Uber Customer Approach Varies Widely in NYC, DC and Seattle

Uber in New York considers the busy nature of the customers; in Seattle it is more utilitarian; while in Washington D.C., the car service focuses on the staff of politicians and government officials.

Fast Company reported that CEO Travis Kalanick knows that he has to treat each region individually and tweak his approach to fit the unique needs of certain cities because Uber is now present in more than 300 different areas.

In profile review of Kalanick, Fast Company talks about the CEO's different approach. When Uber launched in New York in 2011, Kalanick was direct in saying that Uber users value their time, they want a taste of luxury, and they hate inefficiency. Kalanick painted the company's service as utilitarian when it expanded to Seattle. In Washington D.C., the politician and government officials' staffs who can't afford their own private drivers where the main focus.

New York is one of the most important markets of Uber, which is probably why it is not easily giving up its battle against the city's regulators over a law that could limit its growth in the metropolis. New York City mayor Bill de Blasio, along with the city council, proposed a bill to freeze the growth of for-hire vehicle companies, which includes Kalanick's Uber.

Other than that, it faces a new rivalry launched by NYC taxi drivers themselves. According to Wired, the insiders of the NYC taxi industry launched an app called Arro to compete with Uber. This app will not have surge pricing and will base charges solely on meter pricing. It can save credit card info and let passengers pay with their credit cards. It is still in beta testing and used only by 7,000 NYC cab drivers, but the outlet reports it will be launched in the following weeks.

Uber operates autonomously in each region with Kalanick taking a backseat in dealing with regional operations. This has resulted to bad press in other areas where the car service operates.