Third-party taxi booking apps.
According to Wikipedia (the world's most trusted encyclopedia), the definition of 'Social Media' is:
Social media refers to interaction among people in which they create, share, and/or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks.
While most of us see social media as merely 'Facebook', 'Twitter' and 'Instagram', we forget that mobile applications and virtual online services are also forms of social media.
The rise of social media has facilitated the sharing of information and ideas, which also includes improvements being made to the service industry.
One example is a unique form of social interaction over virtual reality is the rise of third-party taxi booking apps. Traditionally, I would ring up the booking hotlines, should I need a cab. However, this proved to be unreliable, as lines were usually engaged during rainy seasons or peak periods.
I then switched to the text message service provided by two of the biggest operators we have here, ComfortDelgro and SMRT. This service was fairly reliable, but it was almost always, a trial-and-error attempt.
I was recently introduced to third-party taxi booking apps by a humble ComfortDelgro taxi driver. To my surprise, I was shown a couple of brochures and marketing material on two of the latest third-party booking apps that have hit the market: MoobiTaxi and Grab-Taxi.
Both third-party apps leverage on the location services function on the various smartphone platforms. Commuters are able to flag a cab based on their current location and look out for the amount of drivers nearby. Drivers are also able pinpoint the exact booking location and plan their journey beforehand.
As an added incentive, commuters are also able to introduce small little 'tips', to entice drivers to snatch their booking offer. Pretty ingenious idea, I would say.
Fortunately, even as a Windows Phone 8 user, I could download the latest third-party taxi booking apps on my phone.
MoobiTaxi allows you to pinpoint your exact location, based on your map provider.
Grab-Taxi features an elaborate user - interface. You are even able to pinpoint the locations of the drivers nearby.
The MoobiTaxi homepage features a set of instructions for both commuters and drivers alike. It positions itself as the one-stop taxi booking app in Singapore. It is available for iOS, Android and Windows Phone (yep, users like me) platforms.
I was also genuinely impressed by the other market alternative, GrabTaxi. The homepage features the reasons why the app is already successful in our neighbouring countries, such as Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines. The app is also available on the three biggest mobile operating platforms.
The two new third-party taxi booking apps are a much welcomed option for commuters, as it facilitates more efficient information-exchange. And of course, short waiting times.
The truth is, such location-orientated apps have already been around for quite some time. Mobile apps such as Groupon, Foursquare, Yulp, and 8DaysEat have already attracted users who are savvy with utilizing their location information to create better and interactive experiences.
New tech startups such as this one have also been leveraging on the ever-evolving location-based marketing landscape.
And no, we're not gonna call 65521111 during peak hours ever again.
junkout.