Taxi Arriving Late

suicide_circus

So if I book a taxi to the office for 14:00 and i get caught finishing a piece of work and only jump into the taxi at 14:10, invariably the meter will have been running for 10 minutes. Serves me right for not being organised and punctual.

Now, if the taxi only arrives at 14:10 and I have been standing there for 10 minutes, where is the monetary consequence for the disorganised and unpunctual driver.

Yes Halo has a 5 min grace period which some drivers honour but in work we have an account with a firm and its done over the phone but in general terms it feels kind of like a double standard and the customer gets a raw deal.

Thoughts?

Del2005

You're dealing with a vehicle which has to negotiate traffic and depending on the company they might call for the taxi too late, don't forget that nearly all drivers are self employed so unless it's very quiet there's little chance that a car will be pre located.

If it's an account you should bring it up when arranging the account with the company.

suicide_circus

Oh I understand how a driver could be late but I'm suggesting there should be a monetary consequence for that poor level of service and inconvenience to the customer ie: a discount or weaving of booking charge. These are professional drivers and should hold themselves to the same standard that they hold their customers to visa vis late arrival.

Losty Dublin

suicide_circus wrote: »

Oh I understand how a driver could be late but I'm suggesting there should be a monetary consequence for that poor level of service and inconvenience to the customer ie: a discount or weaving of booking charge. These are professional drivers and should hold themselves to the same standard that they hold their customers to visa vis late arrival.

I see your point about but here's the other side of the problem. The driver was probably only sent the details for the pick up a few minutes before getting to you. Can you penalise them for being late to a pick up that they weren't asked to get to in due time? Or, have you an alternative suggestion that can be worked out?

Mark Tapley

What if the first scenario causes the second scenario. That is you being inconsiderate and late makes the cabbie late for a follow on job. So really you should compensate the driver and his next customer.

suicide_circus

Mark Tapley wrote: »

What if the first scenario causes the second scenario. That is you being inconsiderate and late makes the cabbie late for a follow on job. So really you should compensate the driver and his next customer.

The cabbie will have accumulated 10 minutes "extra" fare on the meter as he waited for me, he could pass this saving on to the next customer.

Speedwell

SC, if you were my employee, and you showed up for a scheduled meeting on time, and I was ten minutes late, you would still expect to be paid for the time on the clock between the scheduled start of the meeting and the time I got there, wouldn't you?

Whenever I order a taxi, I usually specify the time I need to arrive, not the time I need to be picked up. Then the expert whose services I am purchasing can say, "There's a lot of traffic this afternoon; I'll be there to pick you up 45 minutes before that instead of 30 minutes as usual". If they show up 35 minutes before and still get me to my destination on time, I am hardly going to consider myself cheated out of 10 minutes. If I am ten minutes late, I am still obliged to pay for the agreed-upon time.

Bottom line, you are paying for the taxi operator's time. Time is money. It is only a matter of degree whether you are 10 minutes late or two hours late. That is time that at the end of the day could have been used to provide service to paying customers.

Bicycle

My suggestion would be to work in a taxi dispatch office before you make any judgements.

One of my daughters spent over a year working as a taxi dispatcher and it was hell on wheels at times. Some of the stories she told were unreal. One guy didn't know the name of the hotel he was staying in, so instead of just asking reception, he ordered two taxis for two different hotels and expected to be able to wait outside his hotel and just hop in one of the taxis.

There were other times when people would give the wrong address, then ring back bitching when the taxi wasn't on time.

Or people would call taxis for a specific address and just not appear.

And then the abuse that people would give you.....

GBX

suicide_circus wrote: »

So if I book a taxi to the office for 14:00 and i get caught finishing a piece of work and only jump into the taxi at 14:10, invariably the meter will have been running for 10 minutes. Serves me right for not being organised and punctual.

Now, if the taxi only arrives at 14:10 and I have been standing there for 10 minutes, where is the monetary consequence for the disorganised and unpunctual driver.

