Services Marketing

Final Project

Submitted By:
Haziq Shoaib

Murad Niazi

Bilal Sajjad

Ibad Aslam

Submitted To:
Maam Feryal
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Type of Processing Service:.......................................................................................................2
Experience Attribute:.................................................................................................................2
Business Model:.........................................................................................................................2
Risks Involved:...........................................................................................................................2
High Contact Service:................................................................................................................2
Service & Customer Focused:....................................................................................................2
The Three-Stage Model of Service Consumption:.....................................................................2
7P’s of Uber...............................................................................................................................2
Product:...................................................................................................................................2
Price:.......................................................................................................................................2
Place:......................................................................................................................................2
Promotion:..............................................................................................................................2
Physical Evidence:..................................................................................................................2
People:....................................................................................................................................2
Processes:...............................................................................................................................2
Positioning Strategy of Uber......................................................................................................2
Segmentation Strategy:...........................................................................................................2
Target Market:........................................................................................................................2
Positioning..............................................................................................................................2
Main competitors of Uber......................................................................................................2
Positioning Map of Uber............................................................................................................2
Tools Used:................................................................................................................................2
Advertisement analysis..............................................................................................................2
Print ad:..................................................................................................................................2
TVC Advertisements:.............................................................................................................2
Adapting to Coronavirus............................................................................................................2
Website/ Web Application Analysis..........................................................................................2
User Friendliness:.......................................................................................................................2
Ease of use:.............................................................................................................................2
Simple steps to book a ride.....................................................................................................2
Bug fixes and maintenance:....................................................................................................2
Flower of Service.......................................................................................................................2
Information.............................................................................................................................2
 Order-Taking..........................................................................................................................2
Billing.....................................................................................................................................2
Payment..................................................................................................................................2
Consultation............................................................................................................................2
Hospitality:.............................................................................................................................2
Safekeeping:...........................................................................................................................2
Exceptions..............................................................................................................................2
Effectiveness and suggestions for improvement........................................................................2
Minimalistic Design:..............................................................................................................2
Layout:....................................................................................................................................2
Colour scheme:.......................................................................................................................2
Room for Improvement:.........................................................................................................2
Website as an informational medium.........................................................................................2
User Interface:........................................................................................................................2
Reward system:......................................................................................................................2
E wallet System:.....................................................................................................................2
Dual Nature:...........................................................................................................................2
Comparing to other mediums.................................................................................................2
References:.................................................................................................................................2
 Introduction
Service companies provide value to the customers by meeting the expectations. Customers do
not have the ownership and face less risks and costs. Services are intangible in a customer is
co-producer as well. Service companies provide value creating services in return for money
time and effort without transferring ownership.

Uber Technologies, Inc. is a ride hailing and sharing service that came into being in 2009 and
is based in San Francisco. The company is a leader in ride sharing service companies as it has
110 million users around the globe. It has 67 percent market share in this category in USA. It
has caused many significant changes in the dynamics of transportation industry. It all started
and the idea came when both the funders were unable to get a cab and felt a gap in the
industry which they have filed for a decade. The company offers many services worldwide
like ride sharing, food delivery and delivery service for goods and other items. However for
the scope of this project we would be focusing on its most common ride sharing service.

It categorizes its service in many ways by the type of vehicle and the country they operate in.
namely Uber Bike, Uber Black, Uber Auto etc. Uber has 3 million drivers worldwide and
operate sin 83 countries with over 800 to 900 under its coverage cities. It has been a game
changer in the industry and has faced criticism and harassment cases worldwide. It is known
to be one of the best start-ups with highest valuation in the decade. Beyond a company uber is
a platform.

Type of Processing Service:

Uber is a people processing service which connects the drivers and riders to each other
through mobile apps or telephone calls. It is based on Gps System. Customers are thus
directly a part of service execution. They are the ones who are physically moving from one
place to another and are being processed upon. They physically enter the car and are taken to
their destinations. Customers also come in contact with service providers. Thus the ride
sharing service is clearly a people processing service.
 Experience Attribute:
To evaluate the service customer go through experience attribute where they haveot
physically avail the service in order to evaluate how good or bad it is. Thus Uber’s ride
sharing service is based on experience attribute. They have to use the app, order a driver, go
to a location only then they can assess the quality of the whole model.

Business Model:
 Key Activities include customer support, hiring and managing drivers, product
innovation and development. Furthermore marketing and gaining customers is another
task.
 Key Partners involve Drivers who have cars. Various Payment option provider like
Visa, Master Cards. Investors and Google Maps and other map providers.
 Main Resource for Uber is drivers and technological platform
 Channels used is through website, mobile app and telephone number
 Main customers are those who do not own vehicles of their own and people who do
not like to drive to events themselves.
 Main value provided is cheaper faster hassle free rides with security tracking and
cashless options

Risks Involved:
 Financial: drivers charging more than calculated fare on app by making excuses.
Excess Cash not added to wallet. Drivers not showing up while charging. Taking
longer routes.
 Temporal: Drivers not showing up on time, driving slow and taking traffic routes.
 Sensory: too much noise in the car or surrounding, loud honking drivers impact on
ears. Fast drivers impact on all senses.
 Physical: Unsafe drivers who are under trained causing accidents that cause physical
damage.
 Functional: App isn’t working, connectivity issues, lag between driver and customer
synchronization.
 Psychological: Fear from driver’s behaviour who are strangers.
  Social: how drivers and other ride members may interact and behave.

