In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to prepare your system, from festive tariffs to managing increased call volumes. Plus, don’t miss our exclusive webinar for a complete step-by-step walkthrough!

Why Preparing for the Festive Season Matters

The holiday season is a critical time for businesses. With increased demand and tighter resources, preparation is key to maintaining excellent customer service. We’ve compiled actionable tips to help you stay ahead and make the most of this festive opportunity.

1. Set Up Festive Tariffs

Reviewing and adjusting your pricing strategy is crucial during the holidays. A festive tariff allows you to uplift fares on key dates like Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.

Here’s how to get started:

• Schedule tariffs to automatically adjust fares on specified dates.
• Apply a modifier to Fixed fares for an additional percentage or fixed value increase.

These adjustments ensure customers booking in advance via passenger apps or automation tools understand the holiday pricing, reducing confusion and increasing transparency.

2. Add Holiday Cheer with Festive Car Icons

If you’re using a passenger app, consider applying for Holiday Car icons. This fun, festive touch enhances the booking experience for customers, spreading holiday cheer while reinforcing your brand’s seasonal spirit.

3. Update Your Phone System with Holiday Announcements

If your business uses iCabbi Voice or Target Cloud PBX phone systems, now is the time to add a seasonal greeting. These messages are a great way to keep customers informed while adding a festive touch.

Include:

• Your holiday operating hours
• Details about any Christmas or New Year promotions
• Seasonal greetings to enhance the customer experience

This proactive step ensures your customers have all the information they need while helping them feel valued.

4. Manage Increased Holiday Call Traffic

The festive season often leads to a surge in customer inquiries, which can overwhelm your team. To manage this effectively:

• Leverage our partnership with an outsourcing operator offering a 5-day trial period (30 hours).
• Evaluate service quality and ensure it meets your expectations.
• Work with a dedicated onboarding specialist to facilitate a smooth transition.

By outsourcing during peak times, you can maintain service quality without overburdening your in-house staff.

5. Watch Our Webinar for Step-by-Step Guidance

For a complete breakdown of these tips, watch our exclusive festive preparation webinar! The ETGL Customer Success team walks you through everything from setting up tariffs to managing customer communications.

In the webinar, you’ll learn:

• How to configure festive tariffs and Fixed fare modifiers
• Best practices for adding Holiday Car icons
• Setting up holiday phone announcements
• Managing call traffic with outsourcing solutions

This hands-on session is packed with practical advice to help you prepare your systems efficiently and effectively.

6. Need Help? Contact Our Support Team

Whether you’re setting up festive tariffs, applying holiday icons, or configuring seasonal greetings, our expert support team is here to help. Reach out for personalised assistance or a comprehensive guide to get started.

Stay Ahead This Festive Season

At ETGL, we’re committed to helping you succeed. Subscribe to our channel for the latest product updates, tips, and resources.

From everyone at Exel Technology Group, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Let’s make this festive season your best yet.

The post Preparing Your System for the Festive Season first appeared on iCabbi UK.

According to projections from UK Finance, the collective voice for the banking and finance industry, cash is expected to constitute only 6% of transactions by 2031.

The Rise of Contactless

In 2021 alone, a staggering one-third of all payments in the UK were through contactless methods. This trend highlights the growing need for quick, effortless, and secure transactions among consumers.

As we see this tilt towards a cashless society, it becomes crucial for businesses, especially those in the service sector, to equip themselves with reliable and efficient payment systems that reflect this change. This is where iCabbi can become your invaluable partner in navigating the cashless era seamlessly.

ALT+J: Facilitating Over-The-Phone Payments with Ease

ALT+J, a feature within iCabbi, efficiently enables businesses to process payments over the phone, paving the way for effortless prepaid bookings. Though this feature underwent a temporary pause, refinement and redevelopment were implemented to ensure it meets the highest standards of compliance and security.

With ALT+J, businesses can ensure a secure transactional environment where card details are encrypted using unique token IDs. This advanced security mechanism assures both operators and customers that their data is protected and secure.

What’s more, the seamless integration of ALT+J with Stripe ensures that all transactions are accurately logged and visible in your Javelin portal. This integration provides businesses with oversight and control over every card transaction, while also ensuring consistency in the processing of payments, whether through pin pads, passenger apps, or web bookings.

iCabbi’s Advanced Card Payment Terminal: Contactless, Mobile, and Integrated

Our card payment terminal is a hub of contactless and mobile transactions. It accepts payments through various avenues – whether it’s a swift tap of a card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or the traditional Chip & PIN method. This versatility ensures that your service is accessible and convenient for all customers.

The card reader works seamlessly with iCabbi – the price is automatically passed from the Driver App to the terminal and payment information is passed back to iCabbi and is stored in the booking and card payment reports. Payment to drivers can be made in as little as 24 hours or go towards their driver rent.

We’re currently offering FREE* Pin Pads to fleets who are committed to providing their passengers with an option to pay by card.

Support and Visibility

We are dedicated to ensuring that you extract the maximum advantage from contactless payments. Our experienced and proficient customer success team is on hand to provide guidance and assistance tailored to your unique business needs.

Secure your free card reader today and embark on a journey of endless possibilities! The cashless era awaits, and with iCabbi, you’re not just prepared; you’re ahead.

**Fleets must average 20 transactions per PIN Pad per month, or we reserve the right to administer a charge of £2.99 + VAT per month per PIN Pad. For example, if 10 devices are supplied, the fleet is expected to complete at least 200 transactions (10 PIN Pads x 20 jobs). Your drivers simply need to complete 5 card jobs a week.

The post Navigating a Cashless Future with iCabbi first appeared on iCabbi UK.

Digital Marketing Approach

Your marketing strategy should start with a strong digital presence. The digital channels offer a direct, effective way to reach your customers where they spend a lot of their time:

• Website Optimisation – A well-structured, visually appealing, and user-friendly website is essential for local businesses. By integrating our Web Booker into your website, you can enhance the customer experience and stay ahead of your competitors.

