Dial-a-Cab Health Scheme
At this year's AGM (under AOB), one of our members voiced his concerns at the DaC Health Scheme. He appeared, unfortunately, to be in that category of people who having subscribed to a health scheme for a number of years, have reached an age where he is being unfairly penalised. I well understand how he feels because I too am now in that same category.
   I have been a subscriber to the DaC health scheme since its inception. I have never made a claim even though I have been off work for several weeks at a time, the problem being it was never longer than two weeks which is the length of time before any pay-out kicks in. To add insult to injury, on reaching 60, my monthly premium has been doubled plus I have been loaded with exclusions, added to which when I reach 65 they will refuse to insure me altogether.
   Like many people, I have always been sceptical of insurance companies, they seem to promise the earth until something happens. Then when it does, somewhere in the small print to which you need bionic eyes to read and a lawyer's brain to understand, you discover that you are not covered. However, to quote the old maxim - it is better to be insured and not claim than not be insured at all.
   I was on the Board of Management when the Health Scheme was first introduced and to be perfectly honest, I voted against it. I argued that we are in the cab business and not insurance. I was against the idea of paying a block fee out of company funds each month and then retrieving the monies from the drivers as I would have preferred the drivers to pay their subs direct and claim independently. I believed that they would have got a better deal.
   But my biggest concern was that knowing the cab trade as I did, a group insurance would be a failure and when proven so, the insurers would back track, increase premiums, introduce exclusions or relinquish various aspects of the cover altogether - which is what happened to the original scheme. The claims for sickness during the first year of the scheme were astronomical. The insurers couldn't believe it, which is understandable. They had had no dealings with the cab trade, no perception of what a minority of drivers might do to get a few extra quid during a kipper season or to ease the cost of overhauls, holidays or tax returns etc. Plus of course, there was the cost of the genuinely ill. Fortunately or unfortunately for the insurance company, they might have lost a few bob, but they were put out of their misery for further losses when they were unceremoniously dumped by a newly introduced Board member who was of the impression that there would be a dozen insurance brokers clambering for our business. If ever there was a case of burning a bridge before getting to the other side, then this was it because nobody wanted to know. The sad thing was that a number of drivers, particularly those in their late fifties who had started to experience health problems, had left perfectly good health schemes where no medical had been needed, to join ours. And it was these members that DaC were committed to finding an alternative broker.

Why Group Schemes may not work...
During this time, a new Board member had been appointed to the role of Welfare Officer. His brief was to get the Health Scheme back on track and also to try and increase the number of members, which in essence is one of the reasons why group health schemes are unsuccessful. It needs numbers and out of a membership of 1700 drivers, the most the health scheme has ever attracted is about 350. By coincidence, just before the AGM, I was talking to the original broker who we started the Health Scheme with. He told me he would be interested in putting forward a proposal if I could give him some idea of the number of drivers likely to join. As I have just said, the greater the number, the better the deal. What the brokers want is also to attract other policies in addition to PHI, such as life policies, household, cab insurance etc,

which help to balance up the losses.
   So to those drivers reading this (or your wives/partners), if you are young and as yet have no cover, I would ask you to seriously consider the worst case scenario should you suffer a long term illness - which doesn't have to be terminal. After all, a badly broken limb from a skiing holiday could lay you up for months. How would you be affected financially?
   Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems with cab drivers is their reluctance to put themselves out to initiate anything no matter how good the intention. I guarantee that if I started a sales promotion tomorrow which involved giving away 5 gallons of diesel free with every sales pack collected from the office, practically everyone of you would be interested in taking up the offer- at the first opportunity that you got a trip in the direction of Brunswick Place.
   If after having read the above you are smiling to yourself, then you know what I'm saying is true. Admit to yourself that you have no drive, you lack enthusiasm, you are not assertive and most damaging of all, you are complacent - a dangerous characteristic brought on by everything being too easy. You are probably also unfit.
   The next time you get out of the bath, can I suggest you look at yourself sideways in a full-length mirror and ask yourself a few questions such as - am I overweight? Can I run up six flights of stairs without getting out of breath? And if only for the sake of the wife and kids, should I get health cover? Hopefully by the time this goes to print, I would have persuaded the BoM and the Editor to allow me to include a Health Insurance flyer and a pre-paid envelope in this edition of Call Sign. If you are interested, may I suggest you put the details in the envelope RIGHT NOW and give it to your partner to post, who I'm sure will be delighted to put it in a letter box for you.

