the value add of uber is that you can use your phone's GPS and a map to tell someone where to pick you up instead of calling up the taxi company and describing where you are. I know taxi companies are starting to implement this stuff, but they didn't seem to be in a big hurry to do it before uber/lyft showed up. I haven't tried in a while, but I bet the smaller cab companies still don't have anything like this.
even if their value add is just getting a driver to me a little faster, this isn't nothing. the difference between a five minute and a ten minute expected wait isn't just five minutes of wasted time; at the margin, it's whether the customer decides to purchase a ride at all.
I feel like that's a distinction without a difference. If I call an uber, it will arrive in 5 minutes max and take me to where I need to go. I can call one in the morning to go to work, and another one after work to get home. It could 100% replace my commuter car that I have right now.
Before Uber, the taxi company I used had an automated system which send a taxi to my place if I pressed 1, and connected me to human that took a new address when I pressed 2. Even with a human in the loop, it rarely took more than 40 seconds. I agree that Uber app is more convenient than that, but it really wasn't an order of magnitude improvement -- what was a deal maker for me was the fact that Uber automatically charged me, and I didn't have to put a card in and input PIN, or scramble for cash.
My impression is that it's primarily the interface and reliability that makes Uber/Lyft better. Sure, short wait times are a nice bonus, but the primary problem with regular cabs isn't the speed so much as the unpredictability.
The problem is that I can't count on the voice-operated cab system. I have to call, and then wait outside at the pickup point, with a 50% chance of the cab actually getting there, at which point you call and get another 50% chance of the cab getting there within 30 minutes, at which point you repeat.
I have no idea if it's going to be 5 minutes or 120 minutes. I have to stay outside, too, because they won't call me when it's there.
If a cab took an hour but I could set it up on my phone while I was still in the bar, and it would alert me when it got there? That would be just fine with me.
Now, the local cab company could (and perhaps has, I have not checked lately) create an app that does just this; I don't really mind waiting half an hour if I had some assurance that the car would be there in half an hour.
Not really.
I use Uber pretty regularly when traveling for a ride home from a night out. It's consistent, reliable, and I don't have to worry about the driver trying to take advantage of the fact that I might be unfamiliar with the area and possibly not in my most aware state :)
If it's cold, dark, whatever outside I can call an Uber via the app and know when they're arriving. I can see how long the expected delay is to plan wrapping things up accordingly.
My experience with Taxi's in most of the major US markets is that coverage is spotty, fares can be variable, credit-card acceptance is hit or miss, and the cars and drivers are generally sub-par.
Comparing taxi's to Uber is like comparing a model rocket to the Space X program.
To me, the innovation isn't using an app instead of a phone call, it's the accountability and reliability. Before Uber, I'd have to call a taxi company at least a half hour before I want to leave. If they even answer the call, the response is always "20 minutes", regardless of how long you have to wait. At least a quarter of the time, the taxi will never show up. As a result, I'd barely ever take taxis anywhere. Instead I'd drive my own car, which meant finding/paying for parking and ensuring continued sobriety, else planning to leave the car and likely get a parking ticket the next day. I guess one benefit of the old way is that I'd plan ahead a bit better, so if driving myself wasn't practical I'd leave extra time to take transit or walk.
If I order an Uber/Lyft, I'm nearly guaranteed a ride within a reasonable amount of time once my request is accepted. Yes, occasionally the driver will cancel and the app will find a new driver, which adds to the time. Sure, the time estimate itself is usually off by 10% or so. It's not perfect, but this experience is orders of magnitude better than it used to be. For the most part I only drive my car when I'm leaving the city or need to carry a bunch of things with me.
By my estimation, people take a magnitude longer time to get in and out of an Uber. For some reason that I assume is due to a perceived difference between taxis and gigcars: taxis will leave you there if you're not ready, and Uber has to wait for as long as you want to dilly-dally.
Well the main thing with taxis is that getting any ride to show up on demand is a shitshow, whereas with ubers you just have to wait 5-10 minutes (at least in my area).
It's also faster. I have yet to wait more than 5 minutes for an Uber driver, whereas regular taxis take at least half an hour to show up after calling them, assuming I know a number to call.
It is completely different. Before Uber, you had to call dispatch, give them your location or your closest estimate of it: dispatch would then manually try to find a car that was available and send them to you. This usually took at least 30-40m, if they arrived at all.
With Uber, I open the app, it looks at all available cars, finds the closest one available, and sends that car to my GPS location. Oh, and if that car gets stuck in traffic, it automatically picks another car and sends that over
Uber completely revolutionized taxi services and is absolutely nothing like calling dispatch on a phone.
You've obviously never tried to hail an Uber from a dodgy neighborhood in Boston then. It takes me twice as long to get picked up where I live, versus my girlfriend, and I generally have to go through a driver switch or two.
reply