Uber coming to OKC

[gopokes88]

Idea = Brilliant

Longevity as industry leader under current leadership = Incompetent

What types of drivers will be representing Uber with the reality it only pays $6-$12/hr after expenses in markets with constant fare reductions?

I personally think they should have stayed with Uber as being a step up from a Taxi in all ways - price, quality, professionalism.

They are quickly becoming the Walmart of ridesharing - and not in a good way.

If I was Lyft I would capitalize on all the things Uber is doing wrong. In our market I'd start servicing the Edmond area (believe it or not, they don't right now). I'd also play up the fact they actually meet their driver's and actually take a ride with them before ever putting them on the road. I wouldn't compete on price, I'd compete on quality - something Uber will not be able to sustain. Give the public the feeling a ride with Lyft is a 'safer', 'cooler' ride than with Uber. Problem right now though is, many Lyft driver's also drive for Uber.

It'll vary driver to driver.

The supplement Uber drivers I get are always awesome. These are your retired old guys who are bored, mid $30,000 guys just wanting some extra vacation money, etc.

The full time drivers will be in a squeeze.

Like Krisb said, it really should be for supplemental/fun money. Not as a career.

There's a retired guy around 63rd and Portland who drives a 2014 730 BMW. He drives because he is generally bored and wants something to do and way to write off his ridiculous car payment lol.

[BBatesokc]

I've been super busy with work but didn't they just guarantee $12/hour for drivers?

This is also how Uber sees fare reductions: UberX Drivers Guaranteed $1,000 Per Week - Business Insider

I've only skimmed but there's some really interested (and sad) conversations here: Uber Drivers Forum

From my understanding - as backed up by posters in the forum link you provided - the 'guarantees' are mostly a myth. Its also before expenses are taken out. Not to mention you have to be on 50 minutes of each hour, get at least 1 ride per hour (something the driver cannot control) and maintain a 90% acceptance rate. Those stipulations combined seem to have lots of Uber drivers crying foul.

[Pete]

Out here in LA, I still get their alerts and messages because I'm technically a registered driver even though I only did it two days, one being NY Eve, and it's been over a year.

I still get texts with 'guaranteed rates' but even those are lower than before.

Also, they now have a formalized inspection program for cars. When I registered, you just had to provide photos, proof of insurance and registration.

But now you actually have to take your car to a sanctioned inspection garage where they perform a full once-over and issue a certificate if the car passes.


Just some FYI stuff. I'm still a big fan of what they do; I just drove a couple of days to see what it was about from that side more than anything else.

[BBatesokc]

Out here in LA, I still get their alerts and messages because I'm technically a registered driver even though I only did it two days, one being NY Eve, and it's been over a year.

I still get texts with 'guaranteed rates' but even those are lower than before.

Also, they now have a formalized inspection program for cars. When I registered, you just had to provide photos, proof of insurance and registration.

But now you actually have to take your care to a sanctioned inspection garage where they perform a full once-over and issue a certificate if the car passes.


Just some FYI stuff. I'm still a big fan of what they do; I just drove a couple of days to see what it was about from that side more than anything else.

I've been researching it quite a bit because I am trying to propose a program wherein volunteers with an organization can signup to drive say one night a week or so and all the money is deposited into the charity's account they represent.

A person like me could spend $20 in gas and some time and raise say $100-$200 in a day for whatever charity I wanted to represent. Do this on NYE, or a home game day and you could raise $1,000 or more in a day per person. You get several people within an organization getting on board and now you're collectively raising real money for a non-profit.

Uber could promote this as a goodwill effort helping local non-profits.

I know lots of people who would love to see their $20 in gas turned into say $400 for their cause.

Plus, i think riders would enjoy knowing their cab ride is going to a good cause (well 80% of it) and they might use it as an opportunity to learn about that specific non-profit during their ride.

Just something I've been toying with for awhile now. But the recent fare cuts makes the math not nearly as attractive, but still doable.

[BoulderSooner]

As others have said. Most of my uber rides are great service. My most commen. Is a guy with at 2014 impala. Who waits in is recliner watching tv and then goes on calls.

[OkieDave]

I heard tonight people from Uber and Lyft were at the Inaugural Ball, and Uber has hired a new OK lobbyist and a government affairs person and is going to try a statewide preemption bill.

