Pete
03-05-2017, 12:41 PM
Interesting. That really cheapens the experience.
And takes away a large advantage over taxis.
And takes away a large advantage over taxis.
View Full Version : Uber coming to OKC Pete 03-05-2017, 12:41 PM Interesting. That really cheapens the experience. And takes away a large advantage over taxis. BBatesokc 03-05-2017, 12:47 PM Uber recently changed their policy where drivers can ask for tips and even have signs in their cars about tipping. However, if you feel pressured to tip you can always rate the driver unfavorably. That's good to hear. I'd imagine that's the only way they could continue to lower rates and keep drivers. Last I checked I didn't see a way to tip via the app. So, while they may 'allow' it, they most likely don't encourage it. I drove for Uber when they first came to town - as part of an attempt to utilize 'volunteer driving' as a way for non-profits to raise money. Seemed like a lot of people tipped, but it really didn't matter because the pay was so good. You could volunteer to drive for 4-5 hours on a Friday night and have a few hundred dollars to donate for your efforts. The drivers I know that drive now say it's terrible except for the obvious rare times when you'd expect to make some money. Tipping now probably helps alot. BBatesokc 03-05-2017, 12:49 PM And takes away a large advantage over taxis. Any idea what the difference in fares is now? I remember at one time Uber was like less than half of a taxi (going off memory only). Even if the fare was equal, I'd take a Uber over a taxi. Pete 03-05-2017, 12:54 PM I don't know how the fares compare now and of course with Uber, it depends if you fall into 'surge' pricing or not. Also, I'm pretty sure you cannot tip directly through the Uber app, so if tips are now the norm, having to deal with that is yet another advantage over taxis that has been removed. I drove very briefly for Uber when I was in L.A. I did it one New Year's Eve and made about $600. But at that time you were not allowed to take tips. I tried it a couple of other times just for fun but it wasn't worth the hassle. catch22 03-05-2017, 12:58 PM In San Fran last year our Uber driver told us that he pays his mortgage (Sacramento) by driving into San Fran two Friday's a month. He said he leaves his house about 2pm and gets into the Bay Area around 4 and drives until 2-3am and then heads back home to Sac. His real job (I believe he was a carpenter) goes to his car, groceries and the rest is literally money saved or play money. He said Uber changed his way of life since he can pay his mortgage with two days of driving per month. BBatesokc 03-05-2017, 01:16 PM In San Fran last year our Uber driver told us that he pays his mortgage (Sacramento) by driving into San Fran two Friday's a month. He said he leaves his house about 2pm and gets into the Bay Area around 4 and drives until 2-3am and then heads back home to Sac. His real job (I believe he was a carpenter) goes to his car, groceries and the rest is literally money saved or play money. He said Uber changed his way of life since he can pay his mortgage with two days of driving per month. I have zero hesitation in saying that is not common at all in most markets - especially Oklahoma. As for your San Fran example... When Their Shifts End, Uber Drivers Set Up Camp in Parking Lots Across the U.S. (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-23/when-their-shifts-end-uber-drivers-set-up-camp-in-parking-lots-across-the-u-s) All anyone really has to do is work the math and then factor in the over saturation of drivers in the popular areas of OKC to see if you consistently make more than say $13/hr then you're ahead of the norm. The drivers I know say it's a $10-$15/hr side gig that is really closer to minimum wage when you account for your total time, expenses and wear and tear on your vehicle. Like I said, when I first drove (years ago), you could make money even after expenses and drive at your leisure. Now, the pay is gone and you must drive certain days/time/locations if you want to make any money at all. *Uber drivers (like strippers) all lie about how much money they make. Pete 03-05-2017, 01:22 PM ^ That was very much the case in L.A. after the initial lack of drivers made driving lucrative then the glut that followed made it very difficult to make any worthwhile money. catch22 03-05-2017, 01:50 PM I certainly don't doubt that, but if the pay isn't working out the number of drivers decreases and the remaining drivers get more money. By begging for tips they are artificially keeping wages high this resulting in drivers not dropping