Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi worked undercover as a driver at his company to learn more about the day-to-day lives of drivers.
He was surprised by the behavior of the guests and also fell for a tip scam by the customers.
Uber has recently struggled to attract more drivers to the app.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi worked part-time as a driver to find out why his company was struggling to hire more drivers. He was surprised at how many problems there were – and how uncomfortable some passengers could be.
Khosrowshahi said that „Wall Street Journal“that he secretly signed up as a driver in September last year to better understand the experiences of Uber employees. The company has traditionally focused on the passenger experience. However, it also needs to win the “hearts and minds” of drivers to maintain its lead over rivals like Lyft.
Uber CEO surprised by customer behavior
He bought a used Tesla Model Y to ferry passengers around San Francisco and make deliveries under the alias “Dave K.” While there were several operational issues that made the app difficult to use, some customers’ behavior unpleasantly surprised Khosrowshahi.
read too
He reported that some experiences — like guests discussing personal issues or confidential company information as if they were the only people in the car — surprised him. When Khosrowshahi made food deliveries using an electric bike, he often encountered a practice where customers would lure a courier with a large tip when placing the order before reducing it after delivery. Another passenger, who recognized the CEO on one of his Uber shifts, asked him for advice on his startup.
five Uber drivers, who were recently interviewed by Business Insider, said they frequently encountered rudeness, no tip and late arrivals. Khosrowshahi’s work was part of a larger operation called “Project Boomerang” aimed at getting more drivers back to the app.
This article was translated from English by Klemens Handke. You can find the original here.