In 2012 Uber, an on-demand private driver app, launched its services in Dallas. I met with them as they were looking for several charities to connect with and get the word out about their Black Car services. They gave me gift cards to put in charity event favor bags giving guests $100 of Uber ride credit. I distinctly remember thinking to myself “no one is going to use an app to call a car service and get in a random black sedan”. Boy was I wrong. Today, guest blogger, Pete Foster, assesses all of the Uber car options (there are four) and gives us an honest opinion.
And don’t forget, now there is Uber Eats. xoxo – Tanya
The Uber Experience
Have you heard a lot about the Uber ride service but hadn’t tried it because you didn’t know enough about it? Perhaps you were uncertain of how it worked or what quality of service you’d receive. I recently had to take my car in for service so I explored what Uber had to offer. I was very pleased with the result. Here’s the story:
First I had to decode the various types of Uber service to know which one to order. There are four Uber services: Uber Black, Uber XL, Uber Select, and Uber X. Here’s the Uber service descriptions:
Uber X – the least expensive service, provided in a “normal” kind of car. Hondas, Fords, Toyotas, Chevys or Dodge sedans are quite common. The cars are less than 10 years old, owned by the drivers, can carry at least 4, and are very clean.
Uber XL – if you are traveling with a group, up to 5 others, XL is the way to go. Here the vehicles are luxury SUVs or mini-vans and, again, driver owned. They have room for 6 guests.
Uber Select – a more expensive service. The car that will pick you up – Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Caddy or the like is more upmarket. More luxury, a little more cost, typically a more upscale driver/owner and can it carry up to 4 passengers comfortably. I have had such great service with Uber X that I’ve only used Select once.
Uber Black– the Uber service that is intended to compete with private limos. The drivers have a commercial license, commercial insurance and provide pictures of their vehicle to Uber which must be fairly new – I’ve never been in an Uber Black older than one or two years old. Also, they are usually, if not always, black. When ordering, you can specify if you have up to 4 riders or if you need an SUV. For a trip to the airport, expect to pay about 50% of a private limo.
There are a couple of other Uber services. There is the Uber Pool service in a few cities – it’s a rideshare service being test marketed to be even lower cost. Then there is something called “Surge” pricing. Surge pricing is for special events where the Uber prices have surcharges applied due to abnormally high demand. NFL football game, concerts, conventions, NASCAR races, etc. would cause Surge pricing. But, even though I hear charges can double, triple or more they still seem reasonable for the circumstances. You will see a charge estimate and must agree in advance to Surge pricing.
Using Uber is pretty easy. From your smart phone, download the Uber app (application) from your App Store, install it, and then go through the set up. It isn’t hard, but any convenient teen can really make it easy! Put in your home and work address then put in a credit card and you’re set.
To order a car, open the Uber App and choose which service you want to use on the slider bar at the bottom of the map. Set the pickup location and the app will show you how long you will have to wait for the car. Enter your destination and you can get an estimate for the fare and to confirm your order. The app will keep you updated on the arrival of your car, tell you the type of car you can expect, and the driver’s name. The driver also knows your name to make it easier for him to find you. Once you’re in the car, you can tell the driver your preferred route, or he can follow the directions his phone gets from his Uber app. When you arrive at your destination, the app will automatically charge your credit card and shortly after, send your phone the charges and ask you to rate the driver and the service. The fare includes the tip.
In my case, I used Uber six times during the time my car was in the shop. I met interesting drivers – all could carry on a good conversation – in English. The cars were very clean and comfortable. I thought the service was so good, even though the tip was included in the fare, I gave the drivers a bit more. If you can’t already tell, I will use Uber again and I recommend it to my friends – at least those with smart phones.
Have you tried Uber? Leave a comment below about your experience and which car you request.
About Pete Foster
Peter Foster is an avid technologist, engineer and fan of US space operations. He has over 25 years’ experience as CEO of technology companies, 12 US Patents, has co-authored a book on speech recognition and is an instrument-rated private pilot with over 2500 hours.
FYI the fare UberX does NOT include the tip. Uber does not allow for tipping drivers through their app. The only way to tip an Uber driver is with cash. That is one of the reasons I only drive for Lyft these days. Lyft allows passengers to add a tip in the app after they submit their rating following the ride.
Lyft is also more diligent in the way it selects drivers. In addition to a background check a Lyft applicant must also meet with a Lyft mentor who inspects the vehicle and conducts an interview to see if the applicant would be a friendly driver and also takes a test ride to assess the applicants driving skills. Uber does no such thing. I became an Uber driver with no human interaction whatsoever. Uber checks your paperwork and that’s it. Uber training consists of a 15 min online video. There are some Lyft drivers who also drive for Uber (because Uber has a much larger market share) so you might ask next time you take a ride. If they do drive for both ask which one they prefer, and why.
If any of your readers want to give Lyft a try I’ve included a link with a $50 discount code:)
Robb-
Thanks so much for reading the blog and leaving this comment. I think Lyft is great too and I really appreciate your input!
xoxo- Tanya 🙂
Never tried Lyft, but I’ll be sure to do it next time.
Great job Pete! Thank you for the great info:)
Thank you for reading the blog and leaving a comment Lisa.
Glad you liked Pete’s post.
xoxo- Tanya 🙂
I love the Uber experience! I always check ahead in whatever city I am traveling to for availability. Th cab companies managed to squeeze Uber out of the Ft Lauderdale market, but the backlash from the taxpayers got this ruling reversed and thankfully Uber is back in buisness ! No need to have a designated driver with Uber at your fingertips.
Thanks Kathy! Glad to know that Florida loves Uber too!
xoxo- Tanya 🙂
Thanks, Pete (and Tanya)
Love Uber. (although their original logo was better than the new one).
You are welcome Carl. I agree with you about their logo. I feel the same way about that one and Instagram logo change too.
xoxo- Tanya 🙂
I use Uber and Lyft both frequently. Friends and I will meet at my home and take Uber or Lyft to charity luncheons or events. I started using Lyft out of Love Field because many of the Uber drivers do not have the license that allows then to come to the “Network Transportation” pick-up area at Love Field…the police will send them away, after they have told the driver to call for another car. Both are great services…glad they are in Dallas!
Oh gosh Pam, what a great idea. Thanks for the info on Lyft and Lovefield airport.
Good information to have.
Thanks!
xoxo- Tanya 🙂
I drive for UberSelect. I bought a Mercedes E Class specifically for this. However Uber requires that I accept UberX rides as well. If I only accept UberSelect requests and UberX rides that are surged 2.0X or higher, than my overall acceptance rate is roughly 10% of all requests that come into my phone app. At this rate, my dollar per hour is great, my star rating is great and my time actually driving is very efficient. However Uber will kick drivers like me off of the Uber platform for having a low acceptance rate. Now I have to accept UberX rides which kills my average dollar per hour and forces me to drive a ton of miles for virtually peanuts. Uber won’t allow me to only receive Select requests into my phone. This is very frustrating as I have a high car payment, high insurance and I’m forced into a lower paying bracket to remain on the Uber Platform. Very upsetting.