Uber has quickly become one of the most recognizable and controversial brands in the world. Originating in 2009, the San Francisco ride sharing service connects riders and drivers with its easy to use app, making it simple to grab a ride without the indignity of trying to find a cab in the middle of the night. Catering to the tech savvy crowd, it quickly gained early adopters who spread the word of a new and better way to travel through online blogs and publications. News outlets soon caught wind. Gone was the era of overpriced cabs, replaced by it was a sleek black sedan, discreetly greeting the designated traveler at the side of the curb.
Uber is impressive not because it hasn’t experienced any missteps during its nearly seven year reign as the go to ride sharing service (it has been accused of surge prices during crisis situations, and drivers have been charged for sexually attacking female passengers, cities have banned the service, criticizing it for being “illegal” not to mention its many contentious battles with the taxi industry.) Uber is impressive because of the way it managed to challenge the status quo and still come out on top despite an increasingly crowded and competitive space. Don’t want to grab an Uber? How about a Lyft instead? BTW Google wants in on the whole ride-sharing thing too. A huge amount of Uber’s capital goes directly to setting up a local presence in many cities and arming a fleet (mind the pun) of lawyers to do battle with one municipality at a time. They have managed to set themselves apart from the pack, cultivating a brand that is deemed cool, giving its drivers decent cash flow so they can ‘pursue their dreams’ and providing riders with a superior ride sharing experience.
Below are just a few ways Uber has been successful in growing and expanding its business
1. Identifying a need and providing a stellar experience
Great businesses are able to identify a customer need and form an agile solution. Uber was able to recognize how customers felt cabs were over-priced, and not only that, didn’t do a good job of creating a solid customer service. With Uber, integrated with Google Maps, a rider was able to see, in real-time, how many Uber drivers were nearby, how long they would take to get to the rider’s destination, and even chose what type of vehicle they wanted for a far more reasonable price. This app allowed riders to customize their transportation experience and was incredibly efficient for those in a hurry. And to make things even better and really provide that ‘wow’ factor that encourages repeat business, Uber also implemented a review system that made riders and drivers accountable for creating a solid transportation experience. Hate having to fiddle around for change at the end of a ride? No problem. Uber’s default payment method is online payment after you link your credit card information to their app.
Uber is impressive not because it hasn’t experienced any missteps during its nearly seven year reign as the go to ride sharing service (it has been accused of surge prices during crisis situations, and drivers have been charged for sexually attacking female passengers, cities have banned the service, criticizing it for being “illegal” not to mention its many contentious battles with the taxi industry.) Uber is impressive because of the way it managed to challenge the status quo and still come out on top despite an increasingly crowded and competitive space. Don’t want to grab an Uber? How about a Lyft instead? BTW Google wants in on the whole ride-sharing thing too. A huge amount of Uber’s capital goes directly to setting up a local presence in many cities and arming a fleet (mind the pun) of lawyers to do battle with one municipality at a time. They have managed to set themselves apart from the pack, cultivating a brand that is deemed cool, giving its drivers decent cash flow so they can ‘pursue their dreams’ and providing riders with a superior ride sharing experience.
Below are just a few ways Uber has been successful in growing and expanding its business
1. Identifying a need and providing a stellar experience
Great businesses are able to identify a customer need and form an agile solution. Uber was able to recognize how customers felt cabs were over-priced, and not only that, didn’t do a good job of creating a solid customer service. With Uber, integrated with Google Maps, a rider was able to see, in real-time, how many Uber drivers were nearby, how long they would take to get to the rider’s destination, and even chose what type of vehicle they wanted for a far more reasonable price. This app allowed riders to customize their transportation experience and was incredibly efficient for those in a hurry. And to make things even better and really provide that ‘wow’ factor that encourages repeat business, Uber also implemented a review system that made riders and drivers accountable for creating a solid transportation experience. Hate having to fiddle around for change at the end of a ride? No problem. Uber’s default payment method is online payment after you link your credit card information to their app.