Uber yesterday introduced a new ride-hailing feature in its mobile app that lets users request a ride for a friend or family member in a different location.
Uber announced the news in a blog post on its website, suggesting the feature would let users "request a ride for a loved one" such as a senior with limited mobility who doesn't have an Uber account or a smartphone.
Now, when you set the pickup away from your current location, we'll automatically ask whether the ride is for a family member or friend. You can then select the rider from your address book, set their destination, and request the ride on their behalf.
Once the ride is on its way, the loved one receives a text message with the driver's details and a link to track their route. The feature also includes an option for the rider to contact the driver directly, and vice versa.
The feature is available now in over 30 countries, with more coming soon, according to Uber. The Uber app is a free download for iPhone available on the App Store. [Direct Link]
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edit: I learned something from an Uber driver yesterday. I received two calls back to back with the "this is your Uber driver confirming your...". That seemed confusing so I asked my driver when he picked me up why the two calls and he said the prior driver transferred me. He then asked "did the first driver ask where you were going?" to which I said yes. Turns out this is a slightly scummy trick some of the drivers pull, they want longer fares rather than short runs but Uber won't tell them the destination before they accept the rider to prevent them from screening out a significant portion of the user base. Drivers will call you before they officially accept in the driver app and ask you where you are going, if it's a short run they will transfer immediately so they don't get dinged for canceling a customer (which would happen if they accepted the ride to find out the destination first) and you are pushed onto the next driver (who may do the same thing). This is evidently pervasive and well known amongst the drivers. Time for Uber to use the big data they like so much to identify the culprits and weed out this behavior making for a terrible user experience. Personally I'd like the option to just flag "don't call me, I put all the data in the app," I know a lot of the drivers are trying to improve my experience by calling me and letting me know they are coming and how long - or at airports to figure out if people put in floors and door number correctly - but to me it's redundant (and I'm well aware of how to use the service at airports), I'm using an app rather than calling a car service because I don't need the hand holding.