High Contact Service:

Uber’s offers high contact service where customers and riders are in contact verbally almost
in every ride. Customers have to sit in the driver’s car and often have to make small talk to
communicate directions or other requests to drivers. Thus it is a high contact service as
physical interaction is a must.

Service & Customer Focused:

Uber is totally service and customer focused as this has helped them gain major market share
and be better than normal taxi’s. The customer centric approach has heled them gain the
value and competitive edge they needed. With uber you don’t have to wait around for the car,
one click on the app shows exact location and other identifiable characters of the person and
their car to help you. You can instantly check on reviews and picture of the driver. You
evaluate the driver and it helps the company as well as you on your next ride to find the
perfect match for you using uber algorithm. Moreover uber does not just depend on the driver
to make the customer feel like king. They thank the customer and often reward and ask for
reviews. Because in this world if you can make the customer feel special you have done half
your job. It provides fairly large market with narrow ranged services of delivery and ride
hailing.

The Three-Stage Model of Service Consumption:

Pre-purchase Stage
Stages of Service Consumption Key Concepts
 Awareness of need:
The need to travel and reach a Need Arousal
destination without driving or taking
public transport.
 Evaluation of Alternatives:
Comparison with Lyft, Careem, Ola, Multi-attribute Model
Hail, Easy Taxi etc., evaluations of (Experience Attributes)
 satisfied/dissatisfied customers, word
of mouth, ratings Youtube/TV
advertisements

Service Encounter Stage

Stages of Service Consumption Key Concepts
 Request Service (Payment):
Input Credit Card number for Service Encounter
cashless ride. On spot payment can (High-contact service)
also be made to the driver with cash
 Service Delivery: Access to the drivers nearby location and
24-hour access, depends on their info and arrival times from app.
availability of drivers in thatarea

Post-encounter Stage

Stages of Service Consumption Key Concepts

 Evaluation:
Satisfaction, evaluation of quality Confirmation/disconfirmation of service
and through rating system. You let
the app know your review and rate t
driver on a 5 point basis
 Future Intentions: Word of mouth
Continue being a user and Loyalty
recommend to others Satisfaction

7P’s of Uber
Product:
The main service we have selected for our project is the ride hailing service which is the most
popular one and is the high involvement people processing service. This term “ride hailing”
is the act of booking a ride through an app and paying through cashless systems as well. This
is done with transportation platform which Uber provides best. All the services are sold under
Uber’s name. Uber has categorized this service under various options. The level of various
options is what helps uber cater to different customer types. This makes uber unique and
better than taxi’s. All of Ubers products are much differentiated according to the service
quality, price and features.

Product Mix:

Internationally Uber has following options available for its ride hailing service.

 Uber Go: cheapest option available to ride in a hatchback with no air conditioning
often.
 Uber X: It is an affordable variant of uber for passengers. 3- 4 people can enjoy the
ride. In Uber X vehicles like Toyota Prius, Honda City etc show up to your doorstep.
It is the default option and the first one.
 Uber XL: It is again an affordable option and upto 6 people can enjoy the ride. It
includes SUV vehicles. It offers minivan, SUV or Station Wagons
 Uber pool: it is the carpooling service where people can bring other people with them
to go to nearby destinations or similar one.
 Uber access/assist: This service is for people with special needs like elderly and
differently abled people. Wheelchair availability and assistance by drivers is
provided.
 Uber Select: this is a limited service and offers rides on cars like BMW and
Mercedes etc
 Uber Black: is a service which is very classy with black exterior, interior and
premium chauffer services. People use it to make a statement. Cars like Lexus and
Lincoln arrive.
 Uber Lux: is the high end service from uber. It has professional drivers and luxury
cars for example rolls Royce, benz, s class and limousines arrive to your doorstep.
 Uber Auto: this is available in few options and given an option to ride in an auto
rickshaw. Safety and features are compromised.
 Uber Bike: this provides a ride for a single person on a bike that is an economy bike

Features:

Following are the main common features among all the variety.

 You use this service through there app. You add in the locations of pick-up and
delivery from the comfort of your home or anywhere else.
  You don’t have to book the ride earlier even though you have an option to do so.
 It connects the riders with drivers and lets them know the estimated pick up time and
other important information.
 Owner and car details given beforehand for safety.
 It notifies you of arrival of driver you go to the street and hop in the car.
 24/7 availability.
 Various options from luxury to low cost.
 Ride sharing or solo option
 Choice of vehicle
 Cashless system as well as option for cash available.
 Secure transaction and e wallet.
 Real time tracking by family and friends.
 Trip history
 Transaction details given
 Multiple drop off points
 In app chats and rating system

Price:
Firstly it depends on the type of car selected as explained in products an Uber X costs less
than an Uber LUX and similarly, various options are available and for each option, the
factors and component pricing changes. Following are the pricing strategies used by Uber.

1. Geographical pricing:
 A base fare of the ride this depends from location to location and is fixed rate that is
to be applied on every ride. For example 5 dollar base fee.
 Rate for duration of trip: estimated duration of trip is calculated and a rate is applied
on it. For example if it is 50 cents per minute, a ride of 30 minutes costs 15 dollars on
the basis of duration.
 Rate for distance: if a trip is 30 kilometres and the rate for each kilometre is 1 dollar
then the trip would cost 30 dollars
 Total cost up till here is 50 dollars.
 If surge factor of 1.3 is applied then it would cause total cost of ride to 65 dollars.
  Various factors such as waiting time are also added if a rider asks the driver to wait
for a few minutes, he would be charged for it at a low cost.
2. Dynamic Pricing:

This is the most popular system of pricing by uber. Dynamic pricing is basically the act of
varying the price according to changing market conditions. Uber calls it Surge Pricing. In an
area where there is a higher demand, uber charges its riders more. It is an incentive for
drivers to drive to that particular location. Sometimes it is foreseeable after big events or
during rush hours. Uber applies a factor of 1.3, 1.5 and higher based on the demand. Those
who are not willing to pay more wait for the demand to be reduced. Those in a hurry always
pay more. Once the demand is reduced price normalisation starts. Dynamic pricing is done to
ensure availability of drivers to meet increased demand.

