BlaBlaCar is a funky name startup whose name indicates it is a startup somewhat related to a car. BlaBlaCar, as their logo suggests, is a crazy new age startup. It is a startup by three gentlemen named Frédéric Mazzella, Nicolas Brusson and Francis Nappez. BlaBlaCar is an online marketplace for carpooling which connects drivers and passengers looking to travel between cities and share costs of the travel. BlaBlaCar offers unique model wherein the rider can travel at any point of time by just selecting a rider and booking a seat. BlaBlaCar claims to be the most trusted carpooling service in the world.
A carpooling service not only offers riders cost-effective and better transit solution but also provides the driver with an additional source of income which otherwise would not have been encashed by the driver. Various companies have played around carpooling service post few dominant taxi operators who provided carpool for cheaper options to users. A carpooling is also effective for the fact it reduces the number of cars on the road and thereby reducing carbon emissions which in turn contribute to saving the environment.
Now let us understand How does BlaBlaCar Work. As mentioned earlier that BlaBlaCar is an online marketplace which can be considered as peer to peer marketplace model wherein at both the sides there is a person to person interface rather than business to customer or business to business. In B2B and B2C, directly a company is dealing with the end user. In this model that BlaBlaCar does is about an individual dealing with an individual.
A rider has to create a profile on BlaBlaCar app or website. A driver makes profile under same website or app and updates the route of his/ her travel. In both the profiles are it of rider or driver, a government-issued photo identity card is needed. Once the details of driver and rider are filled, accounts are created. The rider has to select the travel destination from their location and select the most suitable ride by clicking the driver of their choice out of the list and ratings of a driver and the best possible route to their destination. After completion of the ride, the rider has to rate the driver. A Driver’s ratings are given depending on their talkativeness during the ride. Rating “Bla” means the least talkative driver, Rating “BlaBla” means someone who likes to talk and communicate with riders and Rating “BlaBlaBla” means someone who cannot shut up anytime and keeps on talking to the riders.
After creating an account, the member creates an online identity and gains reputation after sharing experiences of their rides with other members in the community. It is important for the member to develop a reputation. Earlier being a part of the community and adding more connections was free but now the company has introduced charges for the same. The rider post ride can not only rate driver but same works reverse as well wherein a driver can give feedback about the rider. The rider gets contact details of a driver just after the driver accepts the ride. During selection of ride itself, the rider has to pay for the ride before the ride starts. However, in case of cancellation of a ride, the amount is refunded to the rider as per cancellation policy of BlaBlaCar. With their values towards riders and drivers and being trusted carpooling site, the company has now become World’s largest Long Distance Carpooling community.