Yes Halo has a 5 min grace period which some drivers honour but in work we have an account with a firm and its done over the phone but in general terms it feels kind of like a double standard and the customer gets a raw deal.

Thoughts?

As Del2005 - you should discuss this with the company you have the account with.
As for the driver being unpunctual - to you he is - but he could be there on time based on when the job was given to him and info he received. Was he informed the pick up was 14.00 ? Possibly not - so you cant be blaming him. Contact the company.

Mr.Frame

suicide_circus wrote: »

So if I book a taxi to the office for 14:00 and i get caught finishing a piece of work and only jump into the taxi at 14:10, invariably the meter will have been running for 10 minutes. Serves me right for not being organised and punctual.

Now, if the taxi only arrives at 14:10 and I have been standing there for 10 minutes, where is the monetary consequence for the disorganised and unpunctual driver.

Yes Halo has a 5 min grace period which some drivers honour but in work we have an account with a firm and its done over the phone but in general terms it feels kind of like a double standard and the customer gets a raw deal.

Thoughts?

I'm not so sure of your reasons for starting this post. It was you who was late, the driver was on time , you got your taxi , got to your destination and that should be it. Alls well.

I could be wrong but from looking in , it seems you want to have a taxi bash, for no other reason.
What you are proposing re monetary consquence doesnt make sense, unless you wish to buy yourself a "customer meter" so you could charge the driver!

Mark Tapley

suicide_circus wrote: »

The cabbie will have accumulated 10 minutes "extra" fare on the meter as he waited for me, he could pass this saving on to the next customer.

So his time is worthless and yours is not. Get a grip man.

magicbastarder

suicide_circus wrote: »

The cabbie will have accumulated 10 minutes "extra" fare on the meter as he waited for me, he could pass this saving on to the next customer.

and if you've made him 10 minutes late for his next customer, he'll have to pass it on again. and again...

Del2005

Speedwell wrote: »

S


Whenever I order a taxi, I usually specify the time I need to arrive, not the time I need to be picked up. Then the expert whose services I am purchasing can say, "There's a lot of traffic this afternoon; I'll be there to pick you up 45 minutes before that instead of 30 minutes as usual". If they show up 35 minutes before and still get me to my destination on time, I am hardly going to consider myself cheated out of 10 minutes. If I am ten minutes late, I am still obliged to pay for the agreed-upon time.

Is that in Ireland or the US? I can't see how a person sitting in an office can know when to dispatch a driver to get you to a destination at X time as there are so many variables when dealing with traffic. I know I can make the airport in about 30 minutes from my home with no traffic, if I need to travel during rush hour it could be 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on traffic and the only way to know is when I've arrived.

Don't forget that the company you call will promise you whatever you want, as they rarely get grief from the customer as in the OP. The problem is that they don't employ the drivers so can't pre position them and therefore the nearest driver could be 20 minutes away when they put out a call for a job in 5 minutes.

Speedwell

Del2005 wrote: »

Is that in Ireland or the US? I can't see how a person sitting in an office can know when to dispatch a driver to get you to a destination at X time as there are so many variables when dealing with traffic. I know I can make the airport in about 30 minutes from my home with no traffic, if I need to travel during rush hour it could be 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on traffic and the only way to know is when I've arrived.

Don't forget that the company you call will promise you whatever you want, as they rarely get grief from the customer as in the OP. The problem is that they don't employ the drivers so can't pre position them and therefore the nearest driver could be 20 minutes away when they put out a call for a job in 5 minutes.

It's in Ireland, but perhaps it's important that it isn't in Dublin. I just say something like, "I have an appointment at 2:30 this afternoon and I'd like to get there a little before that". Of course, I am calling at 10 or 11 in the morning, not 2:15. If I need a taxi immediately, I either find one parked at a taxi rank, hail one in the street, or take whoever's first available. I just don't ever seem to have the kind of trouble the OP describes. (Well, there was that one time in Bogota where I got into the wrong cab due to a hotel concierge mixup, and the driver tried to kidnap me until I made it clear that I knew the way to the airport, I knew he was driving in the opposite direction, and I was on the phone to my company's security staff. But that's kind of beyond the scope of the present discussion.)

suicide_circus

So we just have to accept lateness it seems. Sure it's grand - an attitude that has served Irish public transport well.

