Chennai CEO complains Rapido driver demanded extra money, company takes strict action

Ashok Raj Rajendran explained that he had reported the matter initially on the customer support section of the Rapido app but failed to receive help.

In Short

• CEO shares bad experience with Rapido driver on LinkedIn.
• Driver demanded Rs 1000 for a 21 km ride, actual fare was Rs 350
• Rapido initially unresponsive, later refunded and took action.

A Chennai-based CEO shared his unpleasant experience with a Rapido driver in a post on LinkedIn who demanded extra money from him during his trip from Madras Central Railway Station to Thoraipakkam.

“From Madras Central Railway Station to Thoraipakkam – Rs 1000 for just 21 kms?” Ashok Raj Rajendran, founder and CEO of AJ Skill Development Academy, said in his post.

Rajendran explained that he had reported the matter on the customer support section of the Rapido app initially but failed to receive help. Thereafter, he narrated the incident in his LinkedIn post following which Rapido contacted him and issued a refund apart from assuring that “strict action has been taken” against the driver.

Describing the incident in his post, Rajendran said that the actual fare was shown as Rs 350 when he booked the cab.

“We increased the price to Rs 400 and began searching for a cab. A driver accepted the ride but then demanded Rs 1000, citing waterlogging in our area. We negotiated down to Rs 800, only to find no such waterlogging throughout the journey. When we reported this issue to Rapido they simply closed the chat without even enquiring about the driver’s actions,” Rajendran said.

The Chennai CEO also said that Rapido drivers are “exploiting situations” and blamed the company for “helping them”.

“Rapido if you’re not concerned about your drivers asking for extra pay, why have an option asking, ‘Did the driver ask for extra pay?’ Is it just for the sake of appearances? Your drivers are exploiting situations, and you are helping them, you’ll soon face the consequences of this neglect,” Rajendran added in his post which also included screenshots of his conversations with Rapido customer support.

As the post went viral, Rapido responded in the comments section, saying: “As discussed over the call, we want to assure you that your concern has been promptly addressed. Strict action has been taken against the captain for such unprofessionalism, and he has undergone retraining to ensure that such an incident does not happen again. Additionally, the difference amount has been refunded to your Rapido wallet. Our goal is to provide you with the best possible service, and we are continuously working to improve. If you have any further inquiries or require any assistance from us, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help you in any way we can.”

Ashok Raj Rajendran thanked Rapido for their support after their response to his post.