However, having a great website is only the first step; making sure potential customers can find it is the next. Optimising your site for search engines is crucial to improve visibility. This includes technical SEO, such as ensuring your site is mobile-friendly and content SEO, such as having relevant keywords in your text and image tags.

Regularly updating your blog with articles about your services, local attractions, or transport advice can improve your site’s relevance and authority, leading to higher search engine rankings.

• Email Marketing – Send personalised emails to your customers at the right time to give your business a significant boost. Highlight services such as airport transfers during peak travel times, like school holidays or summer breaks.

Segmentation is key to effective email marketing. By categorising your email list based on customers’ habits, preferences, or past bookings, you can send more targeted, personalised messages. For example, you could offer hotel transfer discounts to past city trip bookers, or off-peak discounts to regular late-night riders.

• Online Reviews – Reviews are pivotal in shaping the reputation of your business and influencing customer choices. Positive reviews increase your business’s online visibility, especially for customers searching ‘local taxi service’ in their area. More reviews can also give your business the impression of being a larger, more established fleet.

Don’t forget positive reviews aren’t just for customers; they can also make your company a more appealing place to work and attract the best talent in the industry.

If you need help in this area, Review Master can help enhance your business’s online presence, customer engagement, and website ranking!

• Social Media – The power of social media in business marketing is undeniable! Use popular platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to reach your target audience. You can use these platforms to keep your current and new customers up to date with exclusive offers and discounts.

Consider adopting strategies like running location-specific campaigns on social media during community events or festivals. A proactive approach can raise awareness about your services and boost bookings.

If you wanted to take it a step further, social media platforms offer sophisticated ad targeting options that you can use to provide exclusive offers and discounts to specific demographic groups, geographical locations, or even to individuals who have shown interest in similar services.

• Text Messages – Utilise text messages as a useful tool for securing advance bookings and enhancing customer experience. By sending text reminders ahead of significant events, such as New Year’s Eve, school holidays, or local festivals, you can encourage your customers to book their rides in advance, ensuring availability and reducing last-minute stress.

Traditional Marketing Tactics

Despite the rise of digital marketing, traditional offline marketing tools can still have a significant impact, especially in the local community:

• Leaflets/Flyers – Distributing flyers in high-footfall areas such as hotels, pubs, and local businesses can help with bookings. Additionally, distributing these at transport hubs like train stations and airports can help to capture travellers looking for local transport. Offering discounts or incentives on these flyers can further encourage potential customers to choose your services.

• Coasters – Consider these as mini-flyers that can provide a unique marketing platform. Placing them in local pubs, clubs, and cafes puts your service in the direct line of sight of potential customers at a time when they may need a taxi service.

• Vehicle Signage – Your vehicles as more than just a mode of transport; they’re also moving billboards. Make the most of this constant visibility by displaying your phone number, website, and booking app clearly. This can serve as a continuous reminder of your services to anyone who sees your vehicles. Also, consider reflective signage for advertising your services during the night.

Remember, investing in marketing is not just about customer acquisition. It also creates an environment conducive to team success. By blending traditional and digital marketing techniques, you can construct a comprehensive and efficient marketing plan tailor-made for your taxi business.

In today’s fast-paced, app-dominated world, standing out as a taxi firm can be challenging. However, with our software solution, iCabbi, you can not only keep up with but surpass your competition. Our taxi dispatch system equips you with the necessary tools to deliver superior customer service, reduce operational costs, automate bookings, and compete effectively with larger competitors. Moreover, our UK-based customer service is always ready to support your business needs.

*This blog post was relevant in 2023, you can read our updated version here.

The post Revitalising Your Taxi Business Marketing Strategy first appeared on iCabbi UK.

• Higher customer satisfaction
• Improved safety
• A competitive edge

We’ve put together this helpful article to outline a number of ways that can help you attract, recruit, and retain the best taxi drivers in the business.

Build a reputation as a good employer

Reputation counts for a lot and in the digital age, word of mouth spreads fast than ever! You want to make sure that you are known in your community and your industry as a good and fair employer.

This starts with your current employees, making sure they are happy and engaged. They are the ones who will serve as brand ambassadors and spread positive word-of-mouth about your company – so by working on developing a positive work environment will go a long way to attracting top employees.

The iCabbi dispatch system can be a great way of improving driver satisfaction. Features like in-app messaging and notifications, allowing taxi companies to keep drivers informed about job assignments, updates, and important announcements. This clear and instant communication reduces driver stress and helps them feel more valued and engaged.

Spread the word

To help spread the word about your amazing reputation as an employer, think about using social media, your website, and other channels to tell the world how good you are at looking after your employees – whether that be extra perks and benefits, supporting local charities and good causes or simply cakes in the office on a Friday.

How you recruit taxi drivers

A solid job advert is key for recruitment. You want to make ensure that it clearly explains the key responsibilities and requirements of the role, as well as the benefits of working for your company. Once you have your advert, think about how it’s viewed and accessed. Online job boards, social media, and local newspapers are a great first port of call.

As well as posting adverts for drivers to find you, it’s also worthwhile to think about ways you can go out and find new drivers. Consider partnering with your local driving schools and training centres to tap into a pool of newly qualified drivers.

Also, look into participating in job fairs and networking events as well, as they provide valuable opportunities to personally connect with potential candidates. Additionally, don’t underestimate the power of employee referrals – think about how you can incentivise or encourage your existing drivers to refer their friends and contacts.

Competitive pay and benefits

To successfully attract and keep top-notch drivers, it’s crucial to provide appealing compensation packages and perks. Take the time to study the current market rates for taxi drivers in your locality and ensure that your payment structure aligns with or exceeds those benchmarks. Additionally, incorporating bonuses and performance-based incentives can further entice highly skilled individuals to join your team.

