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Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

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Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#391

Post by ghshephard »

andypants wrote: post #389
ghshephard wrote: post #378

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think people (as least zero of the people I associate with) have any problem with tipping in the United States - it's just so understood it's what you do when in a restaurant, that the only question is usually one of "(A) I'm Lazy, don't want to calculate, 20% tip, (B) I'm being anal, figure out exact 18.5% tip, (C) Got poor service, 15% tip, (D) Waiter spit in my food and was really obnoxious/rude to me - 10…

> Waiter spit in my food and was really obnoxious/rude to me - 10% tip It is absolutely insane to me that you would tip anything at all in that case. US tipping culture is crazy. In what situation would you give 0% tip?

I have never given a 0% tip in the United States. If the service is that bad, get the manager, have them fired - but as long as they are working, they should be paid. Not tipping is equivalent to asking someone to work without salary. Tipping 10% is pretty damn aggressive, and the few times that I've done it, it's certainly gotten a reaction.

What people have to understand, is that a "Tip" in the United States for a server == Salary, not some nice additional money. It's how they pay their rent/buy their groceries/feed their children.

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#392

Post by JOnAgain »

I predict this will fail as it is described today. Because it pays little and is meant to find people on the way already, 1) people won't be dedicated to driving people, 2) which will make it unreliable to get a ride, 3) which will cause people not to use it or at least not rely on it. Also, with little money, 1) whole segments of the (population (especially in the bay area) won't be incentivized by the money, 2) people will be less likely to go out of their way to pick anyone up, and 3) one or two annoying ride sharers will cause drivers to decide picking people up isn't worth the occasional annoyance.

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#393

Post by criddell »

rodgerd wrote: post #362
criddell wrote: post #261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What shocks me is how slowly the taxi companies are responding to the Uber threat. I use Uber when I can and the price has nothing to do with it. It's better cars, better service, and friendlier drivers (usually). Every time I get in some yellow cab that's a 5 year old Crown Vic with torn seats, rattles everywhere, and a driver that can't (or won't) tell me how much my ride is going to cost, I remember why I normally…

Feel free to explain how you think a small, regional company that actually has to, you know, turn a profit, is going to compete with a multinational losing billions a year to establish a global monopoly.

They are getting there, although slowly. They've had all the data and infrastructure necessary to get something off the ground for years, but haven't bothered because they've never had to bother.

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#394

Post by DasIch »

elcct wrote: post #374
DasIch wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it isn't because the driver still makes a profit with Uber Pool and they didn't intend to travel where they're going. In Germany for example ride sharing under the legal definition requires that the driver doesn't make any profit and really just takes people along. If that's the case, you don't require additional/different insurance etc.

If passengers cover your costs then you always make profit indirectly - by gaining experience carrying people and being more experienced driver in general.

Right and after work the drivers and artists that work for exposure get food from the supermarket without paying because the supermarket gets exposure by them shopping there.

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#396

Post by x2398dh1 »

mmanfrin wrote: post #3

Honestly I wish they wouldn't try to compete on price. Maybe I'm alone with this, but I'd rather not feel obligated to tip a driver because the ride is so cheap. Pay them a living wage, let me pay the exact fee, and let me not have to carry goddamn cash like I used to in the era of Taxis. e: Addressing common replies: "This is for people commuting already" -- okay, point taken; my point about Uber/Lyft still stands.…

This is going to be buried, because I'm way late to the party here...but interestingly, Uber automatically sets your tip level at 20% for Uber TAXI in your settings, which you can change down to 0% and up to 30%.

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#397

Post by coldpie »

genedelisa wrote: post #395

What if actual there were a licensed Taxi service that offered the online/app capabilities of Uber? Do you think that would compete?

Many do. There are several reasons they're not very competitive. They were late to that market, just following Uber's coattails. Their advertising is not as slick and the apps often have poor UI, so it's not as enjoyable and effortless to use. And significantly, they actually follow the law, which results in higher costs to the end-user than law breakers like Uber.

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#398

Post by emodendroket »

jschwartzi wrote: post #321
emodendroket wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many workers not making a living wage receive some form of government assistance, so saying that they aren't all dying in a gutter seems beside the point.

And the point of forcing employers to pay a living wage is so that we don't have to subsidize their businesses via government assistance to their workers.

Well, I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say it's the entire point, but it is definitely a compelling reason.

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#399

Post by brianbreslin »

genedelisa wrote: post #395

What if actual there were a licensed Taxi service that offered the online/app capabilities of Uber? Do you think that would compete?

Several markets have this (several also have taxis IN uber app). They often fall back to cash payments.

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#400

Post by BenElgar »

genedelisa wrote: post #395

What if actual there were a licensed Taxi service that offered the online/app capabilities of Uber? Do you think that would compete?

In some UK cities and in New York there is one. It's called Gett (http://gett.com/uk/). It's more expensive and the experience is worse.
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