A Miss Li, who works in the field of mass communications, once discovered after she entered a taxi that she had left her money behind. Upon leaving, she gave the driver her watch as security. As arranged, she went to the headquarters of the cab company that evening to buy back her watch. Not only was she warmly greeted, but the company's boss scolded the driver. "Being so distrustful of passengers hurts the image of the fleet," the boss said, and he asked the driver to make an on-the-spot apology.
As far as business relationships go, the one between a cab driver and passenger has always been much more indifferent than those of other professions. One randomly enters a cab, arrives at one's destination, pays the fare and slams the door shut. Whether one feels at home in the cab and would gladly take the same one again or has an angry pit in one's stomach and swears never to ride in the same cab again, the results alike are beyond one's control.
The War of the Taxi Fleets: But now things have changed, and taxicab companies are emphasizing "fleet image" and trying to cultivate long-term customers.
New Life, New Image, Faith-Hope-Love, Green Cross, Blue Angel, Blue Stream, Big Ocean, Happy Rider, Light of Friendship, Volunteer Traffic Police Fleet, Standard Driver . . . . The roofs of the cabs on the streets of Taipei are livelier by the day. With these fleet names placed above four Chinese characters that mean "Car for Rent" and with lighted roofs at night, a passenger can identify a cab from a distance and select a cab with a "good brand name." All of these taxis have also installed radios so a customer can call ahead for a cab.
Fleet names are a manifestation of heightened responsibility for the quality of service. The Taipei urban area has as many as 37,000 cabs--or an average of one taxi for every 72 persons--giving it the highest rate of any city in Asia. They can be seen on any street, and all a prospective passenger need do is raise an arm. While their abundance makes taxis such a convenient mode of transportation, there are bound to be both good and bad drivers among so many.
There are countless heartwarming stories about cab rides, such as when dancer Lin Huai-min, at the most low-spirited time in his life, was recognized by a driver. The driver not only refused payment but also encouraged Lin by saying "Bravo, Mr.Lin, Dance on!" The warmth of the driver restored Lin's spirits. Sharp-witted professionals in the field of mass communications have long known that cabbies, who come into contact with a wide variety of passengers on a daily basis, are excellent sources of information and pipelines to an understanding of the general public.
But in more than a few ways, cab drivers are also the object of criticism--for refusing to ride short distances, for finding the longest distance between two points, for illegally raising fares during rush hour, for acting rudely, etc. And because it is easy for undesirables to become drivers, as public security has deteriorated, illegal behavior by a few drivers has tarnished the image of the industry. As the Chinese expression goes, "A single mouse dropping ruins the pot of congee."
Both Passengers and Drivers Are Afraid: Nevertheless, the victims are not only passengers. More than a few drivers have picked up thugs who subsequently robbed them. One story makes sufficiently evident the mutual fear passengers and drivers have of each other:
Late one night, a man who had been working overtime apprehensively hailed down a cab to return to his home in the suburbs. Starting on the journey, the passenger noticed that something seemed amiss with the driver, who was constantly observing him in the rear-view mirror. The driver's behavior made the passenger very nervous, and he clutched his belongings tightly and kept his eyes fixed on the driver. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached their destination. As soon as the passenger got out of the car, the driver slammed the door shut and sped away without collecting the fare. Bewildered, the passenger lowered his head to discover that a toy gun bought for his son was unintentionally protruding out of his pocket.
Passengers are afraid, drivers are afraid, and it is not easy for administering government agencies to exercise control. Urging drivers to establish companies or associations that have fleet names and making use of fleet image to foster self control is a way to kill these three birds with one stone. For example, the Tun Hwa Radio fleet, the first to make use of radio communication, was established three years ago as a pilot project of the Institute of Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. It upholds a policy of hiring only drivers of outstanding moral character and of employing not a single driver with a bad record so that passengers can feel at ease about riding a cab at any hour. After the fleet was introduced, reaction to it was extremely enthusiastic, especial ly among women riders at night. At that time, cabs flashing a radio sign in the Taipei night became hotly sought-after "brand names." It became such that they were unobtainable unless a customer called ahead.
Efforts by Drivers at Mutual Assistance: Afterwards, others in the industry followed suit and also began using the moral character of drivers and service quality as sellingoints. Besides establishing a customer complaint line, the "Blue Angel" fleet painted all of its cabs the same color and gave drivers uniforms and intensive training on the etiquette of dealing with passengers in order to establish discipline and passenger trust.
Not only have passengers benefited from these radio-equipped fleets first promoted by the Institute of Transportation, but drivers likewise have made use of their radios to unite and provide mutual assistance. Whether reporting about traffic accidents or about the ill intent of troublemakers, information given to the central station can be broadcast over the system so that "colleagues" in the area can come immediately to provide support. "Taxi drivers are in fact very much alone--there's only one person and one car. If the driver faces trouble, he has no one with whom to discuss the situation. After installing a radio, I have a much greater feeling of safety," says one driver with the "Volunteer Traffic Police Fleet."
Since the Ministry of Transportation and Communications allowed taxis to install radios, more than 13 fleets now use radio communications systems and there are ever growing numbers of applications to establish new fleets.
As competition heats up with the growing number of fleets, a special character has become necessary for success. "We are mainly going all out to establish a good image," reflects Su Chun-wei, station chief of the Green Cross fleet. For the service industries, word of mouth is paramount. Passengers often select a fleet based on their relatives' or friends' experience or based on general impressions. Currently fleets that often promote the public welfare and social services are better able to garner the public's trust and support.
From Street Vendor to Chain Store: For such fleets as Green Cross and the Volunteer Traffic Police Fleet, whose drivers direct traffic, the public's favorable impression of them results in "about 1,500 calls a day--or one fare a minute," says Su Chun-wei. But they often disappoint customers during rush hour because their drivers are out directing traffic.
Other fleets, such as the Christian firm Faith-Hope-Love, which puts priority on serving female passengers at night, also have excellent credibility. The Tun Hwa Radio fleet, originally established as a test case by the Institute of Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, has a regular clientele due its being the oldest fleet and its good reputation. Surprisingly, men make up nearly 40 percent of its customers. Among them are passengers who often go to or from the airport or to central or southern Taiwan on business. Focusing on serving these customers, some cabbies have traded in their old cars for BMWs.
When business is good, revenue come in easily. One driver with New Life says that income increased 20 to 40 percent after putting up the fleet sign. Furthermore, because passengers already have a good impression of fleet drivers, they will treat these drivers with courtesy and respect.
From a business perspective, a cab that travels the avenues and alleys of the city is like a nameless street vendor. Adding a fleet name, the cab can still travel those same avenues and lanes, but it becomes like a chain store--with a recognized name and an established clientele. The usefulness of a brand name need not be explained.
[Picture Caption]
In the taxicab industry, there is a trend toward fleet names. (photo by Diago Chiu)
The fleet radio station takes calls from passengers and then dispatches cars to make pickups. In addition to serving as the command center for fleet movements, it also serves to protect the safety of passengers and drivers.
In the taxicab industry, there is a trend toward fleet names. （photo by Diago Chiu）
The fleet radio station takes calls from passengers and then dispatches cars to make pickups. In addition to serving as the command center for fleet movements, it also serves to protect the safety of passengers and drivers.
