Uber Testing A ‘New’ Way To Hail Rides…By Making A Phone Call

Depending on how old you are, you might recall that back in the day if you wanted to hail a cab from your home or office, one of the ways you could do so is by calling the cab company. Of course, these days there are apps that offer more precise locations to make it easier for both you and the driver, but Uber seems to be wanting to go back to the good old days.

According to the reports, Uber will be running a test in which they will trial allowing users to call for an Uber car by dialing a number. When the caller connects, they will be put through to a human operator, tell them where they want to go, and provide payment details. They will then be sent details via text about the driver’s name, car number, and ETA.

While this might seem like a step backwards, we understand where Uber is coming from. While it is safe to assume that we all have smartphones, by creating a low-tech way of hailing an Uber, it opens up the service to more customers who might not have a phone, or whose phone is dead, and so on.

Uber will also not be charging customers extra for using this service, although the usual phone call related charges should still apply. Right now, the feature is currently only being tested in Arizona, so if you live in the state, you can dial 1-833-USE-UBER if you want to test it out for yourself.

Tyler Lee
Categories: General
Tags: Uber