PHUKET: The five-star Katathani Phuket Beach Resort is hoping a competition to improve the standards of taxi and tuk-tuk driver service at Kata Noi beach will have benefits across Phuket.
First results of the "Kata Noi Community Taxi Service" project - undertaken by the resort with Karon municipal authorities and Karon police - will be revealed next week.
The project was created a year ago by Sombut Atiset, president and CEO of Katathani Resort, to improve the quality of the taxi and tuk-tuk drivers who service Phuket's tourists.
If the project is seen to be positive in Kata Noi, one of Phuket's smallest west coast holiday beaches, it will be used as the model for other taxi stands in nearby Kata and Karon and perhaps all over the island.
In many ways, Kata Noi is a micro version of Phuket and its taxi issues. Tourists continue to pay double the fare because taxis have to return to base, empty.
There are only a few metered cabs.
Fares are generally about six times the fares charged in Bangkok, and the source of most complaints to embassies and local Phuket honorary consuls.
Taxi drivers on Phuket have so far proven to be reluctant to embrace changes - even though tourism industry leaders warn their commitment to an outmoded system will seriously damage the island's future appeal.
There are four taxi stands in Kata Noi beach:
.. A stand of limousines from the airport to the resort and a shuttle bus from the resort to Patong and Phuket City. 13 vehicles.
.. A stand of taxi drivers that carry only Katathani's customers. 17 vehicles.
.. A second stand of taxi drivers that take care of Katathani's customers. 15 vehicles.
.. A stand of local drivers who take care of passengers around Kata Noi beach. 15 vehicles.
All these stands have leaders, rules, and agreements set in the system and they all can work together without aggressiveness.
Process of the project:
1. Appoint the leader of each stand.
2. Have a meeting at least once a year to discuss any problems.
3. Give the prize to the stand that get the highest score from following standards and process of service.
Standards of service
1. The drivers must have driving licence.
2. The drivers have to be a good host being able to communicate using different languages and having service in mind.
3. The drivers have to inform passengers about the safety rules
4. The drivers have to remind passengers about their belongings.
5. The vehicles need to be clean and safe.
6. The vehicles have to have first class insurance that covers the passengers' lives and belongings.
Rules:
1. Drive safely
2. No drinking and drugs
3. No using any devices while driving
4. No cursing or looking down on passengers
5. No assaulting
6. Dress well
7. Make good image to the community
Process of service
1. The drivers must greet the passengers warmly
2. Make an agreement on the fare between passengers and drivers before starting the journey
3. Inform the passengers about the directions
4. Entertain the passengers (appropriately)
5. Ask the passengers for the suggestion if problems happen
6. Inform the passenger when close to the destination
7. When the destination is reached, inform the passenger the same fare as agree before starting the journey.
8. Remind the passengers about their belongings
9. Wish the passenger a good trip
10. If the driver has an appointment to take the passengers back, the driver needs to inform the passengers about the meeting point and the pick up time.
Before entering high season each year, the drivers will have to do peer assessment and score each other.
Judgements will be considered from the questionnaires given to the guests from the resort as well.
The driver who gets the highest score will be the winner.
The questionnaires given will be asking the guests to rate the drivers for:
- greeting
- helpfulness
- hygiene and grooming
- courteousness
- communication
- safety belt
- driving speed
- cleanliness
- comfortableness
- vehicle
- value for money
- overall evaluation
Prizes:
1. Four best drivers (monthly). Each winner gets 1000 baht
2. One best annual driver. The winner gets 5000 baht
3. One annual most popular driver (voted by all drivers from all stands) gets 5000 baht.
The prizes will be given to the drivers on December 23 at Katathani Phuket Beach Resort by Phuket Governor Maitree Inthusud.
First results of the "Kata Noi Community Taxi Service" project - undertaken by the resort with Karon municipal authorities and Karon police - will be revealed next week.
The project was created a year ago by Sombut Atiset, president and CEO of Katathani Resort, to improve the quality of the taxi and tuk-tuk drivers who service Phuket's tourists.
If the project is seen to be positive in Kata Noi, one of Phuket's smallest west coast holiday beaches, it will be used as the model for other taxi stands in nearby Kata and Karon and perhaps all over the island.
In many ways, Kata Noi is a micro version of Phuket and its taxi issues. Tourists continue to pay double the fare because taxis have to return to base, empty.
There are only a few metered cabs.
Fares are generally about six times the fares charged in Bangkok, and the source of most complaints to embassies and local Phuket honorary consuls.
Taxi drivers on Phuket have so far proven to be reluctant to embrace changes - even though tourism industry leaders warn their commitment to an outmoded system will seriously damage the island's future appeal.
There are four taxi stands in Kata Noi beach:
.. A stand of limousines from the airport to the resort and a shuttle bus from the resort to Patong and Phuket City. 13 vehicles.
.. A stand of taxi drivers that carry only Katathani's customers. 17 vehicles.
.. A second stand of taxi drivers that take care of Katathani's customers. 15 vehicles.
.. A stand of local drivers who take care of passengers around Kata Noi beach. 15 vehicles.
All these stands have leaders, rules, and agreements set in the system and they all can work together without aggressiveness.
Process of the project:
1. Appoint the leader of each stand.
2. Have a meeting at least once a year to discuss any problems.
3. Give the prize to the stand that get the highest score from following standards and process of service.
Standards of service
1. The drivers must have driving licence.
2. The drivers have to be a good host being able to communicate using different languages and having service in mind.
3. The drivers have to inform passengers about the safety rules
4. The drivers have to remind passengers about their belongings.
5. The vehicles need to be clean and safe.
6. The vehicles have to have first class insurance that covers the passengers' lives and belongings.
Rules:
1. Drive safely
2. No drinking and drugs
3. No using any devices while driving
4. No cursing or looking down on passengers
5. No assaulting
6. Dress well
7. Make good image to the community
Process of service
1. The drivers must greet the passengers warmly
2. Make an agreement on the fare between passengers and drivers before starting the journey
3. Inform the passengers about the directions
4. Entertain the passengers (appropriately)
5. Ask the passengers for the suggestion if problems happen
6. Inform the passenger when close to the destination
7. When the destination is reached, inform the passenger the same fare as agree before starting the journey.
8. Remind the passengers about their belongings
9. Wish the passenger a good trip
10. If the driver has an appointment to take the passengers back, the driver needs to inform the passengers about the meeting point and the pick up time.
Before entering high season each year, the drivers will have to do peer assessment and score each other.
Judgements will be considered from the questionnaires given to the guests from the resort as well.
The driver who gets the highest score will be the winner.
The questionnaires given will be asking the guests to rate the drivers for:
- greeting
- helpfulness
- hygiene and grooming
- courteousness
- communication
- safety belt
- driving speed
- cleanliness
- comfortableness
- vehicle
- value for money
- overall evaluation
Prizes:
1. Four best drivers (monthly). Each winner gets 1000 baht
2. One best annual driver. The winner gets 5000 baht
3. One annual most popular driver (voted by all drivers from all stands) gets 5000 baht.
The prizes will be given to the drivers on December 23 at Katathani Phuket Beach Resort by Phuket Governor Maitree Inthusud.
just what every tourist wants to do while on holiday.. fill in a questionnaire about their taxi driver.. brilliant plan.. can't see any faults with this at all..
Posted by another steve on December 14, 2013 07:52