Have you ever wished that you or an elderly family member could use Lyft or Uber without having to bother with their mobile app? Wouldn’t it be nice to just pick up the phone and press “1” to have a car come immediately to your house?
That’s the concept behind GoGoGrandparent, which was founded in 2015. It’s a call-based service that turns on-demand ride companies like Uber and Lyft, into services that help families better care for older or disabled adults.
You can use those ride-sharing services without a smartphone, have 24/7 customer support, and get text alerts so everyone’s in the loop.
One of the co-founders of GoGoGrandparent came up with the idea thanks to his grandmother. He was living with her at the time and she asked him about Uber, which he was using to get around. As he was explaining the smartphone app to her, she challenged him to make something that would be easier for older people to use. And he did.
At the core of abcd TECH is to make technology easy and fun for everyone. Whether it’s setting up senior tech classes or helping families learn to connect easily over Skype for video calls, we believe technology shouldn’t have any age barriers. So GoGoGrandparent caught our attention as a great senior-friendly service.
Read on to learn more about ride-sharing services that are cheaper than traditional taxis and how GoGoGrandparent makes them easy to use… with no smartphone needed!
Ride-Sharing Services in a Nutshell
Before we get into how GoGoGrandparent works, it makes sense to go over ride-sharing services and how they typically work. The two most well-known are Uber and Lyft.
These services use individual drivers with their own cars that partner with Uber or Lyft to act as a personal taxi service. Both ride-sharing models use smartphone apps to connect those needing a ride with the drivers that indicate they are available for duty.
The biggest benefits that these services brought to the market are:
- Lower cost than traditional taxi service
- Could be scheduled through a smartphone app
- Payments are done by credit card through the app, no cash is needed
- Gave people the opportunity to pick up part-time work as a driver
How safe are these ride services?
Both Uber and Lyft require background checks for drivers and also require them to have a valid driver’s license and insurance and registration for their vehicle. They also require drivers to be at least 21 years old.
How GoGoGrandparent Works
GoGoGrandparent takes the ease of use of ride services and goes a step farther, to tailor the experience to seniors, as well as anyone else that either doesn’t have a smartphone or would like an easier way to use Uber or Lyft.
Just 65% of Americans over 65 years old own a smartphone.
According to Pew Research Center, while 77% of Americans in total own a smartphone, just 65% of those 65+ own one. That’s a huge percentage of people that would benefit from lower priced ride services, that don’t have the smartphone app to use them.
GoGoGrandparent is available throughout the U.S. and Canada and they charge a Concierge Fee of 27 cents per minute.
Here are the key benefits of this service for seniors, the disabled, and their families.
Rides Monitored for Safety
You won’t have to worry that you get into a stranger’s car and no one knows where you are. GoGoGrandparent monitors rides on your behalf and can even text a family member when their loved one has been picked up, is in route to their destination, and has arrived. Giving everyone a huge peace of mind.
Easy to Use with Any Telephone
The key of this service is how easy it is to use. You can either call and go through voice prompts or talk to someone in person to schedule your ride. Here’s a rundown of how it works:
- Call the GoGoGrandparent number
- Press 1 to request a car (to your saved home address) immediately
- Press 2 to request a car to pick up at your last drop off location
- Press 3, 4, or 5 to request a car to one of your pre-saved addresses
- Press 6 to talk to their customer support to order a ride
- Press 0 to speak with an operator about anything else
If you’d like to try a free demo to get a feel for the experience, you can use a demo on their website to test it out, or just contact abcd Tech and we’ll help.
More Services and Those Coming Soon
Besides the ability to set custom addresses other than your home for easy “one touch” ordering of a ride, you can also pre-schedule automatic rides for fixed appointments or that weekly luncheon with your friends.
Additional features that GoGoGrandparent is working to bring online soon are:
- Custom grocery delivery
- Set up of a touch tone menu for meals
- The ability to have a caretaker check in on a loved one at their home
Looking for More Senior-Friendly Tech Solutions?
If you’d like a guided demo of GoGoGrandparent and want to get a few more cool suggestions about senior-friendly tech, we’re here to help! We love working with our fellow Wichita area family and streamlining technology to work for people of any age or skill level.
We’re available at family-friendly hours from Monday-Saturday until 8:30PM. Call us today at 316-768-7832 or contact us online!
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