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Uber is facing the biggest crisis in its history

economist.com

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Re: Uber is facing the biggest crisis in its history

#41

Post by sillysaurus3 »

hhw wrote: post #20
67726e wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not at all a fan of Uber, but at this point it seems like a coordinated smear campaign.

I think a lot of people have always had a negative view of Travis Kalanick and Uber's business practices, but they enjoyed the convenience of the service just enough to look the other way. Between the soaring valuation and recent events, that balance has shifted to the point where some people now refuse to use the service. At the same time, there is a lot of schadenfreude by people who disagree either with the valuat…

How quickly history is rewritten. This is the same company that presented at Startup School several years ago to significant applause.

Re: Uber is facing the biggest crisis in its history

#42

Post by sillysaurus3 »

vaishaksuresh wrote: post #33
aceinaday wrote: post #15

IMHO as a part-time Uber driver, Uber could fix a lot of their current problems by putting tipping into the app. The self-driving car is not here yet, and Uber does not do enough for its drivers. If they would just add tipping I think that better drivers in better cars would start driving again. Without the tips, it's just not worth it.

No thanks! If drivers need to be compensated better, I would suggest increasing the fare or Uber taking a smaller cut. A lot of people prefer Uber just so they don't have to deal with tipping like in traditional cabs.

Tipping is often the only way for people to make end's meet. It lets people with excess money help out someone who really needs the help.

I think most people's view would change if they were in a situation where tipping makes the difference between being able to pay your heating bill.

Re: Uber is facing the biggest crisis in its history

#43

Post by AlwaysRock »

robbyking wrote: post #18
aianus wrote: post #7

As a part-time Uber driver in Toronto I haven't noticed any drop-off in ride requests whatsoever. Uber will survive, at least unless someone else beats them to market with an autonomous alternative. I don't get any incentives or bonuses either, just ~75% of the gross receipts from the customer.

I think it's important to remember that Uber users aren't loyal: if a ride isn't immediately available through Uber, they use Lyft; if Lyft isn't available, they go to the next app. While I agree that the service is here to stay, the individual players are likely to shift.

Based on what? I'm pretty loyal to Uber and use it because I know what I'm going to pay when I order the ride and because I'm not pressured to tip in the app. I guess if another app had both those features, the same ride availability, and cost the same I'd download and try it but currently none of them, that I've tried, do.

Re: Uber is facing the biggest crisis in its history

#44

Post by ProAm »

evv wrote: post #22
sschueller wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well the Captain should be the last one to leave the sinking ship that he ran into the iceberg. :) At this point I don't know if even a new CEO could save this company.

> At this point I don't know if even a new CEO could save this company. Honestly I am more concerned about saving the world from this company, because it still looks like they are going to win. Have you seen any signs that Lyft can compete in the worldwide market?

They are in deeper trouble than that. If they cannot resolve the Waymo lawsuit in an economical fashion they will just wither and die, Lyft or not.

Re: Uber is facing the biggest crisis in its history

#45

Post by ProAm »

aianus wrote: post #7

As a part-time Uber driver in Toronto I haven't noticed any drop-off in ride requests whatsoever. Uber will survive, at least unless someone else beats them to market with an autonomous alternative. I don't get any incentives or bonuses either, just ~75% of the gross receipts from the customer.

Demand speaks nothing of their balance sheet.

Re: Uber is facing the biggest crisis in its history

#46

Post by AlwaysRock »

sillysaurus3 wrote: post #42
vaishaksuresh wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No thanks! If drivers need to be compensated better, I would suggest increasing the fare or Uber taking a smaller cut. A lot of people prefer Uber just so they don't have to deal with tipping like in traditional cabs.

Tipping is often the only way for people to make end's meet. It lets people with excess money help out someone who really needs the help. I think most people's view would change if they were in a situation where tipping makes the difference between being able to pay your heating bill.

If I wanted to help someone out I would give them money. However I'm not getting into a car hoping to hear the story of why this person needs money beyond what I'm already paying for their service.

Re: Uber is facing the biggest crisis in its history

#47

Post by sp332 »

vaishaksuresh wrote: post #33
aceinaday wrote: post #15

IMHO as a part-time Uber driver, Uber could fix a lot of their current problems by putting tipping into the app. The self-driving car is not here yet, and Uber does not do enough for its drivers. If they would just add tipping I think that better drivers in better cars would start driving again. Without the tips, it's just not worth it.

No thanks! If drivers need to be compensated better, I would suggest increasing the fare or Uber taking a smaller cut. A lot of people prefer Uber just so they don't have to deal with tipping like in traditional cabs.

Uber isn't taking a cut. They're subsidizing fares. https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/uber-true-cost-uh...

Re: Uber is facing the biggest crisis in its history

#48

Post by frgtpsswrdlame »

AlwaysRock wrote: post #43
robbyking wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's important to remember that Uber users aren't loyal: if a ride isn't immediately available through Uber, they use Lyft; if Lyft isn't available, they go to the next app. While I agree that the service is here to stay, the individual players are likely to shift.

Based on what? I'm pretty loyal to Uber and use it because I know what I'm going to pay when I order the ride and because I'm not pressured to tip in the app. I guess if another app had both those features, the same ride availability, and cost the same I'd download and try it but currently none of them, that I've tried, do.

Yes but Uber will have to raise prices at some point. Will you be loyal then?

Re: Uber is facing the biggest crisis in its history

#49

Post by CamperBob2 »

dragonwriter wrote: post #40
CamperBob2 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Around twenty people signed on to Trump's advisory committee, many of them very well-known figures in the tech and manufacturing industries. How many others, besides Kalanick, can you name off the top of your head? Thought so.

> Around twenty people signed on to Trump's advisory committee, many of them very well-known figures in the tech and manufacturing industries. How many others, besides Kalanick, can you name off the top of your head? Given the volume of comments mentioning their role in the committee I've seen on HN, I'd say that HN users are probably at least as likely to know about Elon Musk being on the committee (and unlike Kalan…

Yeah, Elon Musk is the only one I could personally recall besides Travis Kalanick, without looking at an article listing the other members.

Not a lot of people seem upset about Musk's presence on the committee, or about anyone else's for that matter.

Funny. I'm sure it's all just a coincidence, or karma, or a spontaneous self-organizing feeding frenzy, or something.

Re: Uber is facing the biggest crisis in its history

#50

Post by sbov »

sillysaurus3 wrote: post #42
vaishaksuresh wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No thanks! If drivers need to be compensated better, I would suggest increasing the fare or Uber taking a smaller cut. A lot of people prefer Uber just so they don't have to deal with tipping like in traditional cabs.

Tipping is often the only way for people to make end's meet. It lets people with excess money help out someone who really needs the help. I think most people's view would change if they were in a situation where tipping makes the difference between being able to pay your heating bill.

The entire point is that tipping shouldn't make the difference between being able to pay your heating bill.

Tipping, as it exists in the US, is pretty much a dark pattern.

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