Customer Service...you're having a laugh.... By Thomas the Taxi

I have always considered myself to by a loyal customer of Mann and Overton. I have always supported them in discussions with other drivers on ranks and in shelters and last year, again, I put my money where my mouth is and bought a new TX4.

I appreciated the one year free servicing and supposedly free first year overhaul, with the promise of a free loan cab. In retrospect, it was this offer coupled together with a bonus of £3,000 off list price that lead me to buy a TX4, instead of the new Mercedes Vito.

I liked the look of the Merc but didn't feel comfortable in the knowledge that this vehicle is used in London, as well as up and down the country, as a Private hire vehicle. Had the Vito been unique as a purpose built taxi I probably would have bought one.

That said, I paid my money and I took my chance.

I have never kept a vehicle more than three years, as the added security of the warranty makes my working life feel less stressful.

I have always felt that companies, whose very existence depends on its customer base, should always give good after sales service. That being the case, their customers will return time and time again. That's how I run my business, by giving my passengers the best service possible. I assume that if satisfied, they will always prefer to use a licensed taxi as opposed to the competition.

Yesterday I took my 09 plate TX4 in to Mann and Overtons for its 20,000 miles service. I have had little niggley problems in the past 10 months but nothing major. I got there nice and early as I believe in good time keeping and one of the most important instruments in the cab (In my Opinion) is the clock. As mine was running approx 4-6 minutes slow every day I thought I should report this as a lot of my customers have planes, train and meetings to attend at precise times of the day. I know I wear a watch and my phone also has the time on the front but Having paid in excess of £33,000 I feel the most they can do is supply me with a decent clock.

So you can imagine my surprise when I was told by the assistant who checked my vehicle in that my clocks 4-6 minutes daily deficit was " within Tolerance"!

He said that M&O's personally have no legal responsibility for faulty parts and only act on instruction given by LTI.

LTI say that the "Tolerance" of the clock is 5%. Not having a maths degree I will have to estimate this as just over an hour a day. Now if I turned up for my 2 o-clock appointment at 3 and said well the clock in the cab says 2, would they have seen me? I don't think so.

It may seem petty to ague over an item that cost just a few pounds but what other vehicle manufacture would have these values, not one, I would imagine. So there I sat and argued the toss. I asked to see a manager, who also wouldn't budge on this point and kept saying their hands were tied. I told him I will never, ever, buy another vehicle from M&O's as long as I live. But he was adamant "Our hands are tied, its not us, its LTI".

There seems to be no such thing as customer loyalty or customer good will, once you've signed on the dotted line.

I am now of the believe that with this type of customer service, M&O's will soon be just a memory. As new suppliers offering new models turn their attention towards the prestigious London Market.

Then I sat in the waiting room and listened to the other drivers, for 4 hours while I waited for a 20,000 mile service. It was like being in a scene from a bad dream. Five radiators in a year, three mileometers, everyone's clock was faulty with leaks galore. One driver, so I was told, left and returned in minutes, ashen faced, with a steering wheel that just came off in his hands.

There is a strong rumour that the company responsible for the conversion on the Vito has built a replica vehicle which has been passed and working on the streets of Birmingham. In our opinion it wont be long before other supposedly purpose built models form Renault, Fiat and Citroen start appearing on London streets.

So, the new taxi market could start to heat up very soon. Not before time, as the 2010 TX4 is about to take a massive £1,500 price hike.