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LETTERS

 Have the Dummies Taken Over

A reluctant reply to Mr Spiro’s article in the last issue of News & Views. I say reluctant because I have always tried to keep personal differences and feelings out of any dealings I have in business in the Control room (because it clouds one’s judgement). Decisions based on personal emotions usually are the wrong ones. My position in the firm is one in which I have to be the liaison between the ODRTS and the customers and to see that we, the staff, obey the outwardly, basically simple procedure of taking and despatching work to you, the subscribers, with fairness to all. 

I accept this responsibility and try my utmost to satisfy the majority of the society’s members.  However, you can’t please everyone and I suppose my comments to Mr Spiro, privately said to him in a particular set of circumstances and certainly never meant to be broadcast publicly, seems to have gotten under his skin and brought about a denouncement of the board as a whole and certain members of the staff, myself being one. I am quite capable of accepting and absorbing the brickbats thrown at me by driver and customer alike who believe that they have a genuine grievance and I do my level best to explain to them the reasons why such and such a decision has to be made.

At all times I am conscious of the fact that any decision I make, big or small, might affect some individual or the society as a whole. For example, pacifying an anxious customer and explaining the reasons why there is an extra charge on a particularly awkward job or alternatively asking a driver who has made some error of judgement to use his discretion and compromise over a price of a job. Mr. Spiro’s article on the face of it is well presented and fairly articulate (see Ed’s comment), but unfortunately leaves out many pertinent facts that I will try to explain. His article came about because of a particular job from Grosvenor Street to Farringdon Road. This had a set price of £2.10p and is at a regular time. Rarely is there any delays as the staff of Scottish TV like to be away as sharp as possible. The job was called in the usual way of all pre-booked jobs, ten minutes beforehand. Mr. Spiro accepted the job around the vicinity of Grosvenor Square as he said he would be there in four minutes. He arrived outside and was asked to wait, the material was not ready and he waited a further eight minutes which for this job is rather unusual. The difference of opinion occurred when he asked for an adjustment of the meter for twenty minutes wait and that on completion of the job had £2 on. Mr. Spiro, who has been on the circuit some considerable time and knows the workings of the system intimately, tried to convince me that the customer has to pay the excess waiting on a booked job even before booked time. My answer was that if a driver had to wait any length of time after booked time, then the customer was entitled to pay the going rate and an adjustment would certainly be made to the meter reading. The journey from Grosvenor Street to Farringdon Road at most goes £1.40 if, I repeat, if Mr. Spiro acting in accordance with the society’s rules (being empty and for hire) engaged his clock when accepting the call. Running in with it engaged, he could not in four minutes have more than 60p on, and with the allegedly 20 minutes wait, it would not go £2 (again assuming he went directly to Farringdon Road).

In passing conversation, I did point out that the Board were concerned with the rumour that there were a minority of drivers who, to make the job more lucrative, were setting their clocks in anticipation of a call in the area with money on. I think Mr Spiro agreed that he had heard the rumours too and also agreed that it was against the society’s rules. If Mr Spiro, being the good radio man that he says he is and also being psychic, can anticipate our customers needs and indeed hires himself for them ten minutes before they phone or even know they require a cab, then I take my hat off to him. Mr Spiro has done the same job several times and knows that the price is a good one. My argument was that on the odd occasion there is a small delay and it was fair to compromise. His reply was that on no account should or would he compromise. Knowing the job was a set price, (and I’m still adamant that he waited only eight minutes after booked time,) he insisted on extra payment.

I did in fact conclude he and say to him that he was being short-sighted and greedy. (Cont)…