Uber is improving its services. The shakeup at the top levels of the company seems to have led to an approach that calls for giving greater emphasis to building upon the existing offerings. Along the same, the cab aggregation service has announced that it will now start making contextual, personalized suggestions regarding the best mode of travel between points A and B.
So here is how things will work: Let’s say that Uber sees you trying to hail a ride to a destination that is a short distance away, it will recommend that you take a JUMP bike, and will even redirect you to the nearest charged unit. In case you are hitching a ride to the Airport, Uber will suggest you take larger cars so as to accomodate your luggage conveniently.
The company will also take note of your ride-hailing patterns so, someone who prefers using share more, will be not be shown the more expensive options unless they want to specifically navigate to them.
Speaking on the topic to TechCrunch, Uber director of product Nundu Janakiram said:
We think there’s a lot to be gained by being a one-stop shop to get somewhere.
And there most certainly is. This move will also give Uber an edge over scooter startups, which have lately been cropping all over the place, and gaining significant popularity in the US. Now, Uber can present you with the option to ride a scooter and in fact, and also guide you to the nearest unit, and provide you with alternate, scooter-specific roads that avoid jams and congestion.
And in situations where no scooters are available, it can simply direct users to one of their nearest Uber pools. Quizzed about whether this strategy of doing what’s best for the customer won’t slash into the cab aggregation service’s profits, Jankiram stressed the importance of playing the long game.
If we wanted to optimize for revenue, we wouldn’t have shown UberX, Pool, and Express Pool first for every user for the last few years.
As Jankiram said, one-stop shop indeed. Instead of the three static options on the Uber home screen, folks will find them selves looking at custom options that are decided based upon a number of factors like price preference, vehicle types based on your trip length, destination type, and personal ride history.
The UI is also undergoing a few minor changes to make room for the improvements. One, Uber Pool option will now include Pools as well as Express Pools service. And two, a dynamic message bar will soon be added to the center of the home screen. This bar will show up salutations, special offers…….everything that can improve Uber’s “contextual, personalized” drive.
The big picture is that we want your phone to replace your personal car. If we want to be a true transportation platform, we need to be everywhere our riders need to be as well. The right ride for the right context, and what’s the right ride for you.
