In the taxi industry, nobody is more important than the customer.
When the customer is happy with their ride, they’ll return to you in the future. In addition to this, they might also:
- Give you an excellent online review
- Recommend your service to friends and family in the city
If they’re not happy, though, they’ll switch to a different service, such as Uber or another taxi company.
As a taxi owner, you’ll naturally want your users to have a happy and stress-free experience – but how easy is it to provide them with this?
Compared to other industries, such as air transportation, taxi drivers have it relatively easy. By following certain tips and tricks, they can ensure that their customers have the experience to remember.
Where should you begin? Let’s take a closer look right now!
1. Get a New Taxi
The first step you should take is simple: get a new taxi.
These days, you don’t have to break the bank to do this, thanks to affordable monthly payments.
On the internet, there are lots of taxi for sale. Browse through the different models to see which appeals to you the most, whether it’s the Ford Transit Kombi or the Suzuki Vitara.
After investing in a new taxi, you’ll be able to provide customers with a modern, luxurious experience. Just make sure that you maintain your taxi both internally and externally. The better it looks and feels, the more customers you will attract. You can maintain your taxi through the following:
- Weekly washes
- Waxing to keep a nice shine
- Frequent check-ups at the garage
Through regular maintenance, you won’t have to worry as much about faults and damages, which can be quite costly (especially in the current economic climate). If you neglect the maintenance of your taxi, then you’re risking a whole host of future problems.
2. Provide Customers with a Mobile App
Back in the old days, people who needed a ride would either flag taxis by hand or call an operator. Now, this has all changed.
The vast majority of rides are now booked through mobile apps (just look at Uber).
Hence, it’s incredibly important to provide your customers with a mobile app so that they can make quick and reliable bookings. This removes any stress from the process and gives them peace of mind.
Your app should be designed so that customers are provided with accurate arrival times and costs. There should also be a built-in option to contact you directly with any questions. For example, if you were running slightly late, customers could request a quick update regarding your location and how long you’ll be.
3. Drive Calmly and Efficiently
When a user is in the taxi with you, they don’t want to feel like their life is in danger!
Logically, you want to get them to their location as quickly as possible. However, there’s a way to do this without driving in a crazy or dangerous fashion.
While your passenger is sitting beside you or in the backseat, you should drive as if you were escorting royalty. From calm acceleration to looking out for road markings, make sure to tick all the right boxes (almost like you’re on a driving test). If you decide to go against this and drive recklessly, then it will leave a bad impression, and you’ll likely receive a negative review. In some cases, if a taxi driver is driving extremely badly, a user will ask them to stop and let them out of the car, which you obviously don’t want to happen!
Calm and efficient driving is the key. Once you achieve this, you’ve halfway to success.
4. Be Polite
Sometimes, when people drive with strangers in taxis, it can make them slightly apprehensive and nervous. This is why you should always be nice and polite when they enter your vehicle. It will put passengers at ease and let them know that you can be trusted. There will also be occasions when passengers want to engage in conversation with you, so make sure to engage with them when this is the case. You might find that it even makes the journeys more entertaining for you.
5. Offer ‘Assistance Rides’ for the Disabled and Elderly
All types of cities – small to big – have a fair share of disabled and elderly people who rely on taxis to transport them around. However, this is often only possible when a taxi is built to accommodate them. For example, you’ll need a wheelchair ramp for individuals in wheelchairs.
To make life stress-free for your riders (as well as give your taxi business a major boost), you should offer ‘assistance rides’ for the disabled and elderly. From assisting them into your vehicle to making sure they’re strapped in securely and safely, there are many procedures you might have to follow. This is exactly the type of service that Uber currently offers to its disabled and elderly users.
It’s worth bearing in mind that if you’re offering this specialist service, you’ll likely have to invest in a larger space taxi.
6. Collect Feedback
Collecting feedback is also another great method for providing a stress-free experience for users.
After riding with you, users can be sent SMS or email surveys (if they’re registered with your app) so that they can then provide feedback on the journey they’ve just had.
You can then make improvements to your taxi service from the feedback you collect that create a more relaxing, fun, and stress-free experience for riders.
This could be a range of factors, from adding snacks to the backseats to arriving at destinations quicker.
Guide Conclusion
Whether you are a self-employed taxi driver or work for a large taxi company, you can try the tips discussed above. If you implement them correctly, you will be able to provide users with stress-free rides for years to come. In turn, this will help to distinguish you from competitors and ultimately be more successful.