Uber has just rolled out a new feature for its black-car service: Quiet Mode. Without having to say so or be passive-aggressively terse, this new option will let your driver know you'd like to ride in silence, thanks.
Along with Quiet Mode, Uber rolled out a series of new "Rider Preferences" that appear in the app when you've selected Uber Black or Uber Black SUV. As the company announced this week, "With these new features and more to come, we’re excited to ensure that our riders can arrive relaxed and refreshed, wherever they’re headed."
The other new options:
- Help with Luggage: you can let your driver know ahead of time that you need help with your bags.
- Temperature Control: communicate your optimal temperature before entering a vehicle.
- Extended Pickup Period: get a little extra time to get to the car when unexpected delays pop up — you'll be charged starting at the 5-minute mark, however they'll wait up to 15 minutes before canceling the ride.
The Uber Black services also now guarantee riders "premium phone support" with live agents when you need to make a complaint, as well as "consistent vehicle quality" across the service.
As TechCrunch reports, the "Quiet preferred" option comes alongside "Happy to chat" and "No preference."
Apparently Quiet Mode is something passengers have been asking for for a while, and Uber product manager Aydin Ghajar tells TechCrunch, "We’re looking to create more differentiation between the premium products and the regular products to encourage more [premium] trips."
The new features are now available in most major cities across the US — but if you hate all the small talk (or worse, drivers bitching about their nights), it looks like you're still stuck listening to it in UberX cars.
Related: Rideshare Vehicles Are Hotbeds For Germs, Moreso Than Taxis, Says Study
