Skip to main content

What does a cab hailing app do?

Namma Yatri - is a cab hailing app in Bangalore that ensures that 100% of the money goes to the driver. Based on the ONDC platform, it is quite remarkable - that it took time for this idea to be created. It does look like the app has reached critical mass. 

But what is a cab hailing app? It is a system. A system of trust. 

The same system can be implemented in any city - but the only city where it fully works in India is in Mumbai. 

Metered prices. Drivers can choose to go or not. No surge pricing (or sometimes it exists). All the money goes to driver. Trust that the driver will not cheat - and it works for the most part. Nearly 99%.

In other cities since this 'honour' system does not exist or someone always tries to break the system, an app is needed and like the proverbial monkey with the two cats, the apps take a chunk as commission. And that led to multiple levels of mistrust - between the app and the driver, sometimes between the passenger and the driver (since drivers ask the passenger to pay them directly post booking) and eventually between the customer/passenger and the app.

The commission less app makes it a lot more easier, but it is worth thinking that if the honour system existed, life would be so much smoother. 

Kind of like Indian traffic - every individual who breaks a small rule thinks it is not a big deal but in total it adds up to a big mess. 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Be Civil. Make nice!

Popular posts from this blog

The man who saved Pumpelsdrop

This was a story we had in college if I am not mistaken. Perhaps it was in school, but a delightful story it was. The story goes somewhat like this ( reproduced from here ), but the college version we had was slightly different from this.  I t was a dull, gloomy and a depressing morning in a town named Pumpelsdrop in northern England. The Great Depression had brought all the businesses to a standstill. The bored automobile dealer was spending time alone, as usual. But, this seems to be an unusual morning as an odd entity (customer) appeared on the horizon. A man in a bright suit walks up to the dealer and says, "I need to buy a Rolls Royce Phantom II. We have a business conference coming up and I need to impress my customers". Then proceeds to pay 10% of the deal with a single check for 2000 pounds. The rest he says will pay when he takes the delivery.   The auto dealer was stunned. He was delighted to hear that someone is holding a business conference of some kind and
Post a Comment
Read more

The Mintzberg triangle

At a recent training, someone spoke about the Mintzberg triangle. I located it here . Image from that page reproduced here. The page linked above has a better explanation of diagram above, but what intrigued me was that the triangle exists for practically anything. The facilitator referred to this in the context of facilitation. Of how facilitation has science, craft and art to it. That is so true,  I thought. Worth a thought! Need to read of Mintzberg though...
Post a Comment
Read more

On sales techniques

Just as we speak, I received a spam sales mail. As an L&D head, I receive a whole bunch of sales "spam". Not all of it classifies as spam, let me clarify. But a badly crafted sales message is spam. Similarly,  A mail that does not take the organization need into account. A mail that uses techniques like "can we meet this week or next" is pointless - because I dont intend to meet - because your mail did not connect to our need at all.  A mail that is not compelling.  A mail that has no differentiator.  Yes, you are a training company and yes, I am a potential client. Yes you need to get my attention and I might be happier ignoring it. So, how to make that transition? To me the method is to stand out, make the other curious and thats it. When the need arises the client will come (having been on the other side). Someone I had 5 years ago will be working with us because they are "different" - and that is what we seek now.  But my point is - unless your cus
Post a Comment
Read more