Due to a sharp decrease in customer trust and an increase in customer complaints, the quality of Uber service in South Africa has declined recently, raising concerns among consumers. Many commuters have turned to conventional forms of transport or have switched between e$-$hailing providers as a result of the decrease in service. The aim of this report is to identify and discuss five possible causes of customer churn, shedding light on the factors contributing to this trend.

Possible Causes of Customer Churn

Safety Concerns

According to Smith $(2020),$ safety is a major worry for commuters, particularly in light of the instances involving Uber drivers that have been publicised. These worries include data security as well as physical safety, as attacks and breaches involving personal data have been reported. When commuters feel that the e$-$hailing service they use lacks security, they put their health first and look for other options

Service Reliability

In the transportation services sector, dependability is essential. Commuters get irritated due to service schedule fluctuations, cancellations, and delays. When a service provider's dependability declines over time, commuters begin to lose faith in them and look into alternative possibilities for their transportation requirements $($Jones$,2019).$

Driver Behaviour

According to Brown $(2019),$ commuters' entire experience is greatly impacted by the actions of drivers. Incidents including impolite conduct, careless driving, or disregard for approved routes damage the reputation of the e$-$hailing service. When drivers fail to meet the standards of professionalism and respect that commuters expect, they get frustrated and look for other transportation options.

Price increases

Modifications to price policies, such as increases at busy times or bad weather, may put off buyers. Even though dynamic pricing is widely used in the sector, commuters get dissatisfied when rates rise abruptly or excessively. Price sensitivity is important for keeping customers, and price is a major factor in selecting transportation providers $($Gupta$,2019).$

Lack of Innovation

In the e$-$hailing sector, innovation is what makes businesses competitive. Consumers anticipate ongoing enhancements to the services they get, such as improved user interfaces, additional features, or integration with cutting$-$edge technology. When innovation is lacking, a service becomes stagnant and loses its attraction to consumers looking for quick, contemporary travel options $($Lee$,2021).$

However, even while each of these elements has a role in customer attrition, it's important to recognise that addressing each one alone may not be enough. To stop the tendency of customer attrition, a comprehensive strategy including technical innovations, driver training, safety regulations, service dependability, and pricing strategies must be implemented.

Conclusion

A number of variables, such as price rises, lack of innovation, driver behaviour, safety concerns, and service dependability, all have an impact on customer turnover in the South African e$-$hailing market. Acknowledging these obstacles is the first step in bringing back high$-$quality service and reestablishing client confidence. E$-$hailing businesses have the opportunity to improve commuters' overall experience and reclaim commuter trust by putting focused measures in place to solve these challenges.