Uber's CEO Dara Khosrowshahi moonlighted as a driver last September to better understand why recruitment was an issue and told The Wall Street Journal he encountered many problems that discourage drivers, The Business Insider reports.

While gaining a taste for what it's like to work for Uber, Khosrowshahi was startled by the number of problems he encountered, The Business Insider said based on the Journal interview. Khosrowshahi discovered that riders were rude and discussed personal issues or confidential corporate information as if they were the only people in the car, which left him feeling slighted, The Business Insider said.

In addition, he came across a practice known as "tip-baiting," which is when customers attract a courier with a large tip when they place the order, and then reduce it after delivery. He also found that he was frequently subjected to impolite behavior, received no tips at times, had to deal with late-arriving customers and met requests to make stops at drive-thrus or convenience stores.

According to the article, the side job that Khosrowshahi was doing was part of a larger operation known as "Project Boomerang," which had the goal of getting more drivers back on the app. The findings spurred Uber to create a single sign-up for both trips and deliveries, to enable drivers to see drop-off locations prior to pickup and to award drivers bonuses amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars in total.

The experience of the CEO demonstrates how Uber has typically placed a greater emphasis on the rider experience; nevertheless, in order to keep its advantage over competitors like Lyft, the company also needs to win the "hearts and minds" of its drivers. Khosrowshahi was able to make adjustments to the app to better support drivers as a result of his direct experience with the challenges that are faced by drivers. The struggles that gig workers go through are brought to light by Khosrowshahi's experience, as drivers are frequently at the discretion of the clients they serve. 

The issue of tip-baiting is especially concerning because it involves deceiving couriers, many of whom rely on tips as their primary source of income. This practice has been reported by workers for other gig-economy organizations as well, indicating that Uber is not the only company dealing with in this behavior.

In spite of the obstacles, Khosrowshahi managed to retain a perfect rating of five stars for the approximately 100 rides and deliveries that he carried out all across the city. Nevertheless, he revealed that he went to bed nervous about keeping his flawless rating for the next day, which highlights the pressure that gig workers experience to offer outstanding service to customers. 

Some drivers have returned to the app as a precautionary measure against the unpredictability of the economic climate brought on by the pandemic; nevertheless, this has not had an effect on the demand from riders. The difficulties that gig workers encounter are expected to continue for the foreseeable future, and Uber is one business that wants to do more to support them. The fact that Khosrowshahi worked a second job demonstrates how vital it is to pay attention to the perspectives of gig workers and take action to alleviate the problems that they face.