[BBatesokc]

Traffic Commission Approves Permits For Uber and Lyft Drivers

[Bullbear]

This is great news!.. I never took cabs.. they were never reliable.. I take lyft and uber weekly

[BBatesokc]

I can't find it right off-hand, but I recall seeing one report that showed Uber received an overwhelming majority vote while Lyft was approved by only one vote. Any ideas why?

[Bullbear]

The new report I saw on TV said that it passed narrowly.. but they didn't seperate the two Lyft and uber. .they just showed one vote on the board and it passed by one vote.. it would be odd that one would have more support over the other in my opinion.

[BBatesokc]

The new report I saw on TV said that it passed narrowly.. but they didn't seperate the two Lyft and uber. .they just showed one vote on the board and it passed by one vote.. it would be odd that one would have more support over the other in my opinion.

Found it..... From a OK Gazette article..... "The traffic commission voted 5-4 to approve Lyft’s application and 8-1 to approve the application for Uber, which filed its application under the name Rasier."

Full article.... Traffic commission gives Lyft & Uber approval to operate

[sooner88]

I took an Uber yesterday and talked to my driver about the guaranteed rates. He said it was virtually impossible to get anywhere close to that. He said he typically makes $220 for both Friday and Saturday night driving 7:00 pm to 3:00 am.... and this was before the rate drop. Seemed like there was a lot of frustration from his side.

[mkjeeves]

So after expenses it's a few bucks more than a minimum wage job.

[BBatesokc]

So after expenses it's a few bucks more than a minimum wage job.

Which will be the death of Uber IMO. They are branding themselves as the Walmart of ride-sharing (in all ways) and I don't think that's a good thing.

I was told something called UberSelect is coming to OKC in the next couple of days/weeks. Looks to be nicer cars that are only 1-3 years old. A person would be a complete fool to use a practically brand new upper end car as a 'taxi.'

[mkjeeves]

As long as they can keep the vibe "we're more hip than taking a cab" and feed it with drivers who haven't figured out the economics, are doing it for fun, an experiment or a few bucks they will be able to keep it going. That's a business model but possibly not sustainable for the long haul.

[BBatesokc]

I still find it odd though that so many drivers are happy and in fact cities like Seattle are adding new drivers all the time. Seriously, I'm in an Uber up to 10 times in a day. It's just not doom and gloom out there. It's possible it's much more market dependent. We all know how tough OKC could be for any occupation that is driving dependent. Things are just so spread out and the demand isn't going to be that high on most days.

Sorry, I'm just not seeing the "downfall of Uber" happening any time soon, if even ever really. I suspect they'll be as big as Yellow Cab is.

Instead of basing your opinion on the driver's you've experienced in your area -- you might try spending more time reading the opinions of drivers from all over the country on the Uber forums.

Many cities are now only paying their drivers $.70 to .$.90 a mile. That's crazy low. Twice now I've hailed an Uber, only to have the driver call me and find out I'm not going all that far and canceling my ride (the last time was 4 days ago when I needed a ride from Firestone) -- forcing me to hail another driver. I know other people this has happened to also.

They are always going to get new drivers when they falsely claim their drivers will make unrealistic earnings. Several articles have been published debunking Uber's driver earnings claims.

[mkjeeves]

This is a fair and balanced article about the service and impact IMO. It touches on my main concerns about the services over the long term.

there are hardly any downsides for customers who enjoy greater access to safer, more stylish, transportation, in more reliable cars -- all at the touch of an app on a smartphone,

Drivers: Low prices impact drivers’ earnings. While the applications are hailed by customers as user-friendly, it is important to remember that drivers are the ones providing the service in the name of UBER and similar enterprises. In major cities like New York, drivers are encouraged by UBER to purchase late model cars that can cost upwards of 60 to 70 thousand dollars (for SUVs and luxury cars), and some drivers still rent cars weekly from third parties. They bear most of the costs associated with the service (e.g. fuel and repairs). The drivers therefore contribute greatly to the brand of UBER. Initially, drivers used to rely on the surge prices to make up for low fares (as compared to those for limousine or car services) and infrequent trips (as compared to those of taxis). However, with the continued intake of new drivers by UBER and its competitors, and their price competition, drivers’ average earnings are being pushed downward. This means that drivers have to work longer hours to earn an income comparable to what they would have earned a year or two years ago. Unfortunately, while this means that there’s a larger supply of drivers, longer hours behind the wheel will jeopardize the safety of both drivers and passengers. These conditions, coupled with customer trip cancelations, which can cause a driver to miss opportunities to make money during the busiest hours, can have a negative impact on drivers’ earnings and morale.

