Taxi Driver Online

What did the course consist of?

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

Telling someone who's been in the job for 28 years how to do it?

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Well according to the mush on the radio part of it was being told to have a shave and brush ones teeth.

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IDFIMH

I see, can my mam apply to be a trainer?

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

The one that we did was to show us how to load/unload and anchor a wheelchair, also covering that they did not expect us to load a twenty stone person if you yourself were shall we say 12 stone.

It was as the tin said a "Disability Course" - Brush your teeth Umm I think that might come under Health & Hygiene

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

The point about combined excessive weight of both wheelchair and passenger to that of driver stature, age and fitness, has never been defined by either Government or any local council?

We have read several independent reports suggesting that assessments should be made to the risk of ones own health and safety when assisting wheelchair bound passengers but not surprisingly as I have previously stated the Government and councils have deliberately refused to exempt a refusal by way of legislation based on the perception of ones own health and safety.

Therefore regardless of whether you refuse a wheelchair passenger on the grounds of health and safety you are just as likely to be prosecuted for the offence as you would under refusal.

I suggest everyone should write to their own licensing committee and ask the Chairman for the guidelines on the transportation of wheelchair bound passengers and in particular in safeguarding the health and safety of drivers when confronted with oversized passengers in relation to the drivers size, age body weight and fitness. Or words to that effect?

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

She is probably over qualified.

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

I hope sometime today someone who has taken this course can supply this thread with the written details appertaining to the requirements and assistance of how to properly secure a wheelchair bound passenger, in the correct manner?

Those of us who have been driving purpose built WAV's since they were first introduced would like to know what if anything we are doing wrong? I think we would also like to know the name of any trainer who has put himself in the lofty position of teaching long serving Taxi drivers how to suck eggs?

I would like to see just how much these trainers really know?

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

I took this from the Edexcel Homepage two or three weeks when I was questioning the substance of these courses and in particular which persons were running them?

The following is a preamble to the type of course which is mandatory in Bournemouth. I would like to point out that this preamble contains factually incorrect material. I wonder how many so called trainers can tell me what it is?

I've bypassed most of the nonsense and posted that which is relevant to this thread. The full text of this particular course and references to other courses can be downloaded from the link at the bottom of this page.
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Qualifications : BTEC specialist and Short Course qualifications : Passenger Transport : NQF level 2 (from October 2007) : Transporting Passengers by Taxi and Private Hire (Award) Updated: 08/10/07

About edexcel : Media Centre : News Release Archive : 2003

18/03/2003 National training for licensors of taxi/mini cabs New BTEC course, in conjunction with NATPHLEO, to standardise the licensing of the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire business.

A new BTEC course from Edexcel, in conjunction with the National Association of Taxi & Private Hire Licensing & Enforcement Officers (NATPHLEO), in Hackney Carriage & Private Hire Licensing has been brought in to bring standardisation across the country for those who have the task of licensing the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire business, and of bringing to court those who break the law. The BTEC awards - to be announced tomorrow (19th March) at the NATPHLEO conference - will be delivered by NATPHLEO - an Edexcel-approved centre - through residential Updated: 15/04/03
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Unit 1: Customer Service for Passenger Transport

NQF Level 2

Guided learning hours: 10
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Unit abstract

This unit introduces learners to the importance of delivering good customer service for passenger transport. Learners will investigate the importance of good communications and positive working relationships. They will explore the role of the customer and the employee and the relationship between them, including how the driver can develop and maintain good customer service to the benefit of the customer, the operator and the driver.

Learners will also address a range of issues relating to difficult customers and situations, including how to deal with drunkenness, hooliganism or non-paying customers. They will examine ways to resolve situations or complaints.

This unit has direct links with the Level 2 NVQ in Road Passenger Vehicle Driving, particularly:

• Unit 1: Ensure the health and safety in your work environment in the road passenger transport industry

• Unit 3: Provide professional customer service in the community transport, chauffeur, taxi and private hire industries

• Unit 4: Deal effectively with difficult passengers

• Unit 6: Provide a transport service in the community transport, chauffeur, taxi and private hire vehicle industries for passengers who require assistance

• Unit 7: Achieve effective working relationships with colleagues in the road passenger transport industry

• Unit 8: Transport children and young persons by taxi, private hire or chauffeuring

• Unit 20: Process telephone bookings in the road passenger transport industry.

This unit presents opportunities to develop key skills in communication, information and communication technology, improving own learning and performance, problem solving and working with others.

This unit is assessed through a multiple-choice test.
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Learning outcomes

On completion of this unit a learner should:

1 Understand how good customer service is developed and maintained

2 Understand the importance of good communication and positive working relationships to maintaining good customer service

3 Know appropriate methods of dealing with difficult customers and situations.

Unit content

1 Understand how good customer service is developed and maintained

Benefits of good customer service: to the organisation; to the customer; to the employee; creating customer goodwill/satisfaction/confidence; increasing fare and ticket sales; turnover and company profitability; raising profile of the passenger transport industry; other competition; security of employment

Customer: role, eg purchaser who has a choice of transport, source of revenue for the company, indirectly pays wages; sourcing new customers; evaluating the service

Personal attributes: product and service knowledge; personal qualities and appearance, eg friendly, helpful, good communicator, cheerful, obliging, well groomed, clean company uniform and smart appearance; solving problems associated with personal hygiene and dress codes; interpersonal skills, eg greeting customers, attitude, behaviour, courtesy, tact, efficiency

