It was only a year ago that Uber, the most renowned global transportation technology company, hit a significantly low point. But the ride-hailing giant made it a goal to bring its focus back and strengthen its workforce again by the end of this year. Last June, it launched a campaign named ‘180 Days Of Change’ in order to make driving with Uber a satisfactory and rewarding experience by introducing a set of driver-friendly changes in the system. While the program garnered a lot of appreciation from its drivers in last 6 months, the company considers it only as the starting of a beautiful journey and promises utmost dedication in finding success together in future.
What Is ‘180 Days Of Change’?
The ‘180 Days Of Change’ is a unique company-wide initiative by Uber, which focuses on improving the partnership with almost 2 million people driving with the company each week. On the day of the announcement, the company committed to “making meaningful changes & improvements” every month for next 180 days, which would transform the driver experience drastically by offering more flexibility, less stress, better earnings and maximum support. According to Uber itself, this program is “not just about new features but a sustained commitment over time”.
Let’s take a quick look at those changes and improvements:
1. Greater Earnings
The first round of improvement came out in June with a strong emphasis on the earnings. Uber kicked off the program by building a major feature into its app i.e. ‘tipping’ (service fees excluded), which had long been asked for by the drivers. Although a section of riders found the feature unappealing, the Uber workforce is undoubtedly happy with it. Besides tipping, the company also shortened the cancellation window from 5 minutes to 2 minutes, initiated paid wait times with a per minute rate, included all trips in the total Quest count, made Quest earnings available through Instant Pay, allowed earning from every mile through expanded destinations, started offering $2 extra for each teen account trip, and launched the driver injury protection insurance package.
2. Faster, Friendlier Support
In July, Uber announced its next big initiative which was all about improving the driver support system. The organization promised fast and complete support for drivers anytime anywhere by introducing a set of driver-friendly policies. With the new payment model, drivers do not need to worry about punishment for getting delayed due to traffic, construction, etc. The improved rating system makes it mandatory for riders to explain poor ratings in order to reconsider the situations that are not under the control of drivers and serve as a defensive measure for them. A lost item fee of $15 is imposed on riders whose items need to be returned. Drivers can make payment adjustments in minutes with quick fare fixes. Also, a 24X7 built-in phone support system is made available to provide live support to the Uber drivers.
3. More Choices And Flexibility
The third phase of change was declared in August and it enabled drivers to work on their own terms. With the launch of a host of powerful features offering more choices and incredible flexibility, Uber ensured that drivers can be their own boss and choose work that actually fits around their lives. The number of destinations for drivers is increased from 2 to 6 per work day and they are allowed to set arrival times for each of those. For trips longer than 45 minutes, drivers will get notifications beforehand. They can toggle between trip types if ride requests are comparatively slower than usual. The company also promised to update their acceptance rate policy in a friendlier manner so that declining trips does not impact the earnings of drivers.
4. Improvements To uberPOOL
In September, Uber shifted focus to its heavily criticized carpooling service uberPOOL. The company left no stone unturned to deliver a pleasant uberPOOL experience to drivers by helping them reduce stress and earn more. It designed a new rating system where drivers are provided with a list of reasons for rating riders poorly and the riders will be warned of it accordingly. A new payment system is deployed to help drivers receive extra fares while picking up new riders with the total payment and rating page made visible at the end of rides. A fresh routing system is also introduced to help drivers follow routes with 20% fewer turns. Moreover, every customer now gets the ‘Pool Basics’ (a brief uberPOOL guide) before requesting the ride and push notifications 2 minutes before its arrival.
5. Greater Earning Power
The fifth phase of change in October again put emphasis on earnings as this is what matters the most to drivers. Uber has not only strengthened its policies but also taken advantage of technology in order to empower drivers to earn exactly the way they want through innovative ways. It was the goal of the company to help drivers make the most of their time on the road by providing them with the best earning opportunities and leveraging technology has made it truly possible for them.
6. Better Rating Experience
The last month of change was about incorporating a better rating system in the app that is clear, balanced, and more effective. Uber listened to its drivers and ensured that the new rating system offers more protection to them on each and every trip through expanded Ratings Protection, especially when things are completely out of their control. This is definitely going to build the best experience for drivers.
Every small or big change made by Uber throughout those 180 days was based on drivers’ feedback and the ride-sharing pioneer made sure that they get the most out of it. It was all about establishing a true partnership together by making driving a better experience and the company has surely made it happen.
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