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What makes for a successful taxi / PH company?
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Author:  Socrates [ Tue Jan 14, 2014 11:55 pm ]
Post subject:  What makes for a successful taxi / PH company?
Why is it that some companies, such as Addison Lee / Blueline / Delta etc, prosper whilst others do not?

What are these companies doing that couldn't be replicated by anybody else?
Author:  skippy41 [ Wed Jan 15, 2014 12:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What makes for a successful taxi / PH company?
Socrates wrote:
Why is it that some companies, such as Addison Lee / Blueline / Delta etc, prosper whilst others do not?

What are these companies doing that couldn't be replicated by anybody else?


self employed slave labor
Author:  187ums [ Wed Jan 15, 2014 3:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What makes for a successful taxi / PH company?
Artificially low fares comes to mind as well.

Are they really that successful ?
Author:  Nidge2 [ Wed Jan 15, 2014 6:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What makes for a successful taxi / PH company?
187ums wrote:
Artificially low fares comes to mind as well.

Are they really that successful ?


No, they'll only attract the low end of society by offering cheap fares.
Author:  roythebus [ Wed Jan 15, 2014 9:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What makes for a successful taxi / PH company?
My company I quite successful by charging a sensible rate for jobs, offering a safe, prompt, reliable service, and keeping the firm small, just 2 of us! The cars are cleaned regularly, never smell of cigarette smoke, we're always on time for pick-ups. We don't make a fortune but still have to work for slave labour rates!!
Author:  Sussex [ Wed Jan 15, 2014 9:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What makes for a successful taxi / PH company?
Socrates wrote:
Why is it that some companies, such as Addison Lee / Blueline / Delta etc, prosper whilst others do not?

What are these companies doing that couldn't be replicated by anybody else?

Well I'm not too sure I would wish to replicate them.

Maybe people who want to run a firm based on slave labour might see those firms as the peak of the trade, I think they are well and truly stuck at the bottom.

I don't know what the churn rate is on Addison Lee, but the rate of not renewing a London PH license is 40%.

I suspect in the other two firms are most grateful for a long line of unemployed folks who will work for f*** all, financed in part by state benefits.
Author:  wannabeeahack [ Wed Jan 15, 2014 11:04 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What makes for a successful taxi / PH company?
Id call 140 cars paying £135 a week base rent plus 10-20% off the top of every account job a success, wouldnt you?

(just one i could mention)

thats almost £19,000 a WEEK in CASH every monday morning (£988,000 a year) and the owner moaned his accounts took 2 staff a while to print and post off.....but was worth £250,000 a year to HIM
Author:  mancityfan [ Wed Jan 15, 2014 11:29 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What makes for a successful taxi / PH company?
I'm not so sure it's slave labour either? I used to sit on a rank and take fare from a to b for say £10 then return to the rank. Now on a circuit they are picking up near the rank and charging £6 say from a to b, and getting a return for £6 back into town, that's £12 for the same mileage £2 quid more. I'm lucky as I do both, I work rank and circuit,and can never understand hacks that sit on a rank all day moaning about p/hires working for nothing.
Author:  Socrates [ Wed Jan 15, 2014 11:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What makes for a successful taxi / PH company?
Slave labour has been mentioned twice ...

Slaves are by definition subject to forced labour... How are these companies forcing drivers to join and remain with them? Are you suggesting perhaps that innocent victims are somehow being press ganged into working for these companies against their will?

Drivers are either forced to work for these particular companies or they choose to, in which case slave labour cannot be the answer to the question.

For clarification ... By successful I mean successful in attracting and retaining consumers to spend increasing sums of money with their brand. How are some companies able to sustain increasing volumes of consumers where other companies are not?
Author:  Socrates [ Wed Jan 15, 2014 12:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What makes for a successful taxi / PH company?
[quote="mancityfan"]I'm not so sure it's slave labour either? I used to sit on a rank and take fare from a to b for say £10 then return to the rank. Now on a circuit they are picking up near the rank and charging £6 say from a to b, and getting a return for £6 back into town, that's £12 for the same mileage £2 quid more. I'm lucky as I do both, I work rank and circuit,and can never understand hacks that sit on a rank all day moaning about p/hires working for nothing.[/quote]

Our first submission of empirical evidence! ... Two six pound fares giving the driver more income than one ten pound fare ... Clearly a logical reason why such a driver should choose to remain with the high volume / low fare strategy of the PH operator as oppose to the high fare / low volume strategy of independent HC rank work.

