My son told me to download the Uber app. I did as he suggested but never had the need to use the service. I live in Manhattan so there is usually a taxi available.
Last weekend we were going into Queens and I thought it was time to contact Uber. The car arrived within five minutes, right on schedule. In fact, the app provided a countdown; I liked that. We got into the black Toyota and were on our way. Almost, immediately, I received a text from another Uber driver saying he was waiting for us in front of our building. Whoops! Apparently, another resident requested a car at the same time as ours. I looked at the confirmation text and yes, it said Toyota, but a Corolla and we were in a Camry. I told the driver about our mistake and he said, “don’t worry, just tell the driver to cancel your trip.”
The next day, I get an email from Uber.
Dear Richard
Did you mean to contact Uber Support?
Please reply to this email if there were any issues we need to look into. I’ll be happy to help.
Happy Ubering!
All the best,
Les
Uber Support
Somehow I must have hit “support” in error when I was trying to reach the other driver. Mistake #2. Uber got my message without any content. It could have been ignored, but instead:
- Sent me a personalized email using my first name
- Asked if I still needed assistance
- Offered to help and assured me I wasn’t a bother
- Wished me a good day – Happy Ubering!
- Personalized the email with a signature, Les
They treated me like a person. They were proactive. They could have sent me an automatic response that read, “If you need help, please call us, but don’t reply to this email.”
I emailed Les to tell him that it was our first experience and we accidently got into the wrong vehicle and I hit Support in my haste to contact the driver.
Les replied almost immediately:
Hi Richard,
Thanks for writing back and letting me know. Happy to help.
So sorry to hear about the trouble here! I’ve gone ahead and refunded $8 back to your method of payment and requested an updated receipt be emailed to you. You should see the change reflected in your account within 1-3 business days.
Thanks for letting us know and please let me know if I can help with anything else. Happy Ubering!
All the best,
Les
I appreciated his response and felt comfortable that I would get a refund within a few days; he even provided a timeframe. I also knew I could contact him anytime with other questions.
Uber has a unique model that is proving to be highly successful. But, coupled with the car service is their customer service, both providing a smooth and hassle-free ride.
