UberEATS(ubereats.com)
ubereats.com
UberEATS
http://ubereats.com/
17 comments
I've heard it directly from the people that work at these large companies. The reality is Squarespace (and other platforms like it) offer a user experience that's perfect for the non-technical people who actually manage these websites, and the entire infrastructure is effectively outsourced for $20/mo, which is insane.
Exactly. Large tech companies hire people to build products, not spin up landing pages. If it's possible to outsource so marketing and launch teams can work independently, it's a good move.
On the other hand, small companies waste $$$ hiring people to spin up landing pages and build small widgets that could have been bought off the shelf (email forms, payment forms, payment integration are all plugins).
Even for engineers, it's good to be given explicit "permission" to use services like Squarespace rather than wasting time rolling your own crappy version of same. I have better things to do.
They need to rollout fast. Any kind of landing page can be successful. Once this is enough proof they can tinker an in-house one.
i think it has mainly to do with cross department allocation of resources
in many larger companies (not saying it's like this) cross department work just increases overhead unnecessary - compared to a project team that just throughs something together quickly
in many larger companies (not saying it's like this) cross department work just increases overhead unnecessary - compared to a project team that just throughs something together quickly
The "Don't see your city?" form is actually just Google Forms, too.
So it's interesting. These appear to be pre-made items (limited selection each day). As far as I can tell, it's only $3 per delivery, no matter how many items you order. And the listed prices look competitive, though I couldn't find a restaurant that had any of the Uber items on the actual menu. I'm assuming they are custom specials.
I've used and liked Favor, but once you add in a tip, and pay their percentage, it can get expensive quick ($5 per, plus 5% plus 20% or so for tip). So that can be $7.50 in delivery charges for a $10 sandwich. The upside is that anything can be ordered custom.
Does anyone know the logistics? For example, are the drivers stocked with inventory in their cars to avoid returning often to the restaurant? Do food delivery drivers ever also pick up passengers?
I've used and liked Favor, but once you add in a tip, and pay their percentage, it can get expensive quick ($5 per, plus 5% plus 20% or so for tip). So that can be $7.50 in delivery charges for a $10 sandwich. The upside is that anything can be ordered custom.
Does anyone know the logistics? For example, are the drivers stocked with inventory in their cars to avoid returning often to the restaurant? Do food delivery drivers ever also pick up passengers?
Ike's Menage-a-trois is $12.21 on menu, which is actually $1.21 more than Uber (although comes with chips, so that evens out).
As far as logistics, I would bet dollars to dimes there are drivers with a large stock of all/many of the items; having them return to a restaurant ad hoc for each order would make this financially unworkable. Sprig, Bento, and Rocketspoon all work this way -- drivers are simply given a next destination to go to and dish out in-car inventory.
As far as logistics, I would bet dollars to dimes there are drivers with a large stock of all/many of the items; having them return to a restaurant ad hoc for each order would make this financially unworkable. Sprig, Bento, and Rocketspoon all work this way -- drivers are simply given a next destination to go to and dish out in-car inventory.
It's a good interview question. Here's how I would answer it:
At scale there would be drivers dedicated to filling up at only one restaurant, and then delivering to multiple customers before refilling. The more popular restaurants would have a multiple drivers, leaving every N orders. Less popular restaurants would be grouped geographically to "share" one driver who would alternate food-pickup between the two restaurants on schedule.
At scale there would be drivers dedicated to filling up at only one restaurant, and then delivering to multiple customers before refilling. The more popular restaurants would have a multiple drivers, leaving every N orders. Less popular restaurants would be grouped geographically to "share" one driver who would alternate food-pickup between the two restaurants on schedule.
In NYC, all the uber eats "drivers" are either on bikes or on foot. They usually have a hot storage bag and a cold storage one, and they're stocked with all the items available for the daily menu. Pretty good experience, generally, though I've found the caviar fast bite experience to be generally better (it's exactly the same idea as Uber eats, they partner with many of the same restaurants, same delivery model).
