Uber insists it won’t set up local office to accept rider complaints
Despite the soaring number of complaints Uber has been receiving on a daily basis, it won’t be setting up a local office to resolve rider complaints. Uber expects all complaints to be made only via the in-app complaint system or call a customer service representative in case of an emergency to explain the situation through the app and then get back into resolving the issue.
There are Uber offices in Sri Lanka which are only for drivers to get registered to the app and to provide training for them. These offices do not share information or provide any sort of help with rider complaints.
The Business Times learns from many Uber app users that the biggest issue is not having a physical office to follow up on complaints that were made pertaining to the complaint made via the in-app complaint system.
There have been many cases where no response has been obtained by consumers after making an in-app complaint. Consumers are frustrated due to the lack of follow up or someone to reach out to due to an emergency situation of a lost item or to get refunds due to technical faults in the app.
While that being said, the world is moving towards technology driven systems and using the new features in the app helps make things faster and easier, according to representatives from Uber who organised an event at the Hilton Colombo Residencies on Thursday.
Uber South Asia, Head of Central Operations, Pavan Vaish told the Business Times that nowhere in the world does Uber have a physical office to accept rider complaints; the only solution being to make a complaint via the app or call a customer service agent. “Call the police for emergency through the in-app emergency hotline number and Uber will provide information to the police about both the driver and rider. The problem will be evaluated and the driver will be barred from using the app if the fault was on his end and vice-versa,” noted Mr. Vaish.
Recently an Uber driver had an argument with a rider for not having a cash payment method instead of a card payment and it had resulted in the driver attempting to stab the rider. The rider had made many complaints to Uber via the in-app system and there has been no solution or refund from Uber until now. Similar incidents have cropped up over the years and consumers have already moved from Uber to other apps.
The Business Times also reached out to some of the Uber drivers as to why they request for cash payments over card from the rider; this is because drivers get the cash credited to their bank account from Uber only after one week of completing a ride. This has resulted in them putting pressure on the riders to have cash with them, who are ultimately frustrated and nowhere to go for help. The worst that could happen is after a complaint is made via the in-app system, the driver will not be allowed to use the app in the future.
Meanwhile last Thursday some new safety features were introduced by Uber under the hashtag ‘safety never stops’. The features include Uber safety helpline, Ride Check and PIN Verification. Some of these features are already available on the app on testing mode while it will become active by the end of March this year:
Uber Safety helpline: This will provide riders with the option to get in touch with Uber’s safety team should they have an urgent but non-emergency issue during a trip, such as reporting misbehaviour by a co-passenger, a dispute with a driver or a break-down. At the tap of a button, riders can immediately contact with Uber’s response team where safety experts will be available 24×7.
Ride Check: This will enable Uber to flag certain trip irregularities such as long unexpected stops, in some rare cases, indicate an increased safety risk. If an anomaly is detected, Uber will initiate a Ride Check by reaching out to both the rider and the driver.
PIN Verification: This is a trip verification feature to help ensure riders are getting into the car they are matched with through the app. Riders will receive a four-digit PIN that they can provide to their driver who can start the trip in the app only when the correct PIN is entered.