With iCabbi, additional pay and rewards can also be offered based on driver performance, helping to incentivise a culture of high-performance. iCabbi can enable taxi companies to monitor driver behaviour, such as punctuality, customer ratings, and driving habits. With this data, companies can implement incentive programs and reward drivers who consistently deliver great service. By recognizing and rewarding high-performing drivers, iCabbi helps to motivate and retain the best talent.

It doesn’t just have to about pure pay either; consider offering benefits such as health insurance, pension contributions and paid leave. These perks can set your company apart from competitors and help to retain drivers in the long run.

What’s more, small gestures of appreciation can go a long way in making your drivers feel valued and motivated. Aside from performance-based bonuses, this could be in the form of employee-of-the-month awards, or simply acknowledging their efforts during team meetings.

Streamline your hiring and on-boarding

A lengthy or complicated hiring process can deter top talent.

The iCabbi taxi dispatch system can simplify the driver onboarding process, making it easier for taxi companies to recruit new drivers. The system can automate the collection and verification of driver documents, such as licenses and insurance, reducing the administrative burden and ensuring compliance with regulations. This streamlined onboarding process saves time for both the company and the drivers, making it more convenient and attractive for potential recruits.

Provide quality vehicles and technology

To keep running expenses down while making the driving job more appealing to potential recruits, consider maintaining your fleet to a high standard of comfort, and investing in fuel-efficient vehicles.

The proper use of technology can also be a game-changer in making drivers’ roles more straightforward and efficient. Giving drivers access to the appropriate tools and tech can significantly boost their performance and job happiness.

Take iCabbi as an example, it’s brimming with features aimed specifically at drivers, which significantly improves their experience. For instance, the intuitive navigation feature offers real-time traffic updates, assisting drivers to plan the best routes and keep delays to a minimum. The system also allows drivers to customize preferences, such as choosing preferred vehicle types. By prioritising driver convenience and personalisation, iCabbi helps create a positive work environment and encourages driver loyalty.

Promote work-life balance

Taxi driving can be a demanding job, with irregular hours and high levels of stress. Promoting work-life balance is crucial for retaining the best drivers. You should consider offering flexible schedules, where drivers can choose their shifts or have some control over their working hours.

Look into establishing policies to ensure that drivers are not overworked, such as limiting the number of consecutive hours or days that they can work. Also encourage drivers to take breaks and time off to rest and recharge. A well-rested driver is not only safer on the roads but also more likely to stay with your company in the long run.

Click here for further reading on how to establish a work-life balance in your business.

Encourage feedback and continuous improvement

Finally, encourage feedback from your drivers and use it to make continuous improvements. Regularly survey your drivers to understand their job satisfaction, challenges, and suggestions for improvement. This will not only make your drivers feel heard and valued but also provide valuable insights for improving your recruitment and retention strategies moving forward.

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Remember, your drivers are the backbone of your business, and investing in them is an investment in the success of your company. Free Demonstration to find out more about how iCabbi could help make you a more attractive and successful employer.

The post Recruit Taxi Drivers: How To Recruit and Retain Top Drivers first appeared on iCabbi UK.

It’s by no means too strong to say that state-of-the-art, innovative systems, software and integrations such as those offered by iCabbi have revolutionised the taxi and private hire industry and will continue to do so moving forward.

We’ve covered in a previous blog the absolute necessity of offering customers and would-be customers the opportunity to make contactless payments and the tangible difference this can make to both your bottom line and reputation.

However, some business owners may be nervous about installing such a system.

Why? You’re busy (often very busy) running your business. Do you have the time and/or headspace to be thinking about something new, even if it will make a huge difference to your operations?

Just thinking about installing a contactless payment machine can put you off.

It’s easy to envisage a big, cumbersome machine with multiple wires that need connecting to endless sockets and imagine spending hours painfully working our way through an endless manual with confusing instructions.

The good news? None of that is true when it comes to iCabbi’s card payment integrations.

Here are just some of the reasons why setting up your card machine, enabled by iCabbi, is a quick, painless and important way of taking your operations to the next level.

Fast, easy, intuitive installation

We will provide you with your pin pad which will be used to take and register contactless payments. The pin pad (which we will provide your fleet with – and for free) simply connects to Bluetooth and links to our own reliable, state-of-the-art iCabbi driver app. It’s as simple as that.

In terms of processing payments, this is where our technology takes over. Each card payment will be sent directly to your dedicated iCabbi Stripe account which, conveniently and logically, is the same account used for all other products you are taking advantage of as part of your account with us.

Unrivalled customer care

Whilst the set up and payment processes are, as demonstrated above, simple and designed to get your fleet up and running in no time at all, we know that each case is different and questions may arise during the installation – either from yourself or queries from drivers.

What’s more, we see ourselves as an extension to your team. Should you encounter any teething problems or indeed have queries further down the road, our renowned support team are on hand to offer ongoing, personalised support.

Equally, we know every business is unique. We’ll work with you to set up and implement any necessary booking surcharge and integrate it into your operations – taking away any requirement for manual intervention.

360 degrees set up

Setting up your card machine isn’t just about the hardware and software involved – it’s more than that and it’s why we go the extra mile to ensure you’re maximising this crucial element to your business as much as possible.

As part of our set up process we will help you broadcast to your customers and potential customers that you now offer contactless payments by supplying you with in-vehicle stickers promoting the fact you offer this service.

This ensures you have infrastructure you can trust, support you can depend on, and visibility to customers to immediately start reaping the rewards of your decision to offer contactless payments.

Providing contactless payment integrations is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to iCabbi’s suite of solutions which have been proven to enhance the prospects and profits of taxi and private hire companies far and wide, small and large.

To learn how we can help you achieve your goals and aspirations for your firm, contact our expert, friendly and dedicated team today.

The post Setting up your card machine – iCabbi offers you all the support you need first appeared on iCabbi UK.

