Uber asked its drivers about working for the app. They didn’t hold back.
Uber just found out what drivers really think about driving for the ride-hailing and food delivery app.
The company conducted a survey in October last year (notably before the controversial Prop. 22 legislation that keeps gig workers as contractors passed in California ). It went out to all U.S. drivers who had used the app at some point in 2020. Nearly 100,000 drivers responded.
Those survey results — including data that shows drivers are dissatisfied with pay and support — went out to drivers in an email Wednesday. Uber worked with third-party data analytics firm Qualtrics in an effort to be more transparent.
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What stood out was how many drivers and workers are unhappy: 20 percent of respondents are dissatisfied with driving or delivering for Uber and Uber Eats. The top issue for 27 percent of drivers is "dependability of earnings," which includes fluctuating rates and fees and fewer promotions and incentives.
Fifteen percent of drivers said they were unhappy with the Uber app itself, noting it is often "glitchy or buggy" and there are issues with navigation and GPS.
More than 40 percent of drivers said they're concerned about their physical wellness during the pandemic.
Last week, drivers from Uber and Lyft, and other gig workers from the Gig Workers Rising group, rallied in front of Uber headquarters in San Francisco as part of a “Clean In” demanding compensation for cleaning supplies and time spent cleaning vehicles during the pandemic.
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Somewhat ironically, 19 percent of drivers surveyed said Uber's responsiveness to feedback is poor. Uber has promised to hold a virtual town hall to go over the survey results and the "actions" that the company has planned to improve the Uber driver experience.
The survey wasn't all bad news.
Seventy percent said Uber has done enough (and in some cases more than enough) to support drivers during the pandemic. Uber has distributed millions of masks and hand sanitizer bottles to drivers, but most are left to pay for car cleaning costs between rides.
Topics Uber
Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.
