The ride-hailing app Uber on Thursday announced its partnership with the Meta-owned instant messaging app WhatsApp. Now, Uber will be offering ride-booking using WhatsApp in India, a world-first for Uber. The ride-hailing service would allow users to book the ride using Uber’s official WhatsApp chatbot, making ride-booking easy as sending a WhatsApp message. Uber’s new ride-booking option is built on WhatsApp’s Business Platform. The option is first rolling out on a pilot basis in Lucknow and will be later expanded to other cities of India in the future.
Sharing her thoughts on the partnership, Nandini Maheshwari, Sr. Director, Business Development, Uber APAC, said, “We want to make it as easy as possible for all Indians to take an Uber trip, and to do that we need to meet them on platforms they are comfortable with. Our partnership with WhatsApp does just that, giving riders a new way to get a ride through a simple, familiar, and trusted channel. We are thrilled at this global-first integration for Uber, and look forward to rolling it out across India.”
With the option to now book Uber rides on WhatsApp, customers won’t need to download the Uber app on their smartphones. Uber’s WhatsApp chatbot will be managing every step a user would have needed the app for – registration, booking a ride, and getting a trip receipt. Everything will be done within the WhatsApp chat itself.
“The WhatsApp Business Platform has been an important lever for businesses that want to build a direct connect with their consumers. The Uber experience on WhatsApp is simple, familiar, and relatable for users and has the potential to accelerate the adoption of Uber with a new category of riders in India. We are excited about the potential of this partnership and look forward to creating more such customised solutions for products and services across sectors in India,” said Abhijit Bose, Head, WhatsApp India.
How to book Uber ride with WhatsApp
Users need to follow these three simple steps to book an Uber ride through Whatsapp.
- First, a user needs to message Uber’s business account number. They can either scan the QR code or click the link to open an Uber WhatsApp chat.
- Then the user should provide the pick and drop address.
- Now, the user will be informed about the fare and the driver’s time of arrival.
After booking the ride, the user will receive the driver’s name and licence plate number of the vehicle. Further, riders will be able to track the ride and call the driver anonymously. Uber will be providing the same safety features and insurance protections as the riders who book trips via the Uber app directly.
Uber will inform riders about the safety protocols within the WhatsApp chat itself. In case of some emergency, a user can send ‘help’ to the chatbot to reach Uber. On selecting the “emergency” option, the rider will be getting an incoming call from the customer support team. Riders can also contact Uber’s safety line number after 30 minutes of the ride’s completion.
The service will be available to both new and registered Uber users. Moreover, drivers won’t find any changes between the rides booked through WhatsApp and the Uber app. Currently, the chatbot is only available in the English language. But it is expected to be available in other Indian languages in the future.
The post You can now book Uber ride from WhatsApp in India, here’s how first appeared on 91mobiles.com.
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