Global cloud communication platform and provider of omnichannel engagement solutions, Infobip, has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) powered chatbot for Uber that enables customers to order rides via WhatsApp.

The launch comes after a pilot in Lucknow in December last year, where Uber received a significant proportion of ride requests from new users, demonstrating potential product market fit.

The chatbot has been built and deployed on the WhatsApp for Business platform using Infobip's chatbot building platform ‘Answers.’ The WhatsApp to Ride (WA2R) experience is now available for Uber riders across Delhi-NCR, which is one of Uber’s top cities globally by volume. 

According to Gartner, by 2025, 80 per cent of customer service organisations will have abandoned native mobile apps in favour of omnichannel messaging to deliver a better customer experience. Now more than ever, rather than trying to tempt users away from their favoured apps, business and brands are preparing to meet them where they are.

Silvio Kutić, chief executive officer of Infobip said, “Customers are increasingly moving away from an app-only approach. Instead, customers want to communicate with brands using their preferred method. So, businesses need to be where their customers are and provide an end-to-end customer journey within the channels their customers use.”

Uber’s Delhi-NCR customers simply have to message Uber's business account number or scan a barcode or click a link to open an Uber WhatsApp chat. The riders will get the same safety features and insurance protections as the app. 

Abhilekh Kumar, director, business development at Uber India South Asia, said, “We want to make it as easy as possible for our new sets of consumers to take an Uber trip, and to do that we need to meet them on platforms they are comfortable with. Our partnership with WhatsApp enables that, giving riders a new way to book a ride through a simple, familiar, and trusted channel. We are pleased to co-create the chatbot feature with Infobip for an altogether new customer experience while booking an Uber ride.”

With more than two billion users globally and some 400 million in India alone, WhatsApp is one of the world’s most popular messaging channels. So, Uber chose Infobip’s Answers platform to tap into its popularity and convenience.  

Ravi Garg, Director, WhatsApp Partnerships, India explained that the simplicity of ride-booking experience within the WhatsApp interface has helped Uber acquire new riders. “Uber and businesses across sectors are leveraging the WhatsApp Business Platform to build a variety of scaled custom solutions that help advance customer convenience and enable richer customer engagement,” he added.