Omega Owners Forum - Taxi Service

zirk

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Taxi Service - Hidden Text charges
30. Mar 2010 at 10:19

One of my local Taxi services has started using a new Dispatcher System, book the Cab as normal you then get a Text Message stating Car Type and Colour and approximate arrival time, then another text saying the Cab is waiting outside your location for you, Brilliant you think!

Not!, just got my Vodafone Bill, Im getting charged 50p per message, took a while to work out was going on, till I started collating the Text charges against my Calls Angry

.

Spoke to Vodafone, the Vodagirl saying nothing she can do as they should have told me about their Text costs or by using their Services I must have agreed to their Terms.

Just spoke to the Cab Co and the Girls saying she knows nothing about this and will get back to me.

Think I know where this is going!! Angry

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« Last Edit: 30. Mar 2010 at 10:23 by zirk »

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Mr Skrunts

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Skruntie Land.
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Re: Taxi Service - Hidden Text charges
Reply #1 - 30. Mar 2010 at 10:31

Sounds like they are breaking the law by not pre waning you of extra charges.

Also hiding your number to them might not help either as a mate of mine who is an ex taxi driver said his company have equipment that tells them the number anyway - againt fraudulant calls from other companies playing games apparenly. (Makes a farce os anonymouse call rejection)(BT make money from both sides it seems)

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zirk Omega Baron Offline Posts: 3146 London / Essex Gender: Drives: 3.0 MV6 FL Man Est, 3.0 MV6 FL Auto Est, 2.5TD PF Man Est, RWD RS Sapphire Cosworth	Re: Taxi Service - Hidden Text charges Reply #2 - 30. Mar 2010 at 10:37 Agreed Skruntie, not informing Customers is taking the pss, not going to let this one go. Yes your right, with-holding Numbers does not withhold, just sends a Flag for the receiving equipment not to display it.
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Taxi Driver

Omega Lord

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Re: Taxi Service - Hidden Text charges
Reply #3 - 30. Mar 2010 at 11:22

zirk wrote on 30. Mar 2010 at 10:19:

One of my local Taxi services has started using a new Dispatcher System, book the Cab as normal you then get a Text Message stating Car Type and Colour and approximate arrival time, then another text saying the Cab is waiting outside your location for you, Brilliant you think!

Not!, just got my Vodafone Bill, Im getting charged 50p per message, took a while to work out was going on, till I started collating the Text charges against my Calls Angry

.

Spoke to Vodafone, the Vodagirl saying nothing she can do as they should have told me about their Text costs or by using their Services I must have agreed to their Terms.

Just spoke to the Cab Co and the Girls saying she knows nothing about this and will get back to me.

Think I know where this is going!! Angry

The firm i work for uses a system, whereby it rings your phone once, to let you know a car is about to turn up. They wanted to implement the texting idea, tho i think they got a lot of opposition from the drivers, so didnt pursue it further.
Tho i agree, its a bit cheeky of them to charge you for the text messages!

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Richie London Omega King Offline A HANDSOME DEVIL OF A MAN!! Posts: 10146 heathrow Gender: Drives: a blinking lovely 2001 2.5 elite auto.	Re: Taxi Service - Hidden Text charges Reply #4 - 30. Mar 2010 at 13:44 my taxi service does a call when there outside but from a landline and its just 1 ring.
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Mr Skrunts Over Active Poster Offline 3.O Elite Saloon with all the toys, Posts: 23830 Skruntie Land. Gender: Drives: Jimbob Mad It seems	Re: Taxi Service - Hidden Text charges Reply #5 - 30. Mar 2010 at 14:00 Our local taxi's have a system, they just sit outside and pip the hooter.
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Richie London Omega King Offline A HANDSOME DEVIL OF A MAN!! Posts: 10146 heathrow Gender: Drives: a blinking lovely 2001 2.5 elite auto.	Re: Taxi Service - Hidden Text charges Reply #6 - 30. Mar 2010 at 14:09 Mr Skrunts wrote on 30. Mar 2010 at 14:00: Our local taxi's have a system, they just sit outside and pip the hooter. there was a small firm that did taxis locally a while back. wasnt impressed by the sound when he braked and the passenger seat that was lop sided. but they were very cheap.
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eddie

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Re: Taxi Service - Hidden Text charges
Reply #7 - 30. Mar 2010 at 21:36

Company I work for Supply the same service,but we must inform the customer of the (34p) charge at the time of booking. THis is for the text with cars reg. and description.
Unfortunately some people want the service even when we tell them the car will be there in 2 minutes.

Its primary purpose is a security issue for individuals not at home.

If you are booking a Taxi from a Mobile Phone and do not want the Text message (Text On Arrival) then inform the company at the time of booking.

