Author Topic: Summoned to the Depot  (Read 74106 times)

Offline Rat Catcher

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Summoned to the Depot
« on: August 25, 2017, 01:37:41 pm »
... on foot of this exchange:

Quote from:  me to them 19 July
Hi,

I have covered a couple of pre-bookings that only differed from “eHails” insofar as the offer screen contained banners advising instant priority and pick up in x mins. I’m not actually qualified to cover these jobs. I did complete the relevant distance learning course with Hail0 some time ago, passing the final exam at my first attempt. However, having never covered a pre-booking on Hail0 and having less than no interest in covering them under the current system, I declined the invitation to register/qualify to cover the same on mytaxi.

I feel I completed the jobs in question reasonably well despite any lack of training. To be honest, in my mind, they didn’t differ materially from any other (i.e. “eHail”) jobs. Perhaps the training Hail0 provided, while not officially recognised by mytaxi, held me in good stead.  Anyway, I recall from my studies for the Hail0 examination that pre-bookings were subject to a €10 minimum fare. Is this still the case with mytaxi?

Regards,

Stephen.

Quote from:  them to me 19 July
Hi Stephen,

Thanks for getting in touch and for the valuable feedback!

You’re right – there is not much difference in how the prebook job flow works to the immediate hail flow. The bookings that you describe are upcoming prebooks which are offered out exactly like an immediate hail except they state the booking time of the offer screen.

There is no minimum fare on prebookings in Ireland – as this is not allowed for by the maximum fares set by the NTA. However, the average fare for prebookings on mytaxi in Dublin last week was €21.92, which is significantly higher than the average fare of immediate hail jobs – which is why they are so popular with drivers.

Additionally, as you point out – you can also achieve instant priority for completing one of theses upcoming prebook jobs. This will give you an edge in allocation above other non-priority drivers for the following day, allowing you to earn more in off-peak times.

Thanks for your support – please let us know if there’s anything else we can help you with.

Regards,

Quote from:  me to them 19 July
Hi ,

Thank you for your response.

The fact that these jobs are frequently offered as immediate hails does indeed afford one a certain appreciation of their popularity with those drivers who are qualified to commit to them in advance.

Are drivers allowed charge the maximum fare as defined by NTA in cases where such maximum fare is less than or equal to €10?

Regards,

Stephen.

Quote from:  them to me 19 July
Hi Stephen,

There are no minimum fares on mytaxi so fares are charged at whatever the meter says, whether it is less than €10 or not.

Regards,

Quote from:  me to them 20 July
Hi ,

Thank you for your response.

When I joined Hail0 I was advised that drivers are not allowed charge the full metered fare on Hail0 jobs, in particular drivers were not allowed apply the specified booking fee (commonly referred to a pick up charge or PUC). As I understand it, a blind eye approach was later adopted in respect of jobs subject to a “hospitality charge” insofar as drivers in practice charge full metered fare on those jobs to compensate for enhanced commission charges of up to 43%, which would be up to 68% if drivers adhered to the letter of the Hail0 terms and conditions.

I have been advised by support that those rules have been inherited from Hail0 despite the fact that they are not specified within mytaxi’s “Terms and Conditions of Service and Privacy Policy” document distributed to drivers. Obviously, while many drivers charge the full metered fare on all jobs in accordance with said terms and conditions, I follow the Hail0 rules as advised, discounting every job by €2.00.

Given the above, there is a degree of ambiguity in your asserting “whatever the meter says”. Do you mean whatever the meter says having recorded the full fare in accordance with mytaxi’s specified terms and conditions i.e. as defined by NTA (including PUC) or whatever the meter says in accordance with the old Hail0 terms and conditions i.e. having not recorded any PUC?

Regards,

Stephen.

Quote from:  them to me 20 July
Hi Stephen,

As your correctly point out – our current policy is to not charge the €2 booking fee for mytaxi customers who hail us via the mytaxi app. The booking fee is applied to bookings for hospitality jobs where the customer is a guest of the venue and not a mytaxi customer. These job offers are flagged as such to drivers on the offer screen, and drivers can opt to decline these jobs if they do not suit them.

Thanks for your feedback.

Regards,

Quote from:  me to them 21 August
Hi ,

Thanks for your response and apologies for the delay in addressing the same.