The Austin menu is really strange. Gordoughs, our famous blow-your-gut Donut burger place has one item available and it's not even a burger. It's a tiny dessert item. I use Favor, Eat24, etc all the time. If the menu is this minimal I doubt I'll ever use uberEATS.
the difference is delivery times though -- uberEATS / caviar fastbite and friends deliver in < 10 minutes
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A bad day for Postmates, Munchery or Doordash. Uber really has a huge infrastructure and they could easily undercut them, push them out of the market, and then raise prices a-la Amazon Books.
Postmates seems to feature bicycles in a weirdly prominent way, as if that is the best way to deliver a meal. But then they offer delivery from places that are so far away that cycling would be impractical from a delivery standpoint. Anyway, this space seems to still be up for grabs, but then I don't live in a place like NYC where Seamless owns it.
From my own usage, Caviar Fastbite, Uber eats and Postmates have significantly reduced the amount of money I spend on seamless.
Seamless' extremely shitty launch of their website redesign (that still doesn't work properly) also didn't help.
Edit: I live and work in NYC
Seamless' extremely shitty launch of their website redesign (that still doesn't work properly) also didn't help.
Edit: I live and work in NYC
This was inevitable. I wonder what this means for a company like Instacart? Acquisition? Push them out?
Instacart delivers groceries that you buy through the app/web.
This is a service where couriers equipped with the dishes of the day ride around and deliver the pre-packed meals you order.
This is a service where couriers equipped with the dishes of the day ride around and deliver the pre-packed meals you order.
I would be more worried if I was Postmates, Munchery or Doordash. Instacart provides a substantial different service: raw grocery delivery instead of pre-made food.
Favor has been doing pretty well here in Boston, though I believe they use multi-modal transportation (bike, scooter, motorbike, or car).
I wonder whether that's enough to make them operationally superior vs. uberx drivers?
I wonder whether that's enough to make them operationally superior vs. uberx drivers?
I'm in Boston (well, Cambridge to be precise) and am not familiar with Favor. How does it differ from Grubhub, Foodler et al?
I don't understand the distinctions perfectly, but as far as I can tell, Favor is a service of people who will walk into a restaurant and order whatever you want.
Grubhub is, I think, more directly connected with the shop. I think they put the onus on the shop to do delivery. Favor is their own delivery service.
It all blends though- I think Caviar is basically Favor, and they're pretty close to TaskRabbit For Food Pickup...
Grubhub is, I think, more directly connected with the shop. I think they put the onus on the shop to do delivery. Favor is their own delivery service.
It all blends though- I think Caviar is basically Favor, and they're pretty close to TaskRabbit For Food Pickup...
We've had this in LA for quite some time. It works pretty well. I haven't had any problems with food that seemed too old since they're driving around with it already in the car.
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Uber Eats is great. You can get delivery food in 5-10 min instead of 30-45 min (at least in LA). Its usually faster than walking down the street to the closest lunch place.
How old is this? I've already seen job posting with Uber for people to work with UberEATS, so I figured it was around or privately around maybe?
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Actually makes total since. Really they should do all local deliveries.
Shout out to CrunchButton[0] who have been doing curated, location-based food delivery since 2012-ish.
[0]: https://crunchbutton.com/
[0]: https://crunchbutton.com/
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Oh good, more cars blocking traffic in SF with their hazards on for justification.
If Uber's delivery fleet is taking advantage of cars already on the road serving passengers, then this is a net reduction in traffic: food delivery is already a thing whether or not Uber provides it.
Meanwhile: apparently a lot of these orders are delivered by bike messengers.
Meanwhile: apparently a lot of these orders are delivered by bike messengers.
Please do not use this service. Uber is a very unethical company that does not treat their drivers (the ones doing all of the work) well.
I don't see how this is possibly true. Every single time I ride in an Uber or Uber X, I always ask the drivers how they like driving for Uber, and what their experience has been like, and every single one of them has responded positively (out of around 20 times I've asked).
If they don't like how they are treated, they can stop driving for Uber. It's not my moral responsibility to police Uber's business practices for the sake of their drivers.
If they don't like how they are treated, they can stop driving for Uber. It's not my moral responsibility to police Uber's business practices for the sake of their drivers.
