New Years Eve can be a crazy time. For revellers across the UK choosing to paint the town red, it’s a chance to blow off steam after another year, and to welcome in the new year with alcohol-induced rose-tinted glasses. For taxi drivers, New Years Eve can be a particularly busy and profitable time of the year, but it can also at times turn into a nightmare if you’re not adequately prepared. To help you see in 2015 in the best possible way, here we present a New Years Eve survival guide for taxi drivers. Good luck, and happy New Year!
Get payment up-front
The early hours of New Year’s Day are a time when many people feel somewhat bullet-proof, due in equal part to overconfidence in the year ahead, and whatever inebriating cocktails they have been swallowing. It’s also a time when many people have less money in their wallets than they think, so to avoid a situation where a passenger is unable to pay or even tries to run without paying, it may be a good idea to secure payment at the start of the journey.
Beware the drunk
Drunken people aren’t like me or you. They’re less alert, less coherent and prone to random actions such as running across the road or horsing about in traffic. On New Year’s Eve it’s wise to be extra vigilant, particularly in town and city centres or outside nightclubs, so that you’re ready to brake or take avoiding action at times that might not be expected at other times of the year.
Consider putting tasteful covers on your seats/floor
Some people simply can’t handle their alcohol, or else they just don’t know when enough is enough. You can avoid the worst of any necessary clean-up operations on New Year’s Day by putting down a few easily disposable covers, without making it too obvious.
Provide impeccable service whatever the challenges
It may be New Year’s Eve but for you it’s just another working day. Despite whatever frustrations you may encounter, do your best to keep your calm and focus on doing a good job. Doing so will not only improve your peace of mind, it might also result in a particularly generous tip from your jovial customers.
Get into the spirit of the occasion
You may be sober and working, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself. Working with a smile and a light-hearted sense of humour will undoubtedly help the night pass by faster. If you get your passengers talking about their plans for the new year or their resolutions then you might even get some inspiration for your own.
Make sure your taxi insurance is in order
Despite the Government’s anti-drunk-driving campaigns each year over the festive period, some people continue to drink and drive after a night celebrating the New Year. There’s little you can do to prevent being involved in an accident caused by these individuals other than being vigilant on the road. But making sure that your taxi insurance is valid and that you’re properly covered for everything will protect you should the worst happen.
If you’re looking for affordable taxi insurance cover, get in touch with Park Insurance today.