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Code 100 Excellence in Customer Service

101 Customer Service Skills 104 Lost and Found
102 Rights and Responsibilities of Hire Car Users 105 Mystery/Secret Shopper
103 Complaints and Reports
How can a Taxi Driver be Excellent in Customer Service
By
1 Reaching the customer at soonest and choosing the best route that saves the customer’s time and money.
2 Avoiding non-service related conversation with the customer and talking over mobile even when using the head phones.
3 Adhering to the traffic laws and smooth driving within the speed limits.
4 Cleaning the vehicle internally and externally inside the premises of the operator on daily basis or as needed.
5 Avoiding fuelling the vehicle in the presence of customer.
6 Benefiting from the training programs approved by the Center.
7 Adhering to the periodical maintenance dates set for the hire car.

Excellent Driver Appearance

Dos
1 Wearing a tidy uniform
2 Daily Bathing and caring for personal hygiene
3 Trim your beard frequently
4 Benefitting from free laundry and ironing services
5 Collecting your free uniform from the operator on time
6 Cleaning your shoes on daily basis or as needed
7 Combing your hair more than once a day
8 Clipping your nails once a week
Don’ts
Wearing the same uniform for two days.
Using hair products of strong scents
Cutting your hair contrary to the community customs & traditions.
Ironing your clothes by yourself at your accommodation
Buying a uniform other than the approved standards
Wearing unclean or dirty socks
Combing your hair while driving which compromises safety.
Growing nails contrary to the Arab & Islamic culture.

Excellent Driver Conduct

Dos
1 Welcoming the customer naturally and warmly
2 Using headset while using mobile when the car is vacant
3 Adjusting the AC temperature and volume of radio
4 Dropping the customer at designated areas
5 Handing over the receipt to the customer without demand.
6 Not showing the desire of any tip explicitly or implicitly
7 Taking responsibility of any delay and apologise politely
8 Showing care for the customer by paying him full attention
Don’ts
Using welcoming phrases contrary to the Arab culture
Using the mobile phone for personal issues during the trip.
Exceeding the speed limit set by authorities.
Taking or dropping the customer in the middle of the road
Handing the receipt of a previous trip or a hand-written one
Asking any extra commission from the customer
Not giving exact change to the customer
Setting in a manner that doesn’t reflect any care for the
customer, or in an inappropriate manner.

Excellent Hire Car

Dos
1 Daily Inspection the hire car internally and externally by QC
2 Informing the operator of any accidents whether caused by
you or you were the victim or even it was culprit unknown
3 Ventilating the car regularly in line with weather conditions
4 Inspecting the functionality of the internal and external
lights
5 Checking tires and air pressure level
6 Visiting the operator premises to clean the hire car daily.
Don’ts
Leaving your personal belongings inside the hire car or its trunk
Running away from the accident location prior to being
mapped Saaed or by the traffic police/experts
Opening the window when the AC is on especially in summer
Turning the headlights on high beam while driving inside the
city or switching on the car’s internal light
Driving without a proper spare tire.
Cleaning/maintaining the hire car in stations non-affiliated with
the operator without permission.

Excellent Trip
Dos Don’ts
1 Choosing a route that gets you to the destination at the Asking the passenger about the reason behind the destination
soonest. he would like to reach or about any personal details
2 Confirming the route with the passenger Choosing a route that increases the trip value
3 Using positioning system available in MDT Being occupied with the positioning device while driving
4 Not allowing children less than ten years on front seat Loading animals or alcohols
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Six Customer Types

Emirati Citizen Foreign Professional Worker Foreign Worker
People with special needs Visitor Elderly (60 years)

How to Communicate with Customer Effectively

During the journey
Driver should not ask the customer if they would need a taxi in front of malls etc
Smile to the customer and greet warmly. In case of lady customer, take into consideration the Arab and Islamic culture.
Show care by paying undivided attention to the customer throughout the journey.
Ask the customer about the route that he wants to take. The driver’s tone of voice should be very soft and clear.
Take responsibility before the customer for any delay and apologize.
Be considerate towards the passenger. If he is upset, show kindness and patience and avoid collision.
Always return the exact change to the customer after deducting the trip’s value and never hesitate to do so or wait for the
customer to ask for it.
The variation in cultural, vocational and racial backgrounds as well as the different languages and dialects used are one of the
challenges that the Hire Car driver should overcome through effective communication with customers in English and Arabic.

