New MDT's
I hope I'm not repeating or contradicting anything that might be reported elsewhere in this issue as I have no idea what's in Call Sign until I see it along with the rest of you, but having just been given a preview of one of the new MDT's that we have out on test, I feel compelled to express my initial reaction.
   After seeing it in operation, I was asked by the driver who was testing this MDT what I thought of it. I was so impressed that I was momentarily stuck for an answer, but couldn't help agreeing with his rather coarse - yet so apt - expression of it being "the dogs b******s!" Even in its state of it being a mock-up, the size of the screen, the clarity, capabilities, functionality and operation was without doubt, absolutely fantastic. To use the phrase 'state of the art' would be an understatement. Whether or not this is the MDT that will be chosen out of those on test, I do not know. But if it is, or the others are equally as impressive, then our new terminal is going to be a marketing dream and every one of you are going to be very pleased indeed.
   We've waited a long time for the right product and having had hopes raised and then dashed, at last we seem to have finally got what we have been searching for. It could of course go wrong yet again, but somehow I feel we have finally cracked it.
   On the sales and marketing front, the implementation of a new MDT knows no bounds. Apart from exploiting the product itself, the fact that we will be able to expand our fleet to meet the demands of any number of clients of any size makes the mind boggle.
   As a radio circuit, Dial-a-Cab have always had since the days when we were known as 'Lords', a sizeable waiting list of new drivers. This still applies today. In fact, from the volume of enquiries we get re length of wait to become a DaC subscriber, if it were publicly announced that we were fitting new drivers, I reckon we would have a queue of applicants stretching all the way to the Angel!
   The attraction, of course, is not just our long standing reputation of being a gentlemen's circuit, but the manner in which we dispatch our work, ie 'zonal' and not 'nearest cab' which is the case with our competitors who are using the old GPS system. I say old, because there are now GPS systems available which operate both zonal and nearest cab. Zonal for inner City work and 'nearest cab' for outer town, which makes obvious sense.
   I cannot wait to market the new MDT, it is going to be as exciting as when we went live with Data Despatch. As I've said in the past when the other two radio taxi organisations spent fortunes on GPS, clients don't give a damn how a trip is dispatched, it could go via carrier pigeon for all they care! What they want is a cab outside their door at the time required.
   Hence the reason we have chosen to invest our money on supplying the right tools for the driver, which in turn improves the service to the client.

Time Out For The PCO Dress Code?
I don't suppose many of you noticed the article claiming that the PCO were discussing the idea of a dress code. The reason I say few may have noticed it, was because the article was published in Time Out magazine with comments purportedly by PCO Officer in Charge, Roy Ellis and Bob Oddy from the LTDA.
Further enquiries to the PCO to see if they would expand on the subject proved negative.
   However I mention it only because the sections of the article that made me wince were the comments made by Mr Oddy, whereby he allegedly claims that he has never heard of such absolute rubbish in all his life and that the beauty of being a cab driver is having the freedom to dress exactly as you please. This made me wonder what chance we have with a so-called spokesman for the trade totally dismissing out of hand, something that might just improve the trade's image,

something our trade will most definitely need when private hire licensing takes place. To condone the wearing of flip flops, string vests and dirty track suit bottoms in the name of freedom, beggars belief!
   There was an article some months ago in a trade paper written by a leading member of that paper's organisation, claiming that the public treat cab drivers like peasants. I've no idea where the person in question got this information from, but if Mr Oddy's freedom of dress is anything to go by, then it is most likely that the cab drivers who conveyed these complaints of being treated like peasants, were probably dressed like the following.... (here we go - another bumper mailbag! ...Ed)

Je Ne Sais Quoi - That Indefinable Quality...
Several weeks ago I was passing through our drivers reception when I noticed a man sitting there who was dressed in a grubby T-shirt, dirty screwed up khaki shorts, sandals, no socks and about 4 days growth on his chin. Surely there was no way that he was he a cab driver and as the reception was being manned by a young lady, I was a little concerned. I was in a hurry so I asked another Board member to come down immediately.
   It transpired that the man was a cab driver and also a member of our circuit - he was also working. To all of you whose future is likely to be dependent on the licensed cab trade, I ask you; would you employ this man if you owned this company? Do you honestly believe it to be acceptable or conducive to future business for someone representing your trade and your circuit to be dressed like that going into the offices of our clients? These are the clients who at this moment are supplying you with over 30 million pounds worth of business a year? Even in the name of freedom, I don't think so...

