No matter how excellent your service is and irrespective of how committed you are to delivering customer satisfaction, chances are that on rare occasions customers will be entitled to a refund.

Human error happens, it’s a way of life. Equally, there are things out of our control. There’s little, for example, that can be done if a pre-booked job is missed due to an accident on the road which results in delays, or one of your fleet suffers a puncture en route to a pickup.

Therefore, as a customer-facing taxi and/or private hire firm, having a clear, concise and adaptable refund policy is essential.

Here are five things to consider when devising your policy – and why software can be key to its success.

 

Make it clear and incontestable

Disputes can be incredibly subjective. By having a watertight, tangible policy that leaves nothing to interpretation – for example 50% refund if the taxi is over ten minutes late and/or a full refund if over 20 minutes late – everybody knows where they stand.

Including fluffy wording in such a policy – such as ‘customers may be entitled to a partial refund if the taxi is significantly late’ – may result in conflict that can take a long time to resolve.

It can also seriously impact the relationship between taxi firm and customer which could result in long-term negative effects both in terms of reputation and future bookings.

 

Create a positive customer journey

By utilising state-of-the-art integrations, you can ensure any customers entitled to a refund can receive a clearly defined and consistent message, such as in the form of an automated response which helps ensure a quick resolution.

Customers will appreciate the uncomplicated process, as well as your quick reaction to any issues, and this will limit the chances of a team member being inundated with calls from customers enquiring about their refund.

 

Streamline the process

Automation and available software can ensure customers receive your policy either ahead of time or immediately after an incident, which means any issues and queries can be dealt with quickly and efficiently without taking up time and resources.

Through automated systems, any refund can also be paid in a timely manner and without the need for manual intervention, again benefiting both customer and the business.

 

Collate accurate evidence

Using Cloud-based systems, integrations and software can give you an accurate, irrefutable account of what has happened so that the details behind a refund claim is crystal clear.

For example, data can be collected which will show exactly when the job was created, what the conditions of the job were and when the taxi was dispatched and arrived, which can be cross-referenced against the terms of your refund policy.

Not only does this keep things clean and mitigate risks of conflict and disputes, it also shows your firm to be highly professional and transparent.

 

Learn and tweak (if necessary)

Being able to document refunds and the nature of the refund through the use of software means that trends can easily be spotted and any issues identified.

This enables taxi businesses to gain valuable intelligence and insight as to how their refund policy is working at the click of a button and this can inform any necessary refinements and tweaks which helps promote best practice and enhance current processes.

 

At iCabbi, we offer a one-stop-shop of comprehensive software, support and solutions designed to enhance every aspect of your business’s operations – both now and in the future.

To speak with one of our dedicated specialists about how we can take your taxi firm to the next level, contact us today.