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.

The post How to create a refund policy first appeared on iCabbi UK.

What is iCabbi Voice?

Put simply, iCabbi Voice is part of the taxi booking software that allows customers to book over the phone. However, it does not increase your costs. No, just because people still like to ring, it doesn’t mean you need to have more manual phone operators. The iCabbi Voice solution handles all that for you. Whether you have customers with previous booking history or fixed locations, the automated solutions can see growth in the numbers in your business. You can view examples of iCabbi voice in action by clicking here.

Have you got examples of Voice+ in action?

Despite digital software and technology coming to the fore, some people will always have a preference to book a taxi over the phone. iCabbi have realised this and how important it is for your taxi fleet to offer a great booking offering to all. That’s why it is essential to us that you know more about this exciting product. Whilst we have produced the written details below, our team at Exel Technology Group also provided some great examples in the latest Voice+ webinar on iCabbi solutions which you can watch here.

What are the benefits of automated Voice Recognition?

As with everything else from iCabbi, you can create users and manage users in seconds, meaning the software can be self-managed by you and your team. If needed, there is the capability with iCabbi voice to make changes to your call routing, easily configure your automated features and even set up bespoke greetings and instructions. Our taxi booking software essentially allows you to personalise your system, setting up bespoke greetings and instructions. We know how important it is for passengers and customers to feel welcome, and this is a great feature for you.

Is it an automated cloud-based software?

The iCabbi Voice & Phone solution features are all automated. Automation is a big feature within iCabbi and the improvement and growth of taxi businesses are just one benefit of this taxi solution.

As it is automated software, we can reduce the need for live operators by enabling passengers to book, confirm or cancel via the phone. However, they will be talking to the iCabbi voice system, meaning your staff won’t need to manually operate the systems. Our intelligent voice recognition system will be extremely beneficial for your taxi fleet.

Does automated software help to cut your costs?

Put simply, yes. Whilst we have discussed the automated voice recognition software which reduces the need for manual operators, our taxi dispatch software can also limit wasted fuel. Whether it is using the passenger app, or via phone, if a passenger can cancel a booking without the fear of speaking to a driver or operator, the chances of no-shows and wasted mileage are drastically reduced.

All statistics are available in a digital report

If you are unsure where to start, you can always request a free demonstration with the iCabbi team. Your automated features can handle and understand any call trends. Not only is this fascinating to understand, but it also helps you optimise your technology features, allowing you to optimise your staff rota to suit.

Cloud-based software also allows for remote working

Over the past couple of years, remote working has become far more popular. With taxi drivers, naturally, they are always on the road. But iCabbi has your admin staff in mind when thinking about the possibilities of remote working. This cloud-based software would allow your operators or telephonists to work from home.

Not only is this beneficial for those looking to self-isolate, but it reduces the need for admin staff to work in an office. This in turn results in fewer costs with regards to hardware. What’s not to love?

Benefits of Voice Automation

Ultimately, there are plenty of benefits to voice automation and recognition, as seen in the aforementioned webinar from the ETGL team. See examples of it in action, but also take into consideration the other benefits as we have stated in this article.

The post Voice+ (Enhanced IVR) – Update on this state-of-the-art software first appeared on iCabbi UK.

Making the most of the iCabbi taxi dispatch software in the UK

Below is the list of the latest webinars we have produced here at ETGL. Get in touch with us here if you would like to hear feedback on what else we can advise on to improve your taxi business.

iCabbi Voice+ and Recognition

The ETGL team are back and are determined to talk you through all things iCabbi Voice and the enhanced updates that come along with it. Automate your fleet management with our state-of-the-art taxi dispatch software, ideal for you and your taxi drivers. Keep them happy with iCabbi!

View our latest video below:

Avoid overbooking your drivers during busy periods

Avoid overbooking your fleet of taxi drivers during busy periods. That’s what the latest ETGL webinar is all about!

We know what it can be like. A surge of bookings can come at once and passengers end up waiting too long for a driver to arrive. They expected a couple of minutes, and have been waiting for the driver for over 10. This is not good for your taxi fleet or your taxi company. Fortunately, using the automated taxi dispatch software on offer from iCabbi, there are steps you can take to ensure you do not have any unhappy passengers.

View the ETGL webinar on how to avoid overbooking your fleet below:

Utilising the iCabbi surge pricing tool

Many local taxi companies thrive on the busy periods for punters and passengers. Christmas, Easter and school holidays alike are all busy times and taxi drivers and companies will want to make the most of the busy periods.

Surge pricing is a great way to take advantage of busy periods. It will also help you to attract and retain taxi drivers, as they know that with the automated taxi software on offer, they’ll be getting their fair share of the profits. Working in busy times can be stressful, so make sure your drivers know they appreciate it by upping your prices fairly. It will also help your business to grow and you’ll be able to pay them more!

View the webinar on surge pricing which the ETGL team put together below:

Split invoice commissions using iCabbi taxi solutions

We touched on treating your drivers fairly earlier on in the page and this is something we are a big believer in at ETGL. Using the iCabbi taxi dispatch software for fleets all over the UK, we work tirelessly with taxi companies to ensure their drivers are happy with the support they receive.

The webinar below talks all about the benefits of the dispatch engine on offer and which taxi solutions can help. Using split invoice commissions tools, these tips can help to automate your business, thus streamlining it and making sure you have the most efficient taxi company it can be.

Check out our webinar on split invoice commissions below.

UK Taxi Dispatch Software – 10 tips to help you navigate busy periods

Whilst surge pricing may help to take advantage of the busy periods, iCabbi UK taxi dispatch software can also help you navigate the busy times. Whilst the busy periods mean you are making plenty of money, you don’t want to overstretch yourself and lose out on valuable passengers or journeys.