Industry: Price competition is destructive for any industry, even for one that is already providing an invaluable service and many value-added benefits to the market. UBER, Lyft and other E-Hail services promote to their customers the expectation of a first class limousine service for less than taxi prices at the expense of the drivers. Increasingly, UBER, Lyft (its main rival) and other E-Hail services are engaged in an intense battle to provide the cheapest service. Unfortunately, this battle is being fought on the backs of drivers, who bear most of the expenses. Ultimately, this can only add to the stress of drivers (just as it did in the Yellow Cab taxi enterprise), and this, if not corrected, will bring about poor service in the long term. UBER and other E-Hail services are directly competing with the existing taxi and limousine or car services for both customers and drivers. This has led to the drop in taxi medallion and black car prices in New York. That is good for drivers, but bad for the traditional taxi and car service groups.

Taxi Industry: Pros & Cons Of UBER And Other E-Hail Apps

[mkjeeves]

dup

[BBatesokc]

And for further context, first I'm not sure what you mean. The driver doesn't see your destination until after they pick you up. After several hundred rides, I've only had one driver cancel on me. And that was in Austin.

On edit: They can see your rating however. Not saying that's what happened but it is a metric they can see.

What is happening is the driver accepts the hail and then calls the passenger on the phone and inquires as to their location now (confirming the pins positioning) and then asking where the passenger is headed. Its at this point the driver will cancel because he realizes it may take him 14 minutes to get to you and you only want to go maybe 6 minutes to your destination.

I'm not saying Uber will go out of business. Being cheaper than a cab will mean they will always have a customer. But the idea that they will remain hipper than a cab simply won't hold unless you're using their black or select services.

You can't rely on minimum wage employees to give your brand a consistent, professional and hip appearance.

I don't travel that much recently and have only used Uber in three other states and maybe 5-7 times total outside of Oklahoma. I do intentionally use it in Oklahoma a lot. My experience has been all over the board...... good drivers with nice clean cars and odd, creepy and smelly drivers with unkept cars and a general bad attitude.

IMO they are leaving their brand wide open for a well managed competitor to step in and steal their thunder.

They originally had a an excellent business model..... They offered an upgrade to an existing service - instead of 'a cab' you got a 'nicer car.' Instead of a grumpy 'cabbie' you got a 'friend' to give you a ride. You also received perks like an app that made it convenient and allowed you to see when your car would arrive. In exchange you paid a small premium over a traditional cab service, but not nearly as expensive as a traditional 'car service.'

But then Uber thought they could maintain all of that and make even more money if they simply lowered rates (over 50% in some cases) and screwed over their drivers. There is even a driver here in OKC that posts YouTube videos and he even admits it can take him all night (8-10+ hours) to make what he used to clear in only a couple of hours before the rate cuts.

Uber works for drivers in very specific situations.... Retired or self employed and they simply want to get out of the house and make a few dollars in the process. It will probably work for a disciplined student who needs the flexible hours and non much money. Problem is, while they attract that, that is a very specific demographic and you can't find enough people in that situation to provide adequate coverage.

What you are left with are people who believed the hype and quickly turn bitter when they realize what they signed up for is a $6-$15/hr job on average after expenses and very long hours with no benefits. And while $15/hr in OKC would be a decent job, from reports of drivers after the recent fare drop (30%+/-) most say if you do the math properly they are only making $7-12/hr and quickly devaluing their personal vehicles. Not to mention risking losing their automobile insurance, etc.

And this doesn't even touch on the literally thousands of drivers that sign up to buy a car through Uber. They literally become indentured servants.

[gopokes88]

What is happening is the driver accepts the hail and then calls the passenger on the phone and inquires as to their location now (confirming the pins positioning) and then asking where the passenger is headed. Its at this point the driver will cancel because he realizes it may take him 14 minutes to get to you and you only want to go maybe 6 minutes to your destination.

