MAILSHOT

To tip or not to tip...
Hi Alan
   Following the article by Mark Hinds (C50) in the March Call Sign, I’d like to add my own thoughts as well. My letter may not go down too well with some drivers, but I’d like them to think about it before responding.
   My personal opinion is similar to Mark in that I also think that we should do away with the 10% gratuity, but before drivers answer, they should take a look at the street cash work they do in one day, put the tips to one side and then see what that one day adds up to – not a lot.
   I believe that if we were to tell our clients that the gratuity element of the fare has been stopped, it would encourage them to increase their usage. It’s no good moaning that these people do not use us, when they know that private hire does not add on a gratuity for the driver. Some may say that the 10% gratuity doesn’t represent that much to a big account, but if you spend £thousands or even £millions on taxis, then that 10% represents a great saving. We should try to encourage clients to use us over the opposition and perhaps dangling a carrot in front of them might help. Some drivers may decry the idea, but I’d like them to do as I suggested earlier and add up the total of their cash tips for just one day. I doubt that it will come to much.
   We have to begin thinking like business people and if we were seen to be cutting our prices, it would show us in a good light. After all, how many would choose to pay 10% extra to get a similar service – at least similar in that it gets people from A to B. I’m sure many would prefer to use us given the choice. Perhaps we should help them by making the decision easier.
Ivor Belkin (C97)
   Allen Togwell has joined in the discussion with his article in this issue; ‘Is there a difference between begging and tipping?’ And to save anyone writing in unnecessarily, everything that goes in Call Sign does so because I consider it might help to make an interesting read and not through some devious Board plot to give notice of a change of direction! ...Ed

How to win back our work
Hi Alan,
   Let me start by thanking Mike Son for starting the ball rolling on this. I would also like to thank you for publishing Martin Cox's letter, as it gives us an insight into how PH perceive us. I agree with most of what Mike and Mark Hinds have said in their letters (March Call Sign). If I may, I’d like to comment on some of the points raised.
1) Fixed Prices: This should be left to the BoM re who, how much and when to offer a client a FP, as they are best placed to know which account is in danger of being lost due to cost.
2) £4 Station and Theatre extras: There is absolutely no justification in carrying on with this charge for picking up at stations. I would hazard a guess that a majority members would only be too happy to get a job from any mainline station irrespective of whether we get £4 extra or not. And the minority who might have an issue with it can opt out by using the reject button! In my opinion, we probably need to keep the extra for theatre pick-ups, as they seem to be harder to cover (again the BoM have the stats, so if I am wrong then get rid of that too).
3) 10% automatic gratuity: Why do we need this? How many of us go to a restaurant and get annoyed because they have slapped a 12.5% cover charge on, especially when the service has been dire (which is often the case in London eateries)? How many street hirings give you a 10% tip? And if we don’t get a tip, would we refuse to pick up the fare if by chance the same person hailed us again?
4) Waiting Premium: Again why do we need this? The meter is ticking while we wait, that is getting paid while you relax by reading, having a stretch or a fag outside and NOT using fuel! So why would we need a premium on top of that? Get rid!
5) Meters in PH vehicles: Now I am a big fan of Richard Potter's writings in Call Sign, but in this instance I would disagree as putting meters in PH would be a precursor to them then asking to be allowed to use the bus lanes.
The public have had a choice between private hire and us, but now the PH industry is really giving us stiff competition in terms of cost, quality of service and cars and by sheer numbers. We need to start the fightback now. We have already done so on the streets at night by starting to claim back the clubs and restaurants. Now we must carry on with that same fight to keep and win back more credit work by improving an already excellent service and by improving what to a lot of companies is the bottom line - cost.
And lastly, in response to Stephen Berndes' letter (March Call Sign); I can’t talk about days because I am a night man, but I am managing on average 5 - 6 account rides a night (from 5pm to around 1am), so the work is still there...
Divyesh Ruparelia (V59)

