they find it easier to commute now. The lines between traditional taxi services and ride-sharing services have blurred. This take-up has raised the expectation that ride-sharing services operate more like a professional taxi service.

For a calm and stress-free trip, it is recommended to be aware of these warning signs before hiring a service.

unusually high fees

Fierce competition has forced the transportation industry to drive innovation and keep lowering rates. This has also been true for taxi services. Unless there is a driver shortage due to high demand or premium service offerings, there is no incentive to pay extra.

questionable maintenance

Good taxi services go the extra mile. They often partner with local agencies to have their cars certified inspected for faults. This translates into a safe and relaxed environment for your customers and repeat business. Any taxi service that does not ensure such maintenance regularly will naturally lose credibility.

Resistance to technology adoption

Without a doubt, technology has become one of the most integral parts of our lives. Without it, our complex ecosystem will collapse. A good taxi service tries to stay ahead and employs the latest technologies. While this increases your cost in the short term, it generates more revenue in the long term. As a general rule, a good taxi company will employ as a minimum:-

– GPS tracking

– Book online

– dedicated platform for drivers and customers

– email confirmation

Inflexible payment solutions

In an increasingly digitized economy, fewer people are carrying cash for daily settlements. While a bad taxi service turns a blind eye to this, good taxi services see an opportunity to retain and expand their existing customer base. As such, they offer customers the convenience of paying not only with credit cards, but also with cash and even wallet systems.

Non-existent or poor customer service

A substandard taxi company does not feel obligated to ensure customer satisfaction. Instead, it operates with a basic and simple business model. An important pillar of customer satisfaction is during the service or post-sale service. This is done to ensure that customers have the option to provide feedback or complaints about the service. The underlying idea is to allow users to speak directly with a company representative; to share positive feedback or raise concerns.

A taxi service operating without customer service could potentially become the biggest red flag. It continues showing that the company in question has for its users.

non-professional drivers

Demonstrating professionalism for a driver is a myriad of rather subjective intangibles. Being a professional driver is not just about driving smoothly, but also about ensuring that the accompanied customer does not feel uncomfortable in any way. Therefore, a good taxi company must have a metric system to rate the performance of its drivers.

The list is by no means exhaustive. In fact, many of the indicators may be trivial for one person but a deal breaker for another. At the end of the day, the service that focuses its energies on customer comfort and facilitation is likely to trump the others. If you need the best taxi service, make sure they don’t have bad signs.