UBER bring in some changes to help both riders and drivers

Uber talked about a few of the changes coming to help improve its relationship with drivers during a press call last week held to address a number of concerns, including regarding its leadership and culture.

Now, it’s releasing a few of those features it discussed, including pickup corrections users can make after they’ve already booked a driver, and a number of new customer support options drivers can take advantage of across a range of different areas.

Pick-up modifications seem like an easy win for Uber in terms of user experience on both rider and driver sides of the equation. This change, which is going out first to the Uber app in the U.S., UK and Canada that allow riders to change their pick-up location after they’ve already made a booking, means that when you screw up and request a ride to a place where you actually are not present you can make a change without having to cancel the whole trip and start again. 

The customer support changes for drivers were also discussed broadly on the call, and basically include giving drivers more credit when it comes to issues including complaints from riders, reports of drivers not being who they say they are, reports that rides have been intercepted by someone other than the person who requested them, and in the case of fare adjustment requests from riders.

In most of these cases, Uber has previously sided with riders almost exclusively, trusting their claims without much regard for the driver’s side of the story. Now, Uber will take into account driver’s full record when measuring the validity of rider complaints. It’ll also use its Real Time ID and other shortcuts when reports of mismatched driver identity crop up, so that riders mistakenly identified as someone other than who they claim to be can get back to driving more quickly.

Cases where a rider claimed that someone else grabbed their ride while they were charged will now be open to investigation by Uber, using “technology” as well as driver input to figure out what actually happened, too. And finally, when riders cancel their trip mid-ride, drivers can challenge being short-changed on fair, and get compensated for the full trip in cases where they continue on to finish the ride regardless.

Uber says this is just the start in terms of changes it’s making regarding its customer support practices, with more to follow over the next few weeks and months. All of this is part of an effort Uber’s head of U.S. and Canada,Rachel Holt said is designed to repair “frayed” relations with its driver community.