# Now Is The TYime For Lyft To Play Hardball . . .



## Rich Brunelle (Jan 15, 2015)

I do not know who is paying attention to what, but were I in charge of Lyft I would be taking the game. Uber has displaced most of their drivers and pissed off more people than they can count. All that Lyft needs to do is raise their rates to a bit lower than Taxi services and open the door for Uber drivers to join Lyft. Ubers lower rates will not mean squat if Uber has no drivers, and Lyfts rate increase will keep the drivers necessary to handle the load.


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## Txchick (Nov 25, 2014)

Rich Brunelle said:


> I do not know who is paying attention to what, but were I in charge of Lyft I would be taking the game. Uber has displaced most of their drivers and pissed off more people than they can count. All that Lyft needs to do is raise their rates to a bit lower than Taxi services and open the door for Uber drivers to join Lyft. Ubers lower rates will not mean squat if Uber has no drivers, and Lyfts rate increase will keep the drivers necessary to handle the load.


Lyft has matched Uber rate cuts in all markets Uber cut them. What is the incentive for Uber Driver to move over to Lyft? Lyft also has not started guarantees yet. Lyfts guarantees will be only for certain hours & areas .


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## Rich Brunelle (Jan 15, 2015)

If Lyft decided to quit messing with Uber rate cuts and support the drivers, Lyft could set their rates higher and win


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## Drive777 (Jan 23, 2015)

Rich Brunelle said:


> If Lyft decided to quit messing with Uber rate cuts and support the drivers, Lyft could set their rates higher and win


Unfortunately Uber has spoiled rideshare passengers with cheap $4 rides. They feel entitled to fares that are 50% - 66% cheaper than taxis. Lyft could pay its drivers more but massive numbers of riders won't just up and move to a more expensive platform. Uber has the money to subsidize driver pay in spite of these artificially low fares (hence the guarantees). Lyft does not.

I'm there with you, Lyft is a better platform for drivers but they're not in control of the market... not even close.


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## Rich Brunelle (Jan 15, 2015)

It could if properly marketed be the upheaval of the century.


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## Txchick (Nov 25, 2014)

Rich Brunelle said:


> If Lyft decided to quit messing with Uber rate cuts and support the drivers, Lyft could set their rates higher and win


Lyft decided to play the Uber game!


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## Txchick (Nov 25, 2014)

Drive777 said:


> Unfortunately Uber has spoiled rideshare passengers with cheap $4 rides. They feel entitled to fares that are 50% - 66% cheaper than taxis. Lyft could pay its drivers more but massive numbers of riders won't just up and move to a more expensive platform. Uber has the money to subsidize driver pay in spite of these artificially low fares (hence the guarantees). Lyft does not.
> 
> I'm there with you, Lyft is a better platform for drivers but they're not in control of the market... not even close.


Uber's Guarantees are not easy to do or calculate. & secondly they don't keep them around forever. Uber's marketing is poor as well but Lyfts is non existent.


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## Drive777 (Jan 23, 2015)

Txchick said:


> Uber's Guarantees are not easy to do or calculate. & secondly they don't keep them around forever. Uber's marketing is poor as well but Lyfts is non existent.


Uber's guarantees serve only one purpose... trick drivers into staying on the road. The smart ones will game the system so Uber pays out more than they'd have earned otherwise, the rest won't care as long as they think Uber is looking out for them. It will be hard to get that same sentiment from Lyft drivers unless Lyft pays more. Or Uber drops the guarantee without raising rates - then Lyft would be in a better position to attract drivers.

Of course Lyft does pay more for minimums in Dallas. Only 80 cents, but with tips that's a big deal over Uber's $2.40. If I end up downtown with no surge, it's Uber Off everytime -- I will not drive back and forth from Deep Ellum to Uptown to Lower Greenville for $2.40.


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## Rich Brunelle (Jan 15, 2015)

It has always been my opinion that in the RideShare Battles, the rideshare that quits playing the lowest rate game, sets a rate 25 - 30% lower than taxis, runs Fed backgrounds on drivers, sends drivers through Defensive Driving courses, and adds a first-aid or CPR class with it and a fire extinguisher in the trunk will be the winner for rideshare.

Have you considered the income levels of our ridership? How many of those that ride rideshare are making less than $25.00 - $35.00 per hour. Even our own Tech Support has to be earning that much. Damn near every rider I have taken is a high-dollar employee. So why is it necessary for rideshare to ask so little for a damn valuable service. It is not necessary to ask for less than it costs to run it. The riders can take reasonable rates or go ride a cab.