All these bookings would be made at least 24hours in advance btw. And yes we will be looking at the tender for the taxi account.

Mark Tapley

suicide_circus wrote: »

So we just have to accept lateness it seems. Sure it's grand - an attitude that has served Irish public transport well.

All these bookings would be made at least 24hours in advance btw. And yes we will be looking at the tender for the taxi account.

You expect the cabbie to accept your tardiness but when he is late you get all " do you know who I am" the King of all office stuff and files and shìt how dare you keep me waiting pleb. I will be having a stern word with the powers that be. I'd say the local cab company fûck with you for a laugh. See who can make the veins stand out in your forehead.

suicide_circus

Eh...thanks for your analysis there Mark. If you care to have another glance at what I actually wrote you'll see I was challenging the notion that if I am late I am penalised (meter running) but if they are late there is no consequence. I have no issue with the the meter running from the time the booking is made for.

It must be wearisome for you can carry such a chip on your shoulder Mark. You're seeing insults where there are none. Do you drive a taxi yourself?

Mark Tapley

suicide_circus wrote: »

Eh...thanks for your analysis there Mark. If you care to have another glance at what I actually wrote you'll see I was challenging the notion that if I am late I am penalised (meter running) but if they are late there is no consequence. I have no issue with the the meter running from the time the booking is made for.

It must be wearisome for you can carry such a chip on your shoulder Mark. You're seeing insults where there are none. Do you drive a taxi yourself?

Ohh it is wearisome alright ,in fact I am quite fatigued. I might start a thread about some inconsequential shìte to cheer myself up.

Mr.Frame

suicide_circus wrote: »

So we just have to accept lateness it seems. Sure it's grand - an attitude that has served Irish public transport well.

All these bookings would be made at least 24hours in advance btw. And yes we will be looking at the tender for the taxi account.

9 times out of 10 a taxi arrives at the particular time requested. 9 times out of 10 the passenger is usually a few minutes late... Funny that!

Seems the OP has a gripe with taxis, why else would he start sure a thread.
Ask any driver and they will tell you that many a passenger has an attitude with taxi drivers, they think they "own" the driver or the driver is "their" slave.
I kid you not.
I long for the day when a taxi driver or base controller would start a thread about, customers.

suicide_circus

Lads youre not doing the reputation of your trade any favours

magicbastarder

not that i get much cause to hail taxis from the office (i work for a fairly large multinational), but if i found they had the meter running because i was five minutes late, i'd be telling whoever in work managed the account.
a taxi company used by a company the size of ours would - i assume - know which side their bread is buttered on and allow for minor delays. maybe i'm being naive.

Del2005

suicide_circus wrote: »

So we just have to accept lateness it seems. Sure it's grand - an attitude that has served Irish public transport well.

All these bookings would be made at least 24hours in advance btw. And yes we will be looking at the tender for the taxi account.

The issue is that you are dealing with 2 separate businesses, the radio company and the taxi driver. The radio company will tell you what you want to hear but they have zero control over where or how many cars are on call at anytime. You book a time with the radio company but they don't book a taxi for that time, what happens is a few minutes before your booking they'll put a call out and depending on the amount of taxis on duty and where they are depends on how close to the time you booked a taxi will arrive.

I'm not a taxi driver or have anything to do with it. I had several friends who were couriers for years and the amount of BS the companies used to tell customers was unbelievable, but it was always the courier who got the grief from the customer.

Mr.Frame

magicbastarder wrote: »

not that i get much cause to hail taxis from the office (i work for a fairly large multinational), but if i found they had the meter running because i was five minutes late, i'd be telling whoever in work managed the account.
a taxi company used by a company the size of ours would - i assume - know which side their bread is buttered on and allow for minor delays. maybe i'm being naive.