Your assertion that the firm’s “current policy is to not charge the €2 booking fee” seems somewhat at odds with your earlier suggestion that there “is no minimum fare on prebookings in Ireland – as this is not allowed for by the maximum fares set by the NTA”.  Removing the discount from short job pre-bookings would obviously bring the fares closer to the €10 minimum originally enforced by Hail0. However, I am advised by colleagues that Hail0 made up the difference without passing the relevant surcharges on to clients before Daimler/mytaxi entered the equation. Obviously the current level of penny pinching in the depot does not serve to inspire drivers to cover these mickey mouse jobs.

While I was aware of the €2/job discount policy this is not referenced within any of the terms and conditions documents circulated to drivers in general hence drivers who have not asked if mytaxi allows them charge full fare have not been told that the discounts allowed by Hail0 still apply under the new regime. In fact, the terms and conditions documents clearly state that drivers are entitled to charge full fare as laid down by the relevant authorities.

Regards,

Stephen.

Quote from:  them to me 25 August
Hi Stephen,

Thanks for getting back in touch.

I have spoken with both Tim (our GM) and Fiona (Operations Manager) on your issues and they have suggested that you call into here in Mount Street to discuss the points you raise above.

Can you let me know some times/dates that would suit so I can put a time in the diary for you?

Regards,


john m

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Re: Summoned to the Depot
« Reply #1 on: August 25, 2017, 01:56:35 pm »
My fee for talking to them is 360 per day or part of plus expenses .Im sure they would be happy to meet your request to be recompensed should you decide to accept their most generous offer to allow you donate your time .I just hope now that you are an Interweb Taxi Blogging mogul they are not trying to buy you off with a meeting in the hope that you become delusional and think they actually give a shit and regard anything you say and that you might even add a Mytaxi LIKE button .

Offline Rat Catcher

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Re: Summoned to the Depot
« Reply #2 on: August 25, 2017, 02:20:21 pm »
Last time I was personally invited to the depot it was for a punch up with loadsamoney (dermot) and unspecified other(s). On that occasion we agreed that he, accompanied by unspecified other(s), would come to the beautiful seaside resort town of Balbriggan to resolve the matter. However, the spineless old git has yet to show.

I did receive a general invitation to discuss potential improvements to the driver app in July. Unfortunately I was out of the country on that date. I reckon I will take up the offer on this occasion but I want to gather my thoughts and submit a full list of issues I believe they ought to address, covering both app improvements and policies, before I reply.

Obviously the firm's strategic objectives create friction with it's customers (taxi drivers), I'm not sure they can do a whole lot about that, it's a fact. However, tactical policies such as no PUC ought to be clearly communicated to all drivers through inclusion in the T&Cs documents. It's unfair that drivers who provide feedback are put at a disadvantage compared to drivers who keep their big mouths shut and operate in accordance with the T&Cs. Other issues that spring to mind include:

- Airport pick ups - Customers don't know where to go and the pick up points given to drivers are frequently unavailable.
- App issues:
 - Navigate button frequently obstructs pick up flag on map.
 - Route doesn't always display on map.
 - Banners (e.g. Hospitality Charge, Instant Priority) are sometimes omitted from jobs.
 - UI often unnecessarily tied up waiting for server responses (and requiring acknowledgement of the same) that are irrelevant to drivers.
 - Feedback such as No Contacts and Errors unnecessarily cumbersome.
 - Distance filter doesn't always work

If any of you can think of anything else post it up and I'll add it to the list before I reply on Monday or Tuesday.

john m

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Re: Summoned to the Depot
« Reply #3 on: August 25, 2017, 02:34:25 pm »
Heres an interesting line ..The booking fee is applied to bookings for hospitality jobs where the customer is a guest of the venue and not a mytaxi customer. .  So Mytaxi who are suppose to be promoting taxi drivers interests are facilitating the HOTELS in withholding work from taxi drivers by paying them to withhold work by rewarding them for same ...You couldn't make this shit up .If this is the reason why  they add the 2 yoyo to HOTEL pick ups then why don't they add it to Finches In Neilstown or Boomers or the Waterside .

Offline mercenary for hire

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Re: Summoned to the Depot
« Reply #4 on: August 25, 2017, 02:39:37 pm »
We should probably all go in on the same day incase they try to de sticker you while Tim is giving you the break up talk in the office.

john m

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Re: Summoned to the Depot
« Reply #5 on: August 25, 2017, 02:44:25 pm »
I wonder what would happen if 100 cars turned up to escort the Gentle Giant into the Depot  rofl rofl rofl rofl .

