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”
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
Thank you Ann, this really made me smile! 🙂 Stay tuned!
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!
Thank you Jason! Glad you’re working on that much needed aspect. Stay tuned!
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.
Thank you Peter! Wow, I saw something like this on Twitter! We have to stay vigilant. Stay tuned!
I have loved listening to this + the pyramid scheme podcast. Highly recommended.
This is so cool. Well done!
Thank you Ruth!! Glad you like it, stay tuned! 🙂
Quite informative ! Thanks.
Thank you Rose!! Stay tuned! 🙂