A SERVICE QUALITY RESEARCH
By PHD (permanent head damage) Kaskhat
Customers come first… I believe in that statement …coz most of the time I am the consumer.
Cab drivers in SG…what do you think of them? With abhorrence or are they tolerable?
Sometimes, SOME cab drivers think they are god-sent saviours to people in need of transport. They pick and choose passengers and look at them in frustration when a passenger wants to go to a nearby destination. A destination near or far, we still pay according to the meter. So what’s the problem? I read with disgust in the Forum page regarding this issue. Sometimes, I do get that same attitude when my journey begins in PEPS and ends at my home. I could take the bus but why bother? I am spoilt by my hubby and I don’t care even if the drivers shoos me off…I don’t scoot off without paying the fare… at times I even don’t take the change… for goodness sake it’s about $3 or so for my journey home. My reluctance for them to keep the change stems from the attitude and the ‘face’ they portray when I get in their ‘super-rich’ transport. I understand the situation if these people queued up for hours in Changi Airport, only to get a nearby place to go to… but when these people on the road, beggars can’t be choosers right? We flag u down… u send us…no questions asked unless of course you’re changing shift… ah how come they change shifts at well-planned hours like at 5pm or 12am …Cinderella ah? For those who are ignorant, that’s when the surcharges start in operation. Next, we have the cocky and haughty cab drivers who usually drive the Merc. As if they own the Merc, the only want stylo mylo passengers. It’s always ‘BUSY’ on their side…are they using this cab for their own personal needs? LTA should look into that. I once encountered this arrogant lady who drives the Merc cab. I just got back from POPULAR BOOKSTORE. I was carrying a few plastic bags from the store. When I got in the cab, the ah soh says … miss ah…put behind ah …later my taxi dirty and wet ah… I opened the door and looked outside…there was neither a speckle of rain or snow… Auntie ah… these bags from POPULAR lah…POPULAR have not taken over NTUC yet…so no vegetables yet…all school stuff…the lady kept quiet and drove to my destination. When I got down, I slammed the door…what an attitude…stupid some more! Driving a Merc cab and driving a Merc are two different things… even Merc, the ah peks drive it now… so? In case these drivers have yet to realize it… let me say this…you don’t own the MERC… ok? Then, they are those who go on and on about their achievements and some have the accolades to prove … so? Who wants to hear about your house in JB, or your children who are doing so well…they are doctors or Master holders…I don’t need your life story… if you have the intention to brag.
BUT…like all humans do… not all cab drivers are of that breed. I have taken many enjoyable rides that have stimulated my intellectual thoughts… these…I LIKE! Three days back, this Malay man was just talking about the weather and soon we were analyzing on why JB was distraught with the flood. Religiously, we were talking about the retribution… ha-ha…just what I thought… so many crimes in JB involved our fellow Singaporeans…all innocent beings who go there just to shop and dine. Tu lah ALLAH ingatkan jangan aniaya orang…tengok apa jadi… banjir teruk sangat sampai bumbung… heran kenapa Kelantan and Terengganu tak kena padahal…dekat lautan. Before I got down, he wished me a good day…how nice… then two days back… I took this cab driven by this Chinese old man who is in his 60s. He asked whether I’m a teacher and the conversation starts off with having a degree or don’t. He asked me whether in my school, degree holders treat mere mortals like most of us differently. I told him not in my school! Most and I mean 99% of them are so nice. With the exception of a few, who thinks they have the brains to match their swollen ego, the others are super-nice! He went on saying some things can’t happen just because someone has the certificates to prove his educational worth. Things like teaching and driving. I told him abt some teachers in my school who only has O level to match but the respect bestowed on them is just beyond words. He said, there was once this ang moh who has a PHD who took his cab… he was awed by uncle’s driving skills…because apparently this ang moh has failed so many times at driving tests! Well there you have it…education is not only about the certificates and how many times you have worn the mortar! The journey although short certainly opened my eyes to a different dimension…such a witty thought by just another man on the street…
So the next time I hop into a cab…I’ll be sure to look forward to an exchange of intellectually stimulating conversations …not a harsh exchange of words I hope!
I have said my piece!
