Passengers are often faced with a choice when needing to travel on the road at a set time. Although “taking an Uber” has become a de rigueur term in today’s day and age, there are benefits to taking other means of travel to reach a destination. Professional car services have become an overlooked manner of transportation as the smartphone app economy dominates commerce today. First, this posting will focus on some of the drawbacks of using Uber, and then it will examine the benefits of hiring a professional car service.
One of the biggest frustrations of Uber users is the rapidly changing pricing landscape, which can change by the minute. While Uber may present a cheap mode of travel at certain times, other times may lead to the application of surge pricing. In many instances, whether surge pricing applies is beyond the user’s control. It means that a traveler who was expecting an $8 tab, may be faced with a fare that is double or triple that because of weather, or an event that is occurring at the same time as the passenger’s travel. Uber leaves its user hostage to the intricacies of supply and demand. In contrast, professional car services provide stable and fixed pricing that gives passengers cost certainty. Travelers will not be faced an unexpected and unpleasant bill due to factors outside of their control.While on the topic of control, another drawback of using Uber is that passengers have no control over what vehicle arrives to transport them. While Uber has some standards for vehicle quality and cleanliness, travelers never quite know what they will get until the car arrives. With a professional driver, passengers have the ability to select a service based on what type of car they wish to use. This has an impact on the comfort of the trip and passengers can be assured that they will not be subject to a dirty and cramped car. On special occasions, passengers may want limos, which is not routinely available through Uber but is one of the benefits of professional car service over an Uber.
Timing is also an issue when hiring a professional driver. Passengers do not want to be faced with the uncertainty of whether there is a vehicle within close range. Especially for special occasions, passengers do not want the potential of waiting a long time for their car. One of the benefits of professional car service over an Uber is that passengers can control the time that limos arrive for pickup. When a passenger needs to depart at 7:30, that timing can be locked in with certainty in advance, sometimes by even calling a week ahead of time.
The most obvious benefit offered by a private car service is safety. Although Uber has instituted some background check measures that it employs to vet its drivers, there is always the notorious story of an unsafe Uber driver. Professional drivers have a reputation to maintain, as do their employers. They show up to work day in and day out, and unprofessional or dangerous service will leave a lasting negative impact on their business. An Uber driver simply would not have to continue working as a driver if they provided poor service. A professional car service, however, does not have the option of discontinuing their business. The car service is only as good as its last customer experience. Therefore, it has an incentive to offer the very best customer service on every trip because it has a business to maintain on a daily basis, as opposed to an Uber driver who can engage in driving sporadically. A professional car service will focus on the passenger’s overall experience, as opposed to merely getting the passenger from door to door. This gives the traveler an opportunity to receive personalized service, in contrast with the standardized service offered by Uber.
