The Luck of the Irish OR a Goal-Oriented Strategy?
Meet Bridge Cabs Carlow
Bridge Cabs Carlow was established in Carlow, Ireland 11 years ago and is owned and operated by Derek Matthews. Derek has used his 28 years of experience in the transportation industry to create a taxi company with an excellent reputation and many repeat customers. Bridge Cabs Carlow started using TaxiCaller in February 2021 when they realized that they needed a simple computerized system and a way to compete with all of the new transportation apps that are popular with the younger generations.
In 2015, Bridge Cabs Carlow started focusing on some different challenges they were facing by creating new goals for their business. Business was continuing to grow and they were getting busier and busier. They first focused on reaching new customers, building brand awareness, and increasing their customer base and number of drivers. Once those goals were achieved, it was time to implement a new system. So, in February 2021, Derek signed up for a TaxiCaller Free Trial.
"I made the decision to use TaxiCaller as our dispatch partner 24 hours into the trial."
Time for Change
Before using TaxiCaller, Bridge Cabs Carlow used mobile phones and 2-way radios for all of their dispatch needs. When their business continued to grow, they realized that their outdated system was no longer working. They were looking for a software company that they could rely on and could adapt with them as they continued to grow. After looking into TaxiCaller and one other dispatch software company, Derek chose TaxiCaller “based on the simplicity of the system, the clear expertise and knowledge of the agents I dealt with throughout the 2-week trial, and the obvious, excellent 24-hour online back-up.”
Implementing TaxiCaller
After signing up for the 14-day free trial, the system is set up to meet the specific needs of the company. Derek considered the process “simple and seamless.”
“We could not have found it any easier”
Bridge Cabs Carlow was nervous about using a new system and figuring out the best way to use it for their exact needs. They were easily able to navigate TaxiCaller with the help of the 24/7 support team and by discovering the thorough and easy-to-understand quick guides available on the website. The drivers were all up to speed within 48 hours of implementing the TaxiCaller system. Bridge Cabs Carlow particularly likes how simple it is to add a new job with the option to quickly edit or change the job. Their drivers can easily act as dispatchers, which is perfect for them, especially when a current passenger wants to book a future ride. So, depending on the working environment, one can easily adapt and do what they need to do all in one place.
Since TaxiCaller has been set up and running, Derek has seen some positive changes to his workday. He can even work from home while still accessing the system in order to act as a dispatcher and stay in touch with his drivers. Even when he is driving himself, he is able to quickly dispatch new rides, which was not so easy to do before.
Impact of Covid-19 Lockdowns
The Covid-19 lockdowns have had some impact not only on Bridge Cabs Carlow, but the transportation industry around the world. In 2020, Bridge Cabs Carlow had 25% fewer rides than the previous year and for the first 3 months of 2021, they have seen a 15% decrease from 2020. They have had to reduce their staff and Derek has been taking on several different roles, including driving. They have, however, seen an increase in rides starting in April 2021 and hope to continue the trend as the lockdowns are lifted.
When we asked Derek how TaxiCaller has been able to help during the pandemic, he said that “It has helped to cement in my mind the absolute certainty that we could not continue to grow as we were previously and a dispatch system/customer app is crucial to our future growth.”
Benefits of Using TaxiCaller
TaxiCaller was created as a simple solution for taxi companies to conduct their business all in one easy-to-use program. Bridge Cabs Carlow believes that TaxiCaller's largest benefit to them is “the absolute simplicity and mobility of the system.” They find that the ability to conduct business from anywhere is a huge advantage. With the driver-tracking ability, they feel that they can assign jobs more fairly than before.
“The reporting tools are fantastic!”
TaxiCaller is a dispatching system that has many tools and reports to help companies thrive and reach their goals. For those that are facing similar challenges as Bridge Cabs Carlow, Derek has some advice. He says "Don't fear technology or change in traditional working methods." He wants anyone who is considering using TaxiCaller to start with the 2-week trial, take time to explore the different settings, and also talk to other companies that are using the software to see if it would be a good fit.
TaxiCaller asked Bridge Cabs Carlow to rate on a scale of 1-10, how has TaxiCaller lived up to your expectations and the answer was simply, "10, absolutely." TaxiCaller is grateful to be a part of Bridge Cabs Carlow and to help taxi companies around the world simplify and grow their businesses with an easy-to-use all-in-one solution.
Thank you Derek and Bridge Cabs Carlow!