# Customer complaints about surge pricing



## UberPup (Aug 16, 2014)

How many times have you heard the customer complain about the surge pricing?

This is what I do . . .

I first agree with them . . .

Then I educate them . . .

I tell them, you're right that sucks . . .

But, if you think about it, normal pricing of uber is half the price of a cab, so even at 2.0x, it's the same price as a cab.

So if the surge pricing is at 1.75x, it's still cheaper than a cab . . .

If you want to wait 15-30 minutes, it will go back down . . . 

It's just a way of Uber prioritizing the cars. Those that need it right a way get the car, those that can wait, will have a normal priced car in 15-30 minutes.

The option is really up to the customer.

But if you take a cab and the surge price is less than 2.0x, you are actually paying more.

Once you educate them and they realize, they seem to digest it better, when you can let them see it through a different view.

Hopefully, by spreading the word, we can get more customers that will accept the surge price when they realize it's still cheaper than a cab.


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## LookyLou (Apr 28, 2014)

Uber should have that stated right on the screen when surge is below 2.0x "STILL CHEAPER THAN A CAB"


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## Moofish (Jun 13, 2014)

Its hard to get people to understand numbers, even if they are told the rates, they don't do the math to estimate. Before they were at the mercy of the cab with no other options, but now we need to explain how our rates compare to cabs.


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## CHIUBERX (Aug 23, 2014)

Here in Chicago, a person on twitter *****es to Uber that surge prices suck. That 13.79 was too much for a uberx ride home, the ride lasted almost 10 mins and 2.82 miles. here normal fare should have been $6.13. I think normal a cab probably cost about that much or may have been a buck or two cheaper. People don't realize this but we don't get paid driving to their location when we get the request. that driver would have just made $4.90 on that ride. But when safe rides fee ends that new amount will be $3.90.


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## UberPup (Aug 16, 2014)

when the safe rider fee ends, there really is no profit only way to make money will be to take surge only clients


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## Sean O'Gorman (Apr 17, 2014)

I explain it this way:

I don't know how the surge algorithm works, but let's say that 100 rides (assume all are 10 miles/20 minutes) at 1X bring in the same revenue for Uber as 50 rides at 2X. If there are 100 riders requesting 50 cars, and there's no surge, your wait time could be hours. At that point, riders either use Lyft, a taxi, or public transportation, or use Uber and complain about the wait time, and Uber pulls in only 50 rides worth of revenue. Plus, without surges, there's less incentive for drivers to go online in these otherwise unfavorable conditions.

The people that don't get it are the ones who choose not to.


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## mp775 (Jun 26, 2014)

CHIUBERX said:


> Here in Chicago, a person on twitter *****es to Uber that surge prices suck. That 13.79 was too much for a uberx ride home, the ride lasted almost 10 mins and 2.82 miles. here normal fare should have been $6.13. I think normal a cab probably cost about that much or may have been a buck or two cheaper. People don't realize this but we don't get paid driving to their location when we get the request. that driver would have just made $4.90 on that ride. But when safe rides fee ends that new amount will be $3.90.


The same ride in a cab would be $11.46 for a single person, _but_ probably wouldn't be as quick or as convenient. Yet it would be customary to tip the cab driver...


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