App-based taxi-hailing service Uber completed three years of India operations recently and it has been a popular choice for users in India. The company operates globally in over 73 countries and over 450 cities (28 Indian cities).
For the most part, Uber manages transactions on the app and acts like a middleman between the taxi and the rider. It however offers more services than just offering you ride between two destinations. Here are some things about Uber you might not know about.
1. You can request an Uber for others
One of the ways many of us use Uber is to book rides for our friends and family members. This can be a little inconvenient sometimes, because the driver will still try and call your number to co-ordinate - also, sometimes the other person wants to pay, but your payment option might already be set. These issues can now be fixed by booking a ride for someone else - from your app.
How does it work? Simple - if the pickup location is not near where you detected location is, the app will ask you if the ride is for you, or for someone else. Choose someone else, and the app prompts you to choose a contact, whose number is used for calls. You're also asked about the payment method at that point, so you can choose cash if you want. The rider meanwhile will get two text messages - one with the details about the driver and the car, and a second with a link to track the ride.
2. You can be an Uber driver too
You don't really need a taxi to be part of the Uber team. With UberCommute, the company offers private car owners to sign-up on the platform and share their journey with a fellow-commuter headed in the same direction - and make some money at the same time. The company launched the UberCommute carpooling feature at the beginning of 2016 in Bangalore and has been in pilot run. Unfortunately, the carpooling feature has been limited to Bangalore only.
Users who are interested to be part of the pilot run by Uber can easily sign-up by giving the details of their drive to and from work, along with their car and license numbers. Once you're registered, switch on the app anytime between 7am to 9pm and it will prompt you to enter your destination. It will then pair you with another rider heading in the same direction. You get paid for doing this, and can make up your commuting costs this way, though you might have to go out of your way a little when doing this.
3. Share ride details and split the bill
Uber's ride sharing feature enables a rider to share details of the ride as well as the driver with friends or family members. Once the ride begins, a rider can share details from within the app by tapping the Share ride details button and then choosing a contact.
Another interesting feature added by Uber was fare split that enabled a user to split the Uber bill with friends. Again, once the ride has started, select Split Fare and choose a contact, then hit send. Your friend will get a text with a link that opens the Uber app on their phones, and they'll have to confirm that they are willing to split the fare, and that's it, the bill gets split between you.
4. Uber's work with ex-servicemen
Uber launched the UberFauji programme last year in India and it is a dedicated to ex-servicemen who want to work with Uber. The programme offers flexible part-time work to a full-time opportunity for ex-servicemen. Before India, Uber launched the UberMilitary programme in the US that offered similar services to ex-servicemen.
In India, Uber partnered with Army Welfare Placement Organisation (AWPO) under the Ministry of Defence to provide opportunities for ex-servicemen. Under the programme, Uber offers features such as vehicle financing to ex-servicemen for buying vehicle. Uber claims it already has hundreds of ex-servicemen who are driving on the platform.
5. You have an Uber rating too
Did you know that at the end of each ride with Uber you get assigned a rating from the driver? This works same way as you are asked to rate your driver on a scale of one to five at the end of each ride. The rating from the driver actually is crucial for a rider, as a low rating can affect the chances of you getting a cab.
It's worth noting that you can only see the average rating that Uber drivers give, instead of individual rating for every ride.
(Also see: How to Find Your Uber Rating as a Passenger)
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