Lately, traditional cabs have encountered nontraditional competition in the form of app-based ride companies. Companies like Uber, Hailo and Lyft have burst on the scene and gained incredible traction.
While I can’t discuss the quality or merit of any of the companies on a service level, I can analyze the quality of their mobile apps. Since (one) selling point of each of these companies is that you order up and pay for a ride via app, it’s vital that their apps be good. So, strictly from an app quality standpoint, which of these three companies is putting the biggest smile on users faces?
When it comes to apps, Hailo – arguably less known than Uber – does the best job. Hailo’s Android app has an impressive Applause Score of 87 while its iOS app also has an above average Applause Score of 74. The Android version of this app sports three attributes with scores in the 90s. Every attribute is above average with the exception of Privacy, which falls short by about four points. Working to make their app’s privacy policies a little more transparent could help push Hailo over the edge. On the iOS version, a little work on Content and a good look at Privacy will help Hailo bump up user’s opinion of the app – it seems users have problems with information on this version.
Lyft has an interesting mix of app attributes that really please users and attributes that are in desperate need of attention – meaning that while their apps aren’t bad, they are inconsistent in terms of overall quality. Lyft’s Android app has an Applause Score of 62 and users are very happy with the app’s Usability and Performance. What they’re not happy with at all, however, is the app’s Privacy and Security – big ticket items when you expect users to enter their credit card information and give drivers their home address. The iOS version of Lyft does better. Seven attributes are above average, giving this version a high Applause Score of 81. The low-scored attributes – again, Privacy and Security – are really holding this app back. If Lyft can address these two major painpoints, they’d have the best app of all three cab-alternatives.
For the affordable luxury offered by Uber (forget public cabs, we’re talking private cars, town cars and SUVs), the company’s app could use some attention. Uber’s iOS app has a good Applause Score of 75, with nine of out ten attributes surpassing user expectations. Privacy remains the lone issue this version of the app has. A disturbing number of one-star reviews related to a range of privacy issues means Uber should spend some time digging into this facet of their app. The company needs to spend even more time with its Android app. With an Applause Score of 63, this version doesn’t meet the mean in any of the ten attributes. The biggest issue is app stability, as users report that the app is unreliable, crashes and often has network issues.
These companies are mostly located in major cities, meaning they are facing changing network connections, a host of carriers and potential user congestion. On top of that, apps like these rely on geo-location and GPS features, making them even harder to test. If these companies want to take their apps to the next level, they need to pay attention to what their real users are saying and invest in some in-the-wild testing to work out the kinks they discover in the real world.
