Lowering Costs, Resignation of CEO, Might Bring Back Uber Customers, Survey Says

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By John Harrington Updated Published
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Lowering Costs, Resignation of CEO, Might Bring Back Uber Customers, Survey Says

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The resignation of Uber Technologies Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick may help bring back customers disillusioned by his leadership of the company. But the factor that might prompt a return of riders is if the ride-hailing service lowers its costs, according to a survey from Morning Consult, a media and technology company that provides research and data on trends in business and policy.

Morning Consult conducted a survey of 1,652 Uber users from June 15 to June 21 and asked them this question: Which of the following, if any, would most cause you to use Uber once again, or use it as often as you once did?

Thirty-five percent said lower prices, followed by 28% who said firing the current CEO and installing new leadership at Uber. Eighteen percent would return if data privacy for users was ensured. The bad news for Uber is 14% of former users would not return as customers at all.

The poll was taken as Kalanick announced this week that he would step down after pressure from investors.

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Even though San Francisco-based Uber has been hobbled by charges of sexual harassment, bullying of drivers and alleged misdeeds involving software theft, customers are mostly satisfied with the service. Customers were asked about satisfaction levels in seven categories, and the company scored no less than 73% approval in any category. Uber registered at least 80% approval in pickup times and reliability.

Uber’s setback is not necessarily a gain for its rivals. Of those users who said Uber’s troubling news made them less likely to use the app, only a quarter of them said they were more likely to seek out alternative ride-hailing services, such as Lyft or the taxi app Curb.

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Photo of John Harrington
About the Author John Harrington →

I'm a journalist who started my career as a sportswriter, covering professional, college, and high school sports. I pivoted into business news, working for the biggest newspapers in New Jersey, including The Record, Star-Ledger and Asbury Park Press. I was an editor at the weekly publication Crain’s New York Business and served on several editorial teams at Bloomberg News. I’ve been a part of 24/7 Wall St. since 2017, writing about politics, history, sports, health, the environment, finance, culture, breaking news, and current events. I'm a graduate of Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History.

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