TECHNOLOGY,
LIFESTYLE | February 6, 2019
 |
| (Image Source: Grab Philippines) |
Now
highly regarded as the premiere everyday mobile app in the Philippines, Grab has
been firm and keen in exerting efforts to improve its services and reassure its
goal of serving the daily essential needs of Filipinos. In fact, it has introduced
new services beyond transport - GrabFood, GrabExpress, GrabRewards and GrabPay
- while continuing to roll out various enhancements on the app that can make
rides safer, more seamless and more rewarding than usual.
Now,
Grab Philippines is kicking off the new year in the right direction with the
introduction of new features that are slated to improve the overall daily experience
of its users. What do these bring to the table ensuring more convenience and
accessibility compared to their usual itinerary using the service? Well, let's
take a look at these new features and see for yourself if this would suit well
to your usual Grab experience.
*
Cancel Anytime (before allocation) - This feature allows consumers to cancel
their booking attempt before the driver gets assigned.
*
Saved Places - Consumers can now save their preferred or most frequented places
for an easier and faster booking experience. It allows a quick selection of
frequently used addresses for pickup and drop off which makes up a better
personalization for pickup and drop off points.
*
Rewards Points For Travelers Who Were Cancelled On - Grab has taken into
consideration the feedback of both passengers and drivers on cancellation of
allocated bookings. Drivers who have cancelled their consumer booking will receive
30 GrabRewards points credited within 24 hours. These points can be used to
redeem GrabRewards which features an exciting array of loyalty items such as
food, services and discounts.
*
Change Destination - Consumers can now modify their drop off points while in
transit in case of incorrect location setting, last minute change of plans or
emergencies. They save valuable time and money as the feature takes out the
need to book for another ride and the hassle of negotiating with the driver.
Changing the destination will update the fate to account for the distance
already traveled by the driver and the new distance left to reach the modified
drop off point. This feature only works on GrabCar, GrabCar six-seater and
GrabCar premium services in Metro Manila, Pampanga, Cebu and Bacolod.
* Lost
and Found - A lost and found feature is now integrated into the app which helps
passengers contact the driver quickly after a completed booking. To recover an
item that is left in the car, simply find the recent record in the app's
booking history tab and tap the new call button to reach the driver which is
only valid four hours after the completed booking. Beyond the four-hour period,
passengers may reach and interact with the driver via the help center.
*
Passenger Timeout - This new feature is slated to temporarily ban passengers
from excessive cancellations in response to feedback from drivers on passengers
cancelling their booking after being allocated even if they are on their way to
the pick up point. Consumers will not be able to book a service for up to 23
hours upon reaching a maximum number of cancellations per service within a
certain period. Furthermore, the app will clearly convey the time for which a consumer
is banned and will eventually set the right expectations on when one can use
Grab's transport services again.
On the
other hand, Grab is also introducing new and interesting features for its
GrabExpress service which would definitely benefit microentrepreneurs and small
business owners making even the simplest deliveries faster, more convenient and
more efficient. These include a Multi-Stop Delivery Feature (MSD) which
essentially allows users to send deliveries to five different recipients and
locations using a single rider and Multiple Concurrent Bookings (MCB) allowing them
to send up to 10 parcels using different delivery partners at the same time. Meanwhile,
following its successful debut in Metro Manila last year, GrabFood was launched
in Cebu on the 17th of January and is set to become available to Grab users in
25 cities across different parts of the country.
With
these in mind, many Filipino consumers and commuters will be assured of Grab's
continuing commitment and striving efforts to serve most of their daily
essential needs in today's modern world - from transport to food service, to
parcel delivery and even towards online payments. Whatever you do, you can never
go wrong with Grab.
