Uber CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi has set an example for the organizations and people sitting on the top posts. He himself went undercover to work as an Uber driver and delivery agent. He took this step to understand better and address the problems they face. This step is a benchmark in the history of entrepreneurship,  where the CEO has actually taken a huge step ahead to understand the issue with the workers of his organization.

The journey went like this…

Khosrowshahi spent months delivering UberEats orders and transferring clients in San Francisco beginning in September 2021. The CEO of the ride-hailing company endured a number of difficulties while acting as an undercover Uber driver, including being tip-baited by passengers and being penalised by the app for declining rides. These experiences helped him better comprehend the difficulties that drivers confront.

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The challenges faced by Uber CEO

The sign-up procedure, which differed for gig workers who wanted to drive and those who wanted to deliver meals, was the first issue he ran into. The sign-up process was deemed “pretty clunky” by the CEO of Uber, and Uber subsequently developed a single sign-up process. Now, drivers can alternate between transporting passengers and delivering food.

He also noticed that Uber drivers had long complained about another, more serious problem. Before accepting a trip, drivers are not informed of the rider’s drop location or expected payment. Only a select few drivers with strong acceptance rates are informed before the trip’s location.

“When Mr. Khosrowshahi tried out driving, he rejected some trips and the app punished him by taking away the ability to see destinations ahead of time,” the report said. “The experience was so frustrating that he asked his team to speed up the timetable for all U.S. drivers to see destinations upfront without any restrictions.”

Khosrowshahi experienced tip baiting as a delivery driver, which occurs when customers initially promise a greater tip but leave a smaller one after their purchase is delivered. After realizing that many customers had stopped tipping altogether, Uber tried to address the problem by prohibiting clients from changing the tip amount after delivery. Uber is still working to find a solution to this problem.

Why did Khosrowshahi take such a big step

After the US economy started to recover in 2021, Uber started to have a driver shortage, according to research. For the first time ever, the ride-hailing service had more users than drivers because of the manpower crisis brought on by the epidemic.

Investors were pressuring Khosrowshahi to boost profits at the same time. Even as Uber struggled to keep up with the escalating demand for cabs and food deliveries following the outbreak, his choice to put aside $250 million as bonuses to recruit more drivers was questioned.

Uber was aware that more needed to be done to entice drivers. Uber drivers in numerous cities worldwide have demanded better pay and procedures, and the company has already faced criticism for its unfair treatment of gig workers. The app’s design has come under fire for being unpleasant to drivers.