Uber Thanksgiving

Regardless how a professional cab or limo drives feels about Uber and its impact on their industry, it hasn't been all bad. This Thanksgiving I am realizing there is much to be Uberly thankful for.

Public Interest

Pre-Uber there would be the occasional news story on taxis or cabbies, but mostly the taxi industry was secretive, defensive, and often disliked. They had little to no relationship with the public or the media, which led to many misunderstandings making them hard to defend when Uber came along. Today everyone is writing about taxis, Uber, limos, rideshares and even the occasional pedi-cab operation. For the first time, drivers on all sides of the fence have a greater voice due to Twitter, podcasts, blogs and the like.

Women Drivers

Early in my cab driving career I would encounter women who would tell me that they didn't know women COULD drive taxi. They would often follow that up with a story about a visit to a St. Paul based cab company where the door was slammed in their face (not literally). There were definitely barriers and obstacles I encountered trying to enter the industry, but I viewed them as an adventure. I grew up on a farm and later worked in technology, so a male dominated industry didn't deter me. At no time did anyone tell me I couldn't drive a taxi because I was a woman. Driving a taxi is a great way for lower income women to boost their economic status and freedom. Sadly the cab company these lower income women went to, has an owner that is a lawsuit waiting to happen. Since ridesharing came to town the number of women drivers has skyrocketed. The barriers to becoming a taxi or limo owner or driver still exist, but I encourage these women to pursue the commercial side of things (vs ridesharing). The taxi limo industry at large is foolishly not tapping into half of the available workforce.

Theft

Uber drivers report that riders love to lift their waters, candies, magazines, and chargers. My riders often know me, so they are less likely to steal the very things that enhance their ride experience. Like the iPad for music, or chargers for their devices.

Nobody likes to feel cheated. Whether it's a cabdriver taking the wrong way, a limo driver charging more than they should, or a cabbie simply saying he doesn't have change and keeping the rest of your fifty dollar bill. Surge Pricing is a way of cheating people in such a clever way that people almost feel like they shouldn't complain because they blindly agreed to the surge pop_up while ordering their ride. Perhpas their bank account was cleaned out just before rent was due(true story), or maybe they have bragging rights that they paid $183 to go from Minneapolis to Saint Paul after a late Garth Brooks show(true story), either way I don't surge price my customers. Surge pricing gives me a boost in call volume when people are sober enough to realize there is a surge before they order that ride. I enjoy giving my passengers a ride, not taking them for one.

Douche Canoes

We all know a douche canoe or two. Especially if you drive for a living, or work in a bar. At night the douche canoes love to go out and act like what they are: D-bags. This group loves Uber, so the rest of us, now encounter fewer of these fools. Hearing a douche canoe paid 7x surge to go home from the bar makes me secretly love Uber. At least the driver is getting paid for what they are subjected to. You wouldn't believe the abuse and sexual harassment many drivers are subjected to. As a woman, fewer of these d-bags is fine by me.

Fewer No Loads

Out- of- towners often find themselves on street corners of the city and wonder why there are no cabs to hail. If this were NYC or Chicago, they could probably hail a cab within seconds or at least minutes from the time they put their hand out. Daily I received calls from people stepping out of places like The River Center or EcoLab wanting cabs to the airport. If I quoted an ETA of 4-5 minutes and arrived in 3, often they would already be gone. I'd call or text them to say that I had arrived, and they'd say, sorry I already found another cab. If my 5min eta was too long, why ask me to come? Of course they are used to cabs lying about ETA's so they were probably shocked that I wasn't lying. Regardless, this always got under my skin. This same demographic doesn't bother to ask Siri to find the nearest cab anymore. They just pull up Uber. At least if they no show Uber, they get charged. Fewer no loads across the board has been a huge boost to productivity.

For now at least, you cannot prearrange an Uber ride. For many the ideal client is the prearranged client vs the my-lack- of- planning- is- now -your -emergency client. My prearranged work has skyrocketed since Uber came to town. People still want to know that the cab or limo will be outside at 4:10am when they want to go to the airport. They don't want it at 4:20 or 3:45 or have to worry that no Uber's will be on the map at that hour.

Good Help

There's no question that ridesharing (UberX and Lyft), which is people in their personal cars on personal insurance, has severely impacted the regulated cab and limo world. The oversaturation of cars has also impacted the market. But more than ever before drivers are bringing their A game because they understand how much is at stake. In Chicago for example, complaints against cabdrivers are down significantly suggesting that drivers are operating on better behavior. Because of the oversaturation of limos, cabs, and now rideshares, many are struggling to make a viable living. This has been good for me because when I can't accommodate a customer's schedule and give their business to a fellow driver; they appreciate it more than ever and do a much better job taking care of my customer. And if the runs I give drivers help them stay in business? It not only makes me feel valued, it also ensures I can find good drivers for my customers when they need them in the future. One Uber driver once told me that a Chey customer in the hand is worth more than two Uber's in the bush. Even if he was just being nice, I'm sure it's a bonus that I don't take a 25% cut.

Call Quality

The source of the ride request often impacts the quality of that run. Someone who finds me on Siri wanting a cab, RIGHT NOW, doesn't usually even know who they are calling and may not even be there when I arrive. The person finding me on Yelp has done their research and there's some trust before they even contact me. These days there are fewer last minute Siri callers and more Yelp callers which is usually a higher quality customer that is often a great fit for my business. Bottom line is that if they are seeking me out. They are making a choice to use me over Uber. These are often the unicorn customers that you know are out there, and you feel so luck that they are choosing you.

Recently I went away for a few days and farmed my prearranged customers out to three specific drivers. Each driver made it a point to tell me how smoothly everything went and that they were even a little jealous of my customers. I was of course was very proud, that my customers treated these other drivers as well as they treat me. They are very special, and was so very glad that they made a good impression on the guys I count on to help me out so that I can attempt to have a life. I used to say that if I want to be reminded of how many wonderful customers I have, all I have to do is take a random fare, cab company fare, or take care of another driver's customers . When I observe some of the Uber clients and listen to Uber drivers talk? I am even more thankful for the good ones who have remained loyal or who have sought me out.

A Ringing Phone