Didi to spend $20 million on customer service after passenger murders

Didi Chuxing will spend $20 million on measures meant to fortify its customer service, according to Reuters. The Chinese ride-hailing firm's founder, Cheng Wei, announced the investment to a group of government regulators who visited Didi's offices for a nationwide inspection triggered by a harrowing incident wherein one of its drivers raped and killed a female passenger. Didi halted its carpooling service across the country after authorities confirmed the event, which occurred on August 24th, and after a n investigation revealed that it could've been prevented if the company has better customer service.

Apparently, the victim sent in a complaint about the same driver on the 23rd, reporting that he exhibited threatening behavior, including following her after he dropped her off. Didi failed to respond to her concerns within its promised two-hour window and to kick off the offending driver from its platform in time. The ride-hailing firm, which gobbled up Uber's business in the region, will use its $20 million investment to build an 8,000-strong customer service team by the end of the year.

Didi is facing intense scrutiny, not only because the incident could've been prevented, but because it's the second murder linked to the platform within the span of a few months. Back in May, a Didi driver's son who used his father's credentials allegedly murdered a 21-year-old flight attendant. That prompted the platform to require drivers to verify their identities using facial recognition before each shift. It also upgraded its emergency button to give passengers a way to call the cops or friends and family in one click. Plus, it started testing a feature that gave customers a way to record audio.

Source: Reuters



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