Opinion| Mind your manners
Cab aggregators claim to be bringing drivers and passengers onto a common platform
Customer satisfaction is supposed to be the service sector’s mantra. Consumer rights are said to be paramount. Uber, however, appears to have upended this. The ride-hailing app has begun to bar users from its service if their behaviour is consistently rated poorly by cab drivers. It has issued “community guidelines" aimed at encouraging behaviour that promotes feelings of safety and respectfulness among drivers as well as passengers. So, if you fail to be courteous, act rudely, take a swig of booze, ask the driver to break traffic rules or do anything offensive, no more Uber rides for you.
The move may sound odd, given that the terms of usership are usually tilted in favour of service providers. However, there’s more to it. Cab aggregators claim to be bringing drivers and passengers onto a common platform. In that sense, drivers are Uber’s customers, too. If they are rated by those they ferry, they should also get to rate clients. Customer service levels remain poor in India. Passengers get left stranded by cabbies and claiming refunds can be a harrowing experience. Nevertheless, everyone has the right to be treated with dignity. We must all mind our manners.
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