08 Aug It’s UBER Fantastic!
Do you travel alot? Do you like to go out and drink? Do you get frustrated navigating the traffic and then having to pay for parking? UBER is your answer!
Boston, Chicago, Hamptons, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Washington DC – whether you live in one of these cities or travel there for work, I promise you that if you haven’t used UBER yet, you will wonder why not.
What is Uber? Uber is your on-demand private driver. It’s simple….you download the app onto your iPhone or Android. Sign up for an account (you can also do this online) and enter your credit card information. That is it. You are now ready to go.
When you want a ride, open up your app and request a ride. The app will locate where you are and tell you how close the nearest drivers are. Once you set your pickup location on the map, you will receive a text with the estimated arrival time. You will also see your driver’s name on the app and can call him/her on their mobile phone.
Just prior to the car arriving, you will get another text announcing their approach. On the app, you will see a photo of your driver as well so that you know exactly whose car you are getting into. This adds an extra sense of security.
A black sedan (or your can request a SUV) will arrive. Tell your driver where you want to go, then sit back and ride in style and comfort.
When you get to your destination, all you have to do is get out of the car. No cash, no credit card, no calculating a tip. Uber will automatically charge the credit card you have on file. Within a couple minutes after your ride, you will receive an email that breaks down the cost of the ride, the route taken and the name and photo of your driver. You can also go back into the app and rate your driver. And, if you ever need to refer back to a receipt or a route, your account on uber.com has a history of all the rides you have taken.
What about pricing you ask? You are probably thinking that the service is expensive. But, a black car from Uber is only a small premium higher than taking a taxi. Prices start with a base fare. Then, you are charged depending on speed. When travelling at over 11mph, there is a distance fee. When traveling below 11mph, there is a time fee. It is worth the few extra dollars more than a taxi as you get a clean, comfortable car, a friendly driver and you are safe because you know who’s car you are getting into before you meet your driver. Also, the wait for a car is typically only a couple of minutes.
Every driver that I have met to date loves Uber as much as I do. Uber doesn’t own the cars, rather they work with car services in each city. The drivers rave about the simplicity of the technology and they talk about how much busier they are now. They still handle private clients but when they are in-between rides, they check in to Uber and pick up more work. Each driver takes an introductory class and is given an iPhone with the driver app. They can work when they want and find the service to be convenient and easy.
With a career in the wine and spirits industry that keeps me traveling, Uber has been one of the greatest services of late. And it’s always great to support a business in which everyone benefits – from the driver to the customer.
If you haven’t signed up for Uber yet and want to try it, you can save $10 on your first ride by using this code: uber.com/invite/39exq