In a recent post we delved into the top ten taxi talk subjects to help you get to know your fares and, hopefully, encourage them to tip you at the end of your journey. However, even though it is always good to be able to spark up a conversation with your customers, every now and again you will find that they won’t give you the chance! In fact, there are a couple of things that taxi drivers are asked by their customers on a regular basis, and here we look at the most popular and the best ways to answer them:
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“Been Busy?”
Everyone knows that taxi drivers cannot fully predict how busy each shift will be, however after a while you will be able to determine patterns. It’s therefore intriguing to see how keen some passengers are when it comes to your ability to find fares and whether some times of the day are better than others. This question often pops up if there is a big event on or generally a busy time such as a Friday or Saturday night. We are sure that during the London Olympics or last week at Ascot there were dozens of taxi near me drivers who were asked this question and most of which would have replied ‘yes!’
“How Long Have You Been Doing This?”
Being a taxi driver is something that often splits people: some think it’s something that they would never be able to do while others have seriously considered it as a career. By asking you about your career, your customer wants to know what it’s really like being a taxi driver. It’s up to you to dispel or confirm any myths such as whether you work long hours (yes), if your fares are generally tough and whether you would recommend it to someone else. If you have been a taxi driver for a considerable amount of time now is also a good time to show off your expertise and skills to your customers!
“I Can’t Believe the Traffic!”
Even though this isn’t an actual question, it is something that deserves a reply, as generally your fare is saying this for one of two reasons: either the traffic is bad and you still managed to pick them up anyway, or you have been stuck in traffic for some time. Either way, you need to make sure you acknowledge this comment as it may be the start of a complaint. If the traffic is bad, there isn’t much you can do, however it’s still a good idea to agree with your customer and assure them that you are doing everything you can to get them to their destination as quickly as possible.
“How’s Your Day Going?”
This is easily the most common question taxi drivers are asked by their fares, however it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between those that are just being polite and those that actually want to know about your day. An easy way to gauge whether your passeger is looking for a chat is to provide a friendly answer and ask them about their day: if they continue talking and ask you more questions then you know they are up for a chin-wag, however if they reply with a simple ‘fine thank you’ you will know that they were just being polite. However, even if your passenger does want to chat make sure you don’t waffle on as it will make you look as though you are not paying enough attention to the road. Be polite but remember to always stay professional!
“Can You Just…”
There is no end to the requests customers make of Hull taxi drivers, including “can you just stop here”, “can you just pull over for one minute”, “do you know anywhere I can eat?” creating a real concoction of other wonderful and crazy topics. As a good taxi driver it is your duty to try to accommodate your customers as much as possible, however you must make sure that you never do anything that could void your insurance or result in costing you money. If it’s something small, then hopefully it won’t eat up too much of your time and your customer will reward you with a handsome tip!