(Un)fitness
Speaking of being unfit, I think it's true to say that driving for a living in any capacity is an unfit occupation. Sitting behind a desk all day is also bad, but at least many firms now recognise the importance of fitness and have installed training facilities on their own premises or subsidise the cost of employees joining local fitness centres. Again, talk to most cab drivers and they will tell you of all the wonderful intentions to get fit, lose weight, join a gym, stop smoking etc and then a dozen reasons why it didn't happen.
   Those of you nearer my age will remember the era of Charles Atlas with all the girls on the beach falling for the body-beautiful with their spring chest expanders who were kicking sand in the face of the skinny runts like me. For some reason I have always been slim. I eat like a horse, which includes junk food, fry ups, treacle puddings, cream, chocolates plus rich food with clients and yet have never put on an ounce of weight during my entire life.
   I have always been conscious of my build and being unfit, hence the reason I have missed out on many things. For example, even though I consider myself assertive, confident and of a determined nature, I have never had the nerve to sunbathe on a beach or learn to swim or join a public gym.
   I mention the above only because whatever your age, it is never too late to change. Last month I saw an ad in Call Sign about badminton, a game that I have always wanted to play. At the same time I saw an ad in my local paper announcing the opening of a new gym, The Fitness Clinic near Greenwich which offers a one-to-one keep fit training program. This was the very thing I needed, my own personal trainer putting me through a program especially suited for me without being surrounded by budding Swarzeneggers!

   Discipline is essential, which I achieved by paying for a year's tuition that involves making advanced appointments. It is early days yet, but after two months of twice-a-week 1-hour sessions, I definitely feel better for it. I can already hear the cynics asking: "What's this got to do with marketing?" Well, everything! Fit body, fit mind.
   When selling our services, the welfare of our members and staff becomes an integral part of our sales package. Several months ago I spoke about handling stress. Such was the interest in that subject that it has since been picked up by both our clients and the media. Our clients are impressed that Dial-a-Cab identify with the problems of stress and our willingness to do something about it. The Editor tells me that two taxi drivers from the USA have even asked about David Kupler's stress article in the Internet version of Call Sign.
Unfortunately, driving a cab is extremely insular. I feel as a Board member that I have a responsibility to make you all aware of what's going on in a world far removed from your own, but close enough for you to be responsible. Hence the reason I have put my neck on the line for so many years voicing the concerns of our clients about the bad attitude of some of our members, the rudeness, the arrogance and the sloppy dress. These are attitudes that most of you know exist, but refuse to acknowledge or are prepared to do anything about. As the Board member responsible for generating new business and hanging on to the clients that we already have, one of my most difficult tasks is getting through to many of you the true facts of how the licensed cab industry is perceived in the market place and the growing attitude of many corporates, not necessarily ours, who openly claim they would willingly change from using licensed cabs given the opportunity.

Why...???
I don't blame you for being ignorant of these facts. After all, you are not mixing with the people I mix with. You are not dealing with the people who I have to pacify when allegations have been made against an abusive driver. Or the people who ask me to justify why they should use a licensed radio taxi which gives no guarantee on service, or why should they pay as much as 40 or 50% more than a cab off the street, or why the meter should go on miles from the pick-up address, or why extra waiting time should be paid even though the meter is ticking over. Or why a premium should be put over and above all the other charges to entice a driver to cover a trip from a client who is capable of giving business all year round and why a gratuity is compulsory even though the drivers give little or nothing in return?
   How I wish I could get each of those complacent members or those who slag off the board, to go along to some of our clients with a whole stack of letters of complaints and have them sit in front of a group of inquisitors demanding an explanation or wanting reduced costs or the accounts closed. Only then would they understand what I have been saying for years, that we have to offer more, not just four wheels or a green badge hanging round an insalubrious looking neck.

Westminster Disabled Taxi Users Booklet
At the request of Westminster, I have just finished putting together a new booklet for Westminster Taxicard users. The object was to break away from the old A5 clinical booklet and replace it with an A4 reader-friendly booklet with coloured graphics etc, the sort of booklet that could be left on the coffee table as opposed to being tucked away in a drawer.
   The new booklet has now been approved and is in the process of being printed. It was suggested that in addition to the 8000 needed for Taxicard holders, that a further 2000 be printed for DaC drivers. It is recommended that you keep it in your cab to be used in the event you might have a problem over charges etc. The moment the booklets are available, we will distribute them, probably with your copy of Call Sign.

Allen Togwell