National Radio Cabs

mikemac

What’s this? A rant about taxi’s on boards?? :P
It’s not often I order a taxi but I tried to get one over the weekend to carry me and my shopping home from Lidl.It isn’t easy carrying everything on a moped!

Rang National Radio Cabs and was told they wouldn’t deal with me as they have a policy of not collecting fares from outside shopping centres.
I explained that it’s wasn’t exactly a shopping centre, there was one Lidl store and a car park and I’d make myself known when the driver pulled up. I was standing at the front door.

The dispatcher said no chance and their company never does pickups outside shops as people often walk off. I can accept this but I wasn’t going to do this.
I then asked could I walk across the road and stand outside a house and give a residential address but this wouldn’t work either. Finally I asked if I was in a hotel lobby and booked a cab would they refuse me but appearantly that's completly different. How so?

Poor form NRC, I struggled home with that shopping. It was the only number I knew before anyone asks why I didn't try another company.

Do all cab companies do this?

evil-monkey

don't get me started on cab and taxi companies!! just don't!! if i were you i'd file a complaint with the taxi regulator; 1890 606 090

Or download the PDF at http://www.taxiregulator.ie/consumer/complaints-and-lost-property/making-a-complaint.html#2complaint and fill it out

Random

If you had a phone then should have rang directory enquiries for another company.

As for their policy i can understand it, but i'd expect they get a load of hoax residential calls a day too. You might have had more luck hailing one down on the road.

evil-monkey

Did you ever hear the ads these guys throw on the radio?? put themselves across as the ultimate cab company so they do!! if they are so efficient why couldn't they pick up a guy from outside a shopping centre. a prank call could come from anywhere...hotel, shopping centre, pub, a house...anywhere. if they don't pick people up from shopping centres, they should add it to the b/s they have on their website;

• Providing the Greater Dublin area with a quality taxi service for over 50 years.
• NRC is dedicated to a safe, courteous and efficient taxi service. Our drivers go the extra mile to ensure that each and every NRC customer has a pleasant and timely trip.
• With a large fleet of 1,000 vehicles at our disposal, you can rely on us to be there when you require us...unless you've just done the shopping...

craichoe

How about dialling 11850 and saying 'I want a cab in x location"

dudara

The taxi company we use at work often passes extra jobs to NRC and I've been in their cars many times. They're always professional and punctual. Though I suppose that in my case, it is a corporate account.

evil-monkey

dudara wrote: »

The taxi company we use at work often passes extra jobs to NRC and I've been in their cars many times. They're always professional and punctual. Though I suppose that in my case, it is a corporate account.

do you work in a shopping centre??

mikemac

random wrote: »

If you had a phone then should have rang directory enquiries for another company.

craichoe wrote: »

How about dialling 11850 and saying 'I want a cab in x location"

All good suggestions but that wasn't realy the point I was making. It was NRC are marketing themselves as the biggest (possibly they are) and best company around.

If they won't take fares from shopping centres then that's deserves to be known.

faceman

I had a bad experience with them some years ago and wouldnt use them again

Davy

You could try this in future, never used it but could work out handy
http://textataxi.com/HowToTextATaxi.aspx

irlirishkev

We use them in work, and always find them very good.
My only beef with them is that 7 times out of ten, the cab that turns up is a mouldy aul' heap of sh1te :mad: EG 1994 Toyota Corrolla with chewing gum on the seats, and stinking of cigarette smoke..

The other 3 times out of ten though.. happy days.

MOH

I booked a wheelchair taxi with them before, at 24 hours notice, to take my father from a nursing home to an appointment. They rang me five minutes before the taxi was due to tell me they didn't have one, and ask would an ordinary one do. Which still would have taken 20 mins or so. Wouldn't touch them with a bargepole since.

JohnC.

Looks to me like they aren't even national...

calex71

irlirishkev wrote: »

We use them in work, and always find them very good.
My only beef with them is that 7 times out of ten, the cab that turns up is a mouldy aul' heap of sh1te :mad: EG 1994 Toyota Corrolla with chewing gum on the seats, and stinking of cigarette smoke..

The other 3 times out of ten though.. happy days.

Is it a red car by any chance????????

Guy:Incognito

micmclo wrote: »

I can accept this but I wasn’t going to do this.

Obviously everyone is going to say that. They arent going to ring up and ask to order a cab saying that if one passes beforehand they will get that.

irlirishkev

calex71 wrote: »

Is it a red car by any chance????????

Quite possibly. I've gotten so many of the last while that the exteriors all start to blend into one.. (one Toyota Corrolla that is, as that's what they always seem to be)

calex71

irlirishkev wrote: »

Quite possibly. I've gotten so many of the last while that the exteriors all start to blend into one.. (one Toyota Corrolla that is, as that's what they always seem to be)

Driver im thinking of doesnt like to chat much but does like to grunt at you and you can smell his breath from the back seat.

mikemac

OP here, asked NRC to collect me from outside a Powercity yesterday.
No chance, they said. They will not collect outside a retail store, shopping centre or such like. :mad:

Hell, this Powercity isn't even on a public road or sharing a car park so it's next to impossible to flag down a taxi. For me to meet a taxi they would specifically have to drive into the Powercity car park so that reduces the chance of walking off to just about zero.

It's the only company I know and "supposed" to be the biggest and best taxi company around.

Sure what if I was Powercity staff and wanted a taxi home?
NRC: "We'll get you home from work as long as you don't work in a shop!"

eth0_

I use Xpert taxi's if I need a cab. Never had a problem with them.

brightkane

Agree with xpert, used them when i lived in lucan and were always spot on, then again never ordered them to a shopping centre, but manys a pub, ie i will be waiting outisde, you would imagine its the same as a shop?