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I have been having to get a few taxis over recent days. I hate it! It is such an expensive way to travel but you can’t knock the convenience.
One thing that struck me a while back, however, is the improved quality of the service.
I was staying with my brother and had to get on an early train back so booked a taxi. I received a text confirmation that night saying who would be there and then in the morning to say they had arrived – lovely. Felt very reassuring so I kept the number and made sure to use that firm every time I was in London.
When I booked a taxi recently, it was literally an up the road job, so no booking in advance or anything like that, i just needed to get from having lunch with a friend to the station. Nonetheless, I received a text message saying ‘your car will be with you shortly, and it is a grey Volkswagen Passat’. Just as I read the text, I looked up and what did I see….a grey Volkswagen Passat looking like a Nobel saviour!
The problem was, it didn’t feel all that special as it has become the accepted standard now. You make a booking and obviously the firms all have a little widget that automates the communications. Booking a taxi results in good communications – that is that.
So, what had possibly been an expensive piece of kit a few years ago that set that firm in London apart from the crowd was now probably a less expensive bit of kit that all firms can get hold of.
In our profession, in the past, it used to be difficult and expensive for advisers to communicate with clients, but now it is easy with some brilliant systems out there (yes, I am looking at you clients first).
So, keep an eye on your client’s expectations because the exceptional can quickly be taken for granted as it becomes more common place.