Archive for the 'taxis' Category

One of the core Best Service Is No Service principles is that a company should be proactive in its dealings with customers – taking the initiative as a strategy to prevent problems and unnecessary contacts; thus improving the customer experience.

Well, it happened to me today and I have to say I was very, very impressed – not least because it was totally unexpected.

I am currently spending a lot of time on a client site and using taxis regularly to travel between hotel, airport and two client office locations. A taxi had been booked to take me from the hotel to the office that is my ‘base’ in the morning and another one to return me back to the hotel at the end of the day.

Due to the schedule of meetings, I changed the morning journey to drop me (and two colleagues) at the other office. Whilst we were still en-route, the taxi firm(Edinburgh City Private Hire) called to check whether they should alter the return journey to be a pickup from the second office.

Wow!

Simple, but powerful.

Common sense and obvious you might say, but certainly not a common experience. This kind of joined-up thinking is all too rare – so well done to them.  If you find yourself in Edinburgh, I recommend you call 0131 477 4000 when you need a taxi – and tell them a happy customer sent you.

Now, if they only had online bookings – they could deflect a whole lot of calls to self-service!

brilliant basics, customer experience, customer experience design, fast+simple, good things, taxis, the best service is no service | No Comments

Ever had to get a taxi from Heathrow, but not into London? Then you’ll know this story. Its happened to me twice recently. Fixed fares. What that means is the taxi driver gets £40 i.e. the fare back into central London, Regardless of a short local journey e.g. 5 miles.

Is this the way to represent the UK at its foremost border post?

When asking taxi driver, taxi wallah, taxi desk, BAA desk, the answers are the both the same and different.

Where they are the same is that it’s not their fault, they don’t know who you take it up with and sorry but nothing you can do about it. Where they differ is who made them do it.

So  maybe I should send an open letter to all those who were cited as causing the poor taxi driver to have to charge £40. Dear Lord Mayor of London, CEO of BAA ( hola!) and Chief Constable of Surrey Constabulary. Of and all taxi drivers.

Snr CEO – Why do BAA charge taxi drivers £5.50 to pick up customers. Surely your airport would be rubbish without taxis.

If local runs are not what taxi drivers want because they’ve sat 2 hours waiting to get to the head of the queue, why not have 2 taxi ranks – London cabs and local taxis rather than a monopoly on cabs?

Mr Lord Mayor, why should you allow tourists and business men who aren’t going to central London to have their first rip off experience of London in their first hour in UK?

Taxi drivers – if your time is so valuable, why not just drive straight back to London rather than sit in a queue for 2 hours? And do a local fare on your way out please

Mr Chief Constable – I think you’re forgiven as the taxi driver just made that up….

BA, Customer satisfaction, taxis | No Comments