Peak times when dynamic pricing is applied are weekend and traffic hours.

3. Competitive model of price

Uber does competitive pricing as well because data for each competitors prices is available
online easily. However on average Uber is more expensive than others because of pre-
emptive advantage and branding strategy where people think Uber provides better quality
than others. However competitor pricing is less dominant in uber. But their prices are near to
Lyft, Ola and careem.

Payment Method:

Internationally most of the payments are made through credit card and not cash however in
countries like Pakistan and India due to trust issues and less people owning credit cards, cash
is accepted widely. Visa, Master card, Union pay are all accepted. Payment is made to Uber
app and they give the share to driver. In cash method, driver adds excessmoney to wallet.

Communication of prices:

Prices are communicated once details and locations are added. After choosing through type of
vehicle and pickup drop off location, price is often communicated to people in most cities. If
not then it is shown on the phone once trip is complete.

Upfront pricing:

In main cities and areas, upfront price is quoted and charged once you start the ride. This
helps people make an estimate of how costly each option is.
Place:

Uber operates in more than 800-900 cities and 83 plus countries. It has a variety of services
available in all. For example its popular ride hailing service is available in all countries since
its core business yet all features such as uber black or lux options are limited to fewer areas.

For example in Pakistan, Uber SUV, black, Lux, is not available, yet uber go, uber mini, uber
auto and uber bike are. In contrast, America does not have uber bike or uber mini or even
uber auto but has premium options available. Availability of variations depends on the
country and the financial status of residents.

 Distribution system

Uber has omni channel distribution system where online offline stores are linked. Due to
being available in 800 plus cities. Uber does not have stores in all of them. Even though the
headquarters and head offices are in main cities and USA. It has an online app which people
can download anywhere to access their service.

Promotion:

Uber promotes itself mainly through its own website and app, it has online ads on YouTube
which promote these platforms through short videos. It has TVC commercials as well in areas
which it has entered recently. However most advertisements are still new. Geographical
segmenting has helped them place ads inn newspapers and on tv channels where people are
not heavy users of internet. Like in Pakistan to attract middle aged people. It places ad on
newspapers etc.

Advertising and promotional expenses are low for uber. In new markets they offer free rides
and other benefits to client and rely on publicity and word of mouth majorly. This helped
them gain market shares.

Word of mouth is important for uber. People who use the service cannot stop talking about it
at all. They tell everyone how they used a new service. Uber’s brand name has changed the
category. People often say let’s book an uber when refer to booking an online ride because of
its pre-emptive advantage.

Uber is also talk of the tech pages as it is a tech giant and one of the most valued start-ups of
the decade.

Physical Evidence:

Uber is a business which mostly carries its activities through its apps. Thus there is less need
of physical evidence. It does not own cars and even drivers are not employees of Uber
directly. Thus Uber provides its service through third party cars with which they have
contractual relationships.

It has head office in San Francisco and plush office in New York and Manhattan. All over the
country such as in Pakistan they have offices for registration which are very small centres for
driver registrations. In a way we can only refer to physical evidence of uber through their cars
which are even though owned by individual drivers yet people associate with uber.
People:
People in Uber’s case are the service providers who are linked with the name of Uber. These
are the drivers with whom people interact with on daily basis. Uber knows the importance of
good service providers and thus has made various registration and Dost programs in countries
like Pakistan especially to run background checks. Uber runs background data checks on all
drivers and makes sure that people feel comfortable with the employees.

Since harassment and other cases were filed Uber has made this process much stricter and it
is not very easily to become a member of 1200 plus employee family of Uber. In order to
protect the company name and in order to save the goodwill Uber had to take these measures.

40 percent of People of uber are female while most of drivers are of Asian or African origin.

Processes:
In the particular service that we have selected, various processes come. Processes for uber
include maintaining the servers that host data for customers and riders and links them.
Maintaining the algorithm for each location. Pricing is dependent on the algorithms which
calculate fares based on demand and other distances. Often fault in system leads to an
unsatisfied customer and transaction history is checked by server to repay the customer and
credit their account. Managing active customer care centre where complaints are filed is also
very important step. Reimbursement to customers is also very important process.

For a customer to use Uber’s ride hailing service they need to go through with these
processes.

 Download and Open Uber App for your platform ( Andorid or IOS)
 Turn on your GPS
 Sign up for a free account
 After signing in (one time) select the pick-up location.
 Add credit card information
 Choose from the option available and pick up either luxury or cheaper options
 Add drop off location
 Check for availability of cabs and drivers.
 Check for upfront pricing
 Confirm the choice and then wait for Uber to connect you to nearby drivers
  Once driver is selected they will automatically provide you with tracking Id and other
location
 Hop in the car, arrive at the destination
 Rate the driver and ride

These are the normal processes of the company that the customer has to go through to avail
the service.

