The enforcement of physical distancing and confinement measures has pushed many activities previously undertaken offline to the online realm. With people preferring to stay home during the pandemic days, a segment that has been affected by the countrywide reduction in commute is the drivers of ride-hailing services.
This point was brought home during an online demo given by Uber Pakistan’s General Manager, Saad Pall, on the launch of Uber Connect, a delivery service introduced by the ride-hailing company, through which customers can send and receive items.
While lesser people are traveling to their family and friends, there is an increased demand for courier services. There are people who want to send food packages to their loved ones who might be suffering from the virus, or others who want to get groceries or medicines delivered to their ailing parents without risking them unnecessary exposure. As such, Uber Connect offers consumers a safe and fast way of sending and receiving items within a very affordable price range.
But what it also does is that it offers new earning opportunities to drivers who lost customers who were traveling to work every day pre-COVID. Those who have been impacted by the decreasing demand for rides can now get a chance to earn some extra cash with this delivery service, while also encouraging safety and ample social distancing. The same-day, no-contact nature of the delivery makes it a very convenient option in view of the changing trends caused by the pandemic.
here’s how Uber Connect works
On the Uber app, you can use the Connect option to either deliver a package to someone else or buy groceries from a store and get them delivered to your doorstep. For the first option, you follow the following steps:
- On the Uber app, select the option that says Package.
- Choose to send or receive a package.
- Enter the contact information of the recipient to whom you wish to send the package.
- Enter the recipient’s address or location to drop off the package.
- Choose Connect and track the delivery till it is dropped off.
In case you would like to get groceries or medicines to be picked up and dropped off at your location, this is what you can do:
- On the Uber app, add the store as a pickup point.
- Add the drop off location.
- Choose ‘Connect’ to request the delivery to your doorstep.
- The driver will reach the designated store and pick up your order and deliver it to your drop off location.
- The sender will then pay the driver for the purchased items in cash, and the trip fare in either cash or via a credit card.
All the customers need to be mindful of is to ensure that the package is delivered if not heavier than 15 kgs, and is not of a monetary value of more than Rs. 3,000.
While the pandemic doesn’t seem to be coming to an end, even in the upcoming New Year, its impact on businesses and people continues to be largely prominent. Here’s to hoping new services like Uber Connect are a positive step towards business adaptability in the new normal, under dynamic consumer trends.