And how to win back our work
   Like many other subscribers, I found it interesting to read the conflicting views of the two drivers who wrote in to comment on the letter from Martin Cox. I found myself in almost total agreement with the opinion of Mark Hines and this started me thinking of practical ways in which his ideas could be implemented. Here are some of them...
Firstly, we have too look at what we can offer clients that others can’t; our greatest asset is that in a business world where you can buy everything but time, we can move people around our city quicker than any of the competition. Unlike satnav, we know when to use the embankment or two bridges, when to sit it out on Piccadilly or go through St James and many others of the tools of our trade that we use daily. How many times do grateful punters thank you for 'doing the impossible!' We have the talent, the knowledge and the bus lanes! These are all imperative in the battle to win new and existing business onto the books of DaC. While all of the above is great, it is irrelevant if the person we want to pay us for our wonderful service is sitting in the back of a PH vehicle. This is where DaC come in.
M y idea is for a kind of DaC PLUS. This will involve a dynamic, highly motivated sales and procurement team; a new competitive and client-driven package to offer potential clients and a service orientated, smart, helpful and professional group of drivers.
Firstly, the sales team: In my opinion, these people will be very highly motivated ie low basic salary, excellent commission, results-driven people who are willing to go as far as is needed to generate and recapture the business that will benefit us all. In order to give this team the tools they will need to get a foot in the door with new clients and to offer ex-clients a reason to come back to us, I have some radical strategies.
What we can offer:
No run in: These jobs will be allocated 10 minutes before booked time. They will be non rejectable to DaC+ drivers and the clock starts at the booked time. For ASAP jobs, the clock starts when you get there. This is not the purgatory you might think it is, you are actually losing two quid.
No gratuity: Again, would you really miss it? It’s generally absorbed into one’s subs anyway.
Fixed price discounts: Ie any W1 postcode to LCA = £35, any City postcode to WWOO = £45. Would you rather have 80% of something or all of nothing?
I’m sure more imaginative people than me can come up with other ideas to help this new sales team to win work, I’ve just come up with one or two of the more obvious ones.
The Drivers (what we can offer and what’s in it for us?): Firstly, DaC+ will be an extra service a driver can subscribe to subject to certain criteria. A well presented driver in an immaculate cab, this is exactly what private  

And how to win back our work...
Hi Alan
   I would like to make a suggestion on how to win our work back (Mike Son, March Call Sign). I think we can help do this by advertising on our cabs by a Led matrix system, which we could operate via our computer; ie when we pick up say JPMorgan, we would advertise their company website etc.
   A Led matrix system could be installed on the roof by fin or along door panels. The advantages would be instant advertising for various uses such as TfL reports on train / bus delays, theatre bookings and Olympics schedules and results etc. Dial-a-Cab would be more visible as a company. 
   Old technology would go and we’d have screens thin as a card that we would be able to attach to the doors, giving full TV screen quality, albeit very expensive at the moment.
   Perhaps we could also look into iPhone applications where clients would be able to look for the nearest taxi for hire via live satnav mapping? I could be taking out of my hat here, but companies tend to have bigger advertising budgets than transport budgets, so it could give us the edge on minicabs. I did bring this up with Allen Togwell a few years ago, but he said we would have problems with drivers not wanting the strips on their cabs and the PCO might not let us advertise, but things have moved on since then and the PCO needs to throw us a lifeline and save the cab trade.
   Just an idea; what do other drivers think?
Jim Reid (A74)
   Brian Rice responds: Some years ago we did look into the fact that name boards or something similar when picking up passengers could be programmed from the drivers terminal. I thought this was a very good idea and very progressive, having say, the customers name displayed by LED matrix.  However, it was pointed out to me quite correctly, that some wag of a driver could send a message (display) to one of his pals that stopped alongside him at traffic lights - you can imagine what some of the messages might say, especially if it was displayed by a roof fin for all to see.
   As you are probably aware, Jim, I am all for the latest technology, but I am not sure if your suggestions would actually put more passengers in our cabs. However, what I am confident in saying is that the technology you suggest would be very expensive (and prone to damage on the exterior) and of course it would all have to be agreed by the PCO.  