Positioning Strategy of Uber

Segmentation Strategy:
Uber is present in 800 plus cities and in around 90 countries so they segment themselves on
the basis of various criteria’s. Since they are a tech firm, it is easier to grow yet still requires
maintaining relationships with various suppliers and drivers as well as training centres.
Following are the ways homogenous segments are made from population by Uber. Uber uses
a mix of both demographic and geographic segmentation mainly.

Geographic segmentation:

Uber is only functional in mostly big cities where ride hailing service have the capacity to
change the traditional modes of transportation. It is present in big cities for a number of
reasons. So it can take advantage of surge pricing as big cities are populous. So the local
transportation cannot meet the demand. Only such areas have substantial amount of
customers. Thus it is only available in urban populated areas.

 Regional areas such as North America etc would have variations such has Uber Lux
and Uber Black and other premium options in the same ride hailing service. Whereas
areas such as India and Pakistan would not have these options instead Ube Auto is
available in these countries which isn’t available in American regions. Similarly Uber
access/assist is not available in Asian countries.

Demographic Segmentation:

 Age: Uber segments on the basis of Age as affordable options are available for
students and graduates between ages of 18-26. They would choose Uber X or Go or
 Mini. Whereas Uber Select/black/Lux is for ages of 30-65. Similarly Uber Assist is
for 65 plus individuals who cannot drive and need assistance getting in the car.
 Life cycle stage: affordable options are available for singles and bachelors. Students
are attracted towards such options where they can share the ride. Medium ranged
options are attractive to newly-weds and families. Elderly prefer uber assist.
 Occupation: Uber X and other affordable options are for students, employees and
professionals whereas, Uber assist is for handicapped and retirees. Premium options
are available for professionals.

Behavioural Segmentation:

 Degree of loyalty: Uber assist is only for soft-core loyal. At that age, no hard core
loyals are often found for tech services.
 Benefits sought: cost efficiency is sought from cheaper options, sense of achievement
is sought from premium options and conveniences for uber assist.
 Personality: premium services are hired by people who are determined and ambitious
and professional only.

Psychographic Segmentation:

 Social Class: Uber X is for lower and working class whereas Uber Lux is for upper
class only. However Uber assist is used by both middle class and upper class.

Target Market:

Thus Uber’s target market for low cost options are

 Students, young employees

 Who don’t own a car
 Who cannot drive a car
 16-25
 People wo are looking for cost effective ways to get around town

The target market for Uber’s premium options is

 People who want to arrive in style and luxury

  Ages of 45-65
 CEO’s professionals and upper class people
 People who want to make a statement
 People who want to avoid the hassle of parking and other issues.

Common features include people who own a smartphone and have an internet. People who
belong to middle class and are literate to some extent. People who work or study.

Positioning

Uber uses, differentiating positioning strategy and does cost based differentiation. People find
it less expensive than getting a cab. Uber has the pre-emptive advantage that it has led the
market na dhas market share of 65 percent in US. Uber has reimagined the local transport
image in the minds of consumers. In a single line the positioning of uber in the consumers
mind as compared to its competitors is

“Convenient, low cost, secure, quality experience, reliable, hassle free ride”

Uber has not just changed something it has changed the whole game and provides better
payment options, more secure ride, better cars, better drivers, rating and review system. It has
a customer centric approach which has won them the title of market leader.

Main competitors of Uber

Following are the main competitors of Uber Internationally.

A. Lyft
B. Ola
C. Didi
D. Gett
E. Grab
F. Careem ( Subsidy, in Pakistan)
 Positioning Map of Uber

High Price

LYFT
UBER
DIDI

Careem

Low Quality High Quality

GRAB
OLA

GETT

Low Price

Quality:

Under quality we took various variables such as condition of car, cleanliness of car, manners
of drivers, waiting time for customers, ease of use, how comfortable the ride was and lastly
how accurate the app tells cost and estimated time of arrival.

All this data was collected from website and articles written on famous websites as well as
our primary research.

Price:
For pricing comparison we used data from fare compare apps and websites to calculate the
fare of a certain ride from one point to another. Tools used are referenced in the references
section.

 Lyft: it is the major competitor of Uber in USA. It has competitive pricing with a
difference of few cents. Lyft is famous for its identifiable pink moustache cars. The
positioning is different as it is a little more expensive but they claim to pay their
drivers more. They say uber replaced taxi’s we are here to make every personal car a
lyft car. Thus their quality varies as they use very personal cars to share the rides with
people going in same direction.
 Careem: this is actually a subsidiary of Uber now. But it is widely perceived as a
competitor and has a different app but similar interface. It operates in Middle East as
well. They are cheaper than Uber. However the cars and drivers are trained and
cleaned so they have good quality.
 Ola: it is an Indian company and has taken the industry by storm. They charge less
from consumers and pay more tod rivers. They have taken a major chunk of share
from main cities like Mumbai which were Uber Hubs.
 Gett: it is the main competitor of uber in Uk, Scotland mainly Edinburgh. Its quality
is less as it doesn’t train driver or hail drivers. It hails only the taxi cabs, the black
ones in UK. It is cheaper. Its quality is less because of faulty app and no accuracy of
time.
 Grab: it is the main competitor of uber in countries like Singapore, Malaysia,
Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam. It is cheaper than uber since its local but provides
good quality
 Didi: it is the main competitor of Uber in china and has more profits in 400 Chinese
cities than uber. It is valued at 30 billion near to Uber. Its prices aren’t cheaper but
similar yet significant difference in quality.
 Tools Used:
http://taxiexplorerapp.com/

https://curbfarefinder.com/

https://ride.guru/
 Advertisement analysis
Print ad:

