Stiff competition between ride-sharing app drivers and taxi drivers in China has prompted them to offer extra services as a come-on and a source of additional income.
A driver in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, earned 10 yuan from one trip plus 93 yuan from selling fuse beads pixel art made by his daughter to a passenger, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.
Another driver turned his car-for-hire into a mobile stall for fashion accessories made by his wife, earning more from sales than from transporting passengers, according to SCMP.
Other ride-sharing drivers have coffee makers and offer coffee for 22 to 29 yuan per cup, massage mats on the seats, and karaoke machines so passengers can sing while traveling and even win a free drink if they score 95 points in singing, SCMP reported.
Not to be outdone, a taxi driver in eastern China’s Jiangsu province provides cheap haircuts while waiting for passengers.
Meanwhile, stiff competition among massage parlors in Hong Kong prompted one new shop to offer foot massages that became a hit among male customers after it opened two months ago.
The shop’s more than 20 therapists, who are young women and married mothers, can be booked, but their profiles do not show their faces, The Standard reported. Instead, photos of their feet are shown along with brief personal profiles.