Well just for your information.
If you book your taxi for 2pm and you dont arrive in the taxi until 2:05 the driver has a legal right to start the meter at 2 pm, they're the rules.

suicide_circus

But if the taxi shows up 10 minutes late that's just tough shíte.

Mr.Frame

suicide_circus wrote: »

Lads youre not doing the reputation of your trade any favours

I dont think any taxi driver would call their business a trade.
But it seems from the off that your thread was created to merely provoke. Many of the comments on here, be they from those in the business or not have basically told you to get a grip.
I concur.

magicbastarder

Mr.Frame wrote: »

Well just for your information.
If you book your taxi for 2pm and you dont arrive in the taxi until 2:05 the driver has a legal right to start the meter at 2 pm, they're the rules.

oh i know that.
but if the taxi is five minutes late, do you get the first five minutes of the trip free? if you expect reasonable leeway from the taxi drivers about them being a few minutes late, it's also reasonable to expect the same in reverse.

i certainly would not hire a cab again if they arrived on time and i was three minutes late, and i found they'd put three minutes on the meter.

anyway, my point was any company which has a regular gig with a large company, which generates lots of business for them is hopefully going to overlook the odd (reasonable) late arrival of a customer. so that the large company will also overlook the odd (reasonable) late arrival of a taxi. it's one of those situations best governed by common sense, rather than having to point to laws or regulations about any minor dispute.

Mr.Frame

magicbastarder wrote: »

oh i know that.
but if the taxi is five minutes late, do you get the first five minutes of the trip free? if you expect reasonable leeway from the taxi drivers about them being a few minutes late, it's also reasonable to expect the same in reverse.

No

magicbastarder wrote: »

i certainly would not hire a cab again if they arrived on time and i was three minutes late, and i found they'd put three minutes on the meter.

The driver has every right to put the meter on.

magicbastarder wrote: »

anyway, my point was any company which has a regular gig with a large company, which generates lots of business for them is hopefully going to overlook the odd (reasonable) late arrival of a customer. so that the large company will also overlook the odd (reasonable) late arrival of a taxi. it's one of those situations best governed by common sense, rather than having to point to laws or regulations about any minor dispute.

Well, you say its a minor dispute, yet you take issue if you are late by 3 minutes and the driver (who has every right to) outs on the meter at the time of booking.
Why should a driver "overlook" a customer who is late, time is money for drivers, who are self employed.

suicide_circus

Mr.Frame wrote: »

I dont think any taxi driver would call their business a trade.
But it seems from the off that your thread was created to merely provoke. Many of the comments on here, be they from those in the business or not have basically told you to get a grip.
I concur.

I think you're too easily provoked tbh. I'm asking a legitimate question, if you don't like it you're free take your outrage elsewhere.

ted1

Change taxi companies. The current one are not performing to a satisfactory level. Vote with your feet

markpb

suicide_circus wrote:

But if the taxi shows up 10 minutes late that's just tough shíte.

It's very simple really (if some of the posters on this thread are to be believed). If the customer is late, it's the customers fault. If the taxi is late, it's another customers fault. Either way, suck it up.

iamtony

I'm a Taxi driver and can tell you why this is done from my perspective.
Corporate accounts are almost guaranteed to have a large discount attached to them so the meter goes on at the exact booking time to get the full amount we are entitled to on that job as we know we will be loosing a large chunk of the fare anyway. The other reason is we know the customer themselves is rarely paying but there company is so most people won't mind.
On the other hand if you book a taxi for yourself and you are paying cash you will generally find the driver won't put the meter on until you come out of your house or whatever and there's generally much more leeway for private customers.
If a taxi is late when booked through a company its rarely the drivers fault, the pre booked jobs get allocated to drivers 15 minutes ahead of the booked time but if there are no cars available at that time because everyone is busy there's not a whole lot the drivers can do. When a driver does become available and gets the job often the job is already late and then you have to look forward to the complaining customer your heading to pick up.

iamtony

Anyway your probably rich company who are probably underpaying you(;-)) op are paying so who cares what's on the meter, sure next time tell the driver to stick a few extra euro on at the end for a coffee sure its not your money anyway:-)

magicbastarder

Mr.Frame wrote: »

No

The driver has every right to put the meter on.