Keir and Darren from Exel Technology Group put together 10 helpful tips to help you navigate busy periods, using the iCabbi taxi software on offer. Whether it be the driver app, the passenger app or the whole dispatch engine, all these tips will help ensure you navigate the busy periods safely.

See our top ten tips on using the iCabbi dispatch engine below:

Taxi Dispatch Software UK – Learn more about using Voice APIs

Optimise your taxi fleets with voice APIs. The taxi solutions provided by iCabbi to fleets in the UK can help make life easier for your taxi company. Getting the best out of your fleet is important, regardless of the size of the taxi fleet.

You can view the ETGL explainer on iCabbi Voice APIs below.

Request a free demo of the iCabbi Taxi solutions

You can also see what all the fuss is about Free Demonstration.

Subscribe to our iCabbi UK YouTube channel here also.

The post ETGL’s iCabbi Webinars – How to best use the iCabbi Taxi Dispatch Software in the UK first appeared on iCabbi UK.

1) Taxi Dispatch Software Provides Your Fleet With Efficiency

Think of all the times you have sat there, thinking of ways to cut costs and provide a better working life for your drivers. All companies have admin and paperwork, but the way the digital age has come about, it is just as important that taxi companies do the same. That is why iCabbi have worked seamlessly to provide taxi software that allows taxi businesses to streamline their work. With voice recognition and state-of-the-art GPS, your taxi drivers can have anything they need at their fingertips. Not only does this bring happiness to the driver, but it also means that there is a reduced need for admin in your business.

Cutting costs and bringing efficiency to your fleet through automated software is something iCabbi can help you with. Check out our iCabbi webinars on YouTube to see what cloud-based shortcuts we can help you with!

2) You can save money for your taxi business

Whilst we have talked about the need for efficiency, this comes hand in hand with cutting costs. Using cloud-based and automatic software, the need for admin staff is reduced. It also limits the interaction between dispatchers and drivers, as well as drivers and passengers. With passengers ordering and booking their journeys through the app you can have for your company, the need for paperwork and dispatchers is reduced.

With fewer employees needed and less manual paperwork required for the existing staff, your outgoings are reduced. You will also not need to splash out on an office for your staff. Whilst taxi journeys are coming back into fashion, remote working is also still popular. With staff having your admin at their fingertips thanks to the cloud, the cost-cutting measures can begin with the iCabbi taxi dispatch software.

3) Increase the happiness of your taxi drivers

Having automated taxi software for your business also increases the happiness of your drivers. This not only provides a better working environment but also allows for the growth of your fleet. As a business owner, your fleet will only grow if drivers want to stay, not leave.

The reason taxi drivers want to stay? If they are still dealing with manual dispatchers then there is sometimes still the accusation of bias and favouritism. With automated software, that isn’t the case anymore. The software simply helps to choose the best driver for the best job. It takes into account the distance that the driver is from the pickup destination and how accessible they are. If taxi drivers know this, they know they will be treated fairly and will earn their fair share of the fare. This particular webinar on iCabbi split invoice commissions is a great explainer on how you can ensure your taxi drivers feel happier about working for your taxi fleet.

4) It can give you the edge over your competitors

iCabbi not only provide state-of-the-art taxi dispatch software, we go that little bit further. The whole iCabbi taxi dispatch engine has so many facets that taxi fleet owners don’t even know about. The software provides you with an app on which you can implement your logo. That means that you get public visibility. Your brand is out there and if your drivers are doing a good job, you are likely to get chosen over your competitors.

Not only do you get visibility, but the passenger app that comes as part of the software is also user friendly. As we mentioned earlier, it is 2022 and in the digital age, being able to order a taxi using an app is a lot easier than talking to a manual dispatcher on the phone. Thanks to Uber, journey booking apps are now the norm, and it is important that as a taxi fleet you keep up to date with them.

5) iCabbi taxi dispatch software provides little to no downtime

The problem with going online is that many businesses fear that there will be downtime. If a taxi company is run manually, then a taxi fleet owner likes to think that their staff will always be on the other end of the phone and the drivers will be easily reachable. However, the iCabbi cloud-based software has little to no downtime.

You can view all you need to know about the trusted software here. We are very open about our stats and reliability, so much that we have set up a live feed for you to read here.

Why iCabbi?

Grow your taxi business with iCabbi fleet management software – the most advanced dispatch system in the world! Contact us via the contact form or phone us on 01623 44 22 11. Alternatively, pop us an email at enquiries@icabbi.etgl.co.uk. Our friendly team will be able to assist you in any way we can.

The post 5 reasons you need taxi dispatch software to help deal with the surge in demand for taxis first appeared on iCabbi UK.

How to avoid overbooking your fleet with automated taxi dispatch software UK

Overbooking your drivers can be an administrative nightmare. This has long been the case with taxi companies that have operated with manual dispatchers. Fortunately for those who organise taxi fleets and bookings, iCabbi has developed a state of the art automated software which allows operators and users to block out time zones when they know they are already overbooked.

This limits the potential for fleets or drivers to be overbooked. Having a fleet that cannot cope with passenger demand could be detrimental to your business. That is why it is important to get ahead and ensure you have blocked out the relevant time zones. In a similar way to how surge pricing works, it is about ensuring you get the best out of your passenger demands, during busy periods.

Surge pricing would mean that you can increase your prices and earn more money, without having to fulfil more journeys. With competitive rates, you can limit the number of journeys you have to fulfil also. Obviously, it would be hard to turn down more journeys, but by utilising your dispatch software correctly, you can ensure you earn enough money and run a smooth taxi operation.

Choosing the right taxi dispatch software in the UK to limit overbooking

In any business that you are offering a service, you need to be able to adapt to customer demands. If you operate a restaurant, you will need booking software to ensure you have enough tables to accommodate any bookings. It’s the same with taxis.

