Interview with current and former contractors, and acquired internal documents by The Verge reveal Operation SLOG, which outlines Uber's strategies to undermine its competitor in the ride-sharing service industry, particularly Lyft.
Operation SLOG has Uber using contractors, which the company calls brand ambassadors, to request for pickups from competitors such as Lyft and attempt to recruit its drivers.
The brand ambassadors are also tasked to avoid being detected for their activities through several precautions, as the strategy is rolled out all over the United States.
Operation SLOG has already led to thousands of canceled pickups, making business harder for Lyft, especially in establishing itself in new markets. The $1.5 billion that Uber raised in venture capital gave the company funds which it can use for Operation SLOG.
Earlier reports revealed that the competition in the ride-sharing industry has been heating up, with both Uber and Lyft accusing each other of using the tactic of calling for pickup from drivers of the other company and then canceling it at the last minute.
This strategy ensures that there are fewer drivers available for pickups as they are not able to accept other pickup requests while en route to a bogus pickup. The income of drivers is also jeopardized, as canceled pickups result in lost time and gas money.
While the cutthroat strategies of Uber are well-known, acquired emails sent by Uber managers reveal the tactics that the company uses to pry drivers away from its competitors, along with Uber's strong interest in crushing Lyft.
When The Verge asked Uber for a comment regarding Operation SLOG, the company stalled until it was able to publish a blog post that allowed it to introduce the strategy to the public.
Uber said in a blog post that it wishes to clarify all the misinformation about Operation SLOG, which stands for Supplying Long-term Operations Growth, stating that the strategy is a marketing push to drivers.
"We can't successfully recruit drivers without talking to them - and that means taking a ride. We're all about more and better economic opportunity for drivers. We never use marketing tactics that prevent a driver from making their living - and that includes never intentionally canceling rides," Uber wrote in its blog post.
However, information gathered by The Verge revealed a more vicious tone, with Uber supplying driver kits, credit cards and burner phones to contractors in an evolving strategy that looks to "shave the 'stache," referring to the pink moustache that Lyft places on the front of the cars of its drivers.
Lyft declined to post comments on the revelation by The Verge.