No matter where, no matter when

The ad used above aims to emphasize on the simple, hassle free journey through the Uber
services for its customers. The ad perfectly complements their tagline that is “Where to?”
The ad helps Uber’s customers to keep reminding them about how convenient and available
the service is, by placing a lot of importance on their claim that the service is always around.
The ad shows how wherever and whenever you are in a need for an uber, there will always be
a uber car right there where you are. They have wonderfully executed this job as they have
shown a person, who instead of being stranded in the middle of a desert, that in its own
capacity, is a very isolated place itself, has been able to find an uber to be able to reach his or
her desired destination, anywhere anytime he wants to.
Benefit-based positioning strategy:

it talks about how the customers can benefit from it’s easy to use service by booking a ride
with the help of just a few clicks on their mobile phone Uber apps. Furthermore, the ad uses
the right sided approach or the head strategy by providing facts and actual demonstration of
the practical application of the service.

Execution:

The ad perfectly caters to the positioning of uber which is convenience, availability,

reliability. However one aspect of price is not available in the ad how it competed on the
basis of prices. This could be because of use creative direction. So more or less positioning
strategy of uber was met by this print ad.

TVC Advertisements:

Welcome to Uber Pakistan

Reason to choose this ad:

We have chosen this ad to highlight how Uber introduces its services to newer markets and
how well it adapts and which factors it highlights. As we have stated that does geographic
segmentation very well and positions itself in different markets differently. As explained in
promotion section, Uber placed a Tvc ad in Pakistan because it new this was the way to
introduce any new service in Pakistan. As majority of the people watch Tv ads and are
influenced by it more.

Introduction to a newer market:

The ad introduces the service in Pakistan. It talks about how the company truly cares about its
workers and is willing to go every mile to cooperate and train them about handling the
customers. It talks about how the app will help them eradicate their financial problems and
provide them with an easy employment, where all they have to do is to just pick passengers
and help them reach their desired destination.

Safety:

The ad does not forget to emphasize on the word safety as one of the most important aspects
of people riding with and choosing the Uber app are the enhanced safety and security
measures the company takes. It makes sure customers are fully satisfied by the ride
experience and have a smooth, sound and comfortable journey. It also talks how uber
management will help the drivers earn maximum income by sharing them with best time and
areas updates that help them get as many rides as possible.

No matter where no matter where:

It again fits perfectly in line with tagline of uber as it talks about customers can book a ride
any time any day anywhere. This ad aims to attract people willing to work for uber and we
believe it has rightly done its job by showing how much it cares about its workers.

Head Approach:

It has used a right side – head approach and the positioning strategy it has used is benefit
based strategy, where it talks about the several benefits the people joining the uber family
would come across.

Visuals:

The ad starts with Lahore’s Landmarks and Uber drivers on bikes with riders through Old
Lahore’s Roads then it moves to liberty and Uber’s offices. For the first 1 minute ad has
beautiful visuals before shifting to commentary style ad where Uber representatives are
telling the people how they are a caring company. Ad shows rush areas and how uber is the
solution.

Audio:

The voiceover is by uber team which is ensuring people of the company values and how uber
work with the help of its people.

Adapting to Coronavirus
As we all know, ride sharing was and always had been Uber’s one of the best unique selling
point that helped it reach such heights in the transportation industry. However, during the
wake of the national lockdowns, the feature is no longer useful to many. Like all the famous
companies in the world, Uber too has not stayed behind in protecting its workers and helping
them through financial assistance.

Initially, Uber decided to provide financial assistance to drivers who were diagnosed with
corona virus and help them place in quarantine centers along with
proper medical facilities for up to 14 days. However, the
company faced a lot of heat from critics as they thought the
company was not doing enough for its workers. The workers will
be paid according to the number of hours they have worked for in
a week. The more the hours worked, the higher the worker will
be financially assisted. For this, the company plans to look at the work record of the past
three months for each worker applying for the assistance.

As the normal ride sharing has almost come to a halt, the company is now shifting it’s focus
towards other areas such as

i) Uber Eats
ii) Uber Freight
iii) Uber Works
Drivers and delivery people like you are moving what matters during this challenging time—
by bringing food to those staying at home or providing rides to those who still need to move
around. In the wake of this pandemic, and to be relevant towards the situation, the company
has introduced a new way that is called:

No-contact deliveries

In an effort to fight the ongoing crisis of COVID-19 and work towards the well-being of
delivery people and their customers, the company has introduced “leave at door” deliveries
for a contact-free drop-off experience. Timely drop-off information is going to be put under
the delivery notes of the Driver app for every “leave at door” delivery.

The following instructions are given to the drivers who are delivering food or supplies:

 To cover their face through a mask and use disinfectants regularly on their vehicles.

 Be aware of high-touch surfaces. At all stages of delivery, the workers are told to
avoid touching frequently touched surfaces and are advised to rinse their hands
thoroughly through sanitizers or other disinfectants whichever available.

 Pay attention to restaurant pickup instructions. Please pay attention to either

physical signage or in-app delivery notes on what to do when picking up orders. 

 Keeping their distance when picking up and delivering. They are directed to

observe local social distancing guidance and are told to keep a noticeable distance
while waiting outside restaurants and being far enough from other people when
picking up the orders.

