Dealing with Difficult Passengers

December 30, 2015

If you make one resolution this year, it should be to ensure that you stay safe while you’re driving your cab! Although most passengers are perfectly friendly, and just want some help getting to their destination, sometimes you can encounter the drunk, disorderly or downright rude people. Here are a few tips for dealing with them.

Stay Calm

However rowdy people may get, it’s vitally important that you don’t lose your temper as that could ultimately lead to far bigger problems – wherever possible, you want to deescalate a situation. If you’re concerned about not getting paid it may be tempting to try and put your foot down: remember that it’s one thing to be assertive and another to put yourself at risk.

Be Clear and Consistent

If possible, give a clear idea of how much the trip will cost before you set off, ensuring that customers can’t act surprised at the price when you reach the destination. This is especially important on bank holidays when you may be charging extra: communicate this before the trip, and remain consistent.

Make a Personal Connection

When a customer seems difficult, but not dangerous, make a personal connection with them: make eye contact, engage in conversation and stay friendly. Get them to see you as a friend, or at least as someone that they feel comfortable with, and they will be far more likely to treat you with respect.

Push for a Precise Destination

There are a few reasons for trying to ensure that you have a fixed destination before you start: firstly, a vague destination is something that you should be suspicious of as it may mean that your passenger has ulterior motives; secondly, if you’re part of a team of drivers, you can relay your destination to them, meaning that if your passenger does become a problem it’s easier to…

Call for Back Up

Hopefully it won’t come to this, but if you ever feel that your safety may be at risk, please don’t be afraid to make sure that somebody has your back. This may be another driver or it may be the authorities – either way, it can make a big difference, and even just letting a difficult passenger know that somebody else is on their way might help you to get the situation under control.

Stay safe, and remember that getting the right taxi insurance is also an invaluable step towards feeling more secure in your profession. For more information, simply get in touch with us today, online or at 0333 2000 094; we’d love to hear from you.