Black cab fuel card
Hello Alan,
   I'd like to bring something to the attention of all DaC drivers who use the (Black Cab) Fast Fuel card. When is the price of fuel different to the price agreed / advertised? When the forecourts submit their receipts later than the Sunday cut-off date! In this age of electronic data transfer, this seems incredulous. However that was the response I got from Fast Fuels. Although this can work either way as far as pricing and final price paid per litre, it still seems wrong. I still feel that Fast fuels is giving us a good price compared to the open market, however one must be aware that the final price paid can be different to the one advertised. Thus it's not advisable to forecast price paid per litre. It's best to wait for the weekly invoice to see what the actual price will be according to that week's price and depending on when fast fuels receive the invoice from each garage. Then one can transfer that information into our daily record. Hope this is clear and of use...
Salvatore Macaluso (J63)
   For those who have not yet discovered the Black Cab Fast Fuel card, drivers are sent a text message on the Friday that gives the price per litre as of the following Monday and for that complete week. What Salvatore is saying is that if you fill up in a Texaco or Morrisons garage towards the end of the week and the garage pays their accounts in late, then it is possible that you could be charged the following Monday’s price. As Salvatore also points out, that could be higher or lower depending on how the wholesale price is going, but that you need the correct amount to keep for your own accounts.
   Salvatore wrote to Fast Fuels and they apologised, happily repaying the £1.25 for the one-day overpayment - after a jump in the price of fuel the following week - because the garage had sent it in late. The Fast Fuel spokesperson explained that the invoicing system was not sophisticated enough to pick up on these earlier dates in order to price it at the correct rate, adding that all the relevant info was contained on the weekly statement so that it wasn’t necessary to go through files to see the exact date that you filled up and check whether it was in a different invoicing period. Although the "fault" lies with garages that send in accounts late, Fast Fuels said they would be happy to pay Salvatore back any money that he felt he had overpaid. And if Salvatore overpaid by £1.25 AFTER getting a big discount anyway, it shows just how much drivers can save with this card. But it would be nice if in this age of computer technology, they could get some software to sort out the problem ...Ed

Where is Martin Cox?
Hi Alan,
   I read your Editorial on page 3 of the March Call Sign about Martin Cox, but don’t remember his letter in the February issue. I did try the internet still to no avail; any chance of letting me know where to look please?
George Georgiou (L01)
   Hi George, the Martin Cox letter appeared in the February issue on page 35. The issue is at Call Sign’s website: www.dac-callsign.co.uk. If anyone else hasn’t yet visited it yet, most Call Sign mags since 1998 appear there in an abbreviated form with a search facility provided. As of May 2006, you can find two versions of each issue – a 20 page version including the search facility, plus a PDF version that gives readers the complete version but without a search button. There are also issues there from the 60s, 70s and 80s for your delectation ...Ed

...and not related to him either!
   I’ll only say this once more... I am not related to Martin Cox. Mind you, if his great-great-great Aunty Edna pegs it in Australia, he may find me in the next seat to him on the plane! As my Vito would say... don’t you just love me?
Gary Cox (O46)
No!!! ...Ed

LTFUC
Dear Alan,
   On behalf of Hon President Bill Tyzack and my fellow trustees, I thank Dial-a-Cab, you and Alan Green for the excellent coverage in the current Call Sign of the Grosvenor House Party. Any subscriber unaware of the Fund's activities can log on to www.ltfuc.org.uk for more

Paul for Music
Dear Mr Fisher
   I am writing in regards to an a rticle on page 3 of your February edition of Call Sign titled Paul for Music. I am Paul Shoben's granddaughter and we were really touched to read such a nice article about my grandad. Betty Shoben (my grandma and Paul's wife), has asked if I could drop you a quick email to find out whether it would be possible to get the contributor of the article's email address as my grandma would really like to thank him personally. I don't know if this is possible and if not then maybe could you pass on a message that Paul's family thought the article was really lovely!
Many thanks for your help...
Leilah Shoben
Ilford, Essex
   Hi Leilah, the piece you mention was written by me and I’m delighted that it somehow reached your family, because your grandfather did indeed play an important part in my younger life – even though he probably never even realised it ...Ed

