Like any customer service role – don’t let anybody tell you that being a private hire or taxi driver is an easy job because, just like any line of work, cab driving has benefits and drawbacks. Not only will you be expected to turn up promptly, have a decent knowledge of the surrounding area, and know where you’re operating like the back of your hand, but you’ll also be expected to deliver exceptional customer service – all the while keeping your eyes on the road ahead!
Due to this, cab driving can seem quite an impersonal career, but this won’t stop your clients from expecting you to tend to their needs as you would in a restaurant, shop, bar etc. And in fact, doing so is vital to ensure that they keep coming back and spreading the word about your services to their family and friends. So, what other things will your clients expect, and how can you make sure you meet their expectations? We outline several in our article below:
Cleanliness
Unlike a brick-and-mortar office, your taxi moves around every day, offering its services to many likes of people. How it's presented will serve as your customer's first impression of your services. If you turn up in an untidy, beaten-up cab, they’re more likely to get a negative image, never use your services again and tell others about their bad experience.
On the other hand, if you show up in a taxi with shining leather seats, a fresh-smelling interior, litter-free, and vacuumed mats, it highlights your professionalism. It shows that you take pride in your work, making them more likely to have a positive experience. However, when looking at taxis for sale, you can’t always find one that looks the part without breaking the bank. However, using retailers like Cab Direct, private hire and taxi drivers can take their pick from brand-new, purpose-built, and used taxis (some of which are as good as new!) for cost-effective prices.
Equipped with a like-new vehicle by your side, you’re more likely to be inclined to keep it looking fresh for as long as possible and give your clients an excellent first impression. Consider visiting their website to browse their entire range of taxis for sale and see how they could help maintain your professional and clean image today.
Knowledge Of The Area
When you’re a private hire or taxi driver, one of the main expectations your clients will have of you is that you’ll know the area you’re operating in like the back of your hand, primarily if you work for a taxi firm that operates in a large city like Birmingham, London, Manchester etc.
Since you’re more likely to pick up passengers visiting the city who have no idea how to reach their destination alone, you won't always be able to rely on others for directions when needed! Whether your passenger is meeting up with their friends at a local bar or heading to the airport to see family, they expect you to be road-savvy and take the fastest route to their destination so they can arrive promptly.
Not only does being road-savvy lead to more satisfied customers, but it will also prevent you from sitting in queues of built-up traffic, which might cause delays in you reaching/dropping off customers in time.
If you’re new to the area, you might find that keeping up to date with the latest travel news via the radio will help you reach from A to B more efficiently. Or use a reputable sat nav system/ traffic app for taxi drivers, as this tech will do everything for you (except drive!) and help you deliver customers with minimal hold-ups.
Remain Clam At All Times
Even though you deal with customers differently than you would across a bar or retail premises, customer service is at the core of every private hire or taxi driver’s job. And let’s face it; sometimes situations can arise that can put you and the passenger you’re servicing in awkward positions.
Whether there's loads of traffic and your customer is due at the train station in the next five minutes, or they’ve had a bad day at work, so they’re not the most sociable, many things can happen throughout the course of a journey that can cause the atmosphere to get tense.
However, in these situations, you will be expected to remain calm and come up with a reasonable solution to their problem while reassuring them that you’ll do everything in your power to get them to their destination as quickly as possible.
You might have to do some quick thinking and think of an alternate route you could take or change their drop-off location so that they can walk the rest of the way to their destination on foot instead of wasting precious time sitting in hordes of traffic.
