I tend to cover changes relating to uber as the app is one that many of us now rely on whilst travelling.
I reviewed the app at the start of last year and following the many changes, probably need to redo! uber itself is still a somewhat controversial brand in terms of how they operate or enter new markets, and recently came under fire due to how they treat their drivers. This led uber to announce their “<a href=”https://newsroom.uber.com/80 Days of Change”. An initiative designed to improve the end to end process for the drivers.
Although this was focused on the US, it will surely spread to other countries, or will have a direct impact if you are travelling to the USA and intend to use the service whilst there.
Tips, Tips, Tips
As of Thursday, 6th July uber has turned on a new in-app tipping service. Once you have completed your ride you will have up to 30 days where you can retroactively go back and add a tip to your driver.
Unlike most tips, which are usually 10/15/20% of paid amount the app will offer you 4 options $1, $2, $5 or custom amount. The tip screen will trigger once the trip has been completed. This follows a succesful pilot period in Houston, Seattle and Minneapolis.
You will need to have the latest version of the app to provide tips and when the option is first available to you, a pop-up information screen advising of the new service will appear. Regular uber riders will know that drivers rate you as a passenger, and the tip process will not be able to influence this rating. Drivers must rate you before they accept their next job, you will then have 30 days to give a tip if you wish to.
Allowing tips is a u-turn for uber, but has been made for the right reasons and, in my opinion, has been handled well. There is still no need for cash, it is all controlled within one of the best app experiences on the market and enables those drivers who make the effort to be awarded in kind.
Will tipping take of for riders? Maybe not straight away, but when you get that one great driver, then why not! I spent a week moving around Washington D.C. needing uber XL for each ride. All the drivers were helpful and informative as it was my first time in the city. I would happily have tipped each of them. Compare that to the ones I have used in my home city, London, and that attitude changes somewhat……. But at least the option is there, without the need for cash!
According to Tech Crunch (tip of the hat for the update) the cities being added are:
- Adirondack, NY
- Albany, NY
- Amarillo, TX
- Anchorage, AK
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Augusta, GA
- Bakersfield, CA
- Baton Rouge, LA
- Beaumont, TX
- Bellingham, WA
- Bloomington, IN
- Boise, ID
- Boston, MA
- Bowling Green, KY
- Bozeman/Butte, MT
- Buffalo, NY
- Burlington, VT
- Calgary (CAN)
- Carbondale, CO
- Charleston, SC
- Cleveland, OH
- Coastal Georgia
- Coeur d’Alene, ID
- Columbia, SC
- Columbia, MO
- Corpus Christi, TX
- Dayton, OH
- Delaware
- Dubuque, IA
- Duluth, MN
- Eastern Idaho
- Eastern North Carolina
- Eastern Washington
- Eau Claire, WI
- Edmonton (CAN)
- El Paso, TX
- Erie, PA
- Fayetteville, AR
- Fayetteville, NC
- Flagstaff, AZ
- Fort Collins, CO
- Fort Myers-Naples, FL
- Gallup, NM
- Grand Forks, ND
- Greater Maine
- Greater Williamsport
- Hampton Roads, VA
- Harrisburg, PA
- Hattiesburg, MS
- Honolulu, HI
- Inland Empire, CA
- Jackson, MS
- Kalispell, MT
- Kauai, HI
- Kingston, NY
- Knoxville, TN
- Lafayette, LA
- Lansing, MI
- Laredo, TX
- Las Cruces, NM
- Lawrence, KS
- Lehigh Valley, PA
- Little Rock, AK
- London (CAN)
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Madison, WI
- Manhattan, KS
- Maui, HI
- Milwaukee, WI
- Missoula, MT
- Montgomery, AL
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- New Hampshire
- New Orleans, LA
- New York City/New Jersey/NYC Suburbs/New Jersey (Shore)/Hamptons/Upstate NY
- Ocala, FL
- Olympia, WA
- Omaha, NE
- Orange County, CA
- Outer Banks, NC
- Peninsula and SW WA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Piedmont Triad, NC
- Portland, OR
- Quad Cities, IA
- Rhode Island, RI
- Rochester, NY
- Rochester, MN
- San Francisco, CA
- San Luis Obispo, CA
- Santa Fe, NM
- Savannah-Hilton Head, GA
- Sioux City, IA
- South Bend, IN
- Southern Utah
- Springfield, IL
- Springfield, MO
- St Cloud, MN
- State College, PA
- Syracuse, NYC
- Tacoma, WA
- Tampa Bay, FL
- Terre Haute, IN
- Toledo, OH
- Toronto (CAN)
- Tri-Cities, WA
- Tucson, AZ
- Tulsa, OK
- Vancouver, WA
- Ventura, CA
- West Lafayette, IN
- Western Arizona
- Wichita, KS
- Wichita Falls, TX
- Wilkes-Barre Scranton, PA
- Wilmington, NC
- Windsor (CAN)
- York-Gettysburg, NY
- Youngstown, OH
- Yuma, AZ
uber aim to have this rolled out across the whole of the US by the end of July!
To use uber you will need to download the app (Android | iOS | Windows) then sign up using this link to support the site, or normally on uber.com.