Uber is (re)introducing a handful of new features to its driver app today as part of a pilot, as the ride-hailing giant looks to lure more drivers onto the platform — and make them stay.
First up, a new "simulated trip" pilot inside the driver's app will allow them to experience a dummy run of a trip before they start for real — this includes receiving a trip request, all the way through to dropping them off. According to Uber, this is designed to help new drivers build confidence and make their first trip less stressful by allowing them "visually navigate" a fake trip in advance.
Earnings
With reports indicating that ride-hail drivers typically earn little after expenses, taxes, and other deductions, a number of companies have come to the fore to help drivers increase their earnings. Gridwise, for example, uses data and real-time alerts to help Uber drivers earn more, while Cargo helps drivers earn extra cash by selling stuff to passengers — in partnership with Uber. Elsewhere, PredictHQ emerged from stealth last year with $10 million in funding to help companies such as Uber forecast demand surges through aggregating data from myriad sources.
And it's against that backdrop that Uber hopes that a front-and-center informational feed on their top earning opportunities will help keep drivers on board. The new pilot feature, called "top opportunities," will help drivers plan their time on the road around when the best earning opportunities are expected — this could be in terms of time-of-day, weather, or events that may be scheduled.
This is actually similar to the "trip planner" feature that launched with the upgraded Uber driver app last April, which shows hourly trends, promotions, and lets drivers set preferences for their trips. Top opportunities takes things a step further, however, with data such as peak earning times, upcoming events, and more provided via an in-app feed that's presented before a driver elects to start their shift.
Above: Uber: Top opportunities
Acceptance
Uber previously offered a feature that allowed drivers to automatically accept a new fare without viewing the details first, but with the updated driver app last year, that facility was culled. Uber is now reintroducing this, and told VentureBeat that it has taken on feedback from drivers in the new iteration.
For starters, auto accept is now easier to access, with a new on/off toggle displayed in each app screen while a driver is online — this means they can quickly deactivate the feature if they're otherwise engaged or unavailable.
Above: Uber: Auto-accept
Elsewhere in the new driver app update, Uber is piloting a new feature that shows drivers the exact number of minutes that a ride is expected to take when it's longer than an hour. This is an extension of an existing feature that rolled out last year that alerts drivers when a trip is going to be long — it means they can decline a trip if they are about to finish a shift. Before now, the information provided wasn't always specific, for example it might say "40 minutes to 1 hour" — but now if Uber estimates that a trip is going to be extra long, it will try to be as specific as possible in terms of numbers.
Ultimately, this is designed to reduce cancellations, which feeds into another new feature Uber is introducing for drivers which it's calling the "trip cancellations framework." This will basically provide guidance to drivers around Uber's cancellation policies, which will show up in real-time inside the app. It will help drivers understand Uber's policies so they can provide the rationale in the event that they have to cancel a trip, for example if there are too many riders for a vehicle to accommodate, the rider's bags don't fit in the trunk, or perhaps if a rider attempts to travel with a child when the car has no suitable safety seat.
Above: Trip cancellations framework
With Uber battling other ride-hail companies such as Lyft for drivers, there has been a concerted effort across the industry to improve services for workers and make them stickier — Uber launched its 180 days of change campaign back in 2017 for this very reason.
And these latest pilot features fit into that broader push: without drivers, ride-hailing services couldn't exist. Until cars can drive by themselves, that is.
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