So, if Lyft were to take Uber's current rate position and use it to their advantage by saying "Okay, enough - we are no longer going to play the Uber Lowest Rate Game - It hurts our Drivers and our Riders" and then set a set rate maybe 25% below Taxi rates and made an offer to accept any qualified driver from Uber to join Lyft provided they did not continue working with Uber. When the next business day came Uber would not have adequate drivers to handle their ridiculous low fares and Lyft would be known as the reasonable service.


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## Txchick (Nov 25, 2014)

Rich Brunelle said:


> It has always been my opinion that in the RideShare Battles, the rideshare that quits playing the lowest rate game, sets a rate 25 - 30% lower than taxis, runs Fed backgrounds on drivers, sends drivers through Defensive Driving courses, and adds a first-aid or CPR class with it and a fire extinguisher in the trunk will be the winner for rideshare.
> 
> Have you considered the income levels of our ridership? How many of those that ride rideshare are making less than $25.00 - $35.00 per hour. Even our own Tech Support has to be earning that much. Damn near every rider I have taken is a high-dollar employee. So why is it necessary for rideshare to ask so little for a damn valuable service. It is not necessary to ask for less than it costs to run it. The riders can take reasonable rates or go ride a cab.
> 
> So, if Lyft were to take Uber's current rate position and use it to their advantage by saying "Okay, enough - we are no longer going to play the Uber Lowest Rate Game - It hurts our Drivers and our Riders" and then set a set rate maybe 25% below Taxi rates and made an offer to accept any qualified driver from Uber to join Lyft provided they did not continue working with Uber. When the next business day came Uber would not have adequate drivers to handle their ridiculous low fares and Lyft would be known as the reasonable service.


Exactly!! If I was Lyft I would PR'd that to death with the press & taken Uber's drivers away. When pax unable to get rides fast with Uber, pax pushing the Lyft button. But noooo Lyft did not do that. Wonder about Lyfts strategy!!


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## Rich Brunelle (Jan 15, 2015)

Yep, Lyft had the chance . . .


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## PT Go (Sep 23, 2014)

Rich Brunelle said:


> It has always been my opinion that in the RideShare Battles, the rideshare that quits playing the lowest rate game, sets a rate 25 - 30% lower than taxis, runs Fed backgrounds on drivers, sends drivers through Defensive Driving courses, and adds a first-aid or CPR class with it and a fire extinguisher in the trunk will be the winner for rideshare.
> 
> Have you considered the income levels of our ridership? How many of those that ride rideshare are making less than $25.00 - $35.00 per hour. Even our own Tech Support has to be earning that much. Damn near every rider I have taken is a high-dollar employee. So why is it necessary for rideshare to ask so little for a damn valuable service. It is not necessary to ask for less than it costs to run it. The riders can take reasonable rates or go ride a cab.
> 
> So, if Lyft were to take Uber's current rate position and use it to their advantage by saying "Okay, enough - we are no longer going to play the Uber Lowest Rate Game - It hurts our Drivers and our Riders" and then set a set rate maybe 25% below Taxi rates and made an offer to accept any qualified driver from Uber to join Lyft provided they did not continue working with Uber. When the next business day came Uber would not have adequate drivers to handle their ridiculous low fares and Lyft would be known as the reasonable service.


I agree with what you say. I think the issue is Lyft's marketing. Where I am, I only get Lyft as 15% of my business. I was hoping for more for as you know, Uber is saturating the market. Although Uber has some PR issues, the Uber riders I have have nothing but praise for Uber. Probably because they don't get involved as much in the issues as we do as drivers. Riders are looking for the quick convenient ride. When I get ready to sign on in the mornings, I open both Lyft & Uber. The closest Lyft drivers is at least 15-20 mins. away and yet the first ping I get will be Uber even though there may be 5 drivers in my immediate area.

Uber just lower the rates here in line with what Lyft was charging. At this point we are at a break even point in fares and I don't think Lyft can really buy anything by going lower. I agree with higher rates, Lyft could attract more drivers, but we need the customer base to make that work. My 2 cents or by Uber rates..1.5


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## Rich Brunelle (Jan 15, 2015)

The pull to Lyft would happen on Monday morning when Uber was seriously lacking drivers because the drivers went with lyft, lyft would simply have to run a few radio ads or hang a few people outside the Bart stations passing out cards. If I was Lyft, I would have done it last week without hesitation.


