I don't think scheduling a ride a few days in advance actually helps the drivers. One of the best things about Uber or Lyft for the drivers is that they don't have to think about scheduling, they're told exactly where to drive.
If they have a scheduled ride and they forget about it, or they're stuck waiting around to make that ride and lose business, that doesn't seem like it will be popular.
One big thing that Uber needs to fix is the incentive scheme. One of the Uber drivers I talked to said she hated how they were, in my words, gamified into earning their incentive bonuses. And the incentive bonuses change every time, so it makes it hard for them to keep track. That's something Uber needs to change in order to increase driver satisfaction, making it clearer and more consistent on how to earn the incentives which is where the drivers make more. I don't see how Lyft's "Power Zones" are any different from Uber showing where surge is occurring, but if it works, then great.
This could be something for Lyft drivers people who don't drive so regularly. You could for example spot gigs which you can handle while riding to work. If you know day or two beforehand, you can then adjust your schedule accordingly.
Think about potential drivers in rural areas. I can see this being a key feature that helps Lyft expand into areas with low population density and sparse ridership. Drivers don't want to turn on the app and wait all day -- they'd rather schedule that trip in advance.
I think the key to the article is that when the ride is booked in advance, the driver sees the route and destination. A big compliant from drivers is that you accept a ride and you don't know if you are going 1 mile down the road or 100 miles to the middle of no where. Now the driver can see before accepting the ride (for these advanced booked trips).
I agree. Almost every Uber driver I talk to is unhappy with the constant bonus grind. The bonuses tend to incentivize short rides, so my long ride requests make drivers unhappy. I don't see drivers sticking around if their working hours and pay don't improve.
The drivers are almost always running Lyft and Uber on separate phones, so it looks like a tremendous opportunity for both services to improve and capture the market.
If they have a scheduled ride and they forget about it, or they're stuck waiting around to make that ride and lose business, that doesn't seem like it will be popular.
One big thing that Uber needs to fix is the incentive scheme. One of the Uber drivers I talked to said she hated how they were, in my words, gamified into earning their incentive bonuses. And the incentive bonuses change every time, so it makes it hard for them to keep track. That's something Uber needs to change in order to increase driver satisfaction, making it clearer and more consistent on how to earn the incentives which is where the drivers make more. I don't see how Lyft's "Power Zones" are any different from Uber showing where surge is occurring, but if it works, then great.