A mobile app that increases trust, transparency and sales

In my last post I wrote about mobile applications in the business world.

I showcased a real life example of Bluebird Taxi who wants to stand out from their competition and focus on customer acquisition and retention.

It’s truly a great example of what meaningful marketing in the mobile world looks like.

Since that post was long I wanted to carry it over. For this post I’m going to talk even further about ways they could really increase their customer retention and acquisition.

In this example I’ll be showcasing another car service company already doing these things.

Read on if you want to see how apps can increase your customer loyalty and sales.

Utilizing Technology

A few months back I got tipped off on a very cool business idea.

Uber.com is a car service that utilizes the wonderful advancements in technology to improve their customer acquisition and retention.

How do they do this? It’s a two step process. The first step does three things very well.

Engagement, Transparency and Trust

After you log onto their app, you can request a pick up from your location. All you have to do it setup the location tracking services on your phone and you’re set.

This very step is where the personal engagement begins. Instead of the standard “Your cab will be 15 minutes” answer we normally get when calling for a pick up, Uber sends you a text.

It’s the content of the text that makes it personal and allows Uber to be transparent while increase their trust and engagement.

Uber's text updates

The text comes with an update that your pickup car is en route, how long it will be and who your driver is.

Why is this engaging? It’s a one way text but it offers you an update of how far way your car is. That’s helpful and it allows the company to be fully transparent and honest with how far your ride is really away. We’ve all been lied to by cab companies before on wait times.

In my last post I mentioned that how GPS tracking of cabs allows people to see where their cab might be. The text update is another way to achieve that. It is nice to get a personalized text however.

Now onto what builds trust. Being able to view the profile and ratings of your driver is a comforting way to see who will be taking you home.

Uber Driver Profile

We’ve all ridden in a cab with a driver who was not very friendly or a tad reckless. Instead of calling the company and complain, we often do nothing.

A few years back I was involved in an accident that was my cab drivers fault. I’ve not ridden with that company since. I’ve been in a few rides home with less than safe drivers but have done nothing to complain about the ride.

That’s the not the case with Uber though. You can rate your driver right after the ride is completed by loading the app.

This could also help the company evaluate how their drivers are truly perceived by its customers.

Being able to see what other users have said and how they’ve rated a driver builds trust. It’s also very transparent to see what others have said.

Review sites like Yelp, Yellow Pages and now Google’s Place pages allow us full transparency. Businesses no longer have much control because everyone has a voice that can be heard.

Being able to see reviews of the driver is this same idea but within the app itself.

Convenience

This next step is where Uber really focuses on customer retention.

Most cab companies are still using interact machines for those paying by debit or credit. This can slow the checkout process down. If a cab is in a location where there isn’t a great connection, the processing time can take a few minutes.

Uber instead keeps your credit card on file. This makes payment super easy and helps those in a jam without a wallet. Talk about convenience.

I know that if a cab company has my credit card on file, I’ll be more likely to use their service since it’s easier. I can just get out of the cab and leave.

They could also think about offering a kick back to their frequent users. From there the users could check their points through their application.

Now’s not the time to talk about rewards programs. That’s for another day.

I’ve profiled Uber because they get it. They’re marketing with meaning by using technology to make it easier for those needing a ride.

In doing so they increase their engagement, transparency, trust and convenience.

In marketing you don’t have to some unique idea. Take a look around and see what other industries are doing and see if you can adopt those ideas to your own business.

In this example Bluebird Taxi could look at what Uber is doing and borrow their apps ideas.

What do you think?

 
If Uber was available in your city, would you use their service?