I am the Go To Girl on Uber. People know that I use it all the time, they have heard my stories about various Uber drivers, and most importantly, they see how much it's helped my independence and livelihood in getting from place to place in the last year. I've taken it to grocery stores and concerts. doctors appointments, friends' houses, and work-related meetings. I took it to work every day last year. I have taken it across state lines and even in Oklahoma! Enough about my Uber resume though, I want to share what I learned this week.
There are different kinds of Uber cars. The basic is UberX, but you can get larger and more luxurious depending on how many riders you have, how many suitcases, and your business needs. Because I use it as much as I do, I have VIP status! Don't get too excited, it just means I save about 12 cents on the dollar.
The Uber types are at the bottom of the app, and you slide a cursor to the kind you want. Mine stayed on UberX until I made VIP. I actually first discovered these options after getting an "UberSelect" car one, a nice BMW and a chivalrous driver. Great, but not necessary to get to work for $50! I was confused, because I hadn't accepted a Surge fare (they up the rates during peak times, but you have to acknowledge and accept the higher rate). It was then that I learned about the different options and to be careful not to "pocket slide" (think pocket dial) the Uber choice.
The other day, I took the Megabus from Athens to the downtown Atlanta Civic Center MARTA station. It was pouring down rain. I requested an Uber and was thankful he was only a minute away. I've learned in crowds to call the driver and tell them what I'm wearing and that I don't see very well so they can find me. He found me easily and I got in his car, I think it was a Suburban. This should've been my first clue! But it was raining. He asked me how many riders...SECOND CLUE! But nope, only getting in the car out of the rain was on my mind.
Good ride home, about 20 miles. I checked my phone so I could check the fare and put it in the budget: $117!!!!
I got to Athens cheaper than that using Uber once, and that's more like 70 miles!
I looked carefully at the app. The position where the VIP choice used to be was now where the SUV option was, hard to see there at the bottom, especially with low vision.
My first thought was "Don't freak out. Just move some funds around." My second thought was to let Uber know so they could be aware of such a problem, but I still didn't think I was just in seeking reimbursement. It was the third thought later that convicted me to seek reimbursement for the error, explaining that I couldn't see the options and the change in position on the app led me to choose the wrong one. Yes, I chose wrong, but they changed things on me that led to my wrong.
Two wrongs don't make it right.
If Uber were to look at my history, they would see that I'm quite the consumer of their service, that I have a superior rider rating, and that I've never needed an SUV. They could also see that their app changes could account for my mistake. I'm not cheating the system, but seeking what is RIGHT. Leaving it alone and accepting an exorbitantly high fare for myself when my own physical limitations led to the error would NOT have been right.
Have you accepted something because you didn't want to ruffle feathers? Has someone else's mistake stopped you from pursuing what's right just because they imposed something on you? I didn't stop with those first thoughts of letting injustice go. I asked for understanding and grace!
Uber did in fact credit my account. Together, we RIGHTED the wrongs!
