How Taxi Via Text Can Make Taxi Services More Convenient Than Uber or Lyft

Is your taxi business struggling to keep up with ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft?

These kinds of services have taken over the industry by offering low-priced fares and increased convenience. It’s no surprise that the taxi industry is struggling to keep up. 

The value of taxi medallions has already dropped a whopping 80% since Uber came on the scene in 2014. If you want to ramp up your taxi business, you need to embrace the latest marketing trends and leverage increased mobile usage to your advantage.

Competing with ride-sharing apps might seem impossible, but text messaging could be the answer you’ve been searching for. Let us show you how partnering with an experienced SMS software provider can help you deliver more convenience.

Taxi Via Text: More Convenient Than Uber or Lyft

The single greatest advantage of Uber and Lyft is convenience. With just a few taps, customers can hail a ride. And in most cases, the taxi arrives in minutes! However, customers are required to download an app and create an account. This process can take a lot of time and energy. What if there was an easier way? By investing in a text messaging solution, your taxi business can become a better and more convenient option.

Why Taxi Services Should Consider Texting

Texting is fast and convenient, and your customers are already using it. The data speaks for itself: 

• Texting is the most used mobile app; 97% of Americans use it at least once per day.
• 92% of the U.S. population owns a mobile device capable of receiving SMS messages.
• 90% of all text messages are read within 3 minutes of being received.
• Text messages have a response rate 8 times higher than email (45% to 6%).

EZ Texting’s software makes it easy for your customers to communicate with drivers and request a ride. In fact, riders can simply text a predefined Keyword — like “PICKMEUP” — to your shortcode, and receive a confirmation message in reply. 

This effectively eliminates the need for riders to download an app or make a phone call, and your drivers can even communicate using the built-in chat feature.

How do Keywords work?

Watch the following video for a demonstration on how Keywords work.

How Does Texting for a Taxi Work?

Step One: Your Customer Requests a Ride

Your customer sends a text message with the Keyword you created to your EZ Texting number. For example, they text “PICKMEUP” to 858585.

Step Two: The Confirmation Message is Sent

An automated confirmation message you set up is sent to them. You can include the estimated arrival time and the license plate number in the reply. This makes it easier for your riders to find the driver when they arrive. 

Step Three: The Driver Arrives

Upon arrival, the driver can text a Keyword to trigger another message to be sent to the customer. For example, the driver sends “HERE” to 858585, and the customer receives a message letting them know their ride is ready.

Another option would be to allow the driver to communicate with the rider directly by using our built-in chat feature.

Step Four: Send Them a Receipt

Your driver can instantly send a receipt for the cost of the trip with the use of another Keyword trigger. 

Step Five: Request Feedback with a Survey

Include a link to provide feedback with a survey on the receipt or send it within a specified time frame after they have completed their payment.

How to Let Your Customers Know You Offer Texting

After you’ve created your free EZ Texting account and you’re ready to send and receive messages, how do you let your customers know they can text you? 

Here’s a list of ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

• Post an announcement on your website with the use of a ribbon, slide-in, or exit pop up.
• Add it to your cover photos and a pinned post at the top of your social media pages.
• Include an announcement in the emails that you send.
• Run online ads and local ads promoting your “Text for a Taxi” capabilities.
• Get a decal and put it on all your taxis where it’s clearly visible from a distance.
• Put it on your business cards and hand them out to satisfied customers after every ride.

Dispatch Can Communicate with Drivers via Text

Do you need to pass on crucial information to your drivers? With EZ Texting, you can compose one message and send it to all of them at one time with a click of a button and the use of segmented lists. 

This is extremely useful for letting drivers know when you’re understaffed or to inform them of any road closures or accidents that could cause them problems. With EZ Texting’s software, you can even personalize the message, so it uses their name vs. a generic greeting.

How to Get Started with Texting

Step One: Start Your Free Trial

Create an account by activating the EZ Texting free trial. Fill out the form on the signup page and follow the instructions provided to get started.

Step Two: Add Your Contacts

Now that your account is created and you have added some groups, it’s time to add your contacts. Click on Contacts -> Add a Contact -> complete the form -> assign them to a group -> and click on Save Contact. 

Step Three: Segment Your List with Groups

Create separate lists for your customers and drivers by creating groups. Click on Contacts -> Groups -> Add New Group -> give it a name and add notes -> click on Create This Group. 

Step Four: Take Your Skills to the Next Level and Beef Up Your List

Are you ready to master text message marketing? 

As you can see, there are plenty of results-driven strategies that you can implement to help your taxi service pull ahead of drive-sharing services like Uber and Lyft. You can offer greater convenience to your customers by utilizing the texting app they already have on their phones.

If you’re ready to get started, then download your free copy of The 9-Step Roadmap to Mastering Text Message Marketing and discover the nine steps all successful marketers take when they are just starting out. 

We have helped over 210,000 clients send over 4 billion messages since 2004 — now it’s your turn for us to help you! Our customers represent the best-of-the-best when it comes to utilizing text marketing, and we’ve discovered the key patterns that contributed to their success. In this guide, we’re going to show you the nine steps that all text marketers take to become superstars. We might not be able to guarantee your success, but we can give you an unfair advantage - download your eBook today and get started!

Photo: Adobe Stock/chalabala