If there is a big event in the local area, such as a charity event, demand for taxis may be busy. If you’re expecting a surge in bookings, it would be good to ensure your taxi booking software is up to scratch and will cope. The iCabbi taxi solutions have great experience in coping with busy times. In the UK particularly, you just have to check out the testimonials of customers that we have. A quick read of our reviews should give you a great insight into how popular this automated software is for taxi fleets.

Collaborating during busy periods

It’s also funny we mention restaurants. Whilst hospitality venues often provide a great service to customers, they don’t always provide you with a way home. As a local taxi firm, a great way of garnering some business would be to coordinate with a local hospitality venue.

Reach out to any venues and learn if they have any big events coming up. If they do, you can be prepared. You can set your zone limits to ensure the drivers in your taxi fleet are not overbooked. (To learn how to do this, just check out the webinars available on our YouTube channel at iCabbiUK).

That way, you can ensure your drivers are ready for the increase in demand for journeys. Additionally, whilst also being prepared, you can make sure that they are not overbooked. By blocking out two to three timezones, a driver can be limited to the number of journeys that they can have assigned to them. If your focus is one event and you want to be able to lay on taxis for that party, this particular piece of advice would be very handy.

Learn more about the automated taxi dispatch software available in the UK by discovering more about iCabbi here.

Why you should choose automated taxi dispatch software UK from iCabbi

Here’s a quick snippet of what you can expect when using the iCabbi taxi solutions. Click on the graphic to view all our other testimonials.

Still interested? Give us a call on 01623 44 22 11 or email us here.

The post Avoid overbookings with iCabbi’s taxi solutions first appeared on iCabbi UK.

Not only does an automated dispatch system remove paperwork, but it also makes your drivers and employees’ jobs so much easier. At iCabbi UK we have seen a range of taxi fleets to the dispatch software. We are convinced by the end of this article, you will want to book a free demonstration with our expert team to see how iCabbi can help your taxi business.

What is an automated taxi dispatch system?

It is pretty simple really. It does what it says on the tin. iCabbi software automates taxi dispatch processes for your business. The whole dispatch engine from iCabbi can help your business grow, each of the individual elements that make up the iCabbi system are designed with your operation in mind.

With each facet of the dispatch engine, you can see how it would make life easier for your drivers and staff. No more driver complaints saying that the staff operating the phone lines are favouring other drivers. Every driver would be given a fair chance to earn as much money as they can. In turn, this would keep them happy and loyal.

Additionally, there are all the niche aspects that you can’t do with a dispatch system. Surge pricing and scheduled tariffs are great examples. If you know there is going to be a busy time and you want to cash in, then it makes sense to raise your prices in line with your competitors. Even raising tariffs by £1 per journey can lead to a driver reaping the rewards for that month. It would be crazy to miss out.

Efficient taxi dispatch engine

As mentioned, there are many reasons why you would want to automate your taxi dispatch processes. Helping you to cover all bases is the iCabbi taxi dispatch engine. Below are just some of the reasons why our customers love it.

The iCabbi software efficiently streamlines your fleet’s administration with payment, billing and record management. This is all available to see in our automated taxi dispatch software, but there is plenty more to shout about.

If you have a taxi fleet of numerous drivers, you don’t want to be stuck managing them all at different times. With an automated system, you can manage multiple fleets on one simple to use the system. The fact that it is automated and a cloud-based taxi dispatch system lets you enjoy the convenience of digital online storage and administration. If you’ve never been a paperwork fan then this will be ideal for you. As the owner of a taxi business, you don’t even have to manage your fleet.

Automated software

One of the other bonuses about the taxi dispatch engine on offer from iCabbi is how it reduces both time and cost. It will save you money in terms of administration. The engine does your admin for you! What’s more, it is 99.99% reliable. There is very little downtime and you will always have the business at your fingertips. For any entrepreneurs, as most taxi business owners are, this is perhaps one of the most convenient facets.

Furthermore, you can (if you want to) work with third-party apps. You can decide who can have access to your taxi dispatch system backend. It’s completely up to you. Depending on their status, you can provide users and administrators with total access, or they can be restricted to that particular area of admin they work in.

Why iCabbi’s automated taxi dispatch system?

Obviously, we believe in our own systems and how it benefits your business. But we do want the best for you. That’s why we are talking about the benefits of iCabbi’s automated taxi dispatch system. It is one of the most advanced dispatch systems in the world.

Don’t just take our word for it though, Top Cars thought the same about our services. Rating the software and service they receive, they gave us A+++ in their own words, not ours! See more iCabbi software testimonials by clicking on the graphic below!

Request a Free Demonstration to see why iCabbi is the go-to choice for taxi businesses across the UK.

Or call us on 01623 442211, or email us and we can help get you started.

The post How can an automated taxi dispatch system grow your business? first appeared on iCabbi UK.

Below we discuss how you can decide which is the best taxi dispatch software for your taxi business. We go through the details explaining why pleasing your drivers is important, as well as why pleasing your passengers is important. It’s all in here as you become the best taxi company on your patch!

The best taxi dispatch software for your drivers

We will start with the drivers because we’ve already begun to discuss this. To keep your drivers happy there will be two simple things. Make your drivers money and let them know that they are being treated fairly. Essentially they just want to know that other drivers are not being prioritised for better jobs. This was a common ‘complaint’ of drivers who still operate with manual dispatch systems and office staff. One part of the software from iCabbi is the driver app which should help you to satisfy your drivers in this regard.

Fortunately, the iCabbi taxi dispatch software helps eliminate the common driver complaints. As a cloud-based taxi dispatch system, it can fairly distribute jobs to the right drivers who are appropriately placed. So if you are a taxi business owner who is looking to improve morale amongst your taxi fleet, check out this system and see how we can help you to keep your drivers happy.

Find a software that is easy to use

As part of the driver app, a taxi driver will also be able to accept a job easily. A seamless transition will also ensure that your drivers are not having to deal with any complicated technology.

