I refer to your story “ Taxi council sees red as more cabbies sign up with Uber ” ( April 11). The Hong Kong Taxi Council continues to demonstrate how out of touch it is with consumer demands, by resisting and fighting progress. Clearly, the council is proving itself to be a relic of the past, failing to adapt even to current consumer preferences, let alone for the future. Rather than complaining about Uber, the council needs to develop a competitive proposition, squarely focused on the consumer. A starting point in formulating a competitive strategy would be for the council to identify why Hong Kong consumers are willing to pay more for Uber – this is Hong Kong, after all! A second strategic priority is to transform the customer experience. I rate 90 per cent of my taxi trips as “acceptable” and 100 per cent of my Uber trips as “excellent”. Any consumer-oriented business that only delivers an excellent experience 10 per cent of the time will fail. The council and taxi operators need to invest in their employees and could start with good training programmes. Frequent training should be mandatory with a focus on customer service and driver education so drivers are taught and reminded to use indicators, how to maintain a constant speed and not weave from one side of the lane to the other, to use dipped headlights when in tunnels, not to clutter their view with multiple phones – in other words, the basics of operating a vehicle. Taxis and Uber can both be good for Hong Kong – there is no need for a monopoly Uber is more expensive but the service is considered by many to be worth the premium, from better cars and drivers, full digital immersion including credit card versus cash payment, driver reviews, driver satisfaction ratings on the Uber app, etc. So I conclude by recommending that the council and its operators stop complaining and step up to the plate, recognising that taxis are here to serve the consumer, that we want a better customer experience and are willing to pay more for it. Simon Constantinides, Pok Fu Lam
