Call Sign Editor
Alan Fisher has passed on a letter to me
regarding "run-ins" for my comments.
The letter comes from DaC driver Dave Ellis
(J11) and can be read on the Mailshot page.
The subject of Mr Ellis's (J11)
letter which concerns run-ins is something I
have written about in Call Sign on many, many
occasions yet it is something that up until very
recently, we the Board have had no control over.
I don't wish to generalise and tar everybody
with the same brush, because as is proved with
Mr Ellis, the vast majority of our members are
self-disciplined and play by the rules.
Unfortunately as with many things in the cab
trade, it's the unscrupulous few against whom we
are often measured. As I've said time and time
again, it can take six months hard work gaining
a new account but it can take just one driver
five minutes to close it by being totally
unprofessional - which includes charging more
than was on the clock at the end of the journey
or more than the agreed run-in, something which
in effect is tantamount to stealing.
I know there are many of you whose
vigilance on keeping to the correct run-in is
dictated by the embarrassment often felt by the
excess amount on the meter at the end of certain
journeys. In fact on the day I wrote this
article, one driver told me of his concern at
the effect the 10% service charge on credit card
journeys has on an already inflated metered
fare. He also said that on many occasions when
doing a cash ride, he doesn't start his meter
until he has arrived outside the pick-up
address.
Hopefully very soon, the issue of
abusing the run-in charge will be a thing of the
past, because software on the new mobile
terminals together with our GPS tracking system
and meter interface will allow us to record the
figure on the meter - not just when the cab
arrives at the pick-up address, but the POB
figure and that at the journey end.
Incidentally, the implementation of this
software was not prompted by the need to police
run-ins, but by customer's management reporting
requirements.
My final point on this matter is
the irony that for all the concerned members who
have sent letters like that of Mr Ellis, not one
has been prepared to take positive action by
reporting details of the perpetrators...
The above has similarities to the very
aggrieved member who rang me soon after reading
my last article in Call Sign. He was absolutely
livid that I should write anything derogatory
about the cab trade. In his opinion, all the
problems that we have with our clients should be
kept private. We should adopt the attitude of
the other circuits and keep all defamatory
articles out of our magazine because, he said,
it looked bad in the eyes of our clients who
read them. I beg to differ and I say that from
experience.
During my time on the Board, I have
encountered many occasions where we have
assisted in retaining very senior clients by
showing them the articles we have
|
been prepared to
print concerning problems with their account.
They
admired our honesty, our willingness to admit
to the problem and our determination to
resolve it. I haven't spoken to our
Editor on this matter, but I'm sure that like
me he has received numerous letters from
around the world praising the democratic style
of Call Sign, both in what is written by Board
members and subscribers.
I can assure all who read Call
Sign that in my 15 years in Sales at
Dial-a-Cab, I take no pleasure whatsoever in
writing anything bad about the cab trade. If
and when I have done it, it has been to
protect our existing clients or assist in
generating new business.
The price I have paid for that is to be
labelled unpopular and for many years being
the Society's 'aunt sally'. However it has
been a price I've been prepared to accept
because I like to think the approach I took
during that period has played some small part
in our Society reaching the height that it
stands at today. Make no mistake, Dial-a-Cab
is the number one circuit not just in the
London, but in the UK. We have the most
advanced technology, we are financially sound,
we offer our members the best deal available
and have a driver waiting list that grows
longer by the day. And if you were to talk
tothe competition in private, they wouldn't
argue about our claim to be the best!
However, being the best will not
last if each and every one of our members do
not play their part in protecting our lead. So
in an attempt to encourage more participation
by our members to
generate sales leads and knowing that money is
of interest to most people, it has been
decided to
increase the bonus for those leads.
So for any future sales leads received from
drivers that develop into an appointment being
made by our sales team to open a new account,
a bonus of £20 will be paid for each
successful lead. When giving out the
Credit Card leaflets / receipts pads that are
available in the Driver's Reception, always
make sure you include your call sign. In
addition, you can use those same leaflets to
write details of any cash customers you have
who maybe interested in opening an account and
that information can be left in my post box in
Drivers Reception or you can phone or e-mail
me at the address found at the end of the
article.
Changing the subject, I am dealing with a
case at the moment concerning damage to a
driver's taxi by a client. Throughout the year
I get a number of such cases, the most common
involving cabs being hit by luggage trolleys.
Some are resolved to the benefit of the
driver, some not. Having experienced varying
examples of damage and abuse to cabs and the
annoyance of the drivers whose claims have
been rejected, I would like to make two
comments; firstly, when such an incident
occurs, draw the matter immediately to the
attention of the customer for their
acknowledgement, but avoid any altercation.
|
Then contact myself or any Board member as
soon as
possible with a note giving chapter and verse of
the incident together with an official estimate
of the damage from a bona fide garage. Any delay
can jeopardize the claim being successful.
Secondly, and I'm not saying this
is the case in every instance, but quite often
the damage could have been avoided if the driver
had got out of the cab to assist with the
luggage and to be on hand to prevent run-away
trolleys or passengers banging heavy suit cases
into the side of the cab.
Having on the suggestion of the Editor penned
this article at the end of November, I will have
had no idea what the coverage is like during the
run-up to Christmas and what effect, if any, it
has had upon our clients. Historically, the most
vulnerable months for losing and gaining new
accounts is immediately into the New Year.
Accounts that might have been toying with idea
of change invariably have their minds made up
for them by the coverage during the Christmas
period.
I mention this to make you all
aware of the important role you can make to your
Society during the next few months - months that
regrettably appear to be returning to the
traditional kipper periods of old.
Apart from the issue already
mentioned re run-ins etc, your ambassadorial
role is equally as important. There is nothing
greater in securing existing accounts and
leaving a good impression on new ones than
hearing them refer to the quality of our
drivers, the helpfulness, courteousness, and the
duties performed without being prompted both
within and outside of the drivers normal code of
working. As I've often said in the past, all of
our competitors, both licensed and PH can put a
vehicle outside a client's door. It's the
attitude and behaviour of the person driving
that vehicle that influences the client as to
which company they prefer to give their
business. Obviously, a professional manner
should be applied to the job throughout the
whole year, however it is especially important
during this quiet period because the sales
departments of all our competitors - including
our own - will be exceptionally busy trying to
generate new business which either through
predatory tactics or by invitation can involve
meetings with each others clients. By pulling
together, we can consolidate our existing client
base and at the same time impress any new
clients who might give our services a trial.
May I end by wishing each and every
one of you and your families a very Happy New
Year...
Allen Togwell
DaC Marketing
allent@dialacab.co.uk
|
