The UK lifts Covid restrictions - How is the taxi industry gearing up?
The United Kingdom is returning to normality, joining many other countries worldwide, including France, Germany, and the United States, with phased plans for business resuming as normal. Regulations are being eased gradually but progressively. Various business sectors, including taxi and travel industries, can continue operations at full capacity restrictions, and measures like wearing a mask and social isolation will be a matter of personal choice rather than a legal mandate, as they are now.
As employment and public venues resume, the United Kingdom has witnessed an increased demand for public transportation, especially taxis. According to current statistics, the taxi industry’s market size will grow to $7.1 billion in 2022. Many taxi firms were eventually pushed to expand their scope with the increased number of taxis on the roads. With new technologies that improve customer experience, there has been a massive shift in how people use private hire taxi services worldwide. Recent findings by Taxi Butler highlight the change in passengers’ preferences for utilising taxi services, with an increase in demand in taxi bookings from venues around the globe. However, for some taxi companies, making a comeback has been challenging. This article highlights some new concepts that taxi businesses are implementing to grow their business.
Attracting and encouraging new drivers to your fleet
As firms in the UK are preparing to embrace Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to lift most Covid-19, few taxi companies provide enhanced packages to support their existing drivers while growing their fleet to help meet the rising demand for safe travel London. The new package includes paid sick leave, maternity leave, and mental-health counselling.
Recruit highly skilled and professional drivers, as they are a taxi company’s brand ambassadors. The main goal of your driver, apart from reaching the passengers to their desired destination, is to make their passengers feel safe and comfortable. A good driver can also minimise the chances of car accidents. Passengers will be more likely to use your taxi services again if the driver is polite and has outstanding driving skills.
Automating your customer support
Customer happiness is critical to a company’s long-term success. It is essential to get clients, but more crucial to retain them. Several taxi fleet owners and business leaders are already providing customers with compelling reasons to prefer their cab service over others. Besides giving discounts and other marketing giveaways, taxi companies now embrace call centre automation, such as RedRoute, to give their customers the attention they deserve. The RedRoute system automates an average of 40% of all support calls. In most cases, customers automate half their calls on just day one, improving the total output and customer satisfaction and growing your business.
Maintaining a genuine connection with all your local venues
All taxi companies aspire to maintain reliable connections with all venues. The taxi booking device at all local venues such as local hotels, restaurants, commercial establishments, and nightclubs assist in taxi bookings, no doubt. However, business owners today are also making conscious business decisions that positively impact the community.
Similarly, taxi owners can tie up with local venues across the UK and provide offers, discounts, or occasional free lifts to frontline workers, police officers, or NHS staff in times of such crises, a fabulous way to give back to the community, also promoting business as a safe and ethical taxi service provider. A few taxi service providers are already providing free transport facilities for people struggling to get to a Covid vaccination site so citizens can get their first, second or booster jab. Also, taxi companies are increasing investment in electric taxis that provide safe, secure and sustainable travel with minimal environmental impacts.
As local venues know your core business ethics and values, they trust you more, thus increasing your chance of generating more business from them. Making small changes such as the ones mentioned above indicate to customers and venues that your taxi company does not only provide basic taxi service but is also a caring, responsible business that positively impacts the environment.
Branding your fleet – Traditional and digital approach
As businesses in the UK resume, people are bound to move out and about. The taxi industry must have a strong presence online and offline through various traditional and digital marketing approaches. The first step is to make a strong presence online via your website and social media accounts. Having a robust virtual presence is as important as your physical office. Make use of various social media sites to promote your cab business. To let people know about the quality of your services, post remarks from delighted clients on your company’s social media account.
The total number of social media users across the globe in 2019 was 2.77 billion, and it is increasing as we speak, where 80% of the online population has made an online purchase. With targeted advertising, fleets and taxi owners can have higher chances of converting a prospective client. Another approach to creating a solid brand is effective public relations. PR helps narrate your story hence building brand awareness leaving a positive impression about the business on existing and prospective clients.
A traditional approach such as fleet branding by placing the company logo on fleet vehicles is also a great pathway to reach out to more customers. Drive through hotspots or hub zones to make your presence known. Your company’s vehicles will stand out from the crowd with brightly coloured, eye-catching vehicle wraps. It is a low-cost method of local advertising that can reach thousands of individuals. A recent study shows that 96 per cent of respondents said fleet branding had a more significant impact than other outdoor advertising strategies. With the protection of logo wrap, you can also preserve your vehicle in better condition.
As countries worldwide ease their Covid restrictions, businesses across the globe are busy making decisions to adjust to the new normal. 2021 has witnessed a bumpy yet steady rise in taxi bookings worldwide. With the lockdown easing in the UK, and the travel sector opening globally, the taxi booking industry is more robust than ever to meet the demand of the venues, and taxi fleets as taxis continue to play an essential role in modern public transit. According to the Taxi Butler Industry Report, by the second quarter of 2022, the industry will have grown by 72.7 per cent.
