One factor rules consumer choice in ridesharing apps

This spring, we ran a Pollfish app consumer survey comparing both Uber and Lyft, two major companies in the current rideshare marketplace. We chose to target 1,000 US mobile users across the country and received full consumer survey results within 24 hours. Our goal was to understand consumer perception for both companies and to see what, if any, impact Uber’s recent scandals had on consumers who decided to ride with Lyft. After reviewing the data collected, our team was able to pick out key insights regarding what makes consumers choose one rideshare company over another. Read the findings below.  

When asked about consumers’ use of the Uber app, 21% of Lyft users surveyed admitted to not booking an Uber due to past scandals involving the company, and 17% of Lyft users claimed to have removed the Uber app from their mobile device altogether. The data collected also showed that 27% of Uber users viewed the Uber company as sexist. What our team found interesting was that 74% of those same Uber users who believed this company was sexist also said that previous scandals had no impact on their use of ridesharing apps. If a majority of these users, and even a majority of all users surveyed (68%), are not steered away from rideshare apps for those reasons, what are the real factors that drive consumers to choose one company over a competitor? As Michael concluded in his interview, the main influencer we found across all regions and demographics was the hunt for a cheap, single ride.

Although the data showed that 57% of all users surveyed who have both Lyft and Uber apps believe that Lyft cares more about its riders and drivers, 56% of people surveyed shared that consumers care most about obtaining a cheaper, single ride over other deciding factors. These factors included more skilled drivers, faster rides, and better customer service, among others. In viewing and analyzing these results, our team concluded that price is the driving factor (no pun intended) for consumers deciding which ridesharing app to use.

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