The results are in. We asked business travellers what matters most to them when using taxis and private hire vehicles for work – and the joint top answers were… comfort and short wait times.
Further questioning also revealed that more than eight in ten thought comfort was important, as it helped to ward off fatigue. More than half also said that delays were their biggest source of frustration when ordering rides.
The results, drawn from research conducted with 250 business travellers, were not surprising to us. We know that when you take a trip for work, getting to your destination in good time is essential. That’s why we offer guarantees through services such as Uber Reserve and Reserve Airport Pick-ups.
What’s also clear to us is that when you travel you want to put your energy into the purpose of the trip, and any delay or discomfort is going to be distracting. So, to help you and other travellers keep their focus, we recently added Business Exec to our range of travel options.
This option allows you to select vehicles that come with extra legroom, on-time pick up protection and other benefits. For instance, we know that things don’t always go according to plan. It’s not always easy to get out of a meeting on time, flights can be delayed or baggage can take longer to collect at the airport than expected. That’s why we provide more time to meet your driver before facing any cancellation charges.
With our Reserve Airport Pick-up service that free wait time is up to 60 minutes. We’ll also track your flights – making sure drivers are aware of any delays to arrival and that they take those wait times into account.
Delegate Bookings
When it comes to airport transfers, our research revealed that close to half of all rides to and from airports are booked by someone other than the person taking the trip – typically an executive assistant, travel manager or office manager.
This is one of the reasons why we recently launched Delegate Booking in the UK. This provides the option for a designated person to take control of your transport arrangements via the Uber app.
By giving a “delegate” authorisation to use your business profile they can reserve trips in advance and book on demand with Uber X, Business Comfort, Business Exec or Lux. If needed, they can also monitor trips, edit destinations and add stops.
The delegate handling the travel arrangements can also take care of any post-trip issues that could distract you from your work. For instance, if you leave an item behind, the delegate can contact customer support to reclaim your lost property and manage any journey receipts.
At Uber for Business, we are constantly looking for ways to improve your experience when travelling for work – whether that’s by providing more comfortable options, guaranteed pick-ups, green travel options or automated expenses. We’ll continue to ask questions so we can provide you with the best possible business travel experiences.