First time using Uber and wasn't sure what to expect. Its a neat concept for both passengers and drivers, but seems weird that drivers are only loosely affiliated with the company. It was sort of going out on a limb to give an unknown individual trust with my safety and time. But, I'm glad I tried this out.
Its a very simple registration process in which you give them your name, number and provide the method of payment on your phone or computer. Using your phone you input your location and they give you the estimated time of arrival. The time quoted to me was fairly accurate but not to the exact minute. I'd suggest adding 3-5 minutes to the quoted time to be safe. Receipt is emailed to you and driver lets you know how much will be charged to the card on file. No money is exchanged and no tip is pressured on you, although for the money you save using them and provided service is good, its definitely cool of you to hand the guy 20% in cash if you have it. Even after a generous tip your fare is likely to still be cheaper than a standard taxi rate. There is currently no way to add in a tip on the card they charge just as a heads up.
A real friendly guy named David picked me up in a nice Lexus suv. From start to finish he was very helpful, super polite and extremely friendly. He was also very aware of his job and didn't treat the ride as a casual lift from point A to point B, he genuinely cared that I arrived as quickly and safely as possible. I was amazed at the final rate to the airport for $12. Overall A+ experience and will definitely use Uber for future rides. I just hope that other drivers will live up to the same experience I had today.