Mike Son's bits
Page 24
Call Sign March 2012
Subservience... or is it
service?
and pieces...
Going to the USA nowadays is no longer unusu-
al even so far as "popping" over to New York
for a shopping weekend! As I'm not American,
I can only guess that when the same thing hap-
pens in reverse, then the Americans end up far
more worn out than our equivalent tourists
going over there.
Why? Well whilst we most certainly are not a
rude nation, but when you experience the
either getting a radio job or the driver had just
American version of hospitality and service it
got fed up waiting.We then got out and remind-
becomes quite apparent that service and cour-
ed ourselves of those old days again.
tesy is one of the most important factors to
Among the topics brought up for remember-
them and when passed along to you, it helps
ing was when Drummonds Bank of Scotland
take away that rushing-around feeling.
on the corner of Trafalgar Square and The Mall
Some may consider it to be subservient to
was the UK's first drive-through bank a bit
offer a good morning, a can I help you, perhaps
like a drive-through McDonalds.We're still wait-
a let me help you with your bags or even the
ing for the second one! Then there was the toi-
oldest of them all yet one that's still around a
let in Hays Mews, Mayfair! Imagine that.A 24/7
good old `have a nice day'! Ok, you could give
toilet in one of Mayfair's poshest streets! Or
some taxi passengers a free ride and they
how about when Barkers in Kensington con-
would still be grumpy, but most are happy just
tained just three super stores Barkers, Pontins
to receive some old-fashioned courtesy. It
and Derry & Toms. Now it's a glorified fruit and
makes the customer feel appreciated - and why
veg shop! Then there was movie superstar Ava
not? Being polite costs absolutely nothing.
Gardner who would phone up daily from her
As cab drivers, we are in the people business
Knightsbridge apartment for a driver to take
and a kind word can make all the difference in
her pooch for a walk in Hyde Park, followed
customers having a pleasant journey and also
much his wife had spent the previous week!
later by Adele Rootstein, who not only phoned
feeling valued, rather than a journey soured by
The conversation got around to the London
for a dog walker, but who also kept several
indifference. Driving in London is frustrating
and Dial-a-Cab of old. We both agreed about
pairs of different sized boots in case it got wet!
enough; all I am advocating is that you can
how much things had changed, yet when you
We used to smile at Doctor Voller who
make it as stress-free as possible.
drive around town you remember it as it is
phoned us seven days every week to be taken
Suffice to say there are many cab drivers
now.You have to stop everything to think back
from Prince of Wales drive to the Phene Arms
who realise that being courteous does help
how it was. And the two of us had the time
on the north side of Albert Bridge. That was
with better customer relations and no, I
because no passengers were coming anywhere
twice every morning and again in the evening.
wasn't suggesting that you offer free rides to
near to that Docklands rank.
He never went anywhere else until an unknown
see if it gets the passenger to crack a smile!
We started off with Docklands itself. Looking
incident forced him to move pubs to the Kings
Creating an impression that all taxi drivers are
around, you could not help but feel impressed
Head and Eight Bells on Cheyne Walk!
polite and courteous may not win us back
at the huge and fairly attractive skyscrapers
We spoke of today's restaurants and how if
every passenger we have lost, but neither will
surrounding you. But go back thirty years and
they keep the same name for more than two
it do us any harm!
never mind an airport, the only time you got a
years, are deemed to be successful and then we
Allen Togwell's recent story about being
trip to the Island was either if you worked the
remembered establishments such as Captain
refused a non-radio taxi back to the office after
Mile End Station rank or if a navvy needed to
Cunningham's in Curzon Street.You learned it in
hailing it in the Euston Road for "daring" to sug-
get back to their ship which was moored at
the Knowledge knowing that 20 years on and it
gest the best way into East Road is a perfect
West India Docks. Occasionally it would be a
would still be there.Well not now!
example. He was told to go forth and multiply!
Fred Olson ship and at even rarer times it might
By the time Gamages and Bourne &
Even if that driver knew everything, would it
have been a banana boat that was going back to
Hollingsworth came up, I had reached the
have harmed him to just say yes sir? But nope!
the West Indies to pick up another batch, but
point and off I went. Within five minutes I had
Obviously no one tells that driver what to do in
with an empty boat it would sometimes take
to ask the passenger where they were going as
his taxi. AT always looks ultra-smart and could
back a few passengers at a knock-down price.
I had forgotten!
have been the head of a corporate company for
You could drive right up to the ship. Security
all that driver knew and the end result could
hardly existed!
Mike Son
have been him issuing instructions to his office
After some 15 minutes, we got back into our
DaC Special Projects
for staff to phone for minicabs in future as it no
cabs to move up one place with the point cab
longer felt safe in a London taxi. Couldn't hap-
pen? Ask our Sales Department how easy it has
become to lose accounts.As I said, I'm not ask-
ing you to give free rides... just be nice!
Remember when...
It's a sad fact that the older you get, the more
you remember about twenty years ago rather
than what you did yesterday.
Sitting for a rather prolonged time on a rank
recently, I ended up in conversation with one
of our former drivers who was now in semi-
retirement, going out to work for the odd day
here and there usually depending on how
