5 ways Uber has used gamification to rise above its competitors

Uber has taken person-to-person apps to the next level in just a few short months. The company has nearly made yellow cabs obsolete—in cities like New York where cabs were once ubiquitous.

Yet Uber isn’t finished yet. The company has been kicking the town car gamification business up to the next level and plans to keep doing so in the near future. Here are just a few examples of how Uber has risen above the competitors lately through gamification.

1. GPS Map

Uber’s map app makes it super easy for customers to gauge the wait for their cars. Uber riders can log on to the app and check out the locations of several drivers in their area before they even request a car. Once the car has been requested, the rider gets to follow along as the driver approaches. This allows the rider to feel safe in the fact that their car is X amount of minutes away. The rider can also decide whether or not to cancel the ride due to inactivity. If the driver is idling in one spot for too long, the rider can simply request another car. Features such as this can take the power from the driver and place it in the hands of the rider.

2. Automatic Home Heat Set

One of the more unusual gamification examples is the proposed ability to set the heat in your home from the Uber app. Thus ensuring that your house is at the optimum temperature by the time you jump out of your Uberx. The idea isn’t bad. It falls in line with Uber’s reputation of being an upscale service for people who can’t afford upscale services. Although most riders who care that much about the preheated temperature in their homes might just snag an app that already does just that.

3. Drive Playlist

One way Uber has considered creating more user connectivity and response is through a drive playlist. This would be a music playlist that is curated to the specific user. When the rider gets into an Uber car and sets their destination, a playlist—the exact time of their ride—would be curated for the rider. This would not only be a super creative way to keep customers interested, but it would also solve a problem. Who loves jumping into a taxi and listening to the driver’s obnoxious rap music? Who loves listening to the driver while he or she is on the phone?

4. Member Rewards Points

Uber riders have forever been hoping that Uber would start up a rewards programme. If Uber wants to take their cars to the next level, this would be the next logical step. The only obstacles between Uber and a regular city cab are rain, shift change and peak times. Most riders choose Uber because they don’t need to venture out in the rain until the last minute or because cabs aren’t readily available. A member rewards program would keep riders opening the Uber app—even if yellow cabs are lined up along the block.

5. Uber User Games

With new business comes the need for new drivers. Uber plans on keeping riders occupied during their trip while simultaneously finding new drivers. A new game launched in the San Francisco market asks riders to play a game that simulates an Uber ride from the driver’s perspective. The player needs to pick up passengers, avoid obstacles and safely deposit passenger to their destinations in a reasonable amount of time. Uber hopes the game will keep riders happy and vet new drivers in the process.