Careem Customer Playbook – 11 things you absolutely need to know

Technology has leapt in recent years, and we now have access to things that were once unimaginable. Imagine with a click of a button, you can order a meal, book a cab, and get groceries delivered all while sitting comfortably at home. The features that once seemed impossible are now a part of our everyday routine.  

One such application, which recently acquired the status of a Super App, is Careem, which lets you have all the features under one single unified application. Over the years, it has added several new features and updates in its system to not just make the application more user-friendly for the masses but also to enhance the overall customer experience, and simultaneously work towards further improving the safety of its passengers. 

If you happen to be a regular Careem user, here’s a list of things you should definitely know

• Careem is now a Super App 

This one is no surprise. Careem entered Pakistan back in 2016 as a ride-hailing service and has now expanded into the everyday Super App. This means they now offer multiple services (food delivery, order-anything, mobile top-ups, peer-to-peer credit transfer, transport) in one single unified application. This is commonly known as a one-stop solution for customers.

• Peak factor 

If you have ever booked a ride on Careem, you must have already heard about the peak factor. A feature that customers are not a fan of, but witness often. But have you ever wondered what the peak factor means and why does that apply to your ride?

Well, it goes back to the basic supply and demand rule. If the supply is short and demand is high, the prices will automatically increase to balance it out. The additional amount works as compensation to the Captains to work under unfavourable conditions, such as rain, rush hour, traffic jams.  In such cases, customers are charged a small additional fee which can be given to the Captain as a bonus to accept the ride. 

• Upfront pricing – know the estimated ride cost

One of the key features introduced last year was the upfront pricing model. It enables the customers to check the total cost of the ride simply by adding the drop-off location, thereby making the process simpler for customers to choose between multiple car types available on the app, and make a decision based on their budget.

With that being said, the application alerts the customers that the price can vary in cases if customers change the route midway or add a different pick-up/drop-off location, or if the ride takes an unusually long time (due to heavy traffic, roadblocks, toll charges). In such circumstances, the fare will be adjusted accordingly and will reflect the actual distance travelled or time taken to complete the ride. 

You will also receive the receipt of the ride in-app and email,  with an extensive breakdown starting from the waiting charges to the cost of the entire journey.

• Cash collection policy

As of now, after the ride ends, gold customers can pay up to PKR 400 and non-gold customers up to PKR 100 extra cash that can be deposited into their Careem Pay wallets, to be used in future in any of the available services within the app. 

Captains do not have an option to exceed the top-up limit and hence, you should ALWAYS get your change back before exiting the ride. Here is all about becoming a Gold customer. 

• Captain’s rating 

At the end of every ride, customers get to rate the Captain. That rating translates into Captains’ performance and ultimately impacts their earning. It is common etiquette to rate the Captain, but always remember that the rating is solely for Captain-related factors, including behaviour, driving technique, personal hygiene and cleanliness of the vehicle and not pricing related factors. That being said, one should avoid being biased or dishonest while rating the Captain. The rating system consists of 5 stars, for a job well done, you can give a perfect rating or adjust it according to the customer experience.

• Customer penalties 

There are a few things that you need to keep in mind before booking a ride to avoid getting penalised:

• Customer Ride Cancellation: If you choose to cancel the ride, you have up to 2 minutes to do it without getting any penalties. After this time, your account will be charged with a certain amount (depending on the car type) and will either give you a negative balance (to be paid on the next ride) or will be adjusted from your Careem Pay wallet.  
• Captain Cancellation after waiting: The Captain is entitled to cancel the ride and leave after waiting for 10 minutes at the pickup location, and in this case, the customer will be charged a cancellation fee. So if you’re ever taking longer than expected, do inform your Captain and request him to wait for you.

• The pre-auth policy

This is a must-know policy for Customers who prefer to pay digitally through their credit or debit cards. Careem introduced the upfront pricing feature which helps determine the cost of the ride based on several factors like pick-up and drop off locations, peak hours and car type. So whenever the Customer chooses to pay via debit or credit card, the estimated fare goes on hold as soon as the ride is booked.  

