New Delhi: Uber has launched WhatsApp to Ride (WA2R) product feature through which riders across Delhi NCR will be able to book an Uber cab via its official WhatsApp "chatbot" one of India’s most popular chat apps.
According to the company statement, the Delhi NCR launch marks a superior and more intuitive product experience as well as multilingual capabilities in English and Hindi for enhanced user experience.
"Built on the WhatsApp Business Platform, the partnership will expand access to Uber’s mobility services to a new segment of consumers through integration in two languages" it said.
Talking about the expansion, Manikandan Thangarathnam, Sr. Director, Mobility and Platforms, Uber, said, “Encouraged by the positive response from our Lucknow pilot, we are excited to roll out the WhatsApp to Ride experience in Delhi NCR. Our team of engineers at the Bangalore Tech Center worked behind the scenes to build this product and the integration.
Welcoming this launch to Delhi NCR, Ravi Garg, Director, WhatsApp Partnerships, India said, “After a successful implementation of the 'WhatsApp to ride' experience in Lucknow, we are excited to expand WhatsApp’s partnership with Uber and launch this service for users in Delhi NCR.
"The simplicity of ride-booking experience within the WhatsApp interface has helped Uber acquire new riders and we look forward to supporting them in their growth trajectory" he added.
Earlier the platform was launched in Lucknow as a pilot based, in which the company revealed that the WA2R audience is younger than the average Uber App user with almost 50% of them being less than 25 years old.
Uber's official chatbot on WhatsApp is powered by Infobip, a global business solution provider to both Uber and WhatsApp.
WhatsApp users in Delhi NCR can book an Uber ride through three simple ways:
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Messaging to Uber’s business account number +917292000002
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Click this chat window : https://wa.me/917292000002?text=Hi%20Uber (Mobile phone only)
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Scan the QR code
They will then be asked to provide pickup and drop off locations, followed by upfront fare information and the driver’s expected time of arrival.
Riders get access to the same safety features and insurance protection as those who book trips via the Uber app directly.
They will be informed of the name of the driver and license plate of the driver on booking; be able to track the location of the driver en route to the pickup point and be able to speak to the driver anonymously using a masked number.
The WhatsApp chat flow will inform the rider about safety guidelines, including how to reach Uber in case of emergencies (type help on-trip).
If the user selects the "emergency" option while on the trip, they will receive an inbound call from Uber’s customer support team.
The service is available to both new and existing users who registered with only a phone number on Uber. But Future product iterations of WA2R will allow existing users of the Uber app to also book trips through WhatsApp. (Inputs from UNI)
