Chat apps and ride-sharing: How many apps are enough?

Can you imagine your life without ride-sharing or food delivery apps? Probably not! Gone are the days of waving down a taxi on the street corner or waiting in long queues at transportation hubs.

Ride-hailing services have become an important part of our daily routine. From ordering food to booking rides, we rely on such applications to simplify our lives.

The market size for on-demand transportation apps is expected to reach 185 million dollars by 2026. This means, that there’s a high demand for ride-sharing services. And as the ride-hailing industry continues to evolve, so does the need for seamless, convenient, and efficient experiences.

Read on to learn more about ride-sharing apps and how integrating a chat app can simplify ride booking and enhance the entire ride-hailing journey.

Ride-sharing is an on-demand service app that connects people who need a ride with drivers who are ready to give them one.

Popular ride-sharing apps like Uber, Lyft, Bolt and others have made it easier for people to get around at an affordable price. Their ease of use offers a level of convenience that traditional taxis cannot match. In addition, they usually offer effective and seamless sign-up processes that maintain the highest levels of security.

But this is just the beginning. Experts predict that the growth of ridesharing apps will continue to skyrocket in the coming years, as more and more people opt for these services over car ownership.

Statista research shows us that the global ridesharing market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 22.3% from 2020 to 2027. The market is expected to reach $218.0 billion by 2025, up from $36.4 billion in 2017.

However, as the number of ride-sharing apps continues to increase, it begs the question: how many apps are enough? Many users are tired of downloading or using multiple apps on their smartphones. Therefore, rather than trying to tempt users away from their favored chat apps, businesses and brands must meet them where they are.

This is where the importance of a single chat app for the entire journey becomes evident.

Customer needs for seamless and efficient experiences are growing more by the day. In fact, By 2025, 80% of customer service organizations will have abandoned native mobile apps in favor of omnichannel messaging within a single app to deliver a superior customer experience.

Messaging channels such as SMS and chat apps like WhatsApp Business, Facebook Messenger, Kakao Business and Viber for Business have been widely embraced in the global market, making them ideal for transportation services.

Transitioning to chat apps or messaging platforms, ride-hailing businesses can:

For the ride-hailing industry, this means having access to not only transportation services but also other services that complement the overall ride-sharing journey.

Imagine a world where you can book a ride, order food for delivery, communicate with your driver, and even pay for your trip all within one app. No more switching between multiple applications, trying to remember login details, or struggling to find the right information.

Take ride-hailing company, Uber, for an example. Their goal was to reimagine the entire ride-hailing experience by making it seamless and enjoyable across the board. How? They used a conversational omnichannel communication approach by integrating a WhatsApp chatbot that allows riders and drivers to use real-time-messaging to enable seamless communication experiences.

Deploying a WhatsApp chatbot enabled the ride-hailing app to provide ride status updates, driver contact information, and fare details. This integration has improved transparency and communication across the entire journey.

Integrating WhatsApp as a chat app enhanced Uber’s customer experience by:

The move towards conversational everything is mirrored across many industries including ride-hailing. Ride-sharing apps can design end-to-end conversational customer journeys through chat apps to enhance the overall ride-sharing journey and boost loyalty.

By integrating chat functionality into a single app, riders and drivers can communicate effortlessly throughout the entire journey. With just a few taps on their smartphones, users can book a ride and track its arrival in real-time.

Need to let your driver know you’re running a few minutes late? Simply send them a message through the app. Want to ask for a specific drop-off location? Chat with your driver and provide them with the details. The possibilities are endless, and the convenience is unparalleled.

Infobip has worked with a number of global brands in the ride-hailing and transportation industry who have leveraged our chat apps, expertise, and infrastructure to help secure their services- and elevate their support. Click on each link to view the full customer story: