Uber protests take new twist: Its own drivers are mad now

[FrodosPet]

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2014/1023/Uber-protests-take-new-twist-Its-own-drivers-are-mad-now

LOS ANGELES — The upstart ride-sharing company known as Uber has drivers out on the streets once more, protesting the company’s policies.

But this time, it’s not the yellow taxicab drivers who have been pushing back at the way Uber’s peer-to-peer digital application is undermining their more traditional model and regulations. Now, the voices being raised against the five-year-old, multibillion dollar company are the very non-professional drivers the firm relies on to ferry passengers in their own cars.

On Wednesday, Uber drivers in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and London took to the streets to protest a range of concerns, among them price-cutting by Uber and the no-tipping policies which they say are unclear and deprive them of needed revenue. The groups have formed into at least three fledgling unions to push their list of demands.

~ snip ~

If Uber focuses solely on lower prices through lower wages, “quality will suffer,” says Peter Zaleski, economics professor at Villanova University in Philadelphia. Allowing tips could help Uber enjoy the best of both worlds, he says, adding that the incentive for tips promotes a high quality experience for riders.

~ snip ~

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

DISCLAIMER: I own a transportation sales business that competes with Uber. I am trying to help indie and small fleet taxi and sedan drivers to make MORE money, not less.

[petronius]

1. I took my first Uber ride this weekend, and was wondering about tipping

(Someone else did the arranging and I was out of the car at payment time, so I didn't know if there had been a tip or not.)

It was kind of interesting, the vehicle was definitely nicer than any cab I'd been in and it was cool to see the driver approaching on the GPS, but the return trip came up as 3.5-4x pricier than the trip out. So we took a cab, which turned out to be cheaper (with tip) than the original Uber ride. When it was all said and done, I wasn't really clear what the point was vis-à-vis a regular cab...

[Mojorabbit]

2. I use uber all the time and love it.

I have had taxi drivers really upset with because I was going only a short distance away. I love the the no tipping and no money actually physically changing hands system. I want Uber drivers to make excellent money. It is such a pleasant experience compared to those I have had with cabs. No offense to cab drivers, it may just be the area I reside that has difficult cab drivers.