While Waiting for the Customer

Keep calm and don’t show any annoyance if the customer is late.
Check if the passenger is the same person who booked the taxi or not.
Assist the passenger in loading and unloading the luggage
Ensure that the customer is properly seated before moving the car and confirm the destination by repeating it.
Ask the customer for the AC level that whether it is comfortable for him or not.
At the end of the trip, remind the customer of his belongings and check the car yourself, too.

How to Deal with Customers

Provide the service with the highest quality and avoid discrimination based on race, culture, gender and color.
Take special care of the elderly, people with determination and assist them in entering the car and drop them safely.
Always deal with ladies with high level of respect, taking into consideration the Islamic and Arab customs and traditions.
The driver may come across a challenge in dealing with the young especially the teenagers, be patient and polite.
The driver can refuse picking up any youngster who is less than 15 years old without an escort.
Youngsters under the age of 10 years are not allowed to sit in the front seat.
The driver can refuse to pick up passengers whose number exceeds the allowed number.

Addressing Customers Annoyance

The driver should address customer’s annoyance calmly especially when he commits a mistake like lack of knowledge of
location. Never respond in an angry way. Be polite and try to apologise in the best possible way.

Potential Requests of Public Hire Car Users

Waiting with or without the presence of the customer.

Adjusting the hire car Air Conditioning and adjusting the volume of the Radio or changing the radio channel.
Changing the trip destination in the middle of the journey and asking for assisting in loading and unloading the luggage

What is an Excellent Car

The driver should inspect the car internally and externally on daily basis for the following things.
Seats All lights
Radiator Water Fire cylinder/extinguisher
Oil level All stickers inside/outside
Spare tire Floor mates
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What is the excellent Customer service

There are six Special Needs Cars in Abu Dhabi and two in Al Ain Not only the customer but all other road users are also
eligible to be respected.

Customer Complaints and Reports

Any road user in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi has the right to make a complaint against the taxi to the ITC through different channels like
its website, Call Center 600 535353, Abu Dhabi Taxi App and Social Media accounts.
ITC will look into each and every single complaint and will take necessary action through Smart Licensing and Enforcement System
(LES). The system will identify the violation type and training course related to it.
Driver can complain against a violation in the Driver Care Center.

How to avoid Complaints

Warmly welcome the customer by a smiling face and make a good impression because first impression is the last impression.
Drive defensively and calmly. Adhere to all traffic laws and make sure acquaintance with all important landmarks.
Be keen to benefit from all training courses and reacting effectively to the awareness and guidance messages sent to the MDT.
Tolerate any potential misconduct by the customer and try to convince him to cooperate by effective communication.
Know the rights and responsibilities of the customer.

Complaints that may lead to permit revocation

1 Verbal or physical abuse and inappropriate touching of others
2 Speaking negatively about the country, govt, company or taxi job.
3 Driver Hygiene, bad smell or no proper uniform
4 Crossing Red Signal, Rash Driving, Over speeding or Meter not Switched On.
5 Meter switched on before starting the trip or demanding more than meter
6 Staring at customers especially ladies
7 Lack of Location Knowledge (using wrong route) or Doesn’t know how to drive

Bodies that measure customer satisfaction in Abu Dhabi

1 General Secretariat of the Executive Council
2 Department of Transport 3 ITC (TransAD)

The documents driver must carry in the hire car

1 Driving license 4 Emirates ID and Insurance card

2 Taxi Driving Permit 5 Vehicle Registration Card (Mulkeyyah)
3 Fuel Card 6 Service Booklet

Lost & Found

Integrity has several aspects in transport by hire car sector, the most important is to return the lost items to their owners.

