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What advice would you give to someone who was starting out as a taxi driver?

April 16, 2019

We know being a taxi driver can sometimes not be an easy job; you work long hours, may have to work during the night, can be faced with rude customers and unfortunately may be involved in an accident.

Taxi Driver giving advice to another driver

So we have collected advice from fantastic taxi drivers across the UK on how to be a successful taxi driver. So if your new to taxi driving or would like to see what other drivers have to say, carry on reading…

Our favourite piece of advice

Keep the car clean (especially the interior).  Try not to get too familiar with customers i.e keep a friendly but professional relationship.  Turn up on time and if you’re running late, call them to let them know.  

Don’t undercut other companies too much, try to attract customers by offering a better service not cheaper prices.  Lastly and most importantly, in my opinion, don’t become a slave to the job; allocate certain days off and on those days don’t go anywhere near your taxi! Employ a part-time driver to cover you or pass the phone through to another trusted company.

Passenger advice

  • Don’t be put off by the minority of bad mannered individuals. The majority are decent individuals who you may become friends with.
  • Be professional and polite at all times. A lot of things could happen in your taxi if you’re ever in a bad situation try to calm the situation down. If you feel edgy about picking someone up, trust your gut instinct as it’s always right and cancel it. Put your safety first.
  • Try not to disagree with people’s views, go along with them and avoid conflict; whether you agree or not. If you are a football supporter don’t display your allegiance, just introduce it gently into the conversation as and when it fits.
  • Know where you are going and engage with your passengers. Everyone is different, some like to talk and some don’t want to. You have to figure this out in the first few seconds of them getting into your car, it makes all the difference
  • Customer service at its finest: give snacks to your customers, ask them if the temperature is ok, open and close their doors, ask if their legroom is ok, be funny, be happy, go the extra mile! Do not argue with your customers (customer is always right), be polite and dress smartly.

Work life balance advice

  • Expect to work long hours but don’t overwork yourself, still make personal time for your friends and family
  • Don’t work too many hours. Set a weekly target and work your hours. Also, make sure you do some exercise or walk every day
  • It’s quite a stressful job. For your safety put dash cam in your vehicle. Don’t do more than 7 hours shifts, it’s very important as you are responsible for lives around you
  • If possible, don’t work nights. Be polite and know your area, go home when you feel tired and drink lots of water.

Whilst on the road advice

  • Stay professional, discreet and enjoy the journey
  • Be honest and reliable, repeat business is the best business
  • It’s all about customer service, repeat customers are important
  • Drive carefully on the road, don’t use your phone whilst driving and avoid aggressive passengers where possible
  • Know your area and always pre-plan your route before setting off. Check and double check the destination. Once you have done that, relax and converse with your passenger.
  • Get internal CCTV and insurance approved dash cams for the front and rear of your cab. After 11 pm, your passengers should pay first
  • You will need to be patient, honest, have a vast knowledge of the city/area, be friendly to people and never lose your temper in any circumstances
  • Enjoy it. It’s the best job in the world!

Taxi insurance advice

  • Go to insureTAXI for your insurance
  • Always choose comprehensive insurance, not third party only nowadays

Yes! Someone’s piece of advice was actually to come to us for your insurance! We’re confident that we can beat your renewal price without compromising on cover. We have years of experience and excellent relationships with leading UK taxi insurers. Call us on 0333 200 0071 or fill in our quote form.

We hope you enjoyed reading the advice we have received from our 2019 Taxi Driver Survey. Was your piece of advice featured? Do you have any other advice that you would like to share? If you do, let us know! We would love to hear it.