Uber India announced two new features for its riders and driver partners, making it easier for both the parties to get in touch with each other. The two new features, namely, in-app chat and multi-destination, will be rolled out in a phased manner so you may have to wait for a while before they are enabled for your Uber account. Both the new features allow you to ease your riding experience without having to leave the Uber app.
For starters, the multi-destination feature addresses an issue that is often faced by riders. Instead of having to negotiate a route with the driver, you can now enter multiple destinations while booking a ride. You can start with booking the ride by entering your destination in the ‘Where To’ box. Once that is done, you can then tap on ‘+’ to add a stop on the route. Uber recommends that each stop should be limited to less than 3 minutes.
The multi-destination feature is a useful addition since Uber drivers now try to strictly follow the route on their devices. This policy has been in place since Uber decided to reveal the payable prices up front, instead of having a dynamic pricing policy. Now, with the addition of multiple destinations, drivers will be able to take the shortest route while riders can visit multiple destinations. This reduces the friction between both the parties.
Apart from this, Uber has also announced an in-app chat feature. Using this feature, the driver and the rider can communicate with each other using chat. This can be useful in case there is any difficulty in the pickup. In-app chat comes with support for local languages, and also lets you know when the messages have been delivered and read.
To use in-app chat, you will have to tap on the driver profile and select Contact. You will be presented with two options – Call and Chat. Tap on chat and then enter your message. This feature should come in handy when you cannot take your driver’s call, allowing you to be discreet while still helping your driver identify your location.