One of the key factors in assessing the best taxi dispatch software for your business is the ease of use. A driver won’t always want to fiddle around with the technology they are given. They just want to log in and get going. With iCabbi’s software, you simply provide your drivers with their login details and they’ll be ready to go. It is just a get-up and drive. Another key selling point is that if you are a taxi fleet administrator, you can have access to the system at all times to ensure everything operates smoothly.

To find out more about our industry leading software, request a Free Demonstration to see why iCabbi is the go-to choice for taxi businesses across the UK. You can also call us on 01623 442211, or email us and we can help get you started.

So when assessing taxi software, consider what the aim is for your taxi business. If your drivers are at the forefront of your mind, this system could be perfect for you. You can still be in control but the automation factor eliminates any common complaints. The driver app will revolutionise your business. It is easy to use and also comes with a highly accurate navigation system.

Keep your passengers at the forefront of your mind

For any taxi business, if you don’t keep your customers happy, they won’t keep booking journeys with you. They are an essential part of the growth of your firm. So, if you want to grow your business, let’s put them up there with your drivers. That’s why iCabbi has developed a passenger app that can assist you in providing a fantastic journey.

Passengers essentially just want to get from A to B. However, they want to do it promptly. One of the best ways to get ahead of your competitors is to provide transparency to potential passengers. They are likely to assess two things when booking a taxi journey. These are:

“How long is it going to take for them to get here?”

“What is the cost?”

As part of the best taxi dispatch software, the passenger app is a vital cog. It will help you to convert passengers when they are weighing up their options. With the availability to provide transparency on fees, especially during peak periods, you can guarantee there will be no great surprise for passengers when it comes to paying the fee. This will be a big thing for passengers. An honest and transparent taxi business with an app that provides fees and estimated journey times ahead of the journey is likely to convert a passenger.

Providing this transparency to passengers is what will set your company apart from the rest. The passenger app provides this functionality.

Automate your business with the best taxi dispatch software

Because it is a cloud dispatch software, this advanced system allows you to automate your taxi business. Gone are the days of mountains of admin staff, manually updating prices and ringing each taxi driver to let them know the next journey. With iCabbi software, our excellent customer success teams ensure that you can use the software to better your company.

All in all, when assessing what is the best taxi dispatch software for your company, you need to think of the automation factor. This gives your drivers and passengers a big boost in their confidence in booking a journey with you.

Don’t just take our word for it though, below is a quote from one of our customers – Goldline Cabs. You can see what they said below but click on the image to see other testimonials about the team at iCabbi UK. 

Request a Free Demonstration to see why iCabbi is the go-to choice for taxi businesses across the UK.

Or call us on 01623 442211, or email us and we can help get you started.

The post How to choose the best taxi dispatch software first appeared on iCabbi UK.

What does surge pricing mean?

Surge pricing is simply when there is a ‘surge’ in demand for taxi bookings. If you know that journeys are in demand, then it would make sense to charge more. It’s just supply and demand and will improve your business model.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this is that it can all be automated and scheduled. As we have discussed in previous blogs, there are times when taxi drivers and staff know that nightclubs, pubs and bars will be busy. These are usually the times when it gets extra busy. Those visiting pubs and bars are likely to prefer taxi journeys over driving. For any taxi business, the aim is to turn that pub customer into a taxi passenger.

With iCabbi’s automated software, you can ensure you are prepared to offer a fantastic service, whilst also making your business more profitable. It just makes sense. If you’ve watched the video, you’ll see how easy it is too!

Essentially, the more passengers there are, the more money there is to be made for your firm.

How easy is it to implement surge pricing?

Very. We have Customer Success Executives who operate all over the country. If you are a client, you will already know all about them, but for any prospective clients, this highlights that we simply don’t deliver the software and leave you to it.

They are what their job says they are… Customer Success Executives with one goal; helping your taxi firm to become a success. Making life simpler for your drivers and making them happy is our ultimate aim.

The two things that make your drivers happy are making money and making the job simple. iCabbi’s surge pricing tool does exactly this. It allows all your drivers to be treated fairly and get their equal share of a busy time, whilst also making the most of the busy prices.

Can you predict a surge?

You won’t always be able to predict when it will get busy. There will be times though when you will be able to identify a date that will see a surge in demand for taxi journeys. Christmas eve is a great example as Keir and Darren mention in our video (yes, we really want you to watch it!).

There’s a whole section on scheduling your tariffs and increasing prices for particular dates in our video. So, it’s worth taking a look, but we’ve also included some details and info below.

Scheduling Tariffs

When you know there will be a demand for business, it makes sense to raise your prices. The demand will still be there. Your competitors will be doing it and so should you. You can opt to increase the prices by percentage and also monetary value (£££).

Having the ability to introduce a modest surcharge at peak times could set you above your competitors. Using the iCabbi software, they might have to manually up their prices. With this dispatch software, you can be one step ahead and it automatically does it for you. That way, when passengers are scooting through looking for the cheapest journeys, they won’t be in for a shock when they find out your prices.

How much should you increase it by?

What’s more, to keep your drivers happy, you don’t even have to increase prices that much. Simply introducing a modest surcharge during peak times can be all you need to keep your drivers happy. As we referenced in our blog over 4 years ago, keeping your drivers happy can be the result of adding a small surcharge of £1 to each booking. For some drivers, this could result in a serious bonus of cash that month. We know this equals a happier driver.

Through word of mouth

Not only would surge pricing help with retaining taxi drivers and keeping them happy, but it would also increase the chances of attracting drivers to come and work for you. Why wouldn’t they want to come and work for a company where they can earn more money from doing the same amount of journeys?

Fostering a good company spirit is all about keeping your employees happy. Even though they won’t directly work together on their journeys, making them feel fairly treated and showing them that you have their happiness at the forefront of your mind will help you to continue to cast your net far and wide.

Learn more about how iCabbi automation software can keep your drivers happy. There are many benefits to iCabbi’s automation software and this is just one more to add to the list.

