Black cab journeys trigger more complaints than those in private hire vehicles – 69 per cent of all complaints in 2009 in Manchester.

Cab driver swears at wrong passenger

September 15, 2010

A cab driver picked on the wrong person when he swore at a passenger who quizzed his choice of route.

He launched a foul-mouthed outburst at a ‘mystery shopper’ working for the council – to test the customer service skills of drivers.

The driver became annoyed when the customer questioned the route he was taking from Manchester Airport to Peel Hall Primary School in Wythenshawe.

He snatched up his sat-nav to show the customer and said: “Listen don’t give me a headache. I’m following the road, yeah? I can do without that s***.”

The driver then took the mystery shopper, who said they felt threatened, to the wrong address and became annoyed again when asked for a receipt.

The shocking evidence features in a Manchester council report detailing the mystery shopping scheme.

The authority’s licensing unit launched the pilot scheme in a bid to improve the standard of service black cab drivers provide.

The driver involved now faces an interview with the unit which will decide on appropriate action.

Black cab journeys trigger more complaints than those in private hire vehicles – 69 per cent of all complaints in 2009 in Manchester. Problem issues include the standard of service for disabled people, night-time journeys from the city centre, inaccurate fare charges and drivers’ knowledge of the area.

One hundred journeys were taken for the pilot scheme during May and June this year. Each mystery shopper assessed areas such as the external appearance of the vehicle and interaction with the customer.

They also gave a mark for overall satisfaction. A satisfaction mark of 70 per cent was deemed acceptable. Twenty-one scored less than this, mainly due to the poor interpersonal skills of the driver.

The licensing unit will now interview these drivers and some may be offered formal training. Forty-seven drivers gave excellent service, scoring over 95pc.

A council spokesman said: “We learned a great deal from the exercise. As well as showing up areas where the service could be improved, it also highlighted good practice.

“We are going to carry out further exercises and already have one planned to look at the experiences of passengers with disabilities.”

One problem thrown up by the pilot scheme was the ability of many drivers, who had been warned in advance about the exercise, to spot the mystery shoppers.

One driver, who scored 96.7pc for a journey from the airport to Abbey Pines Clinic, asked whether his passenger was a mystery shopper after recognising him from a previous trip that morning. He said he never forgot a face as he had been driving taxis for 18 years.

The pilot test comes two years after an NVQ course was introduced at Northenden College for drivers to improve their etiquette.

Source; http://menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... _passenger

The pilot test comes two years after an NVQ course was introduced at Northenden College for drivers to improve their etiquette.

the HC have always been at the airport, weren't the PH an alternative supplier?????????????

Oh and I doubt the "mystery shoppers" approached the PH vehicles.

that would be entrapment

that would be entrapment

If approached i give out a business card and say "ring asap, theres a car local"

and i drive round the block once.....

If approached i give out a business card and say "ring asap, theres a car local"

and i drive round the block once.....

touting?

CC