Taxi drivers need training - Consumer Council

Friday 11 July 2014

Jersey’s taxi drivers need lessons in customer service, and should smarten up their image, according to a recent passenger study.

It's been done by the Jersey Consumer Council, and reports that 40% of respondents said their customer care from drivers was only fair, or even poor, which has led the Council to call for a driver training programme in customer service, which it says is “imperative”.

More than 3,000 Islanders took part in the Council’s survey last summer, rating the public bus service, rank taxis and private hire, ferries and airlines.

Passenger comments describe some taxi drivers as unhelpful, with one respondent saying: “...rank taxis can seem disgruntled and make no effort to talk to you which puts you off asking for prices etc.”

One passenger suggested rank drivers ditch their football shorts and T shirts and smarten up, wearing collared shirts, trousers or tailored shorts.

And it seems taxi drivers could get some tips from the Island’s bus drivers who fared much better in the survey – 78% of Islanders said customer care on the buses is either good or fair and that “most Liberty Bus drivers are always pleasant.”

Other comments were that bus drivers are particularly helpful to visitors and are courteous, asking people to give up their seats for the elderly and pregnant.

Meanwhile Islanders say they are getting great customer care on the ferries but there is big disparity between the service they are getting from airlines – 94% said BA’s customer care is either good or excellent, but just over half said the same could be true with Flybe.

Consumer Council Chairman Advocate Rose Colley said: “The travelling public need affordable pricing and the provision of regular and reliable all year round services which operate in their interest, not just the company’s.

"Although there is a mixed response regarding consumer experience, the results of the Survey clearly show there is an urgent need for customer care training in certain areas of transport such as the taxi industry and some of the airlines."