I'm not saying Uber will go out of business. Being cheaper than a cab will mean they will always have a customer. But the idea that they will remain hipper than a cab simply won't hold unless you're using their black or select services.

You can't rely on minimum wage employees to give your brand a consistent, professional and hip appearance.

I don't travel that much recently and have only used Uber in three other states and maybe 5-7 times total outside of Oklahoma. I do intentionally use it in Oklahoma a lot. My experience has been all over the board...... good drivers with nice clean cars and odd, creepy and smelly drivers with unkept cars and a general bad attitude.

IMO they are leaving their brand wide open for a well managed competitor to step in and steal their thunder.

They originally had a an excellent business model..... They offered an upgrade to an existing service - instead of 'a cab' you got a 'nicer car.' Instead of a grumpy 'cabbie' you got a 'friend' to give you a ride. You also received perks like an app that made it convenient and allowed you to see when your car would arrive. In exchange you paid a small premium over a traditional cab service, but not nearly as expensive as a traditional 'car service.'

But then Uber thought they could maintain all of that and make even more money if they simply lowered rates (over 50% in some cases) and screwed over their drivers. There is even a driver here in OKC that posts YouTube videos and he even admits it can take him all night (8-10+ hours) to make what he used to clear in only a couple of hours before the rate cuts.

Uber works for drivers in very specific situations.... Retired or self employed and they simply want to get out of the house and make a few dollars in the process. It will probably work for a disciplined student who needs the flexible hours and non much money. Problem is, while they attract that, that is a very specific demographic and you can't find enough people in that situation to provide adequate coverage.

What you are left with are people who believed the hype and quickly turn bitter when they realize what they signed up for is a $6-$15/hr job on average after expenses and very long hours with no benefits. And while $15/hr in OKC would be a decent job, from reports of drivers after the recent fare drop (30%+/-) most say if you do the math properly they are only making $7-12/hr and quickly devaluing their personal vehicles. Not to mention risking losing their automobile insurance, etc.

And this doesn't even touch on the literally thousands of drivers that sign up to buy a car through Uber. They literally become indentured servants.

Unless of course they just do it as a side job to earn some extra money. Of the 100+ uber rides I've taken in okc 80 of them were just people wanting to earn some extra cash.

Uber is still a cool experiment in unregulated free market capitalism and will show how supply and demand eventually balance out. If all the doom and gloom you are hyping (and I think secretly hoping for) less uber drivers will be out on the roads, however because prices are insanely low there will still be a lot more demand and a balancing act between drivers and riders will at some point occur.

If you driving for uber as a full time job in OKC you need to rethink life. And no they are not "literally" indentured servants, if you are stupid enough to buy a brand new car and instead of having the money to make the payments you decide to drive to pay for it then you get what you deserve better or worse.

[Jersey Boss]

Unless of course they just do it as a side job to earn some extra money. Of the 100+ uber rides I've taken in okc 80 of them were just people wanting to earn some extra cash.

Uber is still a cool experiment in unregulated free market capitalism and will show how supply and demand eventually balance out. If all the doom and gloom you are hyping (and I think secretly hoping for) less uber drivers will be out on the roads, however because prices are insanely low there will still be a lot more demand and a balancing act between drivers and riders will at some point occur.

If you driving for uber as a full time job in OKC you need to rethink life. And no they are not "literally" indentured servants, if you are stupid enough to buy a brand new car and instead of having the money to make the payments you decide to drive to pay for it then you get what you deserve better or worse.

I read this article which seems to be touching on what you have addressed.

How The Uber Economy Can Become A Race To The Bottom

Growth in on-demand services helps customers improve their lives by finding somebody else to clear out the garage, put up the shelves or run errands. But do the people handling your to-do list benefit as well?

TaskRabbit founder and CEO Leah Busque is concerned that the deal may be one-sided. "In the last 12 to 18 months, I believe there has been a slippery slope of new companies that have formed in the name of on-demand services ... that maybe aren't having as much of a focus as they should on the worker," she told The Huffington Post's Jordan Jayson at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Saturday.