For domestic phone numbers the "Ring Back" is free.
Considering most people use their mobiles anyway when booking taxis the "Text Back" is a pain in the ar*e as far as I'm concerned.
Another company in cardiff do a "Ring Back" on both mobile and domestic phones at no cost to either party as long as you dont answer the "Ring Back"--a better system in my view.
Sadly the "Text Back" does generate some income for the Taxi company,only a couple of pence per call though.

For my part the biggest pain in the butt is lazy arsed drivers doing the "Ring Back" or "Text back" way before they get to the pick up point,resulting in the customer ringing the office to enquire where is their car-they have had the phone call and no car in sight.

Unfortunately the "Text Back" option is AUTOMATICALLY attached to the booking when we get a Mobile Phone number on the "Screen Pop"-I allways remove it unless, a) the customer requests it-at which point I inform them of the charge or, b) the caller is a lone female and I inform them of the facility and they accept the charge.

It is for this reason I consider "Number Withheld" to be a nuisance,I have to ask for and add the number!
Many people have their number "withheld" to avoid the call back. In several areas of Cardiff we will not despatch a car unless a valid phone number is supplied.

Thank God the 6 nations are over!!!

eddie

P.S. If a number is withheld we have no way to get around it,other than politely ask the customer for it.

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« Last Edit: 31. Mar 2010 at 05:14 by eddie »

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Taxi Driver

Omega Lord

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Re: Taxi Service - Hidden Text charges
Reply #8 - 31. Mar 2010 at 19:20

eddie wrote on 30. Mar 2010 at 21:36:

Company I work for Supply the same service,but we must inform the customer of the (34p) charge at the time of booking. THis is for the text with cars reg. and description.
Unfortunately some people want the service even when we tell them the car will be there in 2 minutes.

Its primary purpose is a security issue for individuals not at home.

If you are booking a Taxi from a Mobile Phone and do not want the Text message (Text On Arrival) then inform the company at the time of booking.

For domestic phone numbers the "Ring Back" is free.
Considering most people use their mobiles anyway when booking taxis the "Text Back" is a pain in the ar*e as far as I'm concerned.
Another company in cardiff do a "Ring Back" on both mobile and domestic phones at no cost to either party as long as you dont answer the "Ring Back"--a better system in my view.
Sadly the "Text Back" does generate some income for the Taxi company,only a couple of pence per call though.

For my part the biggest pain in the butt is lazy arsed drivers doing the "Ring Back" or "Text back" way before they get to the pick up point,resulting in the customer ringing the office to enquire where is their car-they have had the phone call and no car in sight.

Unfortunately the "Text Back" option is AUTOMATICALLY attached to the booking when we get a Mobile Phone number on the "Screen Pop"-I allways remove it unless, a) the customer requests it-at which point I inform them of the charge or, b) the caller is a lone female and I inform them of the facility and they accept the charge.

It is for this reason I consider "Number Withheld" to be a nuisance,I have to ask for and add the number!
Many people have their number "withheld" to avoid the call back. In several areas of Cardiff we will not despatch a car unless a valid phone number is supplied.

Thank God the 6 nations are over!!!

eddie

P.S. If a number is withheld we have no way to get around it,other than politely ask the customer for it.

Not knowing which system your company uses....tho i think most systems can do this....
......set a max range that callback/textback will work. That is, when the driver presses the RB/TB button, the system scans his position (I assume you use GPS positioning for the cars) and if too far away from pickup, request is denied. Thumbs Up!

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Taxi Driver

Omega Lord

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Re: Taxi Service - Hidden Text charges
Reply #9 - 31. Mar 2010 at 19:24

eddie wrote on 30. Mar 2010 at 21:36:

Company I work for Supply the same service,but we must inform the customer of the (34p) charge at the time of booking. THis is for the text with cars reg. and description.
Unfortunately some people want the service even when we tell them the car will be there in 2 minutes.

Its primary purpose is a security issue for individuals not at home.

If you are booking a Taxi from a Mobile Phone and do not want the Text message (Text On Arrival) then inform the company at the time of booking.

For domestic phone numbers the "Ring Back" is free.
Considering most people use their mobiles anyway when booking taxis the "Text Back" is a pain in the ar*e as far as I'm concerned.
Another company in cardiff do a "Ring Back" on both mobile and domestic phones at no cost to either party as long as you dont answer the "Ring Back"--a better system in my view.
Sadly the "Text Back" does generate some income for the Taxi company,only a couple of pence per call though.

For my part the biggest pain in the butt is lazy arsed drivers doing the "Ring Back" or "Text back" way before they get to the pick up point,resulting in the customer ringing the office to enquire where is their car-they have had the phone call and no car in sight.

Unfortunately the "Text Back" option is AUTOMATICALLY attached to the booking when we get a Mobile Phone number on the "Screen Pop"-I allways remove it unless, a) the customer requests it-at which point I inform them of the charge or, b) the caller is a lone female and I inform them of the facility and they accept the charge.

