The anatomy of good, clean Taxi service

City Taxi’s Neil Shorey shares his list of fundamental principles

Originally posted August 19, this article was updated August 23rd at 11am as “Bonus Point No. 20” was added.

By Christian Zdravko

Taxi drivers have strayed away from their principles, says Neil Shorey, City Taxi’s assistant general manager.

Shorey went to work with City in 2010, and is seasoned in upper management, business strategy, sales, training, and human resources.

Too many Taxi drivers have forgotten “the traditional bedrock of what the anatomy of good clean Taxi service looks like,” says Shorey.

He notes that back in the 1950’s, Taxis were a popular, appreciated service because drivers followed and respected the principles.

Shorey says now, the fundamentals of the craft that have led to repeat customers have been forgotten.

A monopoly on the transportation market led to Taxi drivers taking their business for granted, according to Shorey. “You cannot call Ghostbusters,” he says.

When Uber entered the scene, it attracted customers because so many Taxi drivers neglected healthy practices.

Shorey shares a list for Taxi drivers called “The Anatomy of Good, Clean Taxi Service” about what drivers must do to see more success in their business and improve the Taxi reputation.

No. 1: Perform daily personal hygiene

“Sounds simple, but you would be surprised by how many people have body odour issues or other hygiene issues that aren’t helpful to performing Taxi service in close quarters on often warm days.”

No. 2: Begin each day with a car wash

Shorey said when he began in the industry, all drivers started their shift with a car wash. He hopes to see that practice return.

“You did not begin to service the public until your car was clean,” Shorey says.

Because cabbies get a discount on car washes, there is no excuse not to give a Taxi a daily scrub.

For cabbies, he said washing the cab is “an investment in your craft.”

No. 3: Make sure the vehicle is smelling pleasant inside, via the use of a Febreze scented car air clip deodorizer.

This simple, affordable trick can improve the quality of a Taxi ride. Alternatively, there is the classic scented ‘tiny tree’ that can hang by the mirror.

No. 4: Do not smoke until after your shift if you have to smoke at all

“That smoke is not only illegal to do while driving a Taxi, but it gets in your clothes, and it gets in the car.”

Shorey says the bylaws do not allow smoking in Taxi vehicles at all.

No. 5: Smile. Greet the customer in a friendly way

Another thing “that has gone the way of the dinosaur.” Shorey says it is fundamental to a strong Taxi business.

No. 6: Once you arrive at your pickup destination, get out of the car, be ready to assist with any items in the trunk, and/or if the client should need a hand with the Taxi door, and/or getting in comfortably or safely

Shorey says in the past, cabbies helping passengers with the door, belongings, or holding their arm if needed was “part of service.”

“Over time, we have a generation of drivers that have grown as part of the seat.  Not only is that not good for your circulation, but it does also not provide you with any daily exercise. It really makes the job over time harder because you are not getting any circulation,” says Shorey.

“So, driving up to your pickup, seeing your customer, and simply popping the button for the trunk and sitting there is not really service.”

No. 7: Ask the client where they would like to go, and if they have any preferred route in mind.

Immediately tunr the metre on to determine the end fare,

“The Taxi metre is the agreed-upon referee. It avoids  having the driver making up the fare,  and it avoids the customer from bartering.”

Shorey says Taxi clients have developed a habit of trying to barter with Taxi drivers, when at the end of the day, it is the metre decides the fare. It exists “for everyone’s safety and consumer protection,” and that there should never be fare disputes.

No. 8: Make sure you check all directions and blind spots, and then slowly pull away at a controlled pace

If a driver is negligent of their surroundings, that can make riders feel uneasy, says Shorey. Darting movements, or not watching for cyclists are bad practices when driving the Taxi.

“You have to be very careful as you pull away from the curb that it’s clear. You have to signal, and you have to pull away at a comfortable pace.”

Shorey recounts a tragic story of a Toronto an Uber driver from Ottawa. It was his first day, so he relied on his phone to guide him. For one trip, he was driving a passenger to Pearson Airport. While driving on the QEW, his phone, with the directions to the airport, fell on the floor. He pulled over to retrieve the phone. He pulled back onto the road without checking oncoming traffic and got T-boned. One of his passengers died in the accident. The other suffered serious injuries.

