GoGo Grandparent- The Evolution
From the inception of the ride-hailing services like Lyft and Uber, the old folks could not avail it. They missed out on it but the advocates of the disabled and elderly thought that these services are apt for the old people who are unable to drive by themselves. Until now the facilities of the rideshare companies were restricted to Smartphone owners with a data pack for the app to be used. Thus, it created an obstacle for the old adults.
But, it has not been long that a revolution had started with Betty Lou Luce (an 85-year-old) when she jokingly asked her grandson Justin Boogaard to make himself useful and make a direct Uber number to call in for cars. Yes, that's exactly what had triggered the idea of GoGo Grandparent. The service of GoGo Grandparent seeks to bridge the gap and enable the elderly parents to an easy access to Lyft as well as Uber without the need for a computer or a Smartphone. It is an intermediary service rather being another rideshare service with an app or dedicated drivers. Old riders are increasingly using this go-between service which charges them a minimal amount in return of arranging for them Lyft and Uber cars. Before they start using it by themselves, relatives and check how it works by calling in a ride through GoGo Grandparent and monitoring the progress.
"The Uber for Folks who don't like Smartphones!"
As mentioned earlier the GoGo grandparent is a service allowing you to request an Uber or Lyft ride without the help of an app. In case the elderly person cannot call the service, someone can always assist them in doing so. This intermediary service enables advance ride-scheduling for instance if you have pre-planned family visits or doctor's appointments. The requests are handled by the regular rideshare drivers of both Uber and Lyft, and the GoGo Grandparents charge only $0.19 per minute on the usual Lyft & Uber rates (starting from when you book a ride till the trip ends). As of now, the facilities of this go-between old people-convenient service are available in Canada & 49 states, barring Austin & Alaska.
Creating a GoGo Grandparent Account
The first thing you need to savor the facilities of GoGo Grandparent is to go to the registration page of the service and create a free account. The form requires you to fill in the basic user details such as full name, home address, phone number and additional health information as well if required. Keeping GoGo Grandparent services updated helps the service to know whether the user has any impairments which a driver must be aware of to best accommodate the rider. The go-between service will request your ride according to the health information that you fill in during registration.
The second requirement is to enter family contact details. Make sure that you enter valid contact information of a family member since Gogo Grandparent allows family members to request the ride and manage the same as well. When you're setting up the account, agreeing to receive live updates on every ride request without having to micro-monitor every step like how far is the driver or when will the driver arrive.
Thirdly, fill in the credit card details for them to charge for their services.
Note: Old people need a paper reference or a brochure of sorts to know how to use the facilities. Thus, GoGo Grandparent provides an e-brochure before signing up and post sign-up they mail the welcome kit and brochure to the user.
How to use GoGo Grandparent to request a ride?
Here's how you get a ride via GoGo Grandparent:
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Call on 1(855) 464-6872 or 1 (855) GOGO-USA
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You can request a ride at your doorstep by pressing 1
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If you need a pick-up from your last drop off location, press 2
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For further help or pick-up from a different location, press 0 and the call will be redirected to an operator
You need to stay on the line after requesting you ride to know exactly when your driving will be arriving, the driver's name & the model and color of the car. To directly contact the driver while still online, press 3.
Does GoGo Grandparent provide their drivers?
As mentioned earlier, the GoGo Grandparent is only an intermediary service that ultimately requests Uber or Lyft rides for you that are driven by regular rideshare drivers of these two companies. There is nothing to fear; these drivers are safe since before they join these ride-hailing companies, they undergo a background check which includes their driving records. Similar background checks are also conducted once every year. So, Lyfts and Ubers, like other transportation services, are safe to travel in.
Do they have accommodation facilities for the disabled?
Uber has services that are wheelchair-accessible for riders who need special assistance. GoGo Grandparent ensures that you get the accommodation based on your health requirements. If the need is just simple assistance while getting in and out of the car, GoGo Grandparent will request a regular Uber ride for you.
Requesting an Uber for someone else is possible, but not easy!
Selecting someone else's location, contacting the driver to intimate them that he'll be picking up another person, the in-between communication issues- too much confusion for you to deal with, right? Instead, it is best to use GoGo Grandparent to book a ride for another person and pass on the medium for the passenger and the driver to coordinate among themselves.
This amazing service has made old adults feel more independent for the fact that they no more need to rely on anybody to request a ride for themselves. The cherry on top is that they don't even need a Smartphone for that. They get to use what they are familiar with- the telephone. Elderly people have a constant reach to the "how to use" manual sent in by GoGo Grandparent who also offer a telephone support for any queries.