Episode 8: The Uber Dilemma

Episode 8: The Uber Dilemma

The ride hailing/taxi app market in Nairobi, and the rest of Kenya, seems to be the in-thing right now for multinational and local organizations, attracting an ever-growing list of players – Uber, Little, Sendy, Mondo Ride, Taxify among others. The most dominant operator at the moment, Uber, seems to be learning the hard way about the peculiarities of this market – they slashed their rates dramatically and now the customer experience has deteriorated. We talk about that this week – should Uber have slashed their rates? And, if this was a mistake, what should they do next? Press play.

Resources

Why Taxi Apps are the Next Big Thing in Nairobi’s Move Forward

The battle for Kenya – Uber vs. Easy Taxi

Uber in Kenya is upsetting the taxi industry?

Twitter feud over Uber in Kenya

Easy Taxi opts out of Kenya, Africa after common investor leans towards rival Uber

Easy Taxi Leaving Kenya, Africa after Stiff Competition from Rival Uber

Uber and Little Cabs battle to control the streets of Nairobi

Safaricom’s Little Cab triggers price war with Uber

The Little Chance for Safaricom’s Little Cab

Uber slashes taxi charges by 35pc in Nairobi

Uber taxi fare cut triggers drivers’ go-slow in Nairobi

Uber guarantees drivers peak-hour pay after price cut

Jewels’ Nasty Experiences with Uber

Complaints about poor service on Uber from Kenyans

Uber’s Response after Their Driver Was Accused of Stealing from a Client at JKIA

Nairobi taxi drivers are trying to shut down Uber with protests and intimidation

Uber Drivers in Nairobi Discover Not All Taxi Drivers Welcome Competition

10 thoughts on “Episode 8: The Uber Dilemma

  1. I like how you do topics that we vote for plus you have become more comfortable – enjoying the podcast every week 🙂 safiri salama na Jimmy

  2. Brenda,

    Way to break down this issue. I think you’re spot on with much of this. The bottom line is that this business is based on trust and respect. This is what we’ve always tried to do differently at MARAMOJA. (Disclosure: I’m the MARAMOJA CEO). Our usage actually shot up as a result of Uber’s price cut…as you say, people are remembering why they valued their trusted cabbies and then remembering that they can find them on MM.

    Keep up the great work!

  3. Love how much research has gone into this ?

    I’ve personally been fortunate enought not to have any particularly negative experience with Uber. However, somebody put me on to a scheme that Uber drivers have been using recently especially at night, that on retrospect, I’m also victim to; some drivers are adding mall fees to the final receipt eg. Pass through James Gichuru Rd without making any stops enroute to your destination & a charge for a stop at Lavington Mall appears on the final receipt.

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