To say that Uber has had a rough 2017 would be the understatement of the year, and we’re only halfway through the calendar. From the departure of its embattled CEO to sexist comments from its board members, the transportation giant, once a Silicon Valley darling, is now the black sheep of the tech industry — a cautionary tale on what not to do.
So in an effort to improve its image, Uber sent out an email to its New York City customers — only not all of them got the apology.
The email, which was sent Friday to a number of NYC passengers, noted that it “failed to prioritize” some of its key stakeholders. “In expanding so quickly, we failed to prioritize the people that helped get us here,” the email read, according to Business Insider. “Ultimately, the measure of our success is the satisfaction of our riders, drivers, and employees — and we realize that we have fallen short.”
Apparently, the message was sent to users in “several of [Uber’s] markets who hadn’t taken rides recently,” according to Business Insider’s source. But it’s unclear as to what “recently” entailed, as this writer received no such email despite a lengthy lapse in Uber patronage.
It’s unclear how meaningful the email will ultimately prove, as it seems that in many cases the damage is already done. A #DeleteUber movement earlier this year saw the company lose more than 200,000 customers, and Uber’s track record since then has been one public relations nightmare after another.
But apparently, Uber is getting ready to change. The company’s board asked former United States Attorney General Eric Holder and experts from the law firm Covington & Burling to conduct a thorough investigation of the company’s culture, and you can check out the results here.
“Today, we are ready to embrace radical change,” Uber said in its email. “Uber’s board has unanimously accepted all 47 recommendations from the Covington Report and has begun to put them and others into action.” The company is promising to increase accountability, change leadership, focus on collaboration and empathy, and empower diverse perspectives.
“The past several months have compelled us to redefine who we are and who we want to be as a company,” Uber concluded. “There is still more work to be done, but we are confident that we are taking the first steps to becoming the company you deserve.”
