taking deposits ( customer not present )

bordercars

get into a cab (private hire) without booking, not only is it illegal for the driver (touting) his insurance will be void if he has an accident.

Thanks for the suggestions, the discount for prepaid is probaly the best way forward. but only works in conjunction with something else. we still have slots for NYE but unless the customer called and paid at the time of booking we couldnt collect the fare through the post in time. will give it a go though.

Savvy_Sue

bordercars wrote: »

we still have slots for NYE but unless the customer called and paid at the time of booking we couldnt collect the fare through the post in time. will give it a go though.

that may not be so unreasonable: we've hired a self-drive car for Christmas and were asked to pay deposit 1st week in December.

skipsmum

I aways book a cab on my credit card, especially for DS because I know if I have already paid they will do their best to collect him. It doesn't bother me at all to do this - also I know how much it costs before we go and dont have to worry about having change for the taxi on the way home.

bestyman

Here is a solution
http://www.adelante.co.uk/taxipay.html

I am a plumber and use them to take payments on my iphone. I use mobile POS

bordercars

thanks bestyman, but thats customer present. i dont really want to do virtual terminal type.

as a footnote i had 3 cancel NYE one 30 mins before pick up.

i think i know what to do. next year i will have the night off. £150 before X's working from 19.00 to 02.30 not again. and i wont look bad because i will just say sorry fully booked.

Lokolo

OK do you have telephone recognition software?

If so, anyone that repeats cancellations, you can refuse service to, and keep the time free for someone else.

Thought about that?

Lokolo

Also you should try contacting a merchant

http://www.streamline.com/

When I worked at Domino's we used them and their terminals you can enter card number, expiry date, security number then either issue number or start date and you can take a payment (for telephone orders).

You could try ringing them and asking about your situation (take money over phone) and see what it costs etc.

bestyman

bordercars wrote: »

thanks bestyman, but thats customer present. i dont really want to do virtual terminal type.

as a footnote i had 3 cancel NYE one 30 mins before pick up.

i think i know what to do. next year i will have the night off. £150 before X's working from 19.00 to 02.30 not again. and i wont look bad because i will just say sorry fully booked.

Mobile pos works for CNP too. I take payment from customers out of normal hours before setting off. I tell them I have a cancelation charge , the same as the first hours labour.

Too many people think its ok to ring for a plumber late at night, then casually ring up and cancell when he is nearly there . Reasons are found cheaper, managed to turn water off, Uncle Freds coming round etc. A few customers refuse, but to me thats better than going on a 20 mile round trip for fun on a freezing winters night.

Bubble16

My local taxi firm insists you pay in advance, in full, for pick-ups from Cardiff (I am in Newport) I have no problem with this, means taxi is paid for when I dribble into it and they are over £10 cheaper than getting a taxi on the street. I have also been the customer from hell before and rung them up twice on one night and rescheduled for a later time which they were fine with. I do have to go to the taxi base and pay in cash, it isn't something I do over the phone however but I don't see why you would have a problem doing this, if you want to book a service which you know you are going to have to pay for why not pay for it in advance?

bordercars

Bubble16. these are my thoughts exactly, but it only works when 1.customers get used to this situation and 2. when the rival drivers do the same.

you know what tho, all the other drivers moan about cancelations yet seem to do nothing about. other than moan of course.