Well, you say its a minor dispute, yet you take issue if you are late by 3 minutes and the driver (who has every right to) outs on the meter at the time of booking.
Why should a driver "overlook" a customer who is late, time is money for drivers, who are self employed.

The driver has every right to put the meter on, yes. But I have every right not to use that company again if I'm to be penalised over a three minute delay. Like I said, common sense.

Mr.Frame

magicbastarder wrote: »

The driver has every right to put the meter on, yes. But I have every right not to use that company again if I'm to be penalised over a three minute delay. Like I said, common sense.

But the driver doesnt know when he arrives if you are going to be 3 mins late or 15 mins late, does he ?
Legally he is entitled to turn the meter on at the time of booking, it is up to YOU to be there at the appropriate time.

Mr.Frame

suicide_circus wrote: »

I think you're too easily provoked tbh. I'm asking a legitimate question, if you don't like it you're free take your outrage elsewhere.

You got numerous legitimate answers to your question.
I'm far from outraged, but thanks for your concern.

Del2005

magicbastarder wrote: »

. But I have every right not to use that company again if I'm to be penalised over a three minute delay. Like I said, common sense.

You'll run out of taxi companies fairly fast then as they all operate the same. Then you'll need to get the bus, but if that arrives late you'll have to stop using that.

ted1

magicbastarder wrote: »

The driver has every right to put the meter on, yes. But I have every right not to use that company again if I'm to be penalised over a three minute delay. Like I said, common sense.

If you are late you are not being penalised , you are paying for a service that you reserved. If you are late to the cinema do you look for a discount ? If you leave a hotel early to catch a flight do you look for a discount?

When you say 10:00 the taxi is reserved for you and unable to pick up a fair so it's you who pays

Losty Dublin

Del2005 wrote: »

You'll run out of taxi companies fairly fast then as they all operate the same. Then you'll need to get the bus, but if that arrives late you'll have to stop using that.

Good luck to him asking the bus driver for a discount if the bus is late

magicbastarder

ted1 wrote: »

If you are late you are not being penalised , you are paying for a service that you reserved. If you are late to the cinema do you look for a discount ? If you leave a hotel early to catch a flight do you look for a discount?

When you say 10:00 the taxi is reserved for you and unable to pick up a fair so it's you who pays

eh, no, i'm just asking the taxi driver to be reasonable over a three minute delay. it's not as if i'm asking him to sit outside the house for half an hour twiddling his thumbs.

Lucas Hood

magicbastarder wrote: »

eh, no, i'm just asking the taxi driver to be reasonable over a three minute delay. it's not as if i'm asking him to sit outside the house for half an hour twiddling his thumbs.

But what if you're 30 mins late? If he starts the meter when you get in he could be down a good bit. He can't go and add x amount on at the end of the trip if you're late as you'd probably say I'm only paying for whats on the meter.

magicbastarder

he can do whatever he wants - maybe start the meter on the hour and zero it if i arrive three minutes later, or leave it running if i'm more than seven or ten minutes or whatever.
but it'd just seem petty to charge for that three minutes.

suicide_circus

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Good luck to him asking the bus driver for a discount if the bus is late

But the bus runs a scheduled route. I've ordered the taxi to specific place and time and am paying a premium for the privilege. No comparison. Just because we've grown accustomed to poor standards in public transport dosnt make it right.

Losty Dublin

suicide_circus wrote: »

But the bus runs a scheduled route. I've ordered the taxi to specific place and time and am paying a premium for the privilege. No comparison. Just because we've grown accustomed to poor standards in public transport dosnt make it right.

