Well put. I'm sure that, at the end of the day, many NYC Uber customers were happy to pay more for the certainty of knowing that they would get where they wanted to go in the days after the storm. Isn't that what Uber is about in the first place?<p>Nonetheless, our cultural norm in the US is strongly against "price gouging" during emergencies, which means, I suppose, that merchants should continue charging pre-disaster prices for gasoline, plywood, generators, and car service, and that the lucky customers who get there first get served, while the rest suffer.<p>The author's suggestions on ways to thread this particular needle are why even lean start-ups need a good marketing lead.
<i>"Uber probably didn't have a "what to do in a human tragedy" playbook and instead ran their normal operating procedures."</i><p>While this is true, it's surprising that they do not have a PR/customer service/support person that specifically keeps an eye out for incidents (or opportunities) like these. As much as their business is based on algorithms, it is run by humans, at least one of which who could have understood how the situation would <i>appear</i> to the average person.<p>Especially when you see pure-PR stunts Uber is pushing like this: <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/election-day-freebies-specials-191730893.html" rel="nofollow">http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/election-day-fre...</a><p><i>"Uber: On Election Day, this car-service company will be offering customers a free ride to or from a national polling place, up to $20.12. Any amount above $20.12 will be charged, and the offer is only available during the city's voting hours."</i><p>I can guarantee no matter how many kudos Uber gets for encouraging people to vote--
<i>"The average person just heard that Uber was charging New Yorkers more"</i> post-disaster.