Good customer service: identifying, meeting and exceeding customer needs and expectations; providing efficient and reliable service; recognising opportunities; giving good and accurate information and advice; providing unsolicited help and assistance; value for money; promoting trust; cultivating relationships; ensuring equality of service; driving with care and consideration for passengers and other road users; using equipment and technology to enhance the service

2 Understand the importance of good communication and positive working relationships to maintaining good customer service

Working relationships: company policies and procedures; relationships (other drivers, new colleagues, mentors, supervisors, controllers); importance of effective working relationships; team working; agreeing work responsibilities; common goals; sharing information and good practice; friendly and reliable; company standards and guidelines for behaviour; resolving behavioural problems and conflict in the workplace; limits of authority; responsibilities towards colleagues; skills in dealing with difficult relationships; integrating work activities with colleagues; benefits, eg staff morale, improved relationships with customers and colleagues

Communication: with operator, colleagues and customers; giving complete and accurate information; communicating information; importance of good communications; policies and procedures; referring and reporting where appropriate; provision for free and open communication; listening skills (body language, facial expressions, showing empathy and concern, language appropriate for the customer and situation, vocal tone and level, questioning techniques, eye contact); benefits of good communication skills; solving communication difficulties; summarising to avoid misunderstanding

3 Know appropriate methods of dealing with difficult customers and situations

Difficult situations and customers: justification for refusing a fare, eg drunkenness, hooliganism, loud, rowdy, non-payers, dirty clothing, fouling the vehicle; dissatisfied customers; safety measures; personal safety; controlling emotions in difficult situations

Resolving situations: assessing situation; good communication and interpersonal skills; impartiality and balance; maintaining control; cooling situations; protecting other passengers; limits of authority; help and assistance measures; legal responsibility; positive response actions; determining assistance point; alarm and radio use; identifying culprits; taking names; use of the security camera; maintaining safety and security; recording and forwarding incidents and emergencies for action

Resolving complaints: company complaints procedure; organisational and legal responsibilities; listening skills; establish facts; determine problem; summarise to avoid misunderstanding; judge seriousness; make and explain decision; consideration of customer relationship and goodwill; take action and resolve; record outcome

Assessment criteria

In order to pass this unit, the evidence that the learner presents for assessment needs to demonstrate that they can meet all of the learning outcomes for the unit. The assessment criteria describe the level of achievement required to meet the learning outcomes.

Learning outcomes Assessment criteria

To achieve each outcome a learner must demonstrate the ability to:

1 Understand how good customer service is developed and maintained

• describe the benefits of good customer service for the customer, driver, company and industry

• explain the role of the customer in positive relationships

• describe personal attributes required for good customer service

• describe good customer service techniques and initiatives to maintain and enhance service delivery

2 Understand the importance of good communication and positive working relationships to maintaining good customer service

• identify elements of positive working relationships

• describe the positive effects of good working relationships for customer service

• identify elements of good communication skills

• explain the importance of good communication skills for customer service

3 Know appropriate methods of dealing with difficult customers and situations

• identify methods of safely dealing with difficult customers and situations

• identify safe methods of response when dealing with difficult situations

• identify procedures for dealing with customer complaints.

Assessment

To pass this unit, learners will have to achieve a minimum pass of 70 per cent in a multiple-choice question paper testing knowledge and understanding, as detailed in the section Assessment and grading at the front of this specification.

The full file can be downloaded here.

http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/files/btectaxiph.pdf

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

JD The course I was on was taken by a disabled person and as I said it covered wheelchair accessibility.

I am just wondering whether the different courses mentioned are moving away from the original post which was a "Disability course". The other courses seem to be more of "Heath & Safety", which is something different again.

One other thing, with respect to the guys who have been doing the job for 28 years or so. If you are not shown the correct way of doing it which has not been your fault, then you could have been doing it wrong for the last 28 years.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

In most of the 'professions', practitioners have to maintain a log of 'continuing professional developement.'

I am currently negotiating my NVQ2/Btec course in the expectation that I'll learn something I didn't know or learn an alternative, more efficient way of doing something, or...., or.....

I was in sales and quasi-legal professions for 30 years. There is no way I learned everything there was to know about my role. I was on courses at least once a year, and even monthly meetings produced a crumb of an idea that I hadn't used before.

These courses are a positive step towards improving the trade, your customer service and, therefore, potentially, your earning power.

Would you expect your doctor to be up to date with his training? Why should he accept anything less from his cab driver?

I agree that any compulsion must be enforced within the provisions of the appropriate regulations. I would also submit that resorting to compulsion means someone, somewhere has not done a very good sales job with the trade. To all LO's: Take the trade with you willingly and you will get near 100% success.

Take it on board, both sides of the trade and those who regulate us....Let's get on and think about the most important person in our business....The customer!!

/rant mode off.

I think the answer to this issue, IMO, is to keep all these well meaning qualifications/driving tests/safety checks to new entrants only.

Of course if a council has a problem with a certain driver then there is no reason why they couldn't demand an existing driver did the above, to keep his 'fit and proper' status.

A blanket qualification for all licensed drivers may look good in theory, but in practice I don't think it's the way forward.

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IDFIMH

Sorry JD, brain not fully engaged before posting I was on about a different type of course to you lads.

The course was a Special Needs Awareness one laid on by the Passenger Transport Unit of my county council.

It dealt with the transport and care of special needs school children (autistic, asthmatic, downs, spastic etc.)

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Why don't you get a proper job???