How does Uber for Business work, and what to expect as an EA and PA booking ground transport for your execs and teams? PA Life asked Andrew Laughlan, Head of Enterprise, Uber for Business UK to enlighten us…
Can Uber for Business be booked throughout the UK?
Yes, Uber for Business can be used across the UK and is supporting 200,000 organisations globally. Uber is now active in 70 UK towns and cities, with over 100,000 drivers on the platform.
In these locations, users can either request a ride on-demand, reserve a trip in advance or even have a delegate arrange one for them. They can choose from a range of vehicle types, including spacious rides and more luxurious options.
How does Uber for Business service differ from Uber rides for consumers?
If you are familiar with Uber already, accessing Uber for Business is easy. All travellers need to do is swipe across to their business profile in the same Uber app.
By using Uber for Business, business travellers can access a whole host of extra benefits that make for a more enjoyable travel experience. These include a range of premium ride options, extended wait times, priority pick-ups and enhanced customer support.
Those tasked with managing travel, such as personal assistants, also gain more control, flexibility and visibility through the platform. They can request rides on behalf of others using the Delegate Booking feature. This feature allows them to track trips, contact the driver and get receipts for automated expensing.
What does riding Uber for Business look like compared to a chauffeur service?
There isnโt much difference between the two experiences, aside from the fact that you wonโt have the same driver for every journey.
Executives can still be picked up in luxury vehicles and have someone else book their ride for them. They can also reserve their trip in advance if they are travelling to an important business meeting or event, and will benefit from priority pick-ups if they are booking on-demand. For on-demand trips, Uber Business Exec has an average actual time of arrival between two to six minutes in greater London.
If theyโve been working overseas and are arriving back at Heathrow, Birmingham Airport or Manchester Airport, they can make sure there is a vehicle there waiting for them, with extended wait time in case of flight delays. Travellers can also access enhanced customer support in case they lose personal items or face any issues while on the move.
What benefits does Uber offer for corporate bookers booking transport for their teams?
Uber for Business makes it easy for corporate bookers to track and manage all employee travel through a single dashboard – saving them time and stress, as well as ensuring a seamless experience for individuals.
The platformโs automated expense feature saves travel bookers the time it would take to track down and manually input receipts from trips. This feature is integrated with leading expense providers such as SAP Concur and Expensify.
Bookers also gain greater visibility and control over spend, with real-time and monthly reports available through their company dashboard. They can use this information to set spend caps, if required, and easily identify where they can improve efficiencies.
More travel bookers are also being asked to report back on the environmental impact of transport choices. Through Uber for Business, individuals can monitor trips and access key data about each journey, such as total CO2 emissions.
Finally, the platform ensures that organisations can uphold their duty of care responsibilities, with its in-app safety features. These include end-to-end ride tracking and integration with risk management tools, such as the ISOS Travel Tracker, which enables them to quickly locate and communicate with employees in case of emergency.
Is there any support available for PAs and EAs booking transport?
Weโve developed a range of tools that are designed to give PAs and EAs greater control over transport arrangements via the Uber app, without needing to involve their executive every time.
They can use our Central dashboard to view the status of both upcoming and in-progress trips – and send trip details to an executiveโs mobile, even if they donโt have the Uber app.
Delegate profiles also grant Assistants permission to use their executiveโs Uber business profile to book premium vehicles, reserve trips and make mid-trip changes should plans change. They can even automate expensing and reduce the administrative burden this often puts on individuals and organisations.
To find out more about how Uber for Business can support you in planning transport for executives, or to arrange a demo, visit the website.
