The taxi industry is ready to improve

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Taxi drivers learn customer service Taxi drivers learned about the importance of customer service at a workshop held to promote public transport month this week. October 12, 2007 By George Matlala THE customer is always right. This was the message echoed at a workshop to improve customer service in the taxi industry held at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in Newtown on Thursday, 11 October. An initiative of the City's transport department, Train-the-Trainer was one of a series of activities the City is undertaking to observe Public Transport Month, during which the government encourages people to use public transport to fight climate change and traffic congestion. Topics tackled at the seminar included communication, addressing customer needs and the purpose of service excellence. Taxi operators, including owners and trainers, were challenged to list issues that prevented them from offering good service and provide solutions. Among those present at the workshop were Rehana Moosajee, the member of the mayoral committee for transport; James Mothupi, the chairperson of the Gauteng Commuter Organisation; representatives of the Johannesburg Regional Taxi Council; and Boenice Diphoko, the taxi co-ordinator of the South African Transport and Allied Workers' Union. Customer service is important part of business, a group of taxi operators heard Violence, unroadworthy taxis, reckless driving, bad attitudes and lack of driver training were top on the list of challenges facing the industry. "We are aware that all these factors will make us lose business," said Theo Malele, an executive member of Top Six, the collective association of the top six taxi organisations in Gauteng. With the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ around the corner, the biggest challenge facing the industry was customer service, he said, adding that drivers and marshals had to learn foreign cultures - especially languages - to cater for the visitors. Speaking about the workshop, Malele said they had learned that the customer was important. "I would rather win a customer and lose an argument. We have identified the correct approach to interacting with our customers, drivers, owners and the general office." According to Mothupi, taxi operators needed to change their mind set and to start recognising the importance of customers. "Public transport is a consumer right," he said. Commuters were happy to see that taxi operators were willing to improve the industry. "We are encouraged by their pronouncements." Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za