out. BBatesokc 03-05-2017, 01:56 PM I certainly don't doubt that, but if the pay isn't working out the number of drivers decreases and the remaining drivers get more money. By begging for tips they are artificially keeping wages high this resulting in drivers not dropping out. I don't agree..... Sure, drivers drop out, but Uber is extremely aggressive at recruiting new drivers. it also takes a new driver awhile before they realize "it's not me, this really doesn't pay well." When Uber used to let drivers see where other drivers are, it was ridiculous how many would be downtown and in similar areas. Making passengers aware that a tip is appreciated is a far cry from 'begging.' Regardless, when the fair is low, the tipped amount (usually based on a percentage of the fare) will be low too. Additionally, tipping is not even close to a guarantee when you drive. And, as most reporting on Uber seems to show, the reality is this is a very low paying job that's IMO best as a side gig to supplement one's income. turnpup 03-05-2017, 07:24 PM We sure didn't see anywhere on the app where a tip could be added, which is why I asked our driver about it. However, disclaimer in that it was hard to read the app in the car in the dark while in motion. So I could be wrong. I'm fighting having to use reading glasses. NoOkie 03-06-2017, 06:49 AM I don't agree..... Sure, drivers drop out, but Uber is extremely aggressive at recruiting new drivers. it also takes a new driver awhile before they realize "it's not me, this really doesn't pay well." When Uber used to let drivers see where other drivers are, it was ridiculous how many would be downtown and in similar areas. Making passengers aware that a tip is appreciated is a far cry from 'begging.' Regardless, when the fair is low, the tipped amount (usually based on a percentage of the fare) will be low too. Additionally, tipping is not even close to a guarantee when you drive. And, as most reporting on Uber seems to show, the reality is this is a very low paying job that's IMO best as a side gig to supplement one's income. BBates has the right of it. I drove for Uber/Lyft for most of 2016 to make some extra money for a down payment. I kept pretty detailed records of my trips and expenses, and it worked out to $15.61/hr gross and $11.31/hr net not including cash tips. I played around with doing it these last few months for some extra money, but a combination of fares being reduced again(I think?) and too many drivers made it unprofitable. The surge pricing is what makes money, and too many drivers reduces surges to basically just bar close. Uber discourages tipping because the CEO is against tipping in general. He's made several public statements about it. My experiences as a driver make me always tip unless they're genuinely bad. If you don't have cash and want to tip through the app, use Lyft. It's the same people driving for them, anyway. sooner88 03-06-2017, 08:46 AM One of the huge perks of Uber is that you are able to do everything through the app, as I rarely have cash on me. I also use Uber because I know what I am going to pay and there aren't any additional fees (or tip) on top. Until they allow you to tip through the app like Lyft I don't see the ability to accept cash tips as enough to supplement the change in rates and increase in drivers. Anonymous. 03-06-2017, 10:01 AM Cash tips create a security issue to the driver. I take Uber and Lyft rides multiple times each weekend and do not tip. My rating on the app is 5 stars. I give nearly everyone 5 star rating unless there was an obvious issue or the driver "accidentally" makes mistakes for the route. This past weekend we ordered an Uber and there was already a guy in our car. The driver did not verify name on pickup and just assumed. We ended up dropping the guy off because he was clearly in need of a ride. But I rated the driver 1 star. She claimed she did ask the guy his name, and claims he responded with the correct name (which is impossible due to the uniqueness of the requester's name). sooner88 03-06-2017, 10:17 AM Cash tips create a security issue to the driver. I take Uber and Lyft rides multiple times each weekend and do not tip. My rating on the app is 5 stars. I give nearly everyone 5 star rating unless there was an obvious issue or the driver "accidentally" makes mistakes for the route. This past weekend we ordered an Uber and there was already a guy in our car. The driver did not verify name on pickup and just assumed. We ended up dropping the guy off because he was clearly in need of a ride. But I rated the driver 1 star. She claimed she did ask the guy his name, and claims he responded with the correct name (which is impossible due to the uniqueness of the requester's name). 