‘There’s a lot more we can do beside transportation’, says Uber UK GM
Ride-sharing app Uber could soon be disrupting other business models outside the taxi remit after the company’s UK general manager Jo Bertram revealed “there’s a lot more we can do beside transportation”.
Speaking to The Drum at last night’s Tech & Tastemakers event in London, Bertram said that Uber has started to test out ways it can use the app in terms of “other things you can do” at the touch of a button.
“We’ve done some experiments partly as a marketing stunt but partly to see how the technology works," she said. "I think there’s a lot more we can do beside transportation in the future.
“In New York we’ve launched Uber Rush which is a delivery service, where you can get a bicycle courier to your door to deliver keys, or a parcel, or whatever you have across Manhattan at the touch of a button, so we’ve already started going in that direction.”
The app, which connects private vehicle owners with riders, has been met with controversy after black cab drivers in London went on strike last week against its metering technology, which allows users to enjoy a cheaper fare.
When asked by The Drum if London cabbies were right to feel disgruntled, Bertram said that the app has simply shaken up an un-changed sector.
“We’re bringing competition in an industry which hasn’t been disrupted for years so that can be uncomfortable, but that’s good for the consumer and good for the driver essentially… we’ve opened up the app now to black taxi drivers.”
Uber added the black cab option to its platform last week, using the black taxi meter to calculate the fare but charging the drivers a lower commission of five per cent compared to the usual 20 per cent.
Following the strike, Uber saw downloads of its app soar by 850 per cent compared the previous week, but Bertram says the event wasn’t necessarily seen as a marketing opportunity, despite it being “fantastic” for raising Uber’s profile.
“We saw it as a good opportunity to share our perspective of the story which is that Uber is adding choice for riders and for drivers and it’s a positive thing for the city. We love black taxis and we are opening up the app to them to make sure that they get extra income through the platform and that they are here to stay.”
Speaking about Uber’s partnerships with other brands, such as one with Barcardi which saw Uber deliver Cuba Libre cocktail on Cuban Independence Day, Bertram revealed that the company is “picky” about which brands it associates itself with.
“We launched here in London with our Uber Lux service, which is a super high-end service and that was deliberate – we wanted to be associated with luxury brands and we are very picky about the brands that we partner with to make sure they also have the same kind of thinking.”
Last week Uber was ordered to shut down in the US state of Virginia after being told it was operating without the correct permit, something which Bertram called “different regulatory challenges in different markets”. She stated that Uber’s customers would be vocal should a similar challenge arise in the UK.
“We’re very optimistic. I focus on UK and Ireland but one of the bits that’s often forgotten when it hits the media is the customer support that we have. Our customers don’t tend to be particular noisy but we’ve got hundreds and thousands of customers in London and hundreds of thousands across Uber, and if there was a threat to that at some point I’m sure they would make themselves heard.”