Taxi Driver Online

I wonder if some of you could offer a bit of advice in regards to building a taxi office?

I took an old taxi office over nearly two years ago that had a very bad reputation and was down to one driver and no phone work and hardly any walk in trade.

I renamed the business worked my arse off and the work has built up but I struggle to recruit new drivers and old drivers alike. The week work is slow but saturday night is a nightmare as we cant keep up with the work and lose alot.

My question is how can I get drivers to come and work for me and how can I build up the work? I know to keep drivers I need more work but I have started advertising with 'Yell' (so far nothing from it) and leaflet dropping which is working but this all takes time and you can only take as much work as you have drivers! (Catch 22!) Can anyone else give me some pointers as to building up the work other than what I have suggested?

Thanks for any advice it will be appreciated before I go mad! And yes, I know I am one of 'them' now, an operator, the drivers enemy but I have tried to be different and be nice to the drivers! Oh boy! what a mistake! Have been c***ed on from a great height and walked all over by drivers and receptionists! But never give up!

Cheers!

Have you tried recruiting part time drivers for just the weekends?

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Ah hah, the ultimate cherry pickers.

But weren't you denigrating full time drivers for 'cherry picking' their own hours, Toots?

By the way, you may call my "Do as Toots says..." criticisms "sniping", but wasn't it you who used this type of argument initially?

So it's Do as Toots says, not as she does on using the phrase, Do as one says, not as one does

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Caledonian Cabbie

Buying up the competition is the best way.

Otherwise you are in the catch 22 position.

I suspect the reason why you are mobbed Saturday is because the competition is as well, so all those phone calls are out of desperation.

What you need is some sort of council/hospital/white collar contract work during the week.

Get that and the cars that were doing it before might come over.

But to build a firm it will cost you money.

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IDFIMH

We found that rather than wasting money with yell, it was better to divert that money towards items like ad-loop key fobs (approx 17p each) which we managed to get onto the all of the keys on the local Uni rooms, that gave us potentially a 1000 new customers.
We also purchased custom made mouse mats and drinks coasters (50p & 18p each) and we got these into as many business premises as possable. You can waste your money with companies like Yell who will promise you hundreds of new potential customers who will usually all phone up on a Saturday night, and a large percentage probably wont be from your area!
We find the ad-loops tend to stay on peoples keys as they are not bulky in the pocket, and who would throw away a free mouse mat. Once other drivers see you are making the effort and rival firms are not, they take note and eventually see you are a progressive firm and they will want to join you. The secret then is to keep up the investment in trying to get new customers, we do this continually and it has paid off for us even in these supposed lean times.

I like the mouse mat and drinks coasters idea??

That's really helpful information for somebody who's trying to make a go at it. It kind of sums you tho cc. If he was to do as I do he wouldn't be sitting in a taxi office trying to work it out. I think this guy wants suggestions that may help and not your little remarks about what you think of me, you should reserve those for the post about nothing

The circuit I work on uses fridge magnets for advertising as well as the mousemats and mugs

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

That's really helpful information for somebody who's trying to make a go at it. It kind of sums you tho cc. If he was to do as I do he wouldn't be sitting in a taxi office trying to work it out. I think this guy wants suggestions that may help and not your little remarks about what you think of me, you should reserve those for the post about nothing

The circuit I work on uses fridge magnets for advertising as well as the mousemats and mugs

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

I'm sure he does not think of you as nothing Toots!

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

Why not give the punters a free plasma tv & free rides as well! What good advice NOT! free free everything free. I bet your phones are ringing 24/7

I wouldn't put yourself down like that Toots.

But didn't you once say you're more or less part-time yourself and work when it suits you?

But no qualms about telling full-time drivers that they're cherry picking when they work

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Caledonian Cabbie

I do hope you've managed to extract relevant answers to your question, wrexhamdriver!

Well if he hasn't then perhaps he should stick to the driving, but I suspect he has more nous than you give him credit for

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Caledonian Cabbie

Looks like I have started a lively debate!!

I think the mousemats with the company name and number is a good idea, never thought of that one!

I had already thought about keyfobs but was wondering how good are they? I mean, who gets them? Everyone or just the regular customers? Does this type of advertising prove costly or is it cost effective at bringing in more work?

I have tried to get part time drivers but none are forthcoming and when they do come the full time drivers think if they have a few days off they should pay part time settle too!

I had two drivers start the other week, one full time 5 nights and the other part time fri and sat night. Because we all had a poor friday night including all the other offices I am told both new drivers handed in there radios, even though they had great sat night! Can someone figure them out for me because I cant, driving me mad!!

We did for a while knock £1 off all fares between 6 and 9 every night when I first started and that was a great success, not sure if to try it again still thinking about that one.

I did see the stickers for the back of the £1 which I thought a good idea, but they seem to have bad press so not sure what to think of that really. Anyone got any input on that idea?

Can anyone else think of more ways to advertise?

Thanks for the input!

Oh yes! I cant really afford to give away tv's and give free rides just yet! Maybe in a few years!!

Mr Wrexham driver, your drivers dont stay because you are discounting fares and all your doing is taking money out of their pockets.
You say they had a good weekend, well I have to say everybody has their own idea of Good Weekend, mine would be £200+ for a Saturday night. If they have taken £120 that may not be enough.
Another possible reason may be that they are getting dragged around Wrexham. Driver picks up town centre to Johnstown. Next job Llay to Pennyffordd. Next job Chirk to Johnstown. Well Iam sure you get my drift.
Its not your fault but if you had more cars out you could zone them better.
Sussex was right catch22 indeed.
May I add that the key to this is not freebies to customers, its free settle to the would be drivers. Free settle for a few weeks then low settle for six months minimum Money talks Good Luck!