99% of the time the say "Are you _____?". I've had someone else get in my Uber and drive off before. TheTravellers 04-17-2019, 05:02 PM Finally got a new phone that can run the Uber and Lyft apps (old one couldn't get upgraded past Android 4.0.3), so with all the fallout about Uber in the past year or so, and not hearing much of the same about Lyft, thinking I should use Lyft. Wondering which one is better here in OKC, though, as far as number of drivers, rates, etc.? sooner88 04-17-2019, 05:05 PM Finally got a new phone that can run the Uber and Lyft apps (old one couldn't get upgraded past Android 4.0.3), so with all the fallout about Uber in the past year or so, and not hearing much of the same about Lyft, thinking I should use Lyft. Wondering which one is better here in OKC, though, as far as number of drivers, rates, etc.? We tend to use Lyft over Uber, but typically will check both when calling a ride to see which one is cheaper. I've noticed my "sketchy" or weird drivers has increased a lot recently.. not sure if that's just me. Bullbear 04-18-2019, 08:13 AM A lot of drivers work for both platforms. I have stayed with uber. I have enough rides and a high rating that puts me in a VIP category where I can choose that category and only get higher rated drivers and vehicles. It kind of weeds out some of the crap drivers. Richard at Remax 04-18-2019, 09:11 AM I have slowly transformed to Lyft. They seem to have a decent amount of promos that I participate in and the drivers seems to be better. That being said I have encountered a bit more strange ones lately. I guess I had been fortunate so far and now the needle is swinging back the other way. TheTravellers 04-18-2019, 09:29 AM Thanks for all the tips, I'll probably put both apps on the phone, but use Lyft as a first choice... no1cub17 04-18-2019, 05:02 PM We rarely ever use Uber/Lyft anymore. Just too many strange/sketchy experiences. Did anyone else on here use UZURV? I quite enjoyed that - that way we could much more reassured that we were hiring a trustworthy driver, and could even ride with someone we'd rode with before. Not sure what we'll do next time we go out of town for a week+ but thankfully airport parking here is pretty cheap still. BBatesokc 04-18-2019, 05:58 PM Finally got a new phone that can run the Uber and Lyft apps (old one couldn't get upgraded past Android 4.0.3), so with all the fallout about Uber in the past year or so, and not hearing much of the same about Lyft, thinking I should use Lyft. Wondering which one is better here in OKC, though, as far as number of drivers, rates, etc.? It's basically the same quality of drivers and cars since many drivers work for both companies. Just depends on your brand loyalty, surges, pricing, etc. I know some people that drive for Lyft that refuse to drive for Uber. Problem is, as fares dropped, so did the quality of drivers/cars. We've had friends turn an Uber away before because the car and driver were just too sketchy. Plutonic Panda 04-18-2021, 02:29 PM Is anyone having trouble using Uber in OKC? The last three times I tried to use uber AND Lyft were just awful. Twice they said there weren’t any drivers nearby(in Edmond and near Penn Square). Last week I tried calling one for a friend at the airport and it took 10 mins before saying it would arrive in 20 mins at which point I offered to just pick him up and he said he’d wait. Then the driver canceled and it took another 5 mins trying to find someone and same thing said it would be 20 mins so I just said screw if and I went and picked him up myself. I chalked it up to having just bad luck but I’m seeing more and more people complain about it on Facebook and Twitter threads like this: https://twitter.com/aegprofanity/status/1383808475872960516?s=21 PhiAlpha 04-18-2021, 04:37 PM Is anyone having trouble using Uber in OKC? The last three times I tried to use uber AND Lyft were just awful. Twice they said there weren’t any drivers nearby(in Edmond and near Penn Square). Last week I tried calling one for a friend at the airport and it took 10 mins before saying it would arrive in 20 mins at which point I offered to just pick him up and he said he’d wait. Then the driver canceled and it took another 5 mins trying to find someone and same thing said it would be 20 mins so I just said screw if and I went and picked him up myself. I chalked it up to having just bad luck but I’m seeing more and more people complain about it on Facebook and Twitter threads