The tech giant Uber has dominated the ride-sharing industry in recent years; garnering attention and significant support from individuals looking for affordable, trendy travel or perhaps temporary employment in the form of a driver. However this year, they have also dominated the business community with regard to public relations struggles. These struggles seem to be cyclical and less and less spontaneous in nature, which pose some serious questions as to the integrity of the company and the future of their market share.
The month of August was no exception, as two incidents were brought to the forefront; Uber lost contracts with the Philippines for a month after disregarding a policy administered by The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) which ordered the ride hailing firm to “cease and desist” after it called for more comprehensive registration of new drivers; an effort to prevent unregistered/very young drivers from getting behind the wheel of taxi or ride-sharing services. This policy was ignored, and consequently the LTFRB blocked all Uber services for a minimum of a month. Intentional or not, respecting and acknowledging the policies of a country where business takes place should be at the forefront of maintaining a positive business and public relationship.
August had Uber in the public eye once again after London’s Metropolitan Police claimed Uber had followed up on criminal complaints through Transport for London as opposed to police services, which allegedly adds up to seven months delay for criminal investigations according to Met inspector Neil Billany; potentially prolonging investigations. Neil describes more specifically of an incident stating “They could have prevented a second attack by a driver who had been allowed to stay on, following an allegation of sexual assault.” Former CEO Travis Kalanick dismissed these statements claiming they were “without merit and riddled with lies and false allegations.”
Uber’s biggest PR fail yet came January 28th following President Donald Trump’s implementation of an executive order concerning a ban on predominantly muslim-majority countries. This issuance sparked immediate outrage, protest and a statement from the taxi union in New York restricting all rides to JFK international airport (the site of protest) Uber continued offering rides throughout the evening; only turning off “surge pricing” (a feature that increases prices of rides during high demand) thirty minutes after the protest. This particularly outraged Uber’s young, socially conscious base and lead to the creation of the hashtag #DeleteUber, and approximately 500 000 deleted accounts according to the NYT.
Protest at JFK International Airport in New York
Uber’s attention to their bottom line through dismissal of policy and social propriety has come at the cost of relationship with stakeholders over recent months. Being cognizant of these values, particularly held with Uber’s young demographic, will play an important role if this tech corporation wants to get itself back on track.
Media References
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/04/ubers-pr-nightmare-a-field-guide/523269/
All images obtained free photo sharing sites; pixabay.com and pexels.com
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