Terminal Upgrade
Hopefully by the time you read this, we will be well into the new upgrade for
the touch screen terminals. We will request you to come in by call sign at the
start and depending on the response, later let you attend if you are passing.
The programme has a cut off date that we will inform you of later. If you do
not attend by the given date, the computer will automatically de-authorise the
terminal. This is because certain aspects of the upgrade could cause problems
if drivers are on different versions of the software.
The main enhancement is for credit cards; it allows drivers
to gain authorisation directly from the bank-clearing centre. If there is a
problem, you will be diverted immediately back to our call centre. You will
only be issued with 2 receipts, one for yourself and one for the client. The
one that you retain should be kept in a safe place for six months from the date
of ride. If there is any problem via the bank with payment, you will need to
produce this receipt. Failure to do so could cause you to lose the fare. We
advise you not to leave any receipts in strong sunlight or near a heater. They
use thermal paper and prolonged contact with either of the above could cause
them to go black.
Other enhancements will become apparent as you use the terminal.
The M25
We still have drivers using the M25 to go around London when the
shortest route is straight through. The cost of the fare can rocket by £50 or
more and when the client gets their invoice they refuse to pay such an
excessive fare to a driver who should have taken the shortest route.
You must remember that the person in the back of your taxi is
rarely the one who pays the invoice - this being the case, you must take the
shortest route.
If a client asks without any prompting from the driver to use the
M25 when it is a much longer way round, the driver must gain authorisation from
the dispatcher on duty. If we are unable to contact their office due an
unreasonable hour of the night, the dispatcher will ask if you have informed
the client of an estimate of the extra to the fare. They may also ask you to
turn up your radio so the client can hear that there will be an increase in the
fare.
Drivers have been told of this ruling on a regular basis via Call
Sign magazine; those who continue to ignore this ruling could find that the
fare they ask for could be reduced to the correct fare for the shortest route.
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Think Of Your Safety
Once again - over the weekend
of 19 November - another of our drivers was attacked in an attempted
robbery. He had picked up a couple in Bond Street going to Sulgrave Road,
W12. On arrival, they asked if he would wait and take their baby sitter to
Royal Crescent. Whilst he waited, 4 black youths on mountain bikes came up
and tried to gain access to all the taxi doors.
On opening the driver's door, they tried pulling him out but he held on to
the steering wheel whilst blowing the horn and shouting for help. The lady
passenger saw what was happening and phoned the police who arrived 10
minutes later.
Although they gained no monetary advantage, our driver was
very shaken up by the experience and is at the time of writing (Oct 22)
off-work sick. He is a long-serving member of DaC at a time of his
life when he is looking forward to retirement. The shock could stay
with him for many years to come; it affects many drivers in different
ways, some even to the point of giving up their badge to take up a
different occupation. I would advise you when waiting in a street off the
main highway, to keep all your doors locked until the passenger comes out.
Also keep your drivers door locked whilst you are getting paid.
Tom's Car Service
There are some drivers going around spreading a rumour that I
either have, or am going to start, my own private hire circuit. I think
they may have mistaken me for Mr Kaley who now runs a multi-transport
company in West London. I wish that I had the money to start up a new
business, but as I do not, drivers who have started this rumour will sadly
have to start another one to try and discredit me!
Another strong rumour currently circulating is that a
licensed radio taxi circuit is about to "get rid" of taxis older
than a TX1. Let me assure you that the company concerned is most
definitely not Dial-a-Cab.
Mind you, if they would like to start a rumour informing all
the beautiful women of the world that I was the greatest stud, I
wouldn't
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mind. But don't tell Ulrika Jonsson, as I hate standing in
line!
Attributes
We have had some drivers coming into the office stating they
used to do work for Deutsche Bank, but are not being offered any now. This
is probably due to the computer system having them down for having no
logos. In the year 2000, we sent out attribute forms so that we could
update everyone's records, but some drivers (who think they are rebels?)
failed to send them back or due to their illegible writing, we were unable
to update them.
So when they sit on the EC5 rank and watch other drivers go around
them, they realise there is a problem. I still have all the forms, so if
you phone up I can tell you if your form is on the missing list or if you
failed to complete it correctly.
Complaints
I am still getting too many complaints regarding driver's
attitudes towards clients. Do these drivers have the mentality of a
lemming? It's hard enough to keep hold of the work that we have, without
some driver thinking he is doing the client a favour by picking them up.
You also have the ones who have now changed from their summer shorts and
"T" shirts, to scruffy tracksuits or trousers and shirts that
look as though they did their gardening in! We have a majority of polite,
well-dressed, helpful drivers with clean taxis. But it is the scruff with
the cab that is washed once a fortnight that the client remembers.
I have written before warning of the disgust shown by our
clients over these drivers and you do not have to condone their filthy
condition. By standing with them outside a clients address, it brings you
down to their level, not them up to yours.
We know that more firms in the City and elsewhere have made a
lot of staff redundant; each one of them may have been a passenger of
Dial-a-Cab. We now have to excel in our service and standards to gain an
advantage over our rivals in and out of the licensed trade.
As I mentioned earlier, Mr Kaley has started a one-stop shop
for all clients transportation needs and as he has first hand knowledge of
the cab trade, he can give us a good fight for any accounts.
All the opinions and views expressed in this column are mine alone
and are not necessarily approved by the Board of Management.
Tom Whitbread
Drivers Operations
Complaints Officer
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