This argument, that it's super easy to find any kind of work you want, is totally disconnected from the reality of these people's lives. Throughout history we've collectively decided that poor people can and should be protected from unfair labor practices. Just because plenty of children were willing to work doesn't mean we were wrong to keep them from doing so. It's our moral responsibility as a society to make sure that everyone within our society is treated fairly, especially in the United States since we fail so hard at providing the kind of safety nets that take care of the un- and under-employed.
You didn't respond to his core point, which is that in his experience (and mine), drivers are happy with Uber. Uber is better than what they had before.
It's an especially important point to make w/r/t/ food delivery, because delivery drivers for incumbent providers are absolutely not treated well. These are some of the workers we hear about in horror stories about people not being able to schedule child care because their work schedules change at the drop of a hat.
It's an especially important point to make w/r/t/ food delivery, because delivery drivers for incumbent providers are absolutely not treated well. These are some of the workers we hear about in horror stories about people not being able to schedule child care because their work schedules change at the drop of a hat.
Their core point was predicated on the assumption that I responded to, that being happy to have a certain job is incompatible with being mistreated. Some drivers are happy with Uber but that doesn't mean that Uber is treating them as well as it could or should. Furthermore, just because Uber might be the best solution to a given problem for someone right now doesn't mean that it's an ideal solution. It's great that some people's lives are better because they can work for Uber but they should still improve their practices.
Again, apply this same logic to child labor. "Our family is happy to be able to make ends meet, even if it means our child has to work instead of going to school. We can eat more often than we did before." That's a compelling argument for sending your kid to work, but it's also a compelling indictment of the society that is failing to take care of those people. Ban the kids from working and then figure out another way to solve the problem of their hunger.
As others have said, try asking Uber drivers if they would like benefits and better pay. I've talked to many many Uber drivers, too, and even though they are clearly not being enslaved many of them see problems with various aspects of the current Uber model.
Again, apply this same logic to child labor. "Our family is happy to be able to make ends meet, even if it means our child has to work instead of going to school. We can eat more often than we did before." That's a compelling argument for sending your kid to work, but it's also a compelling indictment of the society that is failing to take care of those people. Ban the kids from working and then figure out another way to solve the problem of their hunger.
As others have said, try asking Uber drivers if they would like benefits and better pay. I've talked to many many Uber drivers, too, and even though they are clearly not being enslaved many of them see problems with various aspects of the current Uber model.
I'm not sure why this is supposed to be a compelling argument. I can go down my IM buddy list through ~100 people who work in tech and all of them will say they'd like better benefits and pay too, despite being some of the best compensated employees in the world.
Also: let's retain fidelity to the original argument. It's not "some" Uber drivers who say they're happy. Every Uber driver I've ever talked to --- and I ask most of them --- says they're happier at Uber than at previous driving jobs. I think that's what the original commenter said as well.
If you look at my comment history, you'll find that I'm not exactly an Uber apologist (I think just take my word on that though). But I think they get a somewhat unfair ding on this particular issue.
Also: let's retain fidelity to the original argument. It's not "some" Uber drivers who say they're happy. Every Uber driver I've ever talked to --- and I ask most of them --- says they're happier at Uber than at previous driving jobs. I think that's what the original commenter said as well.
If you look at my comment history, you'll find that I'm not exactly an Uber apologist (I think just take my word on that though). But I think they get a somewhat unfair ding on this particular issue.
Clearly those people are well-clear of the minimum standards we generally apply to full-time workers. There's a reason we've collectively decided that companies can't just call their employees contractors and screw them over: we think that companies have certain responsibilities to the people they employ. It's a compelling argument not because people wish they had more benefits and pay but because the benefits and pay they have fall below generally accepted minimum standards.
I've talked to many Uber drivers who are in the middle of an endless shift because its the only way they can make enough money for everything to work out positively for them. I've talked to one Uber driver who had switched between black cars and black SUVs and UberX because the careful balance between the overhead of the cars and the amount he earns and gas prices etc. meant that he spent a year breaking even while driving full time. My experience is mostly in Chicago, in case that matters.
