Improving The Experience Of Your Ride: 3 Tips To Shortening Wait Times For Taxis
Posted on: 19 January 2017
If you're spending the evening drinking at a bar or a restaurant or if you simply need to hail a ride home after a long and disastrous day, calling a taxi is probably your best bet. Although there are a total of 233,900 taxis in the U.S., hailing a taxi can be difficult at times, and you might find yourself sitting around waiting for a long time. Here are 3 tips that can improve your experience and shorten your wait time.
See If There's an App You Can Download Ahead of Time
A good chunk of time that you spend waiting for the taxi is probably being stuck on hold with the taxi company on the phone. During peak hours, it can take awhile for the representatives to take your call. If your call drops, you'll be placed back at the end of the line once again. A quick and easy way to make sure that your booking is received by the taxi company without having to spend tens of minutes on the phone is to download their app, if they have one.
The app will allow you to book a taxi to your location and will also provide you with real-time information of when a taxi driver is available to take your booking. You'll also be able to get in touch with the taxi driver should any changes arise or should you simply want to check up on the driver to get an estimate of when they're going to arrive. At the very least, you'll be able to bypass the horrendous wait times on the phone and spend your time doing other tasks.
Wait at an Area that Is Easier to Get to
It's not unusual for taxi drivers to get lost, especially if they are unfamiliar with the particular part of town that you're in. Some taxi drivers even avoid specific fares if they're up on a difficult hill or located in a place that's simply difficult to get to. This is especially true if road conditions are poor due to the weather. You'd be surprised at just how much more quickly a taxi driver will respond to your booking request or how much more quickly the taxi driver can get to you if you simply walk a couple of blocks.
This is true if you notice that the road conditions in your area are poor, especially if there's snow. If you're located on a small street, walk to the main road and wait at a cafe or even somewhere on the sidewalk. More taxi drivers will be willing to take your fare, and they'll also be able to get to you much more easily and, thus, sooner. To ensure that the taxi driver doesn't miss you, provide the taxi company with some information that will help identify you. For example, what you're wearing is a good clue.
Avoid Calling During Peak Times
Another easy way to find yourself at the mercy of wait times is if you call during peak hours. This is usually when everyone is going to work or when everyone is heading home. Peak hours at night during holidays is also when bars and night clubs tend to close. It's also when special events might be ending in your near vicinity. This is usually when everyone is trying to hail a cab. If you're unsure of when peak hours are in your city, call the taxi company and ask.
To avoid having to wait around, try to schedule your fares around peak hours. You can try leaving an hour after everyone else has left for work, or you can leave your event half an hour before an event in your vicinity ends. This helps you to avoid the rush.
Conclusion
There's nothing worse than having to wait around for a ride. However, if you know some simple tips of the trade, you'll be able to shorten your wait time for your taxi, and you'll be on your way in no time.
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