Infobip has developed a new chatbot for Uber, empowering customers to order rides directly through WhatsApp for a more convenient booking experience.
Built using the Infobip chatbot building solution “Answers”, the WhatsApp to Ride bot is now available for all Uber users across Delhi-NCR, which is one of its most active cities.
The launch of this new initiative follows a December 2021 pilot in Lucknow. During the pilot, Uber received a huge number of ride requests from new users through the app, highlighting the value of the chatbot service.
Appealing to a New Generation of Customers
According to research from Gartner, around 80 percent of customer service organisations will abandon native mobile apps by 2025, opting for omnichannel messaging instead.
According to Silvio Kutić, CEO of Infobip, these findings highlight how today’s consumers are increasingly straying away from app-only solutions and looking for ways to connect with brands on their preferred tools.
“Businesses need to be where their customers are and provide an end-to-end customer journey within the channels their customers use,” he added.
“We’re delighted to have played a role in building this new WhatsApp chatbot solution for Uber and look forward to seeing its impact now and in the future as its rollout continues.”
Abhilekh Kumar, Business Development Director of Uber in India South Asia, also notes that the brand is focused on making it as simple as possible for new consumers to leverage the Uber service.
To achieve this, the company believes it needs to be active on the channels customers already use.
The partnership Uber already has with WhatsApp enables a more convenient customer service experience for riders, while the Infobip chatbot makes booking trips even simpler.
Commenting on the new chatbot creation, Ravi Garg, Director of WhatsApp partnerships in India, said: “The simplicity of ride-booking experience within the WhatsApp interface has helped Uber acquire new riders and we look forward to supporting them in their growth trajectory.
“Uber and businesses across sectors are leveraging the WhatsApp Business Platform to build a variety of scaled custom solutions that help advance customer convenience and enable richer customer engagement.
“We look forward to continuing building partnerships with businesses to help them unlock avenues of access to new audience cohorts who use WhatsApp extensively every day.”
A Convenient Customer Service Experience
WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging channels in the world, with two billion global users, and over 400 million customers in India alone.
Using Infobip’s Answers platform, Uber has tapped into the power of the simple WhatsApp messaging experience to make booking ridesharing journeys simpler and faster.
There are also multilingual capabilities available in Hindi and English to extend Uber’s reach.
To access the chatbot service, Uber’s customers must only message the company’s business account number, scan a barcode, or click a link.
Each booking includes the same safety and insurance features as the standard Uber app.
Furthermore, the new chatbot creation expands on an existing relationship between Uber and Infobip, who have collaborated on SMS solutions and other tools since 2014.
Outside of WhatsApp, Infobip’s chatbot solutions also support deployment across a range of other channels, including SMS, Viber, and Facebook Messenger, giving Uber additional opportunities for growth.
Elsewhere, Infobip also recently announced partnerships with Microsoft, Adobe, and HubSpot.