Being broke is worse than being underemployed, but working constantly because you aren't being compensated fairly is still a failure on the part of the employer.
It's great that rich people also wish they were richer but that's not really relevant. It's also great that you've talked to a bunch of Uber drivers wherever you live and travel to and that they've decided to represent themselves as happy, but that's not really scientific enough to end an argument or to carve out an exception to established laws on independent contractors.
As a sidenote, I appreciate that you aren't an Uber apologist, and didn't mean to imply that you were— I take your reasoning in good faith even if I disagree with you.
I've talked to many Uber drivers who are in the middle of an endless shift because its the only way they can make enough money for everything to work out positively for them. I've talked to one Uber driver who had switched between black cars and black SUVs and UberX because the careful balance between the overhead of the cars and the amount he earns and gas prices etc. meant that he spent a year breaking even while driving full time. My experience is mostly in Chicago, in case that matters.
Being broke is worse than being underemployed, but working constantly because you aren't being compensated fairly is still a failure on the part of the employer.
It's great that rich people also wish they were richer but that's not really relevant. It's also great that you've talked to a bunch of Uber drivers wherever you live and travel to and that they've decided to represent themselves as happy, but that's not really scientific enough to end an argument or to carve out an exception to established laws on independent contractors.
As a sidenote, I appreciate that you aren't an Uber apologist, and didn't mean to imply that you were— I take your reasoning in good faith even if I disagree with you.
It's not my moral responsibility to police Uber's business practices for the sake of their drivers.
Actually, it is! You're not a neutral party just because you didn't make the policy. You tacitly support their policies by choosing their service. You can tacitly disapprove by choosing another service. This is the basis of things like boycotts, which actually can and do have effects on company policies.
Think about Chick Fil-A or something like that. You can choose to support a company that has policies that are bad news or you can choose not to.
Actually, it is! You're not a neutral party just because you didn't make the policy. You tacitly support their policies by choosing their service. You can tacitly disapprove by choosing another service. This is the basis of things like boycotts, which actually can and do have effects on company policies.
Think about Chick Fil-A or something like that. You can choose to support a company that has policies that are bad news or you can choose not to.
think logically for a second.
do you think the drivers with a bad experience would stick around at Uber? or would they probably leave?
There's little to no obligation to stay an uber driver, you can literally quit without notice any day.
do you think the drivers with a bad experience would stick around at Uber? or would they probably leave?
There's little to no obligation to stay an uber driver, you can literally quit without notice any day.
I have never talked to an Uber driver who complained about Uber. It has never happened.
Even if Uber had a strictly enforced "no complaining about Uber" rule with a system in place to correlate people relaying complaints to the likely subset of drivers, you'd expect at least a few stories.
In fact: Uber drivers somewhat regularly break Uber's serious, overt rules. For instance: I've had drivers ask for money at the end of a ride (if you rate a trip zero stars, Uber will ping you to ask why, and if you tell them you got asked for money, they'll refund it). This has happened to me on three different occasions. So your logic requires us to believe that Uber drivers will flout the most important rule on the platform (all commerce goes through the Uber app), but assiduously adhere to an unstated rule about saying nice things about Uber.
The simplest explanation seems compelling in this case. Uber doesn't do an especially great job at taking care of drivers, but the package as a whole is much better for drivers than the cab and livery companies, and Uber drivers are pretty happy to have the new option.
Even if Uber had a strictly enforced "no complaining about Uber" rule with a system in place to correlate people relaying complaints to the likely subset of drivers, you'd expect at least a few stories.
In fact: Uber drivers somewhat regularly break Uber's serious, overt rules. For instance: I've had drivers ask for money at the end of a ride (if you rate a trip zero stars, Uber will ping you to ask why, and if you tell them you got asked for money, they'll refund it). This has happened to me on three different occasions. So your logic requires us to believe that Uber drivers will flout the most important rule on the platform (all commerce goes through the Uber app), but assiduously adhere to an unstated rule about saying nice things about Uber.