But in some cases, the actual fare can differ from the one that was predicted at the start of the ride due to several factors such as heavy traffic, roadblocks, toll charges or if the Customer changes the pick-up or drop off location. In such cases, if the total fare exceeds the initial cost, the difference will be charged immediately but if the amount is less than what was initially charged, the extra amount will be transferred back to the account. The time usually varies from 1 – 3 weeks depending on your respective bank’s policy. 

• Adding a stop to your ride

Who doesn’t like making multiple stops while going back home? Now you can add multiple stops to your booking. Currently, this option is only available for all the rides booked via our website (www.careem.com) – You can also use this feature by calling on the helpline or sending live chat and requesting the Careem care agent to add another stop in your booking.

• Private rides

In recent times, a common complaint of Captains asking customers to cancel the ride on the Careem application and offer to take them privately has surfaced. This is NOT recommended and advised against as this could prove to be dangerous. Once you cancel the ride, all safety features (ride-tracking, safety button etc) provided by Careem are deactivated, making you vulnerable in case of any emergency. 

Always say no to private rides and play your part by reporting this on the Careem helpline!

• Things to check before and after the ride 

Finally, here’s the list of things you should check before taking the ride and after the ride ends. 

Before getting into the vehicle:

1. Always double-check the pick-up/drop-off locations. Make sure you have entered them correctly so that you have an idea as to how much the ride is going to cost and that the Captain can find you easily. 
2. Check car and Captain details. As soon as your ride is assigned, you get a notification with the vehicle’s model number, registration number and your Captain’s name and image. Always check if these details match the ones on the app. If yes, go ahead. If not, cancel the ride and report to the Careem representative. 
3. In case every detail is matched but the Captain is different, cancel the ride immediately and report to the Careem representative.
4. Before starting the ride, ask the Captain to double-check the customer’s name and the drop-off location with the one displayed on the app. This additional step will help verify if the customer is sitting in the correct car. 

After the ride ends

1. Check your receipt: After your ride ends, you will receive a notification on your phone with the total amount that is to be paid to the Captain. 
2. Payment options: If the payment is by card, the amount will automatically be deducted from your account. If it’s cash, make sure to collect the change or ask the Captain to top-up the wallet. Gold Customers can top-up up to PKR 400 and non-gold Customers can top-up up to PKR 100.
3. Rate your Captain: After you exit the ride, make sure to rate the Captain based on your experience.  

• Safety at Careem

Over the years, Careem has taken several measures to ensure the safety of its Customers and continues to do so. From call-masking features to in-ride insurance, here’s everything you need to know about the safety measures.

1. Safety button – This allows you to access all of Careem’s safety features and enables you to call the law enforcement authorities (LEAs) in case of an emergency.
   

1. In-ride insurance – All customers and Captains are covered under the life and injury policy for any accident that may occur during the ride. 
2. Ride tracking – Another feature that stands out in the app is the ride tracking feature that tracks your live location and allows you to share it with your loved ones.
   
   

1. Facial recognition – A tool that incorporates an additional layer of safety by detecting and identifying imposter captains and subsequently taking actions accordingly.
2. Call masking – To safeguard your privacy, you can also contact Captains anonymously with the call masking feature prior to the ride.
   
   

1. 24/7 hotline – Above anything else, Careem has a dedicated Customer Care centre with 250+ agents aimed at working to assist you. Moreover, there is also a dedicated Safety Care facility available 24/7 ready to take on queries and assist you. Complete details on contacting the Care agents can be found here. 

In addition to these safety features, all Careem Captains undergo a thorough screening process and receive multiple pieces of training including; road safety, gender sensitization and civic sense to provide customers with the highest quality of service. More details regarding Customers and Captains safety can be found here. 

You can thank us later! Happy Careeming!