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With the expansion of Uber worldwide, flaws within its operating mode have come to light, especially regarding passenger safety. Improper background and safety checks gave way to thousands of cases of harassment, abuse and violence.
Uber has promised to boost passenger safety, first and foremost by performing regular and more thorough checks on the drivers it employs. They also promised to cooperate with authorities and report complaints from the riders, which they started monitoring through their 2017 Special Investigation Unit (SIU).
According to The Washington Post, they’re failing in all these areas. Lillie Flores, who worked as a SIU agent and trainer in Phoenix, Arizona, and countless other current and ex-agents, together with victims’ attorneys, tell the publication that, even when there are formal complaints against drivers of a more serious nature, Uber will always put its interests first.
Agents analyzing the complaints are trained to put the company first and the victims second, and will even go as far as to advice the victims not to pursue legal action or to file a police report.
Victims reporting drivers for anything from verbal harassment to improper conduct and even rape are ignored, the Post writes. Uber doesn’t relay the information to the police, other ride sharing services or background check firms. In many cases, they don’t even sanction the driver, as they operate on a 3-strike rule. Even in those cases, when a driver has had 3 complaints lodged against them, they may be allowed back on the road, Flores says.
“Investigators are there first to protect Uber, and then next to protect the customer. Our job is to keep the tone of our conversations with customers and drivers so that Uber is not held liable,” Flores explains.
In a statement to Digital Trends, an Uber spokesperson denies the allegations, saying they’ve been adding more specialized personnel to the SIU team, including counselors, investigators and law enforcement members.
“Characterizing this team as anything but providing support to people after a difficult experience is just wrong,” the spokesperson says. "[They] provide specialized customer support to riders and drivers dealing with very serious real-life situations. Employees on this team receive more targeted training based on years of guidance from experts in the field, and we believe provide a better experience to customers in their time of need.”
According to The Washington Post, they’re failing in all these areas. Lillie Flores, who worked as a SIU agent and trainer in Phoenix, Arizona, and countless other current and ex-agents, together with victims’ attorneys, tell the publication that, even when there are formal complaints against drivers of a more serious nature, Uber will always put its interests first.
Agents analyzing the complaints are trained to put the company first and the victims second, and will even go as far as to advice the victims not to pursue legal action or to file a police report.
Victims reporting drivers for anything from verbal harassment to improper conduct and even rape are ignored, the Post writes. Uber doesn’t relay the information to the police, other ride sharing services or background check firms. In many cases, they don’t even sanction the driver, as they operate on a 3-strike rule. Even in those cases, when a driver has had 3 complaints lodged against them, they may be allowed back on the road, Flores says.
“Investigators are there first to protect Uber, and then next to protect the customer. Our job is to keep the tone of our conversations with customers and drivers so that Uber is not held liable,” Flores explains.
In a statement to Digital Trends, an Uber spokesperson denies the allegations, saying they’ve been adding more specialized personnel to the SIU team, including counselors, investigators and law enforcement members.
“Characterizing this team as anything but providing support to people after a difficult experience is just wrong,” the spokesperson says. "[They] provide specialized customer support to riders and drivers dealing with very serious real-life situations. Employees on this team receive more targeted training based on years of guidance from experts in the field, and we believe provide a better experience to customers in their time of need.”
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