Now back to our original query ... What are the successful companies doing which can't easily be replicated by other companies? Anyone can set a low fare... Even HC drivers with a LA imposed ceiling may still select any fare up to that ceiling. So this cannot be simply about setting a fare structure ... The fare structure needs to be sustainable. How are some brands able to sustain lower fares where others are not. What is their secret?
Author:  Socrates [ Wed Jan 15, 2014 12:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What makes for a successful taxi / PH company?
wannabeeahack wrote:
Id call 140 cars paying £135 a week base rent plus 10-20% off the top of every account job a success, wouldnt you?

(just one i could mention)

thats almost £19,000 a WEEK in CASH every monday morning (£988,000 a year) and the owner moaned his accounts took 2 staff a while to print and post off.....but was worth £250,000 a year to HIM


So here we have an example of a so-called 'successful' brand. Why are drivers handing this man £19,000.00 a week as oppose to handing another man £18,000.00 a week? Or in bringing this back to our original question ... What is this man doing for £19,000.00 a week that couldn't be done by literally anybody else?

What is the secret to his particular success?
Author:  trotskys twin [ Wed Jan 15, 2014 12:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What makes for a successful taxi / PH company?
The minimun fare at Addy Lee is about £11 so it aint cheap fares for them its newish motors that turn up on time and get you there, cost is irrelevant to AL customers who are from the business community.

Slave Labour of course their slaves to their debts Rent Mortgage bank loans credit cards loan sharks Utility bills ad infinitum in London

FACT MANY AL DRIVERS USED TO LIVE IN THEIR VEHICLE FOR 6/ 8 MONTHS THEN GO HOME WITH THEIR TAX FREE EARNINGS THEN COME BACK AND HAVE ANOTHER GO #-o

NOW I BELIEVE THERES MORE SCRUTINY ON HOURS WORKED DOWN TO A CERTAIN MOB IN LONDON REPEATEDLY REPORTING THEIR DESPICABLE WORKING HOURS...........


WONDER WHO THAT WAS #-o .............................................................. =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>
Author:  wannabeeahack [ Wed Jan 15, 2014 1:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What makes for a successful taxi / PH company?
Socrates wrote:

For clarification ... By successful I mean successful in attracting and retaining consumers to spend increasing sums of money with their brand. How are some companies able to sustain increasing volumes of consumers where other companies are not?


by ensuring they provide service

and the fares are cheap.........which is easy by indoctrination and domination, most car owners are scared to leave a circuit for fear of the unknown

whats the hack tariff in Sandwell? i know a PH base telling owners to charge £1/mile day/night/bank holidays
Author:  Socrates [ Wed Jan 15, 2014 1:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What makes for a successful taxi / PH company?
trotskys twin wrote:
The minimun fare at Addy Lee is about £11 so it aint cheap fares for them its newish motors that turn up on time and get you there


So if, as you say, in London the fares are not a key factor, and assuming any company is in theory capable of 'turning up on time and getting you there' ... You're suggesting that the critical difference between the winners (AL) and losers (HCs) in London is the type of vehicle employed, let's file that as proposion no. 1...

1. Consumers prefer newer Ford Galaxies than metropolitan HC style vehicles.
Author:  Socrates [ Wed Jan 15, 2014 2:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What makes for a successful taxi / PH company?
wannabeeahack wrote:
...most car owners are scared to leave a circuit for fear of the unknown


Proposition number 2... Most car owners are scared of the unknown ... Those unafraid may therefore go on to lead a 'successful' taxi operation ... Such as Blueline or Delta. So propositions thus far are

1) consumers generally prefer saloon vehicles over metropolitan style vehicles
2) taxi bosses are braver / bolder than their drivers

Any more?
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