Offline Rat Catcher

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Re: Summoned to the Depot
« Reply #6 on: August 25, 2017, 02:46:04 pm »
The categorisation of riders for charging purposes does create anomalies. I got a job a while back from the Darndale Hilton with the passenger name given as 538 and no banner suggesting a surcharge. As there was no banner I didn't charge PUC but ended up being billed for it by the depot. Unfortunately, I never got round to contacting support about it so I ended up absorbing the excess commission charge. Now, if I were to accept an hotel job I would have to check with clients whether they ordered the car themselves or through reception and explain that the Hotel has negotiated increased fares for it's guests. Hence I just reject those jobs. Obviously it would be a whole lot easier if there was an opt out facility as previously suggested by IWS on Roy's.

I had a sticker on the roof sign in 2014, MfH. I asked the inspector if it was allowed at my 2015 LRA, he said it wasn't so I removed it and he passed the car out. I work for Uber as well as mytaxi so I guess it's inappropriate to appear to promote one brand over the other in any event.

john m

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Re: Summoned to the Depot
« Reply #7 on: August 25, 2017, 02:49:34 pm »
YOU WORK FOR UBER AS WELL .Do they not work for you as a booking agent ?

john m

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Re: Summoned to the Depot
« Reply #8 on: August 25, 2017, 02:54:33 pm »
How do you sort this one out .Danny from Darndale Mytaxies you .You arrive and Sharon you know her Blond bird big tits and Tattoos gets in you press Passenger on board and its a cash job .Its bleeding obvious that yer one is not yer man who ordered ya so is she his customer ?Do you apply the 2 yoyo PUC and is he entitled to it .Ya need to know dis stuff incase they call you into the Depot for a debrief .(Use your own interpretation of Debrief ) In fact as the person who hailed you is not the passenger should you cancel the job and proceed with the fare as your fare .I think that might be what My taxi had in mind when the added to the app .Ask passenger their name .

Offline Rat Catcher

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Re: Summoned to the Depot
« Reply #9 on: August 25, 2017, 03:00:10 pm »
I'm a customer of theirs insofar as I use their service to secure work. I work for them insofar as they employ me to serve their riders. However, I'm not a tied agent. I also work for mytaxi, Roy on occasion and for clients who hail my taxi on the street or hire me at an unofficial rank or otherwise.

I guess you have to make sure the rider ordered the car himself if there's no banner advising otherwise, erm. There's actually a fair bit of Uber work at the Darndale Hilton so best to stick to Uber there in my opinion. As suggested earlier, I'd rather just opt out of hospitality jobs so there can be no ambiguity.

john m

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Re: Summoned to the Depot
« Reply #10 on: August 25, 2017, 03:22:44 pm »
If you do go in to see them will you tell them its too complicated they should either charge the PUC for all or none .According to Joe in the Union some of their Members are to stupit to register on the Industry app so how can they be expected to know who they do or do not charge the PUC to .

Offline Rat Catcher

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Re: Summoned to the Depot
« Reply #11 on: August 25, 2017, 03:29:35 pm »
I'm not sure that not engaging with technology is necessarily "stupit" but I guess it's safe to assume that 10% aren't among the 10,000 odd mytaxi affiliated drivers.

john m

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Re: Summoned to the Depot
« Reply #12 on: August 25, 2017, 03:34:23 pm »
I'm not sure that not engaging with technology is necessarily "stupit" but I guess it's safe to assume that 10% aren't among the 10,000 odd mytaxi affiliated drivers.

That tec stuff is weired .I only found out a fortnight ago that when you open the fridge door in daylight the light still comes on .I thought Elon Musk or Mr Apple would of invented a fridge light bulb that would only come on in the dark .It would save tens of volts of electric and might some day even save the rainforest

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Re: Summoned to the Depot
« Reply #13 on: August 25, 2017, 03:41:38 pm »
Watts not Volts... assuming the current consumed by the sensors is less than that consumed by average daytime running of the bulb.

Offline Belker

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Re: Summoned to the Depot
« Reply #14 on: August 25, 2017, 07:09:13 pm »
My fee for talking to them is 360 per day or part of plus expenses .Im sure they would be happy to meet your request to be recompensed should you decide to accept their most generous offer to allow you donate your time .I just hope now that you are an Interweb Taxi Blogging mogul they are not trying to buy you off with a meeting in the hope that you become delusional and think they actually give a shit and regard anything you say and that you might even add a Mytaxi LIKE button .

Your starting offer was a Deuce a day, then a Trummer, now it's up to 360Euro !

 


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