 Dropping off at the door. If the customer requests it, they are told to leave deliveries
at the door to help reduce contact with others and to act as a socially responsible work
who is aware of the importance of this issue.
UBER WORK HUB:

To tackle this, the company has launched its

new “Work Hub” where the company helps its
drivers, people for whom uber was the sole
income source to make the ends meet, find
alternate jobs during these hard times. The jobs
include work related to customer service, food
production, and logistics, as well as Uber’s three
other major platforms, that include Uber eats,
Uber Freight and Uber Works. Apart from this,
the company will even try to hook up its
workers with other companies such as
McDonalds, PepsiCo, FedEx & Hertz etc. Even
though the service is only available in US as of
now, it is great for the company to show that it
really cares about its workers. It is not only this,
but the new strategy may also help the company to venture into new projects and just be the
beginning of a new long-term expansion for the itself.

Other than this, Uber has not stayed behind and has played its fair share in emphasizing upon
the importance of social distancing. Its motto “A company that moves people is asking you
not to move” is working really well in the current situation.

10 MILLION FREE RIDES:

The company has tried to create awareness among people through its website as well as
several ads on social media platforms as well as the television. Furthermore, it has pledged to
provide 10 million free rides and deliveries of food to frontline health care workers and other
people who are in need of help throughout the world. It is providing free transportation to
doctors and other medical officers, helping them get to and from patient homes, as well as
their respective health care facilities.
 It has also waived of delivery fee for independent local restaurants
on uber eats as well. Not only this, it is aiding in the shipment of
critical goods, all on zero profit pricing level in areas where Uber
freight is applicable and available.

The health and safety of the Uber community has always been of
great importance to the company. The company has shared safety
tips and measures on its website as well as the Uber app where the
company tells its customers to:

 Wash their hands before and after they ride.

 Cover their mouth and nose if they sneeze or cough.

 Sit in the back to give you more space.

Apart from this, the company does not lag behind in giving clear instructions to its worker
regarding the covid-19 pandemic. The instructions set out as follows:

The company advises its driver to:

i) Wear a face mask at all times if they are going out. if you have one. The company
is working endlessly and making efforts to provide masks and disinfectant for
drivers and delivery people. The supplies however are limited but the company is
trying its level best to gather more material for its workers.

ii) Cover their mouth and nose if they sneeze or cough. Like all doctors and experts
have advised, the company too has been telling their drivers to use their elbow or
some tissue to protect their mouth and dispose of the tissue immediately.
iii) Open the window. If possible, roll down the windows to improve ventilation.

Uber drivers are given strict

directions to clean their cars
regularly after delivering food or
other supplies. If they’re
available, the drivers use sanitizing supplies to clean places people touch regularly, such as
door handles and seat belts.

The drivers are also guided to let the customers look after their own belongings. They are
instructed to open the trunk themselves, but let the riders place and remove their personal
items on their own.

To help Uber employees with all these safety measures, Uber has launched its own
COVID-19 Resources Hub:

It is an in-app COVID-19 Resource hub for its drivers and delivery people, where they can
find the latest safety information and other resources for driving and delivering during this
unprecedented period.

The hub is going to be accessible worldwide and be the go-to spot in the latest version of the
Driver app for safety tips, also helping its workers apply for government support relief and
update them of new developments regarding it. It will help them be know if they are eligible
for such programs or not during these tough times and will help them get in touch with the
state authorities as the company has the data of all its employees. This will also include any
other earning opportunities as well if available.
The COVID-19 Resources hub will be updated regularly and all safety measures instructed
from health and other authorities will be available on this hub.

Website/ Web Application Analysis

User Friendliness:

Uber is currently the top ranked ride-sharing application. Uber began its operation in May
2010. Ever since, it has been complimenting its service with various sorts of developments in
the total offering and the method of offering. Uber has a website which offers details for all
its services. The following is a screenshot of the website for the Pakistan region. In the
Pakistan region, Uber is widely famous for its vehicle and bike ride services.

The website is of little use when it comes to selling of the service that
Uber provides. The website, however, provides info for the vendors
and the customers.Uber’s major source of regular contact with its
customers is the app. The app is available to all smart-phone owners.
For iOS users, the app is available on App store and for Android
users it is on the play store. The application is absolutely free with no
initial charges. However, the application requires an internet
connection and access to the device’s location in order to allow it to
provide the service. Once you download the app from play store or
the app store, you are asked to sign up. The app gives you two
options:

Sign up with your Phone number

Connect with a social account such as Facebook or Gmail

It allows you to choose from either of the options, however you are still required to provide
your number as it is required later on when the service is provided to you, or the customer. If
you choose the “Connect with social option”, it will automatically extract your information
from your social media account, after asking you for permission. Your name, date of birth
and picture will automatically be added to your Uber account details.

Your phone number is confirmed using a unique code that is messaged to

your number. Uber will ask you for your basic details if you join using your
phone number as it does not gain information to your connection details.
Details such as name, gender and other details are taken step by step.

Uber requires your basic identification details as per its policy. Uber ensures
this information remains secure as per its privacy policy. The detail is only
shared with your vehicle driver once the ride is accepted and no longer
remains accessible once the ride is over. You can edit the details as per your choice later on
as well.

Ease of use:

The app is easy to use and has a lot of options.The app was developed
in a manner that allows users of all ages and status to use the app. The
app has various ride options that will be discussed as we proceed.

The Menu is depicted by the three bars to the right top. The menu has
options such as your trips history, help, payment options and various
others. You can see all your previous trips from the “Your trips” tab.
The “Help” tab helps you contact Uber and also has various pre
answered questions so as to allow you to solve common occurring
queries quickly.

