Uber Drivers Are Worried This New Spotify Deal Is Going To Ruin Their Ratings
According to The New York Times' Mike Issac, Uber and Spotify's partnership will give Uber customers the ability to listen to their favorite Spotify playlists during their ride. We don't know the exact details yet, but screenshots obtained by TechCrunch suggest that customers will be able to stream Spotify from within Uber's app.
The problem is, in order to play the music through the car's speakers, Uber drivers will reportedly plug their work phones into their car's speakers using an auxillary port, which only exists in more modern cars.
Uber drivers have already taken to UberPeople.net, a forum for Uber drivers, to complain about this new feature, worried about receiving one-star reviews from customers if anything goes wrong.
Basically, Uber drivers are concerned the partnership will raise customers' expectations of what an Uber trip should be. Instead of a simple taxi ride, customers could come to expect Uber drivers to play DJ, and since not all cars are equipped with modern technology for this to work, drivers are concerned that this will result in unfair one-star reviews.
"I feel this, and many actions prior to this, conveys what Uber's priorities are," one Uber driver in Atlanta wrote in the forum, accusing Uber of ignoring pressing issues like wear and tear on their cars, low pay, saturated markets, and low ratings from disrespectful customers.
Of course, Uber drivers will have to wait until Spotify and Uber reveal exactly how the partnership will work before we'll know if their concerns are based on real issues, but it sure sounds like drivers would prefer you to just listen to your music through your headphones.