Always ensure that the following voice reminder of the customer belongings is functional in the MDT.
‘Thank you for using Arabia Taxi, please take your receipt and do not forget any of your belongings inside the taxi’.
Make it sure to remind the customer to check his/her belongings verbally.
Always provide the customer a receipt of the meter money without being asked.
TDS stands for Tracking Dispatching System of the hire car

In case you found any lost item in the hire car, take the following steps
1. Get the lost item and preserve (save) it in a safe place and do not open/tamper it.
2. Send ‘Customer left luggage’ message from the MDT and wait for the Call Center instructions.
3. In case the call center didn’t call, hand over the found item to the operator within 24 hours and get an official receipt.
4. If driver was contacted by customer then driver should direct the customer to ITC call center to register his request.
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5. In this case
i. If the owner of the lost item contacted then it is the duty of the driver to hand over the lost item to the
customer at his destination by starting the meter.
ii. If the customer wants the lost item free of cost, then driver should ask the customer to get the lost item from
the operator or call center without any charges.
6. The operator employees will hand over the lost item to the customer after validating his identity.
7. If the driver was not contacted by the Customer then the driver should submit the lost item to the company or
TransAD call center within 24 hours.
i. The driver must ask for a receipt after submitting the lost item to the operator or TransAD.
ii. The employee will print a barcode and will paste it on the lost item
iii. The operator should hand over all the lost items to the police if their owners could not be found.
8. If the driver found some important documents like” Passports” he should submit them in the nearby police station
and must take a receipt.
9. The driver’s attempt to steal the Lost Item will lead to Termination from Job.

List of White Points for returning Lost Items to the Owner

Value of the Item Willingly After Complaint
0 To AED 999 12 8
1000 To 4999 AED 16 12

5000 To 9999 AED 20 16

More than 10000 AED 24 20
0 To 999 AED 75
1000 To 4999 AED 75 50
5000 To 9999 AED 150 100
More than 10000 AED 200 150
More than 10000 AED 300 200
Smart and airport hire cars are provided with an ‘’Intercom’’ button for the purpose of communicating with the driver.

Code 105 Mystery Shopper

What is a mystery shopper?

Mystery Shopper is a project by ITC launched in June 2011, to ensure the quality of service of the public hire car. They evaluate the
performance by impersonating the character of a passenger and collecting the required information according to the specified checklist
approved by the center.

Who is a Mystery Shopper?

Mystery Shopper is a contractor of a Consulting Company under an agreement with ITC to execute the Mystery Shopper Jobs.
They are of various cultural backgrounds, age groups, gender and nationalities. They will use the taxi as a normal customer and will prepare a
report secretly for ITC within 24 hours.
1 Mystery Shopper cannot introduce himself or force the driver to go against the law.
2 Mystery Shopper has to submit the report within 24 hours with trip receipt, car plate number and photos etc to prove his report.
If the score is more than 95%, the Operator should reward the driver morally and financially. If it is less than 85%, then the driver should
3 attend training classes.
4 If the score was very low, the Center will suspend the meter and will call driver for investigation.
5 1500 Mystery Shopper trips per year, average 5 daily trips
6 In case of suspension of the meter due to the Mystery Shopper report, driver has to report to the Investigation Office at the Center.
7 The Operator Coordinator should inform the Center of the measures taken to improve the driver’s result within three working days,
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otherwise Center has the right to fine the Operator up to five thousand dirham and one thousand more for each passing day.
The Mystery Shopper might ask unusual requests from the driver to test the driver’s reaction. So, react professionally and reject politely
8 any request that violates the rules.
9 The Center rewards three top drivers monthly with AED one thousand each with a Certificate of Appreciation