like this: https://twitter.com/aegprofanity/status/1383808475872960516?s=21 it’s been bad in OKC and Tulsa since the pandemic started. kukblue1 04-18-2021, 06:53 PM It's a National Problem I think. I have heard stories from people in other cites having the same issues. Kind of like what is happening in food service. I think Lyft and Uber drives are making more in unemployment. PoliSciGuy 04-18-2021, 08:05 PM Yeah industries that rely on low pay and labor exploitation are having trouble finding folks. ditm4567 04-19-2021, 07:40 AM Is anyone having trouble using Uber in OKC? Not just OKC. I was in Houston this weekend for a wedding and Ubers/Lyfts were few and far between. Also, I can attest to the sketchy driver comment. Our Uber driver that picked us up at the airport in Houston mentioned he had only been to Oklahoma once: to the federal penitentiary in El Reno for 6 years for embezzlement and money laundering. jn1780 04-19-2021, 07:58 AM They probably all became grocery shoppers or Amazon delivery drivers. Its not worth anyone's time just doing a couple of pickups/dropoffs a day. Uber/lift will struggle until tourism/travel pick back up sooner88 04-19-2021, 09:13 AM I've really noticed it getting worse at the beginning of this year (no coincidence right around the same time people have started to get out more). We never ran into issues getting one at a moment's noticed prior to January, but now we'll order both uber and lyft and hope we luck in to a driver who is likely 20 minutes away. The driver's we've talked to have said most have left due to 1. Driver's not wanting to expose themselves and/or family to COVID, 2) making as much money or more with diving for Postmates, DoorDash, etc. 3) Grocery shopping / Prime drivers. jn1780 04-19-2021, 09:43 AM I've really noticed it getting worse at the beginning of this year (no coincidence right around the same time people have started to get out more). We never ran into issues getting one at a moment's noticed prior to January, but now we'll order both uber and lyft and hope we luck in to a driver who is likely 20 minutes away. The driver's we've talked to have said most have left due to 1. Driver's not wanting to expose themselves and/or family to COVID, 2) making as much money or more with diving for Postmates, DoorDash, etc. 3) Grocery shopping / Prime drivers. Postmates/doordash is another big one I didn't mentioned. People always need to eat and they probably started eating out even more when those stimulus checks started rolling in. Not dealing with people during pandemic is kind of an obvious one of course. Kind of interesting it got worse at the beginning of year though........ sooner88 04-19-2021, 10:21 AM Postmates/doordash is another big one I didn't mentioned. People always need to eat and they probably started eating out even more when those stimulus checks started rolling in. Not dealing with people during pandemic is kind of an obvious one of course. Kind of interesting it got worse at the beginning of year though........ We've brought up the difficulty of finding a driver to our drivers, and several times they have given us their personal contact to pick us up outside of Uber/Lyft. I'm not typically a fan of going outside the app, but when that's our only option it's nice to have another contact. This also adds to the list of reasons why it may be harder to find one... Jeepnokc 04-20-2021, 08:25 AM We've brought up the difficulty of finding a driver to our drivers, and several times they have given us their personal contact to pick us up outside of Uber/Lyft. I'm not typically a fan of going outside the app, but when that's our only option it's nice to have another contact. This also adds to the list of reasons why it may be harder to find one... Going outside app can create liability/recovery issues if your driver has an accident. Won't be covered under Uber and driver's personal insurance may not cover or be inadequate. catch22 04-20-2021, 05:17 PM ^^ I drove for Uber and Lyft for a year or so and I had a few regulars that wanted me, so I gave them my number. How it basically works is I would stay offline until they are in the car, I would go online just before they request a ride. I am the nearest driver and I would accept their ride. Sometimes their app would be slow to see I was the closest driver, so it would ping another driver. If you cancel a ride within a few seconds of it being accepted by a driver there is no penalty. So in the off chance they got assigned a different driver they would just cancel it and wait a second before submitting another, and then it would find me. I |