It is for this reason I consider "Number Withheld" to be a nuisance,I have to ask for and add the number!
Many people have their number "withheld" to avoid the call back. In several areas of Cardiff we will not despatch a car unless a valid phone number is supplied.

Thank God the 6 nations are over!!!

eddie

P.S. If a number is withheld we have no way to get around it,other than politely ask the customer for it.

Again, probably another setting that can be changed, if so wished, by 'management' Wink

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Want 250mins talk/unlimited text/unlimited data?...for £10/month no contract?...then order a free sim and get £5 credit free...clicky on following link... http://giffgaff.com/orders/affiliate/taxi_driver

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zirk

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London / Essex
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Drives: 3.0 MV6 FL Man Est, 3.0 MV6 FL Auto Est, 2.5TD PF Man Est, RWD RS Sapphire Cosworth

Re: Taxi Service - Hidden Text charges
Reply #10 - 31. Mar 2010 at 19:48

eddie wrote on 30. Mar 2010 at 21:36:

Company I work for Supply the same service,but we must inform the customer of the (34p) charge at the time of booking. THis is for the text with cars reg. and description.
Unfortunately some people want the service even when we tell them the car will be there in 2 minutes.

Its primary purpose is a security issue for individuals not at home.

If you are booking a Taxi from a Mobile Phone and do not want the Text message (Text On Arrival) then inform the company at the time of booking.

For domestic phone numbers the "Ring Back" is free.
Considering most people use their mobiles anyway when booking taxis the "Text Back" is a pain in the ar*e as far as I'm concerned.
Another company in cardiff do a "Ring Back" on both mobile and domestic phones at no cost to either party as long as you dont answer the "Ring Back"--a better system in my view.
Sadly the "Text Back" does generate some income for the Taxi company,only a couple of pence per call though.

For my part the biggest pain in the butt is lazy arsed drivers doing the "Ring Back" or "Text back" way before they get to the pick up point,resulting in the customer ringing the office to enquire where is their car-they have had the phone call and no car in sight.

Unfortunately the "Text Back" option is AUTOMATICALLY attached to the booking when we get a Mobile Phone number on the "Screen Pop"-I allways remove it unless, a) the customer requests it-at which point I inform them of the charge or, b) the caller is a lone female and I inform them of the facility and they accept the charge.

It is for this reason I consider "Number Withheld" to be a nuisance,I have to ask for and add the number!
Many people have their number "withheld" to avoid the call back. In several areas of Cardiff we will not despatch a car unless a valid phone number is supplied.

Thank God the 6 nations are over!!!

eddie

P.S. If a number is withheld we have no way to get around it,other than politely ask the customer for it.

Which means someone else is collecting most of the revenue of the text message charge, not knowing what software you use but probably an of the shelf Dispatcher program, who also provide the SMS Gateway?

Shame really, I would have thought it should be the other way round, you can buy bundles of Text messeges with a free SMS Gateway for a few pence per message these days, whats the average Taxi Fare?, no idea but call it a Fiver (ok, I know the Company doesn't get all of it), but is it worth the cost of a few pennies per Fare to give the Customer a Free Text service?, especially with all the competition around.

If I could choose between 2 Taxi outfits, one that provides me with a Free SMS service and the other that charges me up 50p per messege, where my vote would be! Thumbs Up!

Chris.

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« Last Edit: 31. Mar 2010 at 19:52 by zirk »

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Entwood Omega King Offline Quietly Confident Posts: 13708 North Wiltshire Gender: Drives: 3.2 Elite (with LPG)	Re: Taxi Service - Hidden Text charges Reply #11 - 31. Mar 2010 at 19:52 Whatever happened to the taxi driver getting his backside off the seat and ringing the doorbell when he arrived ?? Went the same way as helping with bags/suitcases I suppose. But still expect a "tip" as well as payment ... so what .. EXACTLY .. is the "tip" for ???
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TheBoy Administrator Offline TBE has an MOT! Posts: 64817 Brackley, Northants Gender: Drives: 98 MV6, 03 Elite, 00 25, 89 ZX10	Re: Taxi Service - Hidden Text charges Reply #12 - 31. Mar 2010 at 19:54 Taxis haven't been invented in deepest Brackley yet
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zirk

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Re: Taxi Service - Hidden Text charges
Reply #13 - 31. Mar 2010 at 19:56

Entwood wrote on 31. Mar 2010 at 19:52:

Whatever happened to the taxi driver getting his backside off the seat and ringing the doorbell when he arrived ?? Went the same way as helping with bags/suitcases I suppose.

But still expect a "tip" as well as payment ... so what .. EXACTLY .. is the "tip" for ???

Couldn't agree with you more than that!

The Tip is 'dont charge me 50p for my message'!

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