Reasons for Car Suspension

AC Issues Tampering MDT
Cleanliness of the car Exterior or interior damages to the main components of the car

Mystery shopper is a normal passenger and has not any connection with the police or CID. He only rides the hire car and completes his
report regarding the quality of service.
Mystery shopper has no right to issue a violation to hire car driver
Mystery shopper inspects both, the hire car and driver.
The mystery shopper or any person uses the taxi has to pay the meter fare

Steps of the Report of the Mystery Shopper

1 The Mystery Shopper rides the hire car and evaluates the service according to the checklist previously approved by the Center.
2 After the trip the Mystery Shopper fills out the report electronically and attaches the photos and trip’s receipt as a proof.
3 The Mystery Shopper sends his complete report to the consulting company for review and approval.
4 After approval, the Consulting Company sends the report to the ITC electronically.
5 The Center reviews the report and verifies its validity, and after approval it is sent to the Operator electronically.
6 The Operator summons the driver and inform about the report and action to be taken.
7 The driver will either be rewarded or penalized and/or referred for training.
8 If the driver’s result was very low, the Centre will suspend the meter and summon him/her for investigation and the required action.

Checklist of Mystery shopper

Mystery shopper makes his report the following checklist provided by the ITC
1 Job Messages related
Did the driver come to the specified location?
Did the driver confirm that you are the right person to pick up?
Did the driver apologize for the delay or thank you for waiting?

Driver Appearance and Attitude

1 Was the driver’s uniform satisfactory? Well taken care of/ironed/tidy/neat
2 Was the driver tidy and clean? The hair is combed and appropriate scents are used
3 Did the driver show care for you when you rode the car such as welcoming you by saying hello or good morning etc?
4 Was the driver polite during the trip?
5 Did you notice the driver’s keenness to take the cheapest route?
6 Did the driver initiate handing the trip’s receipt to you?
7 Did you hear the electronic voice reminder reminding customers with belonging?
8 Did the driver thank you by the end of the trip?
9 Did the driver eat or drink or chew/smoke tobacco during the trip?
Driver is allowed to drink water provided the car is fully stopped.

Irregular Issue
Mystery Shopper poses irregular questions to the driver such as
Allow the customer to drive the hire car
Ask for one of the hire car driver uniform
Ask for assistance with matters
Ask the driver to tamper with the MDT

Vehicle exterior related points

Were the taxi company stickers on the car, in good condition? Free from scratches or stain marks. And were pasted properly or not?
Was exterior of the taxi clean, free of dust and stains?
Was the exterior of the taxi in good condition? No damages on the body, No dents or no paint scratches
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Vehicle interior related points checked by secret shopper

Taxi interior should be free of bad odors.
(Should be Clean by no dust on the seats, floor, and door pockets, free of any stains.)
Whether all of the seat covers are in good condition and not damaged.
Whether the floor mats in good condition? For e.g. matching color, free from stains, spots or dust….
Whether the roof of the taxi is in good condition.
Whether the taxi is free from accessories, toys, mobile phone holders Unrelated to transport. (Unnecessary articles were not kept in the
taxi such as photos, newspaper, magazines, clothes, shoes etc….)
Whether taxi tariff sticker is available or not?

Driver appearance and attitude

Whether the driver uniform in good condition (For e.g. well ironed, free of stains etc.)
Whether the driver was neat and tidy such as combed hair, not smelling bad
Did the driver acknowledge you as soon as you stepped into the car by greeting such as hello, Good morning/afternoon or Salaam…?
Was the driver polite during the entire journey? That means not rude,
Or raised voice during the conversation, said thank you or please when talking to the customer.
Whether the driver make an attempt to take the shortest route possible. I.e. avoid taking a longer route to increase the fare.
Whether the driver able to provide with a receipt without request
Whether the driver reminded to collect all your belongings prior to leaving the vehicle.
Whether the voice reminder of MDT is working or not?
Whether the driver thanks you and bid you farewell.
Whether the driver refrain from smoking/eating/chewing gum/drinking while driving? (Driver can drink water while the car is stationery
or not moving)

