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Sri Lanka gets Uber safety helpline, finally

03 Oct 2020

By Uwin Lugoda
Six months after it was first announced, global ride-hailing giant Uber finally launched its 24x7 safety helpline in Sri Lanka to further strengthen its safety feature and customer experience. The company first announced the Uber safety helpline alongside two other safety features – RideCheck, a feature that detects trip irregularities, and Pin Verification – in February this year. These were meant to underscore Uber’s commitment towards making safety one of its highest priorities across all regions it operates in. However, these plans hit a roadblock when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Morning Business, Uber South Asia Head of Central Operations Pavan Vaish stated that the initial launch of the safety features was supposed to take place a few weeks after its announcement. He explained that this was after they actively looked into user feedback which showcased demand for an on-trip 24x7 safety helpline for riders. The new safety helpline is set to provide riders with the option to get in touch with Uber’s safety team, should they have an urgent but non-emergency issue during a trip, such as reporting misbehaviour by a co-passenger, a dispute with a driver, or a breakdown. At the tap of a button, riders can immediately connect with Uber’s response team, where safety experts will be available 24×7. As part of Uber’s safety features, the safety helpline is accessible to the riders through the shield icon which appears on the app during a trip. This icon will then lead the user to the safety helpline icon, which, once swiped, will connect the rider with an Uber representative who is a part of their local support team. Vaish explained that the support team based in Sri Lanka is ready to assist their riders in all three languages: Sinhala, Tamil, and English. However, if the need arises for additional support such as added research, the issue is then escalated to a support team in their Asia Pacific regional centre, which is based in India. “We offer multiple levels of support; we do this so that whatever issues the rider is facing, we can support them.” He stated that if there is an emergency during the trip and the rider needs immediate assistance, the rider is advised to contact law enforcement or medical help directly. This is because the authorities need to talk to the impacted party, and the helpline will not be the most suitable channel for that. However, if the rider is having an urgent issue which is not an emergency, they can call the helpline, where an agent will first determine what the exact problem is and either solve it then and there or contact the rider later if the issue requires them to do additional work. The new safety helpline feature is only available for riders, as Uber’s driver partners have always had a help/support line available to them. While the feature is only available during the trip, if there are any other issues post trip, such as the rider leaving an item behind in the vehicle, the rider can contact the driver partner within 30 minutes after ending the trip. Having launched in countries like India prior to its launch in Sri Lanka, Vaish stated that the feature was mostly used by riders due to payment disputes, verbal altercation with driver partners, the driver partner driving too fast, or the driver partner deviating from the route. But since Covid, the calls to the helpline have also included driver partners frequently coughing, not disinfecting the car in front of the rider, and very rarely driver partners not wearing masks. According to Vaish, they have experienced these same post-Covid calls in Sri Lanka, with calls about driver partners not wearing masks being rarer here due to Uber’s strict safety policies and the local authorities enforcing it. He stated that safety is their number one priority and therefore the company has included Covid-related content on the feature, in addition to training drivers to sanitise the vehicle in front of the riders and featuring an online checklist for both the driver and the rider on whether the opposite part wore a mask and sanitised their hands. Furthermore, Uber distributed Rs. 10 million worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) to their driver partners in Sri Lanka and has partnered locally with Dettol. Speaking on the response of their Indian market to the new feature, Vaish stated the reception has been very positive. He explained that this was due to Uber listening to their rider base and giving them the feature they needed. “We are always open to rider feedback in all geographies we operate in, and what we saw in Sri Lanka was that the users wanted a way to contact Uber representatives if they are in need of any support while they’re on a trip. We also have a roadmap of safety features which we will roll out within the next 12 months.” Photo Saman Abesiriwardana

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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!


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