Sandusky has Uber?!

To answer the title question: "Yes, yes it does. Kinda."At the beginning of July I started on a grand adventure. No, it may not have been something as epic as casting the One True Ring into Mt. Doom but it has been no less exciting. During this time, the title of this series was brought up — unprompted — many times by my riders. Firstly, let's take a step back to see just how I got to be behind the wheel.As I have been reforming my business plan in the wake of my completed "Mission: MBA," I have seen some interesting trends. Through census information as well as a series of internal surveys, I have been able to gauge trends and cycles that weren't noticed before or were just taken for granted. Along with ages, incomes and other demographic data I also focused on the issue of transportation. Considering our Shores & Islands region is a destination broadly as is my store locally, it made sense that any plan I made should include a transportation module.Looking through all the options available, I found that Uber was severely lacking. Here we are as a branded "Vacationland," but hardly a hint of this modern and transparent method of getting around was to be seen!Being the curious chap that I am, I began the application process to drive. I wanted to see what it was all about and explore why something like this might not be actively embraced yet. I'll describe that in another blog, but as you can imagine I did pass the background check. My driving adventure began and it has been a whirlwind since then. I knew with each passing trip that this was only going to get bigger here and beyond.Why should you ride with Uber? Well: 1. Less expensive alternativeOverall, the rides tend to be less expensive than taxis (especially on the UberX tier). You also are not obliged to tip, though you may if you wanted. Also, the trip is cash-free. You don't have to worry about carrying large sums of money on you as it is all done through credit card (except tips). Here are some real example fares:Minimum fare for a short/quick trip: $5Sandusky to Cleveland Hopkins Airport: ~$50Kalahari Resort to Norwalk: ~$12East side of Huron to Downtown Sandusky: ~$15It's calculated off of a $1 base fare +$0.12 per minute +$0.77 per mile from when your trip begins (not your summons) and when it ends (which should be when you exit the vehicle. There are also "surges," but that's for another post. You can also ride with up to three other passengers in a group on the same trip/fare and can split the bill among them as you see fit! 2. Uber is transparent and simple to use.You can see a record of your trip after it was taken, a breakdown of your fare, and even before your driver picks you up you can see his/her name and picture along with the car and license plate number. At the end of the trip you will get a chance to rate your driver on a scale of 1-5 stars like how you would on Amazon or on many other service sites. Your feedback not only goes to compliment or help improve your driver, but also helps Uber determine if your driver is fit to use the service. Should something go amiss for you, you can contact Uber conveniently and have them take care of the resolution. That way there is no personal animosity or guilt built between you and your driver.When you go to order your ride, you can see exactly where any available Uber cars are in your area at each tier of service. The app will also give you an estimated time of pickup to wherever you drop your GPS "pin." You can watch your driver's movements in real time, even as they approach your location. Any communication between you and the driver such as texts or phone calls are done through a kind of "dispatch" number so no personal information is shared. 3. Car requirementsDepending on the city or area of service, you'll find the Uber "fleet" (if you want to call it such) are cars that tend to be 10 years old or younger and must meet cosmetic as well as mechanical specifications. They also tend to be kept cleaner on the inside, which would involve your driver not smoking in the car even between fares. Also, depending on where you are, there are several "types" of Uber service you can request. The blurbs below are for the Cleveland area Uber fleet.UberX - The basic service of most any four-door car in good shapeUberXL - The basic service as above, but can hold 5+ passengers so usually has minivans and SUVs. The fares are slightly higher than X, but can be used to give X rides at X rates.UberSELECT - This is a service which has a limited list of cars and the drivers have to meet even stricter requirements and experiences with Uber before they can drive at this level. Cars in this tier tend to be luxury cars/brands but can include others such as a Toyota Highlander or Chrysler 300 if they have leather interiors. They can give rides to the bottom two tiers (passenger capacity willing) at their respective fares, otherwise the base Select fare is higher for the service and quality of car.UberBLACK - An even shorter list of vehicles than Select. Black exterior and black leather interior. This is a premier service. 4. Uber is darn near everywhere else!You can use your app anywhere you travel, especially if you are going to a major metropolitan area such as Chicago, Atlanta or San Francisco. You can also use it in other countries! Take it with you wherever you go. From my fortune in speaking with those here from other countries, the Uber experience is still preferred and the level of service is higher. Your driver should not just keep a clean car, but be able to answer questions, provide entertainment or otherwise make your time in the car safe and comfortable.You can see where I am geeking out over this service. From the societal trend, to enabling people to be their own bosses, to bringing people together from all over the world, the Uber service isn't just a fad. It is only going to grow and become more prevalent.If you'd like to see it for yourself you can download their app for free. You can even take your first ride through Uber for free too (up to a $15 fare)! Use it to not just get from A to B, but to see if this is something you enjoy and want more of here in our area. The more riders demand it, the more drivers will sign up to meet the requests. It is up to us to build the movement here! A promo code you can use for a free ride is (it's not first come, first serve; any new accounts can use it):hqqazu9yueOnce you sign up you'll get a code you can pass out to your friends and family, too, to help them get going! It's not a pyramid scheme or the like. If you have any questions about Uber as a rider or driver you can read more in following blogs, but please don't hesitate to ask questions in the comment section below!