I’m still recovering from my surgery and still dependent on Uber to ger around the city. Though I did drive to office yesterday, it wasn’t as great an experience as I’d imagined. I was a bit conscious about that bandaged dressing on my back.
Anyway, I booked a cab to get to a family ceremony (a customary ritual following someone’s death, one of my relatives passed away a few weeks back). Hopped into the car and was just about to get ready to take a short nap when the driver pulled over. He was being asked to by a protester. I looked towards my left to see a fleet of cars parked in the corner with the drivers gossiping and directing the cabs on the road to pullover.
It was horrendous. I asked my driver to do something. He shrugged and asked me to leave since he can’t do anything. I didn’t have an option but get out of the car. I asked one of the drivers who was directing the traffic. He told me that Uber has changed some policy that goes against the drivers. And then asked me to bug off.
I looked for an auto but couldn’t find any. The only viable option for me was to go back home and inform my relatives not to wait for me. And that’s what I did.
What I don’t understand why these drivers always have to go on a strike to prove a point? From a customer point of view, I think the demands are unreasonable. It’s exactly what the autorickshaw drivers used to do a few years back. The medium has changed but the behaviour is still the same!
Why do they feel they’re entitled to all the world’s benefits? I genuinely wish them well but for what? The experience they provide to customers like me? I believe service providers and their crew (the drivers) should focus on providing value and a great customer experience.
But what happens when the crew feel entitled and stop cooperating? Like what’s expected from any good service provider — the crew should be fired. The provider should keep the customer’s experience over and above its own crew.
Services like Uber are stuck with a bunch of unreliable crew members who have their own agendas to worry about. Is that sustainable? No. But would they learn? Absolutely not! Then why waste time and resources keeping them onboard?
The principle is real simple — keep the best crew onboard otherwise the ship’s sure to sink.
Can you related this with your team at work? Do you have the best crew onboard? Whose agenda do they prirotize? Yours or theirs?