Originally posted by Shotgun:Just a question based on an incident that annoyed some of my friends and myself.
Half an hour before 5pm (the usual shift change timing), several cab drivers refused us even though our destination was just 5 minutes away citing their shift change. Seriously, shift change is half an hour away and their shift change destination was in the same quadrant of Singapore.
Best part was, some of them were so rude about it. They just pointed at their watch and say "cannot cannot cannot." Not even, "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I can't make my shift change in time." Cab drivers are part of the service industry, I think they need some level of training or workshop to establish some level of social communications skills when interacting with passengers.
5 mins away why don't just walk ?
What circumstances they can reject you ?
Ok ... let me explain .
Say u are at Suntec City ..... u wanna a cab to Geylang East , oh yes , from Suntec to Geylang only 5 minutes , but if i am " Changing Shift " to Jurong , does it make any sense to take you ?
Even if u wanna to go Harbour Front , on the way ? Of course on the way , but have u got any idea , the vacant trip from Harbourfront to Jurong ?
The idea is , if one can chose a trip back to base , then no wrong to chose , rather then going back vacant , waste diesel and opportunity .
Service line cannot change shift ?
Service line no need to eat ?
Service line no need go home ?
Service line must give your head to the customers ?
5mins away by cab isn't 5 mins walking distance u know. There was a whole bunch of us with huge bags, so walking wasn't something we wanted to do.
True enough, if the guy is changing shifts in Tampines, and I ask him to go to Jurong and I get pissed off, then I'm the idiot. However, we were 5 minutes drive of our present location.
Now, I wasn't pissed because he refused us. But it was the way he did it; rudely. He's not the only one that I've encountered.
I don't know what led you to your "service line" retorts. I definitely did not mean that they could not do any of the above. But they need to be COURTEOUS.
Sometimes they also bo bian..If they are late to change shift..they might get screwed by their partners or worse : suffer penalty or what?
Moreover, during 5-6pm is considered as peak period. They need ample time to avoid any jams etc.
Taxi driver point at watch and say "cannot" doesn't seem rude to me leh.
Not like they just drive away without replying. Take it easy lah.