The method to book a ride is very easy. The app uses your device’s location to check where
you at present. The app then automatically searches for captains, as Uber refers to its vehicle
vendors, in your vicinity to give you an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for the vehicle. You
are asked to enter a detail of your drop off location for a fare estimate for the various types of
ride services that are available in your region such as:

 UberX
 UberBike
 UberRickshaw
 UberBusiness

All these are different from one another, as mentioned earlier in the paper. The fare varies as
per the standards and availability of each service. A fare estimate is given for you to choose
from. The driver details automatically appear on your screen as soon as you choose a service
and a captain In your area accepts your ride. The app does not require you to add a drop off
location. However, it is suggested to do so and you would be able to obtain an estimate and it
would assist the captain as well. After the ride, you are asked to rate your experience. The
experience is to be a sum of the whole experience. By this, we mean the vehicle standard as
per what was written, the driver and his/her driving skills and the accuracy of the app’s
estimate.

Simple steps to book a ride

A pictorial presentation is given below of how to book a ride. A few pictures have been
obtained from the internet as currently, the app is not catering to any passenger rides as a
result of COVID-19.
The app provides a complete tutorial for its first time users by helping them start off with
information spread out as they access the app for the first time. The app has a rating of 4/5 on
playstore and has been reviewed by 6,968,130 users. The app has a separate help option to
ensure that the user has minimal issues. The app is also updated regularly to ensure that the
users have no issues in accessing the app. The help option has an option by the name of “A
Guide to Uber” that ensures you know how to use the app and know the right service for what
you require.

Bug fixes and maintenance:

The app is regularly updated to ensure that whatever improvements are needed can be added.
Bugs are fixed to ensure a seamless experience. A screenshot of the latest update can by seen
below:

Flower of Service
We would be discussing top four petals that are most applicable on Ubers Business in detail
and rest 4 are minor so we would discuss them briefly.

Information
As described earlier, Uber has a website that provides all sorts of details. The website has
divisions. It has information for drivers, or captains as referred to by ride-sharing
applications, and has an app as well. The app is its point of sale. However, along with this,
the app provides various options to obtain help from Uber itself. The help section has a few
pre-answered questions to entertain common queries whereas detailed queries can be sent via
E-Mail from a prompt response. In case of complains, the response time up to 72 hours.
Other than these platforms, Uber has various other sources of contacting the consumer. As
mentioned above, Uber requires your phone number when you download the app and create
an account irrespective of the method of sign up that you choose. Therefore, once Uber has
access to your phone number, it is allowed to send you advertisements as per its terms and
conditions. Uber sends out regular advertisements via SMS. Other than this, Uber has social
media pages. These pages provide regular updates and promotions.

Uber’s website has various details as well. The website has information about all the types of
services offered and the difference in between them e.g. UberX and Uber Rickshaw. The
website is specific for each region of operations and provides only localized information
ensuring complete accuracy. The website for Pakistan will only provide details about the
services and methods of operations in Pakistan. For individuals who wish to drive for Uber,
uber has partnered with various rent a car offices all over the country to create “Uber Dost
center”- a further adjusted name as per the country- all over Pakistan. These centers provide
information and have various printed materials to educate drivers. They also host various
classes and tutorials for existing captains to ensure that they are well aware of the operating
policies.

Customers have to resort to the website or the social media pages in order to obtain any
information. However, the website interface is friendly allowing easy access to all sorts of
info.

Order-Taking
Uber is a real time service. Customers use the app to view available captains in the area. The
app uses the customer’s device location or the specified pick up point to look for captains.
The customer has a range of services to choose from such as UberX, UberPool and Uber
Business. The customer decides upon the service as per his or her requirements. The captain
then arrives at the location to pick the customer. The order-taking process is limited to the
application.

Uber has recently begun taking rides using phone calls. However, only registered numbers
are allowed to book rides. Uber’s number to book rides is 051-600-0000.
Billing
Uber uses various methods to bill a customer’s ride. The basic ride consists of:

 A base fare
 Charge as per distance
 Waiting time
 Tax

Surge pricing (peak factor) if applicable

The bill is well in line with the estimate with a popularly believed error of 15%. Once the ride
has ended, the application displays the amount to be paid on the captain and customer’s
application. The amount is exactly the same. A detailed breakdown of the bill is sent to the
customer via their registered E-Mail or is visible in the app after the ride ends. An example of
the bill visible on the app:
Payment
Uber allows its customers to pay using various methods. Uber offers various packages to its
customers. Customers can buy a certain amount of travel distance for a fixed price. The
distance can be used in portions, however for a limited time and with a limit on the amount of
transactions. These packages vary as per the region.

Uber has multiple types of payment methods including various cashless methods. These
methods are mentioned below in a screenshot taken from the application. A credit/debit card
can be added to the application which would allow the app to charge your bank account for
the ride fare once the ride is over and after you have given the app permission to do so.

Payments can be made in cash as well. Credit can be added to your account with the credit
being used for other services such as a mobile recharge as well. You can add credit by buying
credit using cards online with a certain face value. You can also add credit by making
payments of more than what is due upon a ride. E.g. paying PKR 1000 for a ride that cost 600
PKR would add 400PKR to your account as credit.
Uber also sells gift cards using websites such as daraz.pk where you can buy cards and add
them to your account or gift it to a loved one.

