Uber and Lyft Alert! Read This First Before Requesting Your First Ride (By Luthando)

Here are a few tips to help your getting-around-town experience, be the best it can be.

Imagine having to travel for business or on vacation to a new area that is far away from home. Maybe you have not done a lot of traveling over the years so you think your only option is a TaxiCab service.

The majority of people traveling around the world trust that these services are honorable and would never take advantage of someone unfamiliar with the area.

So now that you have made all your flight and maybe even hotel arrangements, you have one last thing to consider, “How in the world am I going to get from point A to point B?” If you were lucky enough to book a hotel that has a shuttle service, your problems are solved as long as it’s within the operating hours.

If you find that your destination from the airport or bus station has no shuttle and you have no friends or family with available transportation, what do you do now? One option would be to hail a TaxiCab or another option would be a Ride-Sharing program, which just recently became a viable alternative within the last 10 years.

TaxiCabs have over 100 years of history in the United States with worldwide history that dates back to the 1870s. As you can see this profession has a long history with 100’s of millions of individuals who have used the service or have worked within the industry.

In the age of abundance and technology we as consumers are afforded the luxury of having many more options. The new kids on the block are called ride-sharing programs which use smart phone technology, cellular data networks, and the phone application to link it all together. As long as the service is available in the city you are currently located, you can request a ride at the push of a button and expect a car to show up within 10 – 15 minutes, on average.

Two of the more well-known programs out there now are Uber and Lyft. Both company’s smart phone applications work basically the same. I recommend downloading both apps to give yourself a variety of options. Both companies provide a similar service but based on user preference, Uber has a larger driver network than Lyft and they are in more locations. Lyft’s culture is a little more laid back while Uber is considered more upscale with more car options to choose from.

Follow these steps to make your first ride-sharing experience the best it can be:

1. Download the Apps, put in your credit card details, and make sure to obtain a new rider FREE Ride / Discount Code. Both Uber and Lyft have them but you must enter the code before requesting your first ride.

2. Verify which service is operating in your area, and then determine if they have cars available to pickup riders close to your location.

3. Request your ride. The closest driver to your location will get the notice via their smartphone with your pickup destination.

4. Be sure to text or call the driver with special instructions if where you are located is tricky getting in or out.

5. Once your ride is complete, you will have a chance to rate your driver and the experience based on a five-star scale. The caveat is the driver will have a chance to rate you as well, so the fine print is, don’t be a “butt hole”. A rider or a driver can lose access to the App if your rating gets too low.

Finally, the beauty of the entire process is that the entire transaction is cashless and all funds are transferred electronically. Tips are not required. Uber and Lyft make their pricing available so you know approximately how much your ride is going to cost before accepting the fare.

Do some research before you hop on that plane, bus, or train. TaxiCabs, Uber, and Lyft are worldwide businesses. Know your options and choose the best one that meets your needs.

Taxi statistics information is courtesy of http://www.taxi-library.org

Source: www.askpaccosi.com