Watch a short video of Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi ferrying passengers around San Francisco and discovering how hard it is to be an Uber driver
Uber released a new app for drivers — along with a video of its CEO beta-testing it in San Francisco by taking actual passengers for a ride
By Kif Leswing
New Uber CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, has made it a top priority to give the company a friendlier image — with riders, sure, but also with the drivers that make it all work.
So at a launch event for its redesigned driver-facing app, Uber played a video in which Khosrowshahi took a spin in the driver’s seat, taking employees for a ride around San Francisco. Check it out:
Khosrowshahi admitted he doesn’t really drive in San Francisco, and some of the issues he ran into will be familiar to any Uber driver — missed turns, sub-optimal re-routes, and the classic question: “Should I just drop you off here?”
At an event in Los Angeles, Uber said these kind of beta tests were to help developers and management better understand and improve the daily driver experience.
“It was a lot tougher than I thought,” Khosrowshahi said to an audience of drivers. “Respect to you, for what you do everyday.”
Sure, the video is a bit of a stunt. But the video still underscores the newer, friendlier face that Khosrowshahi is trying to present at Uber. At the very least, it’s a lot less confrontational than the last famous video of a Uber CEO in a car.