TaskRabbit is a website that links customers up with people ready to handle a wide range of small jobs.

"Our whole premise was empowering a new generation of workers to be their own entrepreneurs, to build their own schedules, to set their own prices and accept and decline work," Busque said.

"If you build a services app without taking into consideration the quality of the lives you're creating for those workers, then you're completely missing the point of this whole industry," she added. "I do believe it's a slippery slope. It can become a race to the bottom, and we have a responsibility to make sure that doesn't happen."

[gopokes88]

I read this article which seems to be touching on what you have addressed.

How The Uber Economy Can Become A Race To The Bottom

Growth in on-demand services helps customers improve their lives by finding somebody else to clear out the garage, put up the shelves or run errands. But do the people handling your to-do list benefit as well?

TaskRabbit founder and CEO Leah Busque is concerned that the deal may be one-sided. "In the last 12 to 18 months, I believe there has been a slippery slope of new companies that have formed in the name of on-demand services ... that maybe aren't having as much of a focus as they should on the worker," she told The Huffington Post's Jordan Jayson at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Saturday.

TaskRabbit is a website that links customers up with people ready to handle a wide range of small jobs.

"Our whole premise was empowering a new generation of workers to be their own entrepreneurs, to build their own schedules, to set their own prices and accept and decline work," Busque said.

"If you build a services app without taking into consideration the quality of the lives you're creating for those workers, then you're completely missing the point of this whole industry," she added. "I do believe it's a slippery slope. It can become a race to the bottom, and we have a responsibility to make sure that doesn't happen."

So a race to the bottom in seeing how cheap I can get someone to sweep my garage? Sounds terrible. It's almost like if it collapsed, I'd have to sweep it myself. I don't care about the worker, if they don't like the pay don't sign up for the job. Capitalism creates competition which pushes prices lower and lower that's what it does. On the flip side if there is perceived quality people will pay more, hello Uber Select.

[BBatesokc]

...If all the doom and gloom you are hyping (and I think secretly hoping for) less uber drivers will be out on the roads, however because prices are insanely low there will still be a lot more demand and a balancing act between drivers and riders will at some point occur....

Actually, not at all. I love the concept. So much so I find it insanely irritating that they seem to be possibly making a wreck of it. In fact, my entire interest was peaked when I (as I previously explained) began looking into Uber as a way for local non-profits to make some real money for their cause.

Instead of say volunteering 5 hours to fold clothes at a clothes closet every other week - a person could say drive for 5 hours and simply donate the proceeds to the same charity. Which could be a couple of hundred dollars. Have several people within an organization doing that and it equals real money. But when the earnings drop to close to minimum wage, the donation model doesn't look nearly as beneficial.

[BBatesokc]

Normally I get where you are going but couldn't you do this for say, just about every private sector position? Don't want to wash dishes? Flip burgers and we'll donate all the proceeds to charity. Don't want to greet people? Dry clean clothes and we'll donate the proceeds to charity.

In short 'no.'

A volunteer doesn't apply for a burger job or dry cleaning company to work, say one day a week, and have the company make the check out to their non-profit. That just wouldn't be feasible for most companies or worth their efforts.

The closest thing would be the occasional fundraiser where say a Sonic lets some local volunteers be the car hops for the afternoon and their tips go to the non-profit. Or, when Johnnies donates a portion of your purchase if you tell them what organization you are supporting.

This would be different in several key ways. For one, a volunteer could do it on their own schedule. They can also do it solo. And, the volunteer feels more like they had a direct impact on how much they raised. Plus, through some idol chit-chat during the 10-minute car ride they could share some info on the organization they support. And, it would capitalize on the newness and 'cool' factor of the ride-sharing concept. All of those things differentiate it from your examples above.

[mkjeeves]

Two Uber rides today. First driver has been driving with Uber for over a year, happy. Second driver since Uber first started in Seattle. Loves it and drives full-time.

Stay tuned for more...

Michael Bender, president of Walmart West, wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday that "the overwhelming majority of Walmart associates who love their jobs deserve a voice, too." He claimed that 86 percent of Walmart hourly workers said in a survey they agree with the statement "I really love my job." He did not specify the survey's response rate.

Walmart Wants You To Know That Their Workers 'Love Their Jobs'