Uber’s string of controversies have seriously hurt its reputation, survey says

pulse

May 20, 2017 1:27 AM

The public is well aware of Uber's stream of scandals, according to a new survey.

It hasn’t been the best year for Uber. And now it's got something else to worry about — its reputation.

Already this year, the new-age taxi service has faced lawsuits, the allegations of sexual harassment in the workplace, self-driving car mishaps, an executive exodus, and embarrassing leaked videos. That string of bad press has had a tangible effect on opinions about the company, according to a recent survey of ride-hailing customers by consulting firm cg42.

Some 57% of the survey's 1,500 respondents now have a negative or neutral impression of Uber, following all the negative news stories, as this chart from Statista shows. By contrast, some 69% of respondents said they had a positive opinion about Uber before all the bad press.

And that wasn't all. Some 81% of respondents were aware of the scandals, and 56% of those who’ve left Uber in recent months have done so explicitly because of the bad stories, cg42 reported.

Amid all the gloom and doom, there was some good news for Uber. Only 4% of respondents had actually switched from Uber to a rival service, according to the survey. People may not like Uber, but most aren't yet ready to quit it.

pulse