The simplest explanation seems compelling in this case. Uber doesn't do an especially great job at taking care of drivers, but the package as a whole is much better for drivers than the cab and livery companies, and Uber drivers are pretty happy to have the new option.
I think you missed it -- I'm not saying they get fired for complaining, I'm saying they simply stop working with Uber after they have a bad experience.
A driver who stopped working at Uber would have no opportunity to express their complaints to you.
Try talking to Lyft drivers or drivers on other platforms who used uber in the past.
A driver who stopped working at Uber would have no opportunity to express their complaints to you.
Try talking to Lyft drivers or drivers on other platforms who used uber in the past.
I understood your point, and I'm saying: after taking lots and lots of Uber rides, why wouldn't I have had one driver who was getting ready to leave the platform?
The only explanation I could come up with is that Uber does something to suppress those kinds of comments, and so I related why I thought that wasn't a satisfactory explanation.
The only explanation I could come up with is that Uber does something to suppress those kinds of comments, and so I related why I thought that wasn't a satisfactory explanation.
Maybe, they just stop working when they get crossed with Uber so you never get to meet anyone with a bad experience working for them?
Unless they need money to pay bills and have no other sources of income.
[edit] Also, try asking "how do you like being considered a contractor vs full time with health benefits" -- I've found that perfectly "happy" drivers will give you an earful about this.
[edit] Also, try asking "how do you like being considered a contractor vs full time with health benefits" -- I've found that perfectly "happy" drivers will give you an earful about this.
That doesn't change the fact that nobody is forcing them to be Uber drivers. It's an opportunity that's out there, and they can choose to participate or not.
The ones that have chosen to participate and be Uber drivers seem to be pretty happy about it (or at least the ones I've talked to).
A lot of the Uber drivers I've talked to are part time. For example, the other day, I talked to a grandmother who literally just liked driving around. Uber X gave her a way to pay off her car, doing what she loved. Whenever she got bored, she would just log off and head home. She had nothing bad to say about her job at all.
The ones that have chosen to participate and be Uber drivers seem to be pretty happy about it (or at least the ones I've talked to).
A lot of the Uber drivers I've talked to are part time. For example, the other day, I talked to a grandmother who literally just liked driving around. Uber X gave her a way to pay off her car, doing what she loved. Whenever she got bored, she would just log off and head home. She had nothing bad to say about her job at all.
maybe instead ask "how do you like being considered a contractor and setting your own hours vs full time with health benefits"?
That's a funny question since full time with benefits is clearly not an option in this business model. To ask if they would prefer living rich without working would be equally demagogic.
This has exactly been my experience while talking to drivers although most have been driving for less than 3 months. This has been quite different to what I see driver reviews [0] on the Glassdoor. The difference in reviews is quite stark when you compare the reviews between engineers/managers vs drivers.
[0] http://www.glassdoor.com/GD/Reviews/Uber-Reviews-E575263.htm...
[0] http://www.glassdoor.com/GD/Reviews/Uber-Reviews-E575263.htm...
It would behoove you to suggest a practical alternative, instead of just condemning their existence.
Curb has the universal app convenience of Uber but partners with licensed taxi companies instead.
Licensed taxi companies uniformly treat their employees like shit. I would be interested in hearing a story about someone who's talked to a driver who (a) did not own their medallion and (b) was happy with their job.
Like others on this thread, I talk to my drivers and ask how they like Uber, and, once I started doing that, also started asking cab drivers. Cab drivers for licensed companies are not happy.
Like others on this thread, I talk to my drivers and ask how they like Uber, and, once I started doing that, also started asking cab drivers. Cab drivers for licensed companies are not happy.
A practical alternative? Get your own food.
Food delivery startups are huge right now, I get like 4 ads a day for different ones in Seattle. If anything, Uber is late to this game.
Food delivery startups are huge right now, I get like 4 ads a day for different ones in Seattle. If anything, Uber is late to this game.
[ citation needed ]
It shows how good these kinds of tools are getting that even for an Uber the best way to build an MVP website is to use a tool like Squarespace vs. spin it up using their existing expertise (and, excitingly, the same tool is equally available to everyone).