Tuesday, December 6th, 2011
In the competitive taxi business, having any advantage over your competitors can make all the difference. An electronic dispatching and vehicle location system can set you apart from your competition and help you dramatically increase revenue. This whitepaper will highlight the benefits of an electronic dispatching/vehicle tracking system using examples from taxi companies like yours. Additionally, it will outline the most important things to consider when purchasing a solution.
An electronic dispatching and vehicle tracking solution consists of software in the office and mobile computers in your taxis. Rugged in-vehicle computers with integrated taximeters provide turn-by-turn directions for drivers and allow seamless communication between drivers and dispatchers. In the office, electronic dispatching software allows call takers or dispatchers to distribute calls quickly and fairly.
Benefits of an Electronic Dispatching System
Complete More Trips Each Day
An electronic dispatching system allows companies to streamline call-taking and dispatching to considerably increase the number of trips they can handle without adding additional staff. Call takers can enter customer calls and record customer requests for trip cancellations quickly and easily in the system. Repeat customer information is automatically filled in and allows calls to be dispatched in 3 to 4 seconds. Call information is sent in real-time to the driver’s in-vehicle computer. Days of telephone tag or clogged radios are over as trips are automatically assigned to the next available, appropriate driver.
This technology has revolutionized the way the Union Taxi Cooperative in Denver, Colorado does business. Since implementing an electronic dispatching system Union Taxi has completed an average of 12,000 more trips each month, which is fourteen times more trips than their competitors, without needing to hire any more staff.
Eliminate Inefficiencies
Best-in-class electronic dispatching/vehicle tracking systems include a comprehensive set of reports which allow owners and managers to effectively pinpoint areas of inefficiency. Identifying areas where your operation can improve, such as adding more vehicles to your busiest zones during peak periods, helps streamline operations and improve customer service. Additionally, managers are granted a completely transparent view into the daily operations of the fleet which allows them to correct undesired behaviors or reward top drivers.
United Blueline Taxi in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan has seen the benefits of positioning their fleet to provide excellent customer service. Operations Manager, Tony Rosina, says, “Quite often people will phone the other cab company (without an electronic dispatching system), wait 25 to 30 minutes, and then call us and we’re at their door immediately.” Speedy response times during peak hours have helped United Blueline gain a larger, dedicated customer base.
Tuesday, March 15th, 2011
For the past two years Union Taxi Co-Operative has been serving the Denver Metropolitan Area, and their business has been growing at a rapid pace. Recently, Union Taxi implemented an automated taxi dispatch system combined with in-vehicle mobile computers to boost ridership and streamline operations. As a result of adding a technology system, Union Taxi’s 265-vehicle fleet completes 13,000 trips, and transports 400,000 passengers each month. Mentor Engineering is proud to be the technology provider for Union Taxi, helping them stay competitive in Colorado’s taxi cab market. Ismaeel Chartier, General Manager at Union Taxi, talked to us about their technology implementation experience.
1. Why was it decided that equipping your operation with a technology system was necessary and what do you look for in a technology provider?
We saw there was a need to move to new technologies in order to provide better service to our customers and increase ridership. To increase our business at all, we needed to move forward with a technology solution. When choosing a technology provider I look for someone who is going to be able to solve problems. Whenever you have a new install with new technology, there are going to be problems, and the ability to have someone who can solve those problems is something that we really look for.
2. What aspects of the technology solution do you like the most?
We’ve been able to do 13,000 trips per month without needing to hire additional staff and without any problems. A lot of this is because of Mentor’s IntelliFleet system. It allows us to have the freedom to expand our business very rapidly. If we were still on a radio dispatch system, we would have to hire additional dispatchers and additional call-takers. As the general manager, I love the reporting capabilities and how it simplifies everything for me. I can see how many calls come in, I can see who is dispatching, who is canceling calls and who is making changes in the system.
3. Are there any stories or anecdotes that illustrate how the technology system is being used effectively?
For example, on New Year’s Eve in 2009, before we had our new system in place, we did 671 calls, and it seemed like we were the busiest place on the planet. In 2010, we did over 2,500 calls on New Year’s Eve and it was easy. So to me that’s the difference between having a radio dispatch system and having Mentor’s IntelliFleet system.
4. How has the system improved how dispatchers interact with drivers?
The system has cut down on communication, but that’s a good thing. Before, everything took place over the radio, so more talking on the radio meant fewer trips taking place. Basically, the system has improved our communication by limiting our communication. It has made it so that the main focus of the dispatchers and drivers is to serve the customer instead of arguing with one another about where the call is, or to repeat the address.
5. Are your drivers able to perform more trips per day with this technology?
We went from doing anywhere from 5 to 80 calls a day, and now we average over 300 calls per day. The amount of calls has increased and the ability for us to handle those calls has improved so much. The numbers over the last four or five months have been so phenomenal that our increase in trips per month is literally from 1,000 to 13,000. We couldn’t have done this with a radio dispatch system.
6. What does the future hold for Union Taxi Co-Operative?
We are going to be number one in the Denver taxi market, and this technology is going to allow us to get there. Our goal is to reach 20,000 rides per month, and I’m confident we can do this in the next few months with Mentor.
