Uber Industry History

The History of the Cab Industry

The original taxi was a horse-drawn carriage available for hire in Paris and London in the 1600s. These vehicles were initially run by innkeepers for visiting merchants and guests. Only a few people could afford this form of transportation. After the car was introduced in 1886, it took a while for the taxi-cab industry to catch up. The first gas-powered taxis were introduced in 1897. When looking for a cab it was generally accepted to hand signal in order to get the driver’s attention, and later on, in addition to hand signals, one could call if he had the cab company’s contact details. With the advancement of technology, the aforementioned methods of getting transport were beginning to become inconvenient for

It has grown significantly, and is now found in 58 countries including South Africa. As a result of having identified the need which consumers had, Uber has experienced continuous growth over the years, and now has its net worth at 60 billion US dollars. Uber developed an application that would be easy for consumers to use. It has created convenience in that consumers are now able to be picked up at their current locations. Uber continues to grow as a result of consumers who are generally satisfied and it can assess their satisfaction on a continuous basis through its rating system. As a result of consumers who are satisfied, positive word of mouth is spread. Although Uber has satisfied consumers, it has not stopped doing research. It continues to do research in an attempt to find better ways of providing services to consumers. This is done in order to create a positive attitude from consumers, and once it has been created to improve and maintain such attitudes.

Uber continues to grow as a result of how it has positioned itself. Positioning is “the development of a distinct image for the product or service in the mind of the consumer, an image that will differentiate the offering from competing ones…” Some things that stand out about Uber

Uber’s impact on the study of consumer behaviour

Uber has impacted on the study of consumer behaviour in the following ways:

• Due to the fact that South African consumers are brand conscious they seek needs that fully satisfy their needs.

• It has proven that a brand can appeal to South African consumers with just the right unique selling point and positioning.

• South African consumers are well informed, which means that they do their research before purchasing. Uber has shown this by the way their advertising a lot of information in their advertisement.

• E-commerce is becoming popular in the South African market, because consumers feel safe with purchasing things online, or using online services. This is how Uber entered into the cab market, by offering an online service of requesting a cab.

It is evident that ever since the establishment of Uber in the South African market, consumers have positively accepted the brand. According to Alon Lits, much of Uber’s success is a result of them being able to identify and satisfy consumers’ needs better and faster than competition. Uber has kept their standard of service quality without fail. Therefore, it is a growing trend and will continue to