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## Tommy Tours (Sep 19, 2014)

Lyft has to grow a pair, stop with the rate cuts, start marketing 3 different area's, What's good in the west is not working east. Different techniques to draw in more customers. Glow mustache not good in Hoboken or Newark Penn Station or Airport, sends a signal Mr. Policeman.
My other complaints is for Lyft rezone area's in NJ, don't expected me to drive 35-40 minutes for a fare even thought the time says 18 minutes, I know how long.


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## Chicago-uber (Jun 18, 2014)

The problem with lyft is ETAs .. I always get pinged 10+ minutes away. With real driving times up to 15 minutes. Of course I let those pings expire. I wonder when they deactivate me for low acceptance. In addition their prime time is unreliable. When you think you just scored prime time, you didn't. And pax are still cheap. 

That being said, I like in-app tipping and the best time to work is Friday and Saturday evenings.


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## Rich Brunelle (Jan 15, 2015)

Lyft today could raise it's rates to a little below Taxi services, steal all of Ubers drivers and own the majority of riders just by saying stop the rates war. When Uber has all the calls for service and few drivers to respond, the riders will come to Lyft. If I owned Lyft I would have done just that over a week ago.


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## IndyDriver (Nov 6, 2014)

Txchick said:


> Lyft has matched Uber rate cuts in all markets Uber cut them. What is the incentive for Uber Driver to move over to Lyft? Lyft also has not started guarantees yet. Lyfts guarantees will be only for certain hours & areas .


Not entirely true. Lyft did not match Uber cuts in Indy, yet at least.


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## Andy1234 (Jan 3, 2015)

Rich Brunelle said:


> Lyft today could raise it's rates to a little below Taxi services, steal all of Ubers drivers and own the majority of riders just by saying stop the rates war. When Uber has all the calls for service and few drivers to respond, the riders will come to Lyft. If I owned Lyft I would have done just that over a week ago.


The problem with this strategy is that raising rates will of course attract drivers from Uber, but if they want to maintain the independent contractor status of their drivers they cannot tell them that they cannot work for Uber as well. Heck even today both Uber and Lyft are paying lawyers a ton of money to defend drivers independent contractor status which is one of the cornerstones of rideshare services. If they started demanding loyalty from these drivers it would be more fuel for the IRS fire.


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## Lyft4uDC (Jul 28, 2014)

I was watching a local college basketball game and then on the scoreboard..uber ad! and this is why lyft wont win. lyft likes to be black ops silent.

im not surprised. many of these folks in charge probably lack marketing experience. Uber has reputation simply for charging surge years ago charging CA pax 10x+ when a snow hit NYC. remember that?

that's how they began making their name.


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## Lyft4uDC (Jul 28, 2014)

if I have one comparison, its that uber is to tncs as Verizon and at&t wireless are to wireless. lyft is the T-Mobile of the world. not big, not really popular, but its an alternative to those big two.


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## Txchick (Nov 25, 2014)

IndyDriver said:


> Not entirely true. Lyft did not match Uber cuts in Indy, yet at least.


Wow one market!!


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## duggles (Aug 25, 2014)

Txchick said:


> Wow one market!!


And Denver.

I think it speaks to the fact that there are markets where Uber didn't need to lower rates. Clearly the lower Uber rates here are not changing ridership numbers for Lyft, which means the new rates probably didn't change much for Uber in this specific city.


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## Txchick (Nov 25, 2014)

duggles said:


> And Denver.
> 
> I think it speaks to the fact that there are markets where Uber didn't need to lower rates. Clearly the lower Uber rates here are not changing ridership numbers for Lyft, which means the new rates probably didn't change much for Uber in this specific city.


Uber cannot prove rate cuts in 48 cities have increased demand nor can they prove if lower rates have gained new riders. Secondly Uber & Lyft are losing money where rate cuts were done. Lower your rate..lower your share!!


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## IndyDriver (Nov 6, 2014)

duggles said:


> And Denver.
> 
> I think it speaks to the fact that there are markets where Uber didn't need to lower rates. Clearly the lower Uber rates here are not changing ridership numbers for Lyft, which means the new rates probably didn't change much for Uber in this specific city.


Lyft demand is stronger than ever here. I had my busiest night of Lyft ever on Saturday. To the point where they need to get more aggressive with hiring drivers to ensure coverage is adequate, I think. Hearing more people that are not happy with the (lack) of quality from many disgruntled Uber drivers and the corporate side of them.

Plus, most of my Uber riders never even knew they cut rates back in October, so I assume the same can be said for the January cuts.


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