Communication with customers

Communication is key when providing excellent customer service and understanding customers' unique accessibility needs and requirements.

Booking entities should apply these best practices when communicating with customers:

  • Provide customers with regular updates about wait times and service availability from the time of booking until the end of their journey.
  • When customers book, give them the option to identify they have a disability, so their booking is prioritised and specific requirements are captured and given to the driver.
  • Ensure customers of all abilities can track or find out the location of the vehicle from when the driver accepts the booking until the trip ends.
  • Use the most accessible form of communication for customers who have identified specific needs and requirements. Although it is often the same way they made their booking, confirm this directly with the customer.
  • Have a clear and accessible complaint process that provides timely and effective results for issues raised by customers. Use learnings from this process to improve accessibility processes.

Improving customer experiences (scenario)

  • Priyanka (she/her/hers) lives in regional Queensland. She uses a wheelchair for a medical condition that impacts her mobility.

    Priyanka phoned the local taxi company in advance to book a wheelchair accessible taxi (WAT) to take her to a family wedding. Priyanka has been looking forward to the wedding for months and her cousin (the bride) had asked her to be involved in the ceremony.

    Unfortunately, a WAT did not arrive at the specified time. Priyanka's multiple calls to the taxi company over a 4-hour period went unanswered. She was devastated that she missed the wedding.

  • Booking entities can make processes to:

    • prioritise wheelchair accessible vehicle bookings
    • release advance bookings for wheelchair accessible vehicles earlier than other jobs to help ensure a vehicle is available at the requested time. Review your dispatch procedures to decide when different types of bookings should be allocated
    • ensure dispatch systems identify when a trip has not been completed by the driver and prioritise sending a new vehicle
    • advise customers of WAT availability and wait times when they book and regularly update them until their trip is complete
    • use call waiting or a message system make sure no calls are missed
    • train dispatch staff to take accurate information relating to accessible trip bookings and to coordinate priority delivery of these services with WAT drivers
    • train drivers on the legal requirements of delivering services to TSS and customers travelling in a wheelchair and the legal implications of refusing or cancelling a service
    • provide regular refresher training to all dispatch and drivers on anti-discrimination and general accessibility obligations in line with state and commonwealth requirements.