Four Things To Fix at Uber—and None of Them were the CEO

Now that the CEO of Uber is out, maybe the company can actually pay attention to what matters to brands: the customers. Brands grow, create loyalty, and stay ahead of the competition by paying attention to how consumers experience and value the brand. Understanding these costumer relationships is the most critical element in how brands reach out and create experiences.

 

With the rapid growth of on-demand ride services, Uber, like so many highly capitalized startups, became obsessively focused on growing market share and dominating the category while ignoring a lot of other issues from internal culture to brand perception. It didn’t learn many of the lessons needed to survive and build value for investors and customers.

 

Uber is not its CEO. Do you even know the name of the CEO of United Airlines or UPS or Whole Foods? No, but you sure remember when something goes really wrong, like the guy being dragged off the plane to make way for someone else. Your experience is defined by the person who makes the change to your ticket, finds you the freshest organic strawberries, or safely and pleasantly drives you to your destination.

Uber is the moment you click the tiny car app on your phone. It is the actual driver that pulls up. After the ride you have a distinct experience of the brand: You either love it or hate it. A positive experience is the real brand of a successful company.

 

Technology powers Uber and Lyft, but that is not what the customer sees or even cares about. More than ever, a company is the interaction, the connection you have to an experience that meets or exceeds your expectations. Companies that go out of their way to focus on customer experience will build not only a better brand but valued customer relationships.

 

If I were in the executive management team of Uber, I’d recommend four ideas for the brand:

 

1) Focus on the drivers—they are your brand. How do they shape the experience of riders? How do we include the actions and observations of the driver in the value we bring? Let’s ask their opinion once in a while. Maybe they have a story about how they helped customers, what they did for a rider that was out of the ordinary. How can we support that behavior?

 

2) What’s the real value Uber brings to customers? For example, FedEx’s motto is “The world on time.” That’s a promise that is powerful and meaningful! What’s Uber’s motto, “We’re better than everyone”? This will not stop Lyft or other companies going after your customers. When I go to Whole Foods, I know I’m spending more, but I leave feeling like I made the right choice.

 

3) What does Uber really do for the community? How are we making a difference? Maybe it’s reducing the number of cars on the road—I can take Uber and leave my car at home. We’re providing tons of part-time jobs to everyone from students to parents needing extra cash for a new kid on the way. Your grandparents can still go shopping even though they can’t drive anymore.

 

4) Change the internal business culture to be about how you empower customers and employees – it’s not just about dominating a market. Uber can get out of the hole it has fallen into if it moves away from its position of arrogance. Yes, a company has to make money; yes, Uber has created a revolution in on-demand transportation; why can’t it create a brand experience that is positive? This is what makes a company great: providing a great experience to customers.