Many consumers still aren’t aware of the taxi disruptors Uber and Lyft and even fewer have trialed the services. But among those who have, the vast majority are satisfied customers.
Since YouGov BrandIndex began tracking Uber and Lyft in mid-December 2014, about 50% of all consumers have heard of Uber, while less than 15% have heard of Lyft.
Among the relatively small percentage of Americans who have taken a ride with either brand, the vast majority say they are satisfied. Satisfied customers outnumber dissatisfied customers for Uber by a 5:1 ratio. For Lyft, the numbers are much better, with satisfied customers outnumbering dissatisfied customers by a margin of 25:1.
As transportation comparison, YouGov BrandIndex looked at the domestic airline sector. Carriers have been attracting a fair amount of scrutiny in the media, citing additional fees, scaled back frequent flyer programs and high fare prices even in the face of a plunge in fuel costs. While the carriers still generate more positive customer reviews than negative, that ratio is about 3.5 to 1, behind Uber and far behind Lyft.
To measure satisfaction, YouGov BrandIndex asks respondents who are current and former customers of each brand: “Are you a satisfied or dissatisfied customer?”
Even with very high customer satisfaction ratings, Uber, Lyft and the domestic airline sector are all close to each other at the lower end of the positive feedback scale when it comes to overall consumer perception. YouGov BrandIndex Buzz scores can range from -100 to +100 with a zero score equaling a neutral position. Uber is currently at -2, Lyft at 1 and the domestic airline sector average just a few points ahead at 4. Buzz score asks respondents: "If you've heard anything about the brand in the last two weeks, through advertising, news or word of mouth, was it positive or negative?"
Awareness: Uber, Lyft, Domestic US Airlines
Buzz: Uber, Lyft, Domestic US Airlines
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