Fixed Prices
Nearly every week I receive complaints from drivers about a fixed price ride they have completed. Unfortunately, no matter what explanation I give, I am never going to win because we have 1700 or so members, each with his own opinions!
   One driver dammed me for having fixed prices at all, saying it wasn't necessary in the present climate. Another wanted them to be above the meter with added gratuity and built in waiting time. Another said that we should reduce them so we can compete for the work that our clients give to minicabs etc etc.
   Firstly, I would like to say that we are currently in the process of re-assessing the whole of our fixed price data base. This will include notifying all our clients of any increases and requesting various details, including destinations no longer required.
   One of the questions commonly asked of us is how we calculate fixed prices. Firstly, we do not have a set list of prices. Every client is negotiated individually, but the principles are usually the same for all. For example, apart from the odd few exceptions, we do not give fixed price trips between 06:00 and 20:00hrs. Our reasoning for taking fixed prices after 20:00 hrs is that, with the roads reasonably clear, the journey's can be based on time and distance. Strangely enough Com-Cab work in reverse, they give fixed prices during the daytime but not usually after 20:00.
   The meter, as you all know, calculates at approximately £1.45 a mile for the first 6 miles and £2. a mile thereafter. I cannot for obvious reason's, give details of our prices except to say that we load the first 6 miles to  compensate drivers doing a short

trip and then reduce the on-going miles in bands according to the distance. What I can disclose is that on average, the journey value in time is never less than £50 an hour. Unfortunately, to some drivers this is not enough. I explained that contrary to what some might believe, it is still a very competitive market place even though trade is buoyant. To those that are still dissatisfied, I can only suggest they raise the issue at the next AGM.

Millennium
At the time of drafting this report, I have just finished mailing a questionnaire to our clients asking for details of their likely taxi usage over Christmas and the Millennium. The object of the exercise is for Dial-a-Cab to get some indication of the likely usage so that we can inform those of our members who are undecided, as to whether it is worth working. More when we get it...

'Pro-Active'
In an age of buzz words, it's nice when you hear examples that really justify the meaning. Recently, there have been occasions whereby the pro-active approach of our drivers have been complimented by several of our large accounts - one of which we acquired very recently. One typical case in question involved a passenger who complained to one of our drivers about certain procedures when booking a cab.    The driver diplomatically listened, he then gave a limited explanation, and on dropping the passenger, immediately contacted David Adelman in Sales.
   By coincidence, some time later the same driver collected a lady passenger, who just happened to be the contracts director from the same company, whereby, in addition to enthusiastically asking the client numerous questions as to how they were finding our service etc, he mentioned the previous passenger's complaint. On being asked the passengers name, the driver politely refused, explaining it was classified information. When the lady spoke to David Adelman, she was both surprised and impressed to hear that DA knew all about it, and impressed by the drivers pro-active and professional attitude.
   In America, it is quite common amongst taxi firms to have a 'driver of the month' award whereby the driver above would be a typical candidate. In most instances, the winner is usually a driver who has been exceptionally helpful, courteous or just simply someone who has made the passenger's journey a pleasure to the point where they feel it should be complimented. In addition to a certificate, the driver receives a cash prize from the taxi firm and in many instances from the client too.
   I've often wondered whether such an award could be introduced at Dial-a-Cab.

WINE CHALLENGE
Following on from the successful Receptionist of the Year award which we carried out in conjunction with the Times newspaper at the end of 1998, The Times are interested in running another project with us. This one will be a sort of a Beaujolais Wine Run in reverse.
   The idea is to have three DaC drivers, a TX1, Fairway and a Metrocab, competing against each other by collecting a case of wine from a selected vineyard somewhere in southern England and delivering the wine to a particular hotel in Paris with various drops en route.
   Any driver wishing to be selected to participate in this fun-run - which is scheduled to take place on 18th November 1999 - should contact me at the office with their call sign. My extension is 223.
   The successful candidates will be drawn at random and the requirements needed are that the TX1 and Metro need to be any colour OTHER THAN BLACK while the Fairway must be black. ALL cabs must carry the DaC livery and it must have been fitted by October 1st. Also, the drivers must be presentable and have the willingness to be interviewed by the press.

Allen Togwell