Consultation
Uber has made its name all over the world. Uber ensures that its customers are well aware of
the policies and products. In order to ensure it deals with queries that are genuine and require
attention, Uber has created a 24/7 call support. However, this helpline is only available
during the ride. To cater to any other sort of complains or issues, Uber asks you to E-Mail
using their app or the E-Mail given on their website.

The helpline is only made available during the ride so as to ensure that the issue is genuine
and that the issue is resolvable in real time. Also, to avoid spam calls and issues at large,
Uber does not make this helpline available to customers not currently in-ride.

Uber’s website specifies the call process as mentioned below:

Hospitality:
Uber app greets the customer and asks them about their trip and for a rating. The drivers are
also advised to greet the customer in the training. Uber hospitality allows people to order
uber for their guests. This is indirect from of hospitality.

Safekeeping:
Even though a guarantee is not taken but uber drivers return any stuff that is left behind,
riders can contact with their previous drivers if they have left something in the car and they
would come and return often for free. Just like in uber delivery items under 1000 are ensured
by the company as well. However, uber does not take responsibility and people have to take
care of their belongings.

Exceptions
To get a good rating drivers go above and beyond in a way that thy would have all the
necessary items like tissue boxes, granola bars, phone chargers, laptop stand etc. these are not
the requirements however, uber drivers do so to get better ratings. They have playlists for
every kind of mood also. These are exceptions.

Often the company rewards the customers by giving them a better uber and charging them for
less. Surprising them with uber lux when they ordered uber X. to give them the taste of
premium service and maintain loyalty.

Effectiveness and suggestions for improvement

Minimalistic Design:

The website developed by Uber is deemed to be effective in terms of attracting users with the
adoption of minimalistic design that yearns to make their overall experience easy and
interactive.

Layout:

The layout and sequencing of the website makes it easy to use with the presence of all
necessary features and services displayed chronologically in the middle of the webpage
makes it convenient for the user to access either of them.

Colour scheme:

However the monotone colour scheme UBER uses for their website sets the tone of the
overall user experience dull. UBER perpetually uses black and white color schemes which is
in pertinence to their logo which does not serve to be eye appealing.
Room for Improvement:

Furthermore, there is still some room for improvement at certain aspects of the website, for
instance,

 The webpage for signing up is not loaded on a new tab which might disrupt the
accessibility flow of the user which is not the case with the website of their
competitor Careem.
 Moreover the hyperlinks or the interactive buttons given in the top taskbar are not as
accentuated as it should be to draw the user attention.
 The erroneous size of the text and marginal use of graphical thumbnails with the
options to sign up and login not as highlighted as the Careem website.
 The lack of use of animations and audio also makes the user experience less
interactive.

Website as an informational medium

Applications have overtaken websites as an information medium since the prevalence of the
smartphones and hence every company strives to reach out to their potential customers
through this medium effectively. Uber’s mobile phone application has meticulously been
designed with their utmost focus on human centred design in every aspect.

User Interface:

Hence the simple user interface makes it easy to use for both the customers and the uber
drivers which proves to be beneficial especially in third world countries like Pakistan where
the literacy rate is generally low.

Reward system:

However on the other hand it lacks behind its competitors in some of its aspects for example
Careem has a sophisticated reward system for its users who use this ride hailing service
regularly and those reward points can be availed at different restaurants and cafes
accordingly.
E wallet System:

Furthermore Careem’s E-wallet system offers other innovative services like recharging your
phone credit and purchasing gift cards of services such as: Playstation, Xbox, Google
Playstore and ITunes. Careem also allows the users to purchase monthly packages in which
they can avail services for a certain number of kilometres purchased at discounted prices.

Dual Nature:

The Careem app also provides the user with the option to ‘become a captain’ in the menu,
which is lacking in Uber.

Applications play a major role in defining the customer experience and building customer
preference as the majority of the customers use applications to access the services. Uber
needs to enhance its app to compete with Careem in Pakistan, with Careem claiming a major
market share in this industry, which can be attributed to a more sophisticated app.

Comparing to other mediums

 Social media has also grown as an information medium in the recent past, with
companies using social media as a primary tool to interact with its customers.
However Uber’s social media activity has been very limited despite an enormous
following on its social media pages. It boasts an excess of 22 million likes on it
Facebook page and 1.3 million followers on its Instagram account, but the number of
posts remains significantly lower than its competitor Careem, who is more interactive
on social media.

 Television and print media are other mediums that are used for mass marketing. Uber
used television commercials and print media meticulously in its initial/launch phase in
Pakistan, however it has dried up since then and it does not make much use of
television as well as print media for its marketing.
  Emails are primarily used by the company to interact with the customers, address their
queries and complaints. Uber responds to customers’ emails in a timely manner in an
attempt to resolve customer issues promptly and maximize customer satisfaction.

Although information mediums have been growing and evolving, website remains as the
digital face of a company and its importance as well as potential for the future can’t be
overstated. Whether it’s to learn more about your products or services, or talk to a customer
service representative, website is the go to place for the customers. In an era of connectivity,
websites need to be as interactive and appealing as possible, whether it maybe through a
better color scheme, animations, audios or videos. With the help of data analysis companies
can analyze the queries customers have most frequently and address them specifically on the
website. Websites need to be a mean to solve customer needs in the most convenient manner
to maximize its potential for the future.

Minimalistic Design:
 References:
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https://www.marketing91.com/uber-competitors/

https://www.uber.com/en-NL/blog/how-ubers-dynamic-pricing-model-works/

MBA Skool Team. (2020, April 19). Uber Marketing Mix. Retrieved from
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https://www.uber.com/en-GB/blog/covid-update/