You are not paying a premium for the privilege of a taxi though. You pay the metered fare from whenever you hired the taxi from until whenever it is that you arrive at your destination, which is the same principles that applies to everybody else.

trellheim

I want the driver to start the meter at the booked time. Many drivers start the meter when they phone you at 10 minutes before booked pickup "Taxi Outside" .Many ( and fair play to them ) do not.

iamtony

trellheim wrote: »

I want the driver to start the meter at the booked time. Many drivers start the meter when they phone you at 10 minutes before booked pickup "Taxi Outside" .Many ( and fair play to them ) do not.

That honestly doesn't happen, I've never seen a driver Starr a meter before a prebooked time on purpose. I have started the meter and later realised I wasn't booked for asap and it was a prebooked job and turned the meter off but that's just human error. For starters on a prebooked job we would have to put a message in the notes of the job saying the client arrived earlier than the prebooked time as we usually have to submit receipts with the time on it which shows when the meter starts.

magicbastarder

i have gotten into a taxi on at least one occasion and the driver forget to start the meter until i was nearly home.
as i was on expenses, it was an easy decision to pay the usual fare.

iamtony

magicbastarder wrote: »

i have gotten into a taxi on at least one occasion and the driver forget to start the meter until i was nearly home.
as i was on expenses, it was an easy decision to pay the usual fare.

Yeah that happens all the time, and when it happens I usually say sorry I honestly forgot and ask do you know what it normally is and if they know and say something like usually between 10 and 12 euro I say I'm happy with 10 if that's OK with you.

paddyland

My suggestion to the OP would be to make that very valid suggestion to the Taxi Regulator, and see what they think of it, rather than waste your time on an internet forum. Perhaps Boards.ie should be obliged to recompense you if you make a valid question, and don't get a satisfactory answer, i.e. the answer you are looking for. After all, you wasted valuable time online typing the question in the first place.

In the meantime, 'them's the rules,' as it were, you don't get to dictate what you should and should not be obliged to pay. Pity, because you sound like someone rather important.

magicbastarder

iamtony wrote: »

Yeah that happens all the time, and when it happens I usually say sorry I honestly forgot and ask do you know what it normally is and if they know and say something like usually between 10 and 12 euro I say I'm happy with 10 if that's OK with you.

this is the crux though - if the passenger is willing to give leeway on an honest mistake by a driver, i'd hope the driver will give a little leeway on a passenger being a couple of minutes late.

there were a few 'the driver is perfectly entitled to start the meter at the appointed time' comments earlier in the thread; in the above scenario, the passenger is perfectly entitled to tell the driver no, they will not be held in any way responsible for the driver's mistake. but i would hope that most passengers are not like that.
because 'you're entitled to do X' does not equate to 'you *should* do X'.

iamtony

magicbastarder wrote: »

this is the crux though - if the passenger is willing to give leeway on an honest mistake by a driver, i'd hope the driver will give a little leeway on a passenger being a couple of minutes late.

there were a few 'the driver is perfectly entitled to start the meter at the appointed time' comments earlier in the thread; in the above scenario, the passenger is perfectly entitled to tell the driver no, they will not be held in any way responsible for the driver's mistake. but i would hope that most passengers are not like that.
because 'you're entitled to do X' does not equate to 'you *should* do X'.

Well as I said(most) drivers do give plenty of leeway to private customers that are paying themselves. When it comes to corporate accounts they are normally heavily discounted and the person getting in the car isn't paying so we feel obliged to get as much as we can(within the rules) as we are already getting squeezed by a company who could be making millions if not billions in profit each year.

And yes in my point above the customer is entitled to not pay if the meter wasn't used but most will of course it's not really a good comparison.

n97 mini

iamtony wrote: »

Anyway your probably rich company who are probably underpaying you(;-)) op are paying so who cares what's on the meter, sure next time tell the driver to stick a few extra euro on at the end for a coffee sure its not your money anyway:-)

Many companies are struggling to come through the greatest recession we've known in modern times. I sincerely hope you're not a taxi driver, as that's the attitude that gives taxis a bad name.