Undercover boss: Grab CEO becomes PHV driver for a day

Grab's co-founder and CEO, Anthony Tan, went undercover as a private-hire driver and shared his experience in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday (Sept 25).

By going on the ground, he aims to test the Grab driver app, get direct feedback from passengers and find areas of improvement that are potentially missed by teams not involved with ground operations.

Tan assumed his role as driver on a Sunday afternoon and drove a GrabRentals Hyundai Kona EV.

Throughout the vlog, the 41-year-old was candid about the user experience of Grab's driver app.

He complimented the ease and accuracy of GrabMaps' lane detection features, but raised an issue with its automated safety messages. While they serve as good reminders, he noted how these messages would block his view of the map.

Between "back-to-back" rides, Tan also shared feedback from his passengers.

One customer told him her personal grievances regarding cancelled rides whenever drivers were too far away from her location. 

In comparison, she commended Grab's exclusive Premium feature for being fast and reliable whenever she was in a rush to get to her destination.

Admitting that he had not driven in several months, Tan empathised with Grab drivers having to stay in a fixed posture due to the long hours of continuous driving.

Tan's hands-on approach was lauded by many in the comments section of his LinkedIn post, though there were also several individuals who took the opportunity to raise personal issues with Grab's customer service.

"It's not easy," he quipped, reminding viewers to always have empathy and to be kind to drivers.

Tan is no stranger to going undercover, having previously shared his experiences of being a GrabFood delivery rider back in 2021.

ALSO READ: 'He kept scolding me': Grab driver calls police after passenger swears at him for refusing to take longer route

dana.leong@asiaone.com