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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

#401

Post by dwightgunning »

dzhiurgis wrote: post #365
luka-birsa wrote: post #357

Love it how Uber is getting Ubered by providing a service they were supposedly providing but it was only a marketing scam to get around Taxi regulation. This is proper "sharing economy" where the other party isn't doing this to make a living out of it. I wonder who will Airbnb the Airbnb and is that at all possible. The end will be the same anyways - both companies are competing for a spot on the customers mobile pho…

I do not like the fragmentation though. I want one app to work everywhere. Uber in China is broken already and no way I could use Didi app. Also, I do not think that there is any significant network or engineering value in the app itself. If Google or Tesla finally starts delivering self-driving car service for 10x less than Uber, users will flee in a jiffy.

You're overlooking the importance of competition when it comes to things like pricing and innovation.

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

#402

Post by elcct »

DasIch wrote: post #394
elcct wrote: post #374

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

You are comparing apples to oranges. Driver with that experience could more easily find a job in the field.

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

#403

Post by maxerickson »

icebraining wrote: post #344
maxerickson wrote: post #237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As your link says, they are not allowed to pay less than minimum wage. They are allowed to set hourly wages for tipped employees lower than minimum wage, but they have to ensure that the total compensation of the employee averages out to minimum wage.

Exactly - so any tip just reduces how much the owner has to pay to cover minimum wage, making it a subsidy to them, not to the server, who gets minimum wage either way.

It's not really a subsidy though, it's just a complication of the payment.

It could be a subsidy if it wasn't an established custom to tip, but people know quite well that they are paying the server a tip for the service.

I suppose the fact that it enables the restaurant to under-report wages and thus under-pay wage taxes is a bit of a subsidy (but then some of that savings probably shows up for the customer).

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

#404

Post by gaius »

chrisseaton wrote: post #66
jonahx wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

as a practical matter, i don't believe it's possible to have "optional" tipping that doesn't create obligation (even if that would be desirable). either you create a cultural norm where tipping isn't allowed or expected, which Uber has effectively done, or you have a situation like restaurants, where the tip may as well be part of the price, unless you're cool being the asshole who doesn't tip, which most people aren…

> if tipping is an option, through a kind of cultural game-theoretic pressure, the situation will always devolve into the restaurant norm. at least that's how it is in the states In the UK tipping in restaurants is optional and, while it sounds really weird to say this, I don't think the waiters and waitresses seem to care either way. I don't get a different reaction from them if I tip or if I don't. They don't seem…

Its quite possible this is because their employer keeps the tips. I generally pay the bill by card but tip in cash for that reason.

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

#406

Post by yen223 »

dzhiurgis wrote: post #368
imaginenore wrote: post #233

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Network effect + first mover advantage. It takes a lot of time and money to develop the community if there already are major players. In this particular case Google would have so spend a shit ton of money on advertising, and it's not guaranteed to work. They failed with Google+.

What network effects do you see in Uber?

Customers use Uber because there are enough drivers that service tends to be reliable; Drivers use Uber because there are enough customers to sustain a living.

It's the usual marketplace model.

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

#407

Post by nommm-nommm »

et-al wrote: post #219
andreasvc wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What I'm saying is that if one wants to have the overwhelmingly warm service Americans expect in restaurants, we need to keep tipping. Except you do not give any argument for why that is the case, but just hand wavingly claim it. Why exactly wouldn't it work if tips were abolished, all the prices on the menu are raised to match the average income from tips, and salaries raised to make up for tips? I don't see why g…

Because customer service is draining. Because even when you get paid $75k, dealing with assholes still sucks. I'm gonna hand wave some more: most Americans when they think of good service beyond just being quick on delivery. Good service is about having a friendly conversation and building rapport with another person. It's may be weird for those of us with introverted tendencies, but this is Middle America with big s…

Sorry but I worked in a variety of non tipped customer service jobs and I was always polite even when abused because that was my job. If I didn't do my job I would lose my job. It's really not all that draining either. I can't imagine requiring bribes, oh sorry, tips, to do my job.

The biggest difference in customer service in all the establishments I've worked in was management. Training is extremely important and can't be winged, there has to be a procedure in place. Having the highest expectations of your employees and component staffing are a must. And don't be scared to fire anyone who is not meeting your standards.

Poor customer service is mostly a result of poor management. Good customer service is a result of good management.

Anyway over friendly servers make me very, very uncomfortable. I went out for food with my companions not for a social experience with a stranger.

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

#408

Post by estefan »

rodgerd wrote: post #371
estefan wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> First mover advantage is rarely an advantage at all Genuine question (not a snarky comment as it might sound), but can you link to any research that indicates it's 'rarely' and advantage? I've been reading books recently that emphasise the importance of being the first to market with something innovative. Your brand then gets associated with the product/service ("hoover", "Uber", "google") even when referring to th…

> I've been reading books recently that emphasise the importance of being the first to market with something innovative That worked well for the Newton, the Lisa, the Nomad, Amiga Inc, didn't it? Contrast with Palm, Mac & Windows, iPods, and so on and so forth.

Perhaps the difference is being a first mover while the market is establishing itself, before it then gives way to another innovation cycle.

I suppose in that case, the key is innovation. So Google would be wise to innovate over the competition... but they might stand a chance due to their deep pockets. It hasn't worked out well for their attempts to get into several markets though.

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

#409

Post by rayiner »

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?

Probably not. What makes Uber/Lyft so compelling is that they can do two things cab companies are legally not allowed to do: (1) subsidize fares with VC money; and (2) cross-subsidize between surge fares and fares during periods of low demand.

From my office in the Watergate, it takes a good 5-7 minutes to call an Uber/Lyft (some GPS/app bug causes people to drive right by and end up on Rock Creek Parkway). If it wasn't $3 to my apartment in Gallery Place, I'd just grab a cab from the cab line.

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

#410

Post by ashaikh »

bluejekyll wrote: post #186

> Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc., began a pilot program around... So, basic question, What is the difference between Alphabet and Google again? It seems like everything is still being branded as Google. I know it's slightly off topic, but I am honestly confused as to when something is not Google.

From their most recent 10Q, Alphabet currently breaks down their revenue into two segments:

"Our reported segments are described below:

• Google – Google includes our main internet products such as Search, Ads, Commerce, Maps, YouTube, Apps, Cloud, Android, Chrome, Google Play as well as hardware products we sell, such as Chromecast, Chromebooks and Nexus. Our technical infrastructure and newer efforts like Virtual Reality are also included in Google. Google generates revenues primarily from advertising, sales of digital content, apps and cloud offerings for enterprise, as well as sales of Google branded hardware.

• Other Bets – Other Bets is a combination of multiple operating segments that are not individually material. Other Bets includes businesses such as Access/Google Fiber, Calico, Nest, Verily, GV, Google Capital, X, and other initiatives. Revenues from the Other Bets are derived primarily through the sales of Nest hardware products, internet and TV services through Google Fiber and licensing and R&D services through Verily."

https://abc.xyz/investor/pdf/20160331_alphabet_10Q.pdf

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