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Dial-a-Cab Staff Awayday

Over the weekend of 9 - 10May, Dial-a-Cab staff from Brunswick House took part in a new Dial-a-Cab venture - the first ever Staff Awayday at the Sheraton Skyline Hotel, Heathrow. The event, consisting of a mix of speeches, team games, lunch and of course drinks around the wonderful Sheraton Skyline pool, provided an informative and enjoyable day for all who attended - virtually all the staff bar those who kept the Call Centre operating. Transport was laid on in both directions. In American parlance, it would have been known as an exercise in Corporate Bonding.
Team games punctuated a series of addresses from Board Members and Departmental Heads, while the clients' viewpoint of DAC was expressed by guest speakers Rosalind Jackman (Saturday), the Office Manager of CNN’s London bureau and Gerard McCormack (Sunday), Purchasing Manager for investment bankers Goldman Sachs. They painted a picture of Dial-a-Cab from the client’s perspective, raising many interesting views which can be easy to over-look from within a large organisation such as ours.

HISTORY
Aubrey Siteman gave a brief history of Dial a Cab, harking back to our earliest days in Pentonville Road and paying tribute to the people who had put so much into the company and our steady progression to Brunswick House.
Tom Whitbread related the life of a taxi driver from signing on for the Knowledge, through the trials and tribulations of driving a cab and the emergence of radio communication. Tom added atmosphere to his words by dressing up for the part. (I thought he always looked like that!…Ed)

TEAM GAMES
The idea that working as part of a team is much more productive - and more fun - than

working alone was proved by the two team-games. They also provided lots of entertainment!
The first game involved someone describing famous personalities, past and present, so that members of their team could guess the name of the person being referred to. This gave rise to several very odd descriptions, with one player even referring to the Mona Lisa as ‘a miserable old bird!’
A mock treasure hunt for the second game gave the day a competitive edge, with teams challenging each other to be the first to decipher the clues and uncover the hidden crystal. All the teams performed well, but the ones that completed the mission were those that really pooled their resources.

ASK THE BOARD
The Board were put very much on the spot at the Question and Answer Forum, where they invited questions on any topic the audience wished to discuss. This was followed by an award session, where Brian, Allen and Keith presented prizes won throughout the day. From the serious to the silly, awards scaled from recognition for perceptive questions to the Board or client, to blow-up Toy Boys and re-juvenating bubble bath! Unfortunately, the recipients of those two prizes also placed a cross in the ‘no publicity’ box!! Great fun was enjoyed by all….

WHAT THEY SAID…
Melissa Khan (Senior Training Co-ordinator): I found it to be very beneficial while also being great fun with delicious food. The organising was excellent and I hope it becomes a regular event…
Audrey Ambris (Customer Service Rep.): I was apprehensive before hand but before long the whole place came alive. After lunch it got even better. Great fun…

James Cox (Back Channel Operator): I was a bit dubious at first, but the idea of mixing everyone into one big pot and explaining what the different departments do, worked very well. When you just do your job, you don’t always realise that there is so much else going on around you. Now we all appreciate each other…
Caroline McGowan (Customer Services Manager): A very enjoyable day that was ideal for creating a happy and relaxed atmosphere. Excellent idea…
Jason O’Brien (Call Centre Help Desk): This was a real eye opener - especially seeing Allen Togwell as a real human being! The company are certainly heading in the right direction with this type of staff event. Both the serious and not-so-serious sides to the day were conducted in the right spirit. The day was well thought out and very enjoyable…
Marion Beirne (Customer Services Rep.): Excellent for new staff especially. You could sense the creation of a happy atmosphere. A very enjoyable day…
Helen Corkerry (Driver’s Services): I enjoyed the day very much. It was organised so well and the double team of Keith Cain and Allen Togwell were hilarious…
‘Curls’ Ambrose (Customer Services Rep.): I had a brilliant time, won lots of prizes and can’t wait for the next one! Thanks to the Board for making us all feel so important, they did a wonderful job…
Edie Livermore (Evening Shift Supervisor): Excellent, brilliant, very enjoyable and a great idea! Did I mention how much I enjoyed it?!!…
Davidson Mathurine (Customer Services Rep.): The day really made you feel part of the DAC organisation. Excellent fun, great company, good food, what more could we ask for. Here’s to the next Awayday…

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