Surcharges and rubbings!Hi Alan,
   I would like to give you some feedback for improvements on job deployment to members. Twice in February I was offered pre-booked jobs that would normally attract a £4 surcharge, one from Eurostar and one from the o2 - in both cases the ranks were moving so in the 30 or so seconds I had to make my decision, I decided that in effect, an £8 run in would outweigh the 10-15 minutes waiting time. Both jobs were for JPM and it wasn’t until the jobs were locked on me that the full details emerged - no £4 surcharge on this account! I feel that info like this should be visible on the trip offer as in both cases I may have decided not to accept these jobs. It was explained to me that not enough space was available on the ‘front’ screen to insert this detail but I’m sure a code such as no4 would suffice. Maybe if this is a problem, a software update is necessary. As a member, I feel that hiding info that affects me is wrong. I fully understand that this is an important account, but please don’t hide no surcharge, pub pick-ups etc.
Whilst I’m rambling, can I respond to an article in the March Call Sign from Keith Cain regarding credit cards. The wording of this insinuates that us naughty members are not listening! I only joined in November 2008 but am a keen reader of the mag, however I do not recall seeing anything saying that all hail and ride card jobs need a rubbing taken and I am 100% certain that Darren ,on my training day, said that a rubbing is only necessary when out of range and therefore no receipt could be printed for customers to sign. Having confirmed this with three drivers on my course from the same day, this fact seems to be new to a lot of drivers.
   Many thanks for reading my rants, but for this family to move forward, it needs us all to point out possible improvements...
Ian Sealey (K10)
   Keith Cain responds: Ian, the reference in my article that all drivers should use our own credit receipts for street pick-ups was not aimed at "us naughty members who do not listen" as put by you. It was solely to prevent drivers from losing out. During a recent conversation with our finance dept, the issue of the clearing banks not paying for the credit card trips was discussed. It appears that despite all the procedures we have in place, there have been occasions when a card user has refused to pay for the transaction. When this occurs, we have to go to great lengths to prove to the banks that the trip was genuine. They only accept our credit card receipt as proof, even though a card is swiped and authorisation obtained. I was attempting to bring this to everyone’s attention with the hope that drivers would not lose out in any way. All the procedures drivers follow are correct and everyone must continue to do so, but where trips come to a large amount and the destination is within signal range, it is advisable for added security to complete one of our credit card receipts. If I confused any drivers then I apologise, but please don't shoot the messenger...  

Tiger Tyres
Hello Alan
   I read the letter from Keith Hancock (R47) in the March Call Sign regarding his getting Michelin Tyres cheaper at Universal Tyres than Tiger were selling them at. I’d like to put the opposite view because I was on my way down to Jetyres to buy some Valiant Kingpin remoulds for my overhaul, when an ad came up on the DaC terminal for Tiger Tyres. I gave them a call and they quoted me £118 for a set of four, including valve balance and vat. That’s £29.50 per tyre, which is a considerable saving. I doubt you will find them cheaper than that anywhere...
Richard Potter (T51)

Roman Way on a weekend?
Dear Alan,
   Here's a story that no doubt some of our drivers can surely related to. I purchased a new cab with a view to making life a little easier after my thirteen year old Fairway decided it was time to ‘go’ and took delivery of the new taxi on Friday 12th March at around lunchtime. All excited, I decided to go straight home and start afresh Saturday after three days of running around organising things for the new cab. I was happy with the way the DaC side had worked out ie stripping out and fitting etc and having generously contributed to the workshop staff collection box, was now looking forward to Saturday and all that goes with the Saturday working day - for example the 118 118 boys and of course, our resident head of Saturday daytime operations, Ivor.
   I rang the office when my screen informed while signing on that the GPS receiver was not working and to go to Roman Way to have it checked. I rang the office and was told to attend during the hours of 0830 and 1630 at Roman Way "on Monday." Surely a £multi-million organisation like ours - that by the way I am proud to be a member for the last 32 years – could provide a service for at least a Saturday half-day to help drivers perhaps through the weekend? I fail to understand why not.
   I would like to reiterate that I am not a moaner and I love the circuit and all that goes with it, but if George the electrician can provide a service at Warwick Avenue rank come rain, snow, shine and all else the British weather can throw at us, I’m sure the Roman Way staff could give a few hours on a Saturday morning to help the lads over the weekend.
Roy Martin (R42)
   Allan Evans responds: Hi Roy, as you know prior to my present position of Compliance Officer, I was down at Roman Way for over two years and in that time we did trial extended opening times, which also included opening later in the evenings and on a Saturday morning. Due to current Health and Safety legislation, a minimum of two members of staff needed to be in attendance at all times. It soon became clear that most evenings and more so on a Saturday, this facility was not used and most times the fitting bay was open all morning without a single visit from a DaC member, which proved to be a waste of resources. The problem you encountered with the GPS failure is not common and it is thoroughly checked before the taxi leaves the fitting bay, but for security purposes it is password protected and can only be reset by an authorised person at Roman Way. Finally, good luck with your TX4...