[Review] We put Grab’s new Advance Booking service to the test

Think about having all of your plans laid out for a giant day at work: your bag packed, your outfit picked out, your morning experience booked, considering nothing may go flawed. 

Little do you know that you simply had been in for a impolite awakening when the Seize experience you booked was nowhere close to your house to choose you up in the morning. That was, sadly, the case for this Seize consumer in 2023. 

In a write-up to the Straits Occasions On-line Cell Print (STOMP), the consumer shared that he had made a sophisticated reserving by way of Seize to arrive punctually for a piece operation he couldn’t afford to be tardy for. To his horror, the driver was nonetheless greater than quarter-hour away from his residence, saying he could be eight minutes late. 

“I paid the extra money as I COULD NOT BE LATE,” the consumer emphasised. If we could possibly be utterly sincere, the consumer’s ire doesn’t come with out motive: there will probably be situations the place you can’t efficiently e book a experience on the spot, so that you fork out the more money on the promise that the driver would arrive on time.

Sadly, this wasn’t the case for the consumer, which resulted in a less-than-ideal expertise with Seize’s superior reserving service final yr.

When Vulcan Publish learnt that Seize had not too long ago revamped its superior reserving service after taking their customers’ suggestions into consideration, we determined to put it to the test. 

On this article, we’ll take a look at the following three metrics: 

Ease of use 
The value distinction (Superior Booking Beta vs JustGrab) 
Most significantly, whether or not the driver arrives on time as promised 

Testing the revamped Advance Booking Beta

For this specific test, we chosen 5 totally different pick-up and drop-off areas throughout Singapore based mostly on totally different essential occasions {that a} commuter might need inside the day (gleaned from our group’s private insights and experiences) and booked rides to these locations at totally different instances. 

The next 5 eventualities will probably be coated: 

Early morning assembly together with your groups 
Lunch assembly with a shopper 
Medical appointment at Singapore Normal Hospital (Outram Polyclinic) 
Shock birthday occasion for household 
Catching a red-eye flight

(Disclaimer: Testing was finished throughout two weeks, and fares proven exclude any prevailing promo codes/reductions. Driver particulars have additionally been omitted to shield their privateness.)

How does it work?

Seize’s revamped advance reserving service permits customers to e book a experience from seven days upfront up to two hours earlier than their pick-up time, in addition to an prolonged wait time—drivers will wait up to quarter-hour from the scheduled pick-up time, as in contrast to three minutes for different Seize rides.

Booking cancellations are free if passengers cancel greater than an hour earlier than their pickup time. In any other case, customers could have to pay the full fare given throughout reserving.  

Prior to the experience, passengers will obtain well timed in-app updates that guarantee them that their driver will probably be prepared to choose them up at their scheduled pickup time or earlier. If the driver cancels, passengers will probably be given a voucher for his or her inconvenience. 

8.30AM: Early morning assembly with our groups 

Bedok > Grantral Mall

The morning began with an essential group assembly: my group had an enormous mission submission and we would have liked to coordinate with our abroad groups to make sure that all our targets had been aligned.

Booking was made for: 8.30AM

The driving force reached at: 8.20AM, 10 minutes earlier

Worth distinction: S$8 greater than the on-demand reserving charge

12.30PM: Lunch assembly with a shopper

Grantral Mall > Guoco Towers

Subsequent, I met with a possible shopper consultant, hoping to rating a collaboration with their firm. Being late wouldn’t make a very good impression, which may compromise my probabilities.

Booking was made for: 12.30PM

The driving force reached at: 12.15PM, quarter-hour earlier

Worth distinction: S$13.20 greater than the on-demand reserving charge

3PM: Medical appointment at Singapore Normal Hospital (SGH)

Grantral Mall > Outram Polyclinic (SGH)

That very same day, I had a medical appointment that I couldn’t miss, so I booked a experience upfront.

Booking was made for: 3PM

The driving force reached at: 2.46PM, 14 minutes earlier

Worth distinction: S$8.60 greater than the on-demand reserving charge

6.15PM: Shock birthday occasion

Grantral Mall > Suntec Metropolis Conference Centre  

It was my grandmother’s birthday, and my household deliberate a shock for her. I had to attain Suntec early to put together and couldn’t afford to be late.

Booking was made for: 6.15PM

The driving force reached at: 6.11PM, 4 minutes earlier

Worth distinction: S$1.60 greater than the on-demand reserving charge

3AM: Catch a red-eye flight

Bedok > Changi Airport

As public transport is just not available right now, my solely selections had been hailing a taxi or reserving a experience. I made a decision to put Seize’s Advance Booking to the test at this hour. 

Booking was made for: 3AM

The driving force reached at: 2.46AM, 14 minutes earlier

Worth distinction: S$16 greater than the on-demand reserving charge

Our Verdict

From this test, we are able to acknowledge that the Advance Booking Beta service has improved from its first iteration, providing a smoother and fuss-free consumer expertise.

The reserving course of was clean, with the easy interface making it simpler to navigate. Notifications and updates had been additionally delivered in a well timed method, which might present customers with peace of thoughts. 

Throughout all 5 rides, all drivers arrived forward of the scheduled pickup time, irrespective of the time or premise. In a single occasion, a driver additionally took the initiative to inform me after they arrived at the designated pick-up level earlier and was keen to look ahead to my arrival at the scheduled time. 

This characteristic is an funding price contemplating in case you are searching for a dependable experience that arrives on time for an important day or occasion or should you require the driver to wait on you. 

That being stated, there will probably be situations the place you may get a fare related to these for on-demand rides, equivalent to throughout peak hours, or you may get fares which might be twice dearer (see our 3AM experience to the airport—however lacking my flight could be a nightmare, so it was reassuring to get a experience on time). 

In case you are not eager on paying probably greater fares, you all the time have the possibility to e book a experience on demand. 

By the method, Seize is at the moment providing a 20 per cent low cost voucher off up to three Advance Booking rides per consumer—which is auto-applied—to enable you to avoid wasting {dollars} in your subsequent few bookings.

Learn different articles we’ve written about Singaporean startups right here.

Characteristic Picture Credit score: Vulcan Publish