we’re going cashless. Are we? So, after the above incident I had to book an Uber to go back and forth the hospital where my brother was admitted. Oh, so he was diagnosed with Spine Tuberculosis with his D9 vertebrae completely collapsed. Feel the extent of the situation? We booked an Uber and like always, I’d set my payment mode to Google Pay. The ride came and he asked if we’re paying via cash or online. I said online. Turns out his Uber account wasn’t linked with his bank account. This happened with us 2-3 times. Shouldn’t the app notify us that the driver will only be accepting cash or let the driver know that it’s an online payment so that he doesn’t accept the ride?

3.    Uber has a lot to offer when dealing with a large group of people. What about the luggage space? So, my parents arrived to the hospital from the station with all their luggage as that was the time when we had to give the surgeon a go ahead for my brother’s operation. My mother’s health deteriorated seeing my brother’s condition. I booked an Uber. This time I searched for Premier. There was none in that area. Then I booked a Sedan. My father & I were skeptical if there will be any luggage space. Voila, it was a CNG. Shouldn’t Uber have an option to select if we have luggage with us so that the driver knows whether to accept the ride or not. Even if we take this aside, shouldn’t the vehicles have carriers when they clearly know they have no space in the trunk?

4.    Cancellations are a hideous affair. While I was checking if the Sedan has space in the trunk or not, my mother had another panic attack. I got scared and asked the driver we don’t need it. I’ll cancel it. Little did I know of the driver's impatient and insensitive nature. He was watching the situation but didn’t offer us any help. On the contrary, he shouted from his cab saying Madam please cancel it right now. He said that thrice. Can you imagine cancelling a ride because the driver is shouting while your mom is having a panic attack? We had to take her back inside the hospital to get her checked.

5.    Extra cash for luggage? After my mom got normal, we booked an Uber Auto. We had to split as we paid the brunt earlier. We sent my mom and her sister with the luggage in the Uber auto. After reaching home, I got to know that the driver asked for the fare in cash when my payment mode is already set to Google Pay. My mom’s sister started taking the cash out when my mom told the driver that the payment will be done online. That’s when he sensed they’re aware of everything. Look at his audacity, he still asked for cash for transporting the luggage with them. I complained to Uber and received the refund immediately.

Uber – You’re a brand. You need to keep a check on the tiniest of things that could go wrong because these are the things that can make or break your customer base. Can you sense my loyalty towards your brand? I don’t choose any other service apart from yours because you have given me some very good experiences. Had it not been for my family, I wouldn’t have even complained in the first place. I can only request and hope it doesn’t happen to anyone in an emergency situation.