Taxi Driver Online

Hello all,

As I have already learned you guys tend to give a brutally honest answer, so a question for anyone that wants to join in...

I have seen quite a few online quotation platforms on various sites, most localised to a specific company, but some generic that seem to then tender that quote to the trade for a fee, has anyone had any good experiences with them? bad experience? or anything they would like to say?

As I have already been informed, our directory tends to favour PH companies, I would guess because that's the way they have to generate business, but as I have just learned, HC drivers could get involved in tendering for quotes if they wanted to... (please correct me if any of this is incorrect).

The question really is... would you? would anyone be "arsed" to log into a website if a quote was requested in their area? What would you want to avoid? Is everyone happy with their level of business? Just anything anyone would like to say on the subject, I would like to hear it.

Kind regards and many thanks for your time as always!

Pete

Me, no.

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IDFIMH

Thanks again Sussex,

Can I ask, or rather can you tell me... why?

Many thanks

Pete

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To clarify what I am trying to find out is...

Do people not really use them because:
1. They are not currently very good systems that therefore lead to confusion and more hassle than one gains.
2. Because they are not currently very popular and therefore you spend more time checking for quotes than actually quoting.
3. Because getting to the web on a potentially regular basis is impractical.
4. Because there is an abundance of "standard" work and therefore to start engaging in quotes would be potentially counter-productive.
5. Because I'm old and frightened of change (not aimed at anyone in particular)
6. Because I can pay my bills but I'm never going to be rich and therefore can't be arsed.
7. These are obviously getting nonsensical and therefore I have a genuine reason and would like to state it (please do!)

You probably get the gist... Many thanks,

Pete

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so not much business coming in then pete?

Steveo,



Business is better than ever expected thank you... although I don't come on here to gloat... Not sure where that question came from...? Somewhere out of left field!

I don't see many other directory owners trying to get information from the horses mouth as it were... But, if my presence on here offends you... don't read my posts... I ask for information... not your money! You will notice that the vast majority of our services are free... so not sure how you can go wrong?

World domination never occurs in days, weeks or even months... but those that get lazy and chose not to keep thinking get left behind

Have you not used the web to search for a taxi in the last few months to see what’s happening? Because if you have... I'll be astonished if you have not come across us...

Kind regards

Pete

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Pete, you will have to forgive me but what's a quote platform? There is no charge for information on TDO but if you want advice or opinion I advise you to come right out and ask for it. Otherwise we might be here all year going through a meaningless questionnaire?

State a case and we'll try and answer it.

Regards

JD

JD,

I was trying to be very straight with my question... but for clarification, by online quote platform I mean a form or process on a website where a customer can request a quotation for a specific journey, the details of which they fill in on the form and then receive quotes back.

So, as an example, I would like 4 passengers from Chester to Manchester Airport, on 8/10/06 @ 23:00, with no return journey.

Then taxi companies can log in, view this request in their area, put a price against it and submit it to the customer.

The question that yourself and GA have been debating was the "could you" part (had the answer to that been no, the 2nd question would have been pointless hence the reason I split them up). This question is the "would you" part... Sorry, not meant to be a meaningless questionnaire .

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If the customer paid (funds cleared in advance). Quoted the EXACT journey (number of pick ups) and stuck to the exact time, then i'd consider it (unlikely i'd do it, but i would consider it). Otherwise not a cat in hell's!

Thanks Smiffyz,

I would say that if a customer requests a quote for A to B and then when you pick them up they say "Oh, I would also like you to drop my mates off a C & D on the way". It goes without saying that you should be entitled to amend your price accordingly.

Also the same statement for punctuality.... As a HC what is the score on waiting time? If someone stops you in the street and then says "just wait there a minute" I assume you can charge them for that time? So if someone books you for 5pm and then rocks up at 5.10pm. I would assume you would be within your rights to charge them for that time would you not?

Thanks again...

Pete

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It's ok saying that if they add another drop off/pick on, they should pay for it. But in reality if you've driven 10 miles to a job and they argue about the extra's you could end up doing a 20 odd mile round trip for nothing if they decide they dont want it after all.

It would have to be a good job for me to drag myself more than 4-5 miles for it.
As for waiting time, the clock goes on at the time they were booked for, if they want a cash point/kebab/wait for a mate, they pay for it!

We regulary have 50-100 punters waiting at our offices at night waiting for a car to arrive, when we get there it can take 5 mins for them to say tar-ra to there mates etc, it's all charged for!!

Having thought about it, no i wouldnt quote on-line. Punters are always trying to play one company off against another for a price, If they dont like ours they go elsewhere, we never barter for work.

- True, but is that not the same issue if you gave them a price over the phone? I would have said, at least with an internet booking you have the ability to show them exactly what they requested in black and white.



- Some analysis would need to be done on what constitutes a "good job" but assuming you could put a distance on it... that is very possible to force... So a 2 mile job would be "Sorry, we will not waste our time quoting for jobs under £15" or something like that... you get the gist?



- OK, so no problems with that then...



- Like you say... they are doing it already... human nature... wont ever stop it so like you say, just don't barter. The beauty of a decent system, is it doesn't always need to come back to £££, pub & club runs on a friday night, of course, cos they are that ducked they don't care, but your business men (and women) would rather get their in an air con'd car that turned up on time and knew where they were going and didn't have a hub cap missing? OK, bad example... but again, I hope you get the gist!

Any way, not trying to convince you it's a good idea... just trying to get an idea of peoples reservations, potential pit falls etc. So everything is useful.

Many thanks again Smiffyz,

Regards

Pete

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Maybe a bit of all of these.

Look I wish you well, and anything that puts work drivers way then good on you. But I'm not sure drivers will go on-line searching for work.

The more quotes you will get, the cheaper the quote must be for the driver to gain the work. From experience once I'm under quoted, I say f*** it and carry on as I am.

Perhaps it's me, but if a punter is going to spend time using a service like yours to get a cheaper quote, then I don't really want to spend time driving them anywhere.

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IDFIMH

Thanks again Sussex,

I can see where everyone is getting the idea from, but the assumption is automatically that people want the cheapest, if that were true we would all be wearing Donnay trainers, Asda jeans and driving Daihatsu Charade's. There are obviously a huge number of people out there that still compare the price of beans at supermarkets, even though they are only about 6p and will ridiculously drive an extra mile to get them (go figure...!).

But there are also a lot of people out there, myself included who, if required to get from home to the airport or main train station and are in a suit, would rather get into a clean cab with air con and pay an extra £10, because turning up for a meeting soaking with sweat or the dry cleaning bill for a suit with last nights kebab on it is much worse.

Anyway... I am trying to force the issue where there is no need. I thank you profusely for your time as always.

Kind regards

Pete

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Pete, I think you will eventually find that your every day cab driver won't go for your proposed new service. There are too many inponderables and the process might be too time consuming for most. Radio companies might prove more fertile ground but even then the inponderables remain.

Regards

JD