Driver Performance
Was the driver able to communicate in Arabic or English?
Did the driver confirm your place of destination such as confirming with landmarks?
Did the driver have full knowledge of the destination you desire to reach?
Did the driver tender the customer exact change without any hesitation?
Did the driver refrain from asking tip from the customer at the end of the trip?

Trip related
Whether the temperature of the a/c comforts the customer.
Did the customer feel that you had a safe journey (No aggressive driving, No harsh braking….)
Did the customer feel comfortable throughout the journey
Did the driver wear the seat belt
Did the driver advise the customer to wear in seat belt while you are in front seat?
Did the driver follow the lane discipline?
Whether the taxi is free from accessories, toys, mobile phone holders Unrelated to transport.(Unnecessary articles were not kept in
the taxi such as photos, newspaper, magazines, clothes, shoes etc….)
Whether taxi tariff sticker is available or not?
Mystery Shopper Black and White Points

0% - 49.9% 3 Black Points

50% - 64.9% 2 Black Points
65% - 79.9% 1 Black Point
80% - 89.9% 0 Points
90% - 94.5% 1 White Point
95% - 100% 2 White Points

1 The Mystery Shopper is:

The inspector of the Center for Regulation of Transport by Hire Cars
The traffic officer
The tourist police officer
The hire car user
2 The highest evaluation of the Mystery Shopper report can be:
100% 80% 60% 50%
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3 The Mystery Shopper evaluates the service in :

Abu Dhabi area
The Eastern Zone (Al Ain)
The Western zone
All of the above
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Mystery Shopping Project

Please note the points.
1. Taxi Cleanliness from Outside and Inside.
2. Taxi Stickers Inside and outside especially the Tariff Stickers.
3. Scratches on Outside Color, Seat Covers and also Cleanliness of Floor Mats.
4. Driver’s Cleanliness and Especially Bad Smell coming from Car or the Driver.
5. Drivers uniform whether there are stains on it and whether is it ironed properly or not?
6. Driver’s personal hygiene and grooming especially hair and beard.
7. Driver’s socks and shoes of black color.
8. Drivers language ability in English and Arabic
9. Driver’s ability to drive the Taxi in a Safe Manner.
10. Driver’s location Knowledge and whether he is following the shortest route or not.
11. Driver’s personal luggage in Taxi such as Photos, clothes, shoes and water bottles etc.
12. Driver’s behavior and politeness with the customer.
13. Driver MUST say ‘welcome’ to customer at the start and ‘Thank You’ at the end of the journey.
14. Driver must Offer receipt to the Customer at the end of the trip.
15. Driver must remind to collect the personal belongings of the customer at the end of the trip.
16. Driver must return ‘Correct Change’ even if it is twenty five fills.
17. Driver must not demand any tip or money without meter.
18. Driver must respect the Customer in keeping the AC system low or high and music etc.
19. Driver must politely request the front seat customer, if he is not wearing seat belt but never fight.
20. Driver must never drive rash and break the Traffic Rules.
21. Drive must not eat, drink or smoke during the journey or allow customer to do so.
22. Driver must not give his personal mobile number to the customer and instead the customer should be advised to
book through the Call Centre.
Taxi should be
1 Air-conditioned, well-maintained, safe and in good condition
2 Clean and tidy, smoke and odor free (smell-free)

Personal Hygiene
1 It is driver’s Moral Responsibility to Maintain Personal Hygiene
2 Eliminate Offensive Body Odor, Change Socks Daily, Clean Shave/Trim Beard
3 Daily Shower, Well-groomed Facial Hair, Wear Neat Uniform