Whether it is a night out in the city, a wedding, prom or an important corporate event, Hull Cars prides itself on providing excellent service to every customer.
Based in Anlaby Road, it has a fleet of more than 300 vehicles including taxis, vans and luxury cars and has earned international accreditation for its quality management.
For David Smith, Corporate Accounts and Customer Services Director, it is the personal approach to each customer that helps Hull Cars focus on delivering excellence across the board.
He said: “We manage customer journeys from the point of booking right through to drop-off, using our auto allocator system which ensures the vehicle arrives in the shortest possible time and reduces emissions.
“We were the first in Hull to offer a free texting service with updates as their taxi made its way to them.”
Student safety
With two universities and a student population of almost 15,000, safety is a major concern for young people living away from home for the first time.
David said: “Being in a new city can make people feel concerned about travelling on their own and we understand and care about safety. All of our drivers have been fully checked, including criminal record checks, they all carry ID and we send text messages with details of the make, model and registration of the car.
“We recently partnered with Uber Local which has helped us go from strength to strength. Uber isn’t licensed in the city, but the partnership means we are getting 3,000 bookings a week through the app and it also fits with the way a lot of people book taxis today. It’s also perfect for students because, as well as being reassured about the driver and vehicle’s details, they don’t have a lot of money and know exactly what the fare will be.”
Professional
Whatever the occasion, Hull Cars drivers demonstrate professionalism are provided with a uniform which helps raise standards, especially with its luxury and VIP services.
David said: “There are national and international businesses in the area with large sites and they need to get staff and guests to and from venues comfortably and on time.
“Corporate customers are guaranteed a car will be ready for them and they will arrive at their meeting on time and in comfort.
“We also provide luxury cars for weddings, as well as a wedding package to take the whole party from the wedding venue to the reception.
“And we have a range of prestige cars that will really turn heads when you arrive at your prom!”
Punctuality
Another key to Hull Cars’ success is always being on time.
David said: “We pride ourselves in being punctual and we don’t overbook. We will be there on time and take them where they want to go. We have heard about customers being let down by other firms who take bookings but don’t have enough drivers, or passengers facing long waits for taxis.
“We aren’t the cheapest and don’t claim to be, but we offer excellent service which means we can look after the drivers and they enjoy working for us.
“We provide a quality service and offer customers reassurance that we will do our best for them. We are always prepared to go that extra mile and that gets noticed by customers.”
Reassurance
With a taxi company that specialises in looking after customers, Hull Cars has forged strong links with another taxi insurance specialist – Patons Insurance brokers, which looks after taxi insurance for many of its drivers.
David said: “The drivers are self-employed and sort out their own private hire insurance, but whenever they ask for recommendations, we say Patons because they are professional and know what taxi drivers need.
“When drivers have been involved in an accident and need a replacement car while theirs is repaired, it has been across that week so they can carry on working.”