“That was the single seminal moment that proved Rideshare needs proper training, and why people that are not professionals in their craft and practicing the anatomy of a good clean Taxi ride should not be doing the job.”

No. 9: Drive at the speed limit smoothly – avoid jerky driving and sudden stop and starts

“Because cab drivers do it every day, they tend to drive faster than any normal person because they are professional drivers, much like you see at Nascar.”

Despite this, Shorey encourages drivers to drive smoothly, and brake smoothly. Doing this will decrease the number of passenger complaints of uncomfortable rides.

No. 10: Share the road politely with other motorists and cyclists – avoid roadway conflicts with other drivers

“Today, unfortunately, road rage and interactions with the public and cyclists with Taxi are not in a good place. Drivers are swearing, yelling, giving the finger, all this nonsense. The Taxi driver’s responsibility as part of a transportation chain in any city is to share that road peacefully and properly with other motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians.”

No. 11: Respect the right of your passenger to a silent ride.

They may wish quiet. Should they wish to speak to you, they will talk to you

“You do not have to guess whether the client is talkative or would like a chat on the way. Start with a silent ride, which is one of the fundamentals of Taxi that is in the Taxi riders bill of rights, and they may want to just work on their phone, or they may wish to speak to you and have a conversation, which you can have if they initiate it, but do not assume everybody wants to just chat away.”

No. 12: Stick to neutral topics such as the weather or the local sports team – avoid religion and politics and personal questions

Through neutral topics, the driver avoids offending the passenger, or putting them in an uncomfortable situation.

A large number of Taxi complaints stem from drivers who try to indoctrinate their beliefs to passengers, according to Shorey.

No. 13: Once safely at the destination, find a safe spot to allow the customer to depart your Taxi.

Again, be prepared to get out of your Taxi to assist the client, or to carry the bags to the client’s building entrance, such as grocery bags, if required.

Taxi drivers are more than extensions of the seat, Shorey emphasizes. Helping customers from outside of the vehicle is an integral part of the cab service that many drivers today have forgotten and must relearn.

No. 14: Ask the client how they would like to pay for the ride.

Make sure you have a clean, fully charged point of sales terminal for their debit or credit requests

There are instances, Shorey says, of Taxi drivers who claim their machine is broken so they can convince passengers to pay cash instead.

He says Taxi has “an issue with customer trust when it comes to conducting payments through debit and credit.”

This is a situation exclusive to Taxis, because in Uber, transactions are done exclusively digitally.

No. 15: Always have a proper float of change and various bills for the client’s change

“Sounds simple. Legally, you are supposed to have a float.  A lot of drivers do not have the proper denominations, or change or bills, and that puts pressure on the client to either not get their proper change back, or overtip. It aggravates the customer.”

No. 16: Always prepare the client’s change in full – never assuming, never asking for a tip

Shorey says the number of times drivers take a bill, then wish the customer a nice day without returning any change is surprising.

“Not everyone is happy with that. It is better to prepare the change in full, and if the customer wants you to keep it or have some sort of tip, they will let you know.”

No. 17: If a tip is offered, graciously acknowledge it, and accept it with thanks and humility

“Tipping is not a right. It is something you earn through service. Through good, clean Taxi service, you will earn more tips,” says Shorey.

No. 18: Thank your client for their Taxi business and wish them a good day

End the ride in a positive, professional manner, Shorey suggests.

No. 19: Rinse and repeat

These principles must be practiced on a regular basis, with all customers.

“It’s a simple hospitality job. We are all guilty of getting away from the fundamentals, and that’s what’s caused us all our trouble,” says Shorey.

“The Taxi industry abandoned old fashioned good clean service and has paid a terrible price for it. We must get back to the basics of good customer service.”

BONUS POINT No. 20: When dropping a fare late at night, a professional driver will wait until the person gets safely inside their door, whether it is a house, apartment or condo lobby. “Unfortunately, this has become almost a forgotten common courtesy,” Shorey notes.