The post How iCabbi surge pricing tools can benefit your taxi business first appeared on iCabbi UK.

Attracting the best taxi drivers with a state of the art taxi driver app

It’s a well-known fact when demand is low for taxi journeys, drivers will look for other ways of making money. During the pandemic, taxi journeys were rarely essential. However, courier jobs and deliveries were very popular. This saw a raft of taxi drivers head over to delivery companies to complete their jobs.

So, the issue now for taxi businesses is to bring taxi drivers back to their firms. Having a full, engaging, and happy fleet of drivers provides the perfect set-up for your business to thrive. If you’re reading this as a taxi company owner or operate at the senior level, we have no doubt that you know how to recruit drivers and keep them happy. We just wanted to add extra insight into how you can increase driver numbers and their efficiency.

Increasing driver earnings through your taxi firm

It’s not all about money, but if a driver is likely to earn more through their journeys, they will be more likely to want to work for your firm. The more drivers you have, the more bookings you are able to fulfil.

It’s not quite as simple as giving your drivers more jobs and more money, The appetite from passengers needs to be there also. It can be difficult finding the right balance to ensure your fleet is big enough to appease all customers, but also not too big that drivers are waiting for journeys.

A taxi driver who has enough journeys will find driving for you as an attractive prospect. They will also want to be treated fairly and with respect. That is where taxi dispatch software comes in. With iCabbi, you wouldn’t have to look anywhere else. The taxi dispatch system includes a driver app that allows you to dispatch drivers fairly and equally. Alongside driver recruitment, driver grumbles about dispatch workers having favourite drivers are a common ‘issue’ within the taxi sector.

Make driver jobs as easy as possible and increase driver loyalty

Alongside plenty of jobs, a taxi driver will simply want their job to be as easy as possible. What makes a job easier? Reliable technology that has no downtime. Providing fleets with the ability to accept bookings makes for a much happier fleet.

Additionally, it means the drivers can get to your passengers more quickly. This makes their job easier as the last thing a taxi driver wants is a grumpy passenger who has been waiting too long for their journey. (There’s a passenger app here if you wanted to check that out whilst you’re reading).

If a passenger starts complaining about the taxi company, then it can set the driver off too, something you clearly want to avoid.

iCabbi offer a valuable experience to your drivers with the taxi driver app

Another way to keep your drivers happy is to be able to assist them in the smoothest way possible when any problems or issues arise. Fortunately, with a taxi dispatch system software like iCabbi’s, there are usually minimal problems. Importantly, however, if there are any issues then the iCabbi team are able to provide quick and swift solutions. You can see this is evident from the testimonials page on the iCabbi website.

Furthermore, the support team at iCabbi UK are always looking at ways to help you improve your business. The team recently put together a webinar on iCabbi Voice APIs which you can view here. This helps you, as a taxi business owner to improve the streamlined service you can offer to passengers and clients.

Get a FREE demo to see the software in action. Just follow our Free Demonstration button.

The post How To Attract Taxi Drivers To Your Business With The Right Taxi Dispatch Software first appeared on iCabbi UK.

What is the Driver App?

Taxi businesses like to use the driver app because of the usability factor. Easy to use, the app also has a highly accurate navigation system. Whilst it sounds simple, this is a vital way of keeping your drivers happy. There’s also not that much faffing around in terms of set-up. Administrators can always control driver’s access to the system at all times so there is also the security factor.

What are the key features?

We’ve touched on why drivers might like the app, but now it’s time for us to go into more detail about the key features of the driver app.

One of the most common complaints from drivers is an inaccurate navigation system. There is nothing more annoying for a driver than if they realise that they could have taken a quicker route, avoided traffic or just provided a more comfortable route for the passenger. Fortunately, the iCabbi driver app has highly accurate navigation that comes with a big, bright screen. Ask any taxi driver what the ideal features of a driving app would be, and these will certainly be top of the list.

Easy to use taxi driver app

It’s also easy to use. – Wait, surely this is the case for all apps. You would think so. But if you’re running a taxi business, you’ll be aware that taxi drivers may often complain about their app not working or not being fit for purpose. No driver wants to miss out on a potential journey, and subsequently money, because they couldn’t work the app. With iCabbi, the app is famed for ease and simplicity of use. It is just ideal!

There are other features

For some iCabbi customers, it’s not just about the driver app. There’s also a driver smartphone package included with even more benefits. Check out the details below!

iCabbi Driver Smartphone Package

The term dedication is used plenty at iCabbi. We’re dedicated to helping our customers. The taxi firms and businesses we work with are also dedicated to their drivers. That is why some of them opt for the smartphone benefits package. With this package, drivers are always available for voice and data communication.

Plus, due to the nature of it being fully locked down, important items such as GPS cannot be deleted. With it being slick in the visual display as well, the app is a large display that covers all of the screen, but is also easy to read. Additionally (yes, there’s more), drivers always need a working device, and that’s why the smartphone is fully insured. It comes with all the essential accessories, including the cradle, goose-neck and power lead. With iCabbi, there’s always just that little bit more.

Customer touchpoints

As you’ve probably seen on our social media accounts recently, we’ve been talking about the benefits of driving with iCabbi. Not only will the software benefit your drivers but also it adds an extra layer to the touchpoints that you can add to your customers and passengers. Being able to view everything digitally can improve the relationship between your dispatch team and the driver.

Download the Driver App

After taking in all that info, you’re likely to want to download the iCabbi Driver App. You can do that here.

If you’re giving it serious consideration, you can request a free demonstration now to discover why iCabbi is the go-to choice for taxi businesses across the UK.

To get in contact, call us on 01623 44 22 11, or pop us an email at enquiries@icabbi.etgl.co.uk.

The post Why The iCabbi Driver App Is Essential To Growing Your Business first appeared on iCabbi UK.