~Toby Tannas~
Service should be magical, not tolerable.香蕉视频直播� That deeply ingrained belief is what launched Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 Dale Conway into the taxi business three years ago. With a more than two-decades-long career in hospitality under his belt, Dale set out to change the game in an industry he believed had been sub-standard for far too long. An industry in which he had no previous experience.
香蕉视频直播淚 spent more than 10 years dreaming up a business plan. I香蕉视频直播檇 never worked in the taxi business but I had been working in casinos for 17 years. The two industries actually have a lot in common,香蕉视频直播� Dale explains. 香蕉视频直播淭hey are both highly regulated by the government. I know how to work with regulators.香蕉视频直播�
Dale may have been green when it came to running a taxi business, but so was his vision: to create a local, environmentally friendly company that the community could be proud of, with high-end electric cars, well-dressed, personable drivers and rates on par with other companies.
香蕉视频直播淚 knew my plan was solid. When I finally decided to quit my job, I shared it with two of my co-workers and they asked to be part of it.香蕉视频直播�
The Current Taxi team was born, but the real work lay ahead. Conway knew it had been 14 years since the Transportation Board last approved a new taxi service for Kelowna.
香蕉视频直播淕etting taxi licenses is notoriously hard. I had to make a strong case.香蕉视频直播�
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Dale knew community support was vital. His application included a stack of letters from various hotel managers and the Mayor of Kelowna.
香蕉视频直播淭hey gave me a shot. My partners and I, we pooled our money, we bought two Teslas and hit the road!香蕉视频直播�
That was February of 2017. It was just Dale, his business partner Jerry Pokorny and four part-time ambassadors behind the wheel in those early days. But after only a few months it became apparent two Teslas weren香蕉视频直播檛 going to be enough to meet demand.
香蕉视频直播淏y April we were turning down 500 calls a day; we went running back to the Transportation Board for more licenses. If we couldn香蕉视频直播檛 expand our fleet, we were quite literally going to drown in our own success.香蕉视频直播�
Dale was granted approval for four more cars.
香蕉视频直播淚 was happy. That was the original business plan. Six cars in Kelowna. I was going to drive a taxi for a living. It would be a small, family-run business. I realized fairly early on, though, that wasn香蕉视频直播檛 going to be the case.香蕉视频直播�
Word of Current Taxi香蕉视频直播檚 exceptional service was spreading quickly. Emails poured in from all over North America.
香蕉视频直播溝憬妒悠抵辈Why aren香蕉视频直播檛 you in Calgary?香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播榃hy aren香蕉视频直播檛 you in Edmonton?香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播楥ome to Ottawa,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈 Conway recounts with a chuckle. 香蕉视频直播溝憬妒悠抵辈Have you thought about Vegas?香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播榃hat about Hawaii?香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
Fast-forward three years. There are 10 cars on the road in Kelowna and in December of 2019 Current Taxi expanded into Victoria with six Teslas.
香蕉视频直播淰ictoria made sense,香蕉视频直播� Dale explains. 香蕉视频直播淭he city is environmentally focused. A lot of the local politicians in Kelowna used us to get to the airport for their Victoria-bound flights and they香蕉视频直播檇 say they wanted to make the entire trip green, so could we pick them up on the other end? Now we can.香蕉视频直播�
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Dale香蕉视频直播檚 business plan is not one for the faint of heart. Buying $100,000-dollar vehicles, paying drivers a true living wage and keeping prices in check takes a lot of juggling. But Dale is adamant that is what香蕉视频直播檚 fuelling Current Taxi香蕉视频直播檚 success.
香蕉视频直播淲e could grow quicker with less expensive cars, but that香蕉视频直播檚 not what we set out to do,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淲e are committed to never cutting corners with the cars or losing focus on the environment or the quality of our staff.香蕉视频直播�
Dale beams with pride as he talks about his team and the seemingly endless number of five-star Google reviews they香蕉视频直播檝e earned the company.
香蕉视频直播淭hey are our 香蕉视频直播榮ecret sauce!香蕉视频直播� We are extremely picky. That makes hiring tough, but it pays off in the long run. The novelty of a Tesla will wear off, but if people get the doors opened for them, have engaging conversation with a knowledgeable, well-dressed person behind the wheel, it香蕉视频直播檚 what keeps them calling.香蕉视频直播�
The Current Taxi driver roster isn香蕉视频直播檛 what you would expect. It includes former bartenders, real estate agents, lawyers and photographers. Like Dale, most had never driven a taxi before they got behind the wheel with Current. The turnover rate is low because they love the job, the people and the company. Their service excellence is having an effect on the entire market.
香蕉视频直播淲hat香蕉视频直播檚 getting us excited is that other taxi operators are starting to notice. Now I see other taxi drivers wearing suit jackets. It香蕉视频直播檚 what should be happening. When service gets better it benefits everybody. We raised the bar. That香蕉视频直播檚 a good thing!香蕉视频直播�
It香蕉视频直播檚 why Dale isn香蕉视频直播檛 worried about ride-share companies coming in to take a piece of the pie.
香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 a place for ride share and I香蕉视频直播檓 probably the only taxi service provider that香蕉视频直播檚 going to say ride share is a good thing. Are they going to be competitive with me and try to take my business? Yes, but I香蕉视频直播檝e never been afraid of competition. I believe my service is better.香蕉视频直播�
The only time fear has been a factor for Dale is when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March. Current Taxi had just expanded into Victoria.
香蕉视频直播淭hings just died; we started pulling cars off the road. We were afraid like everyone else. April and May were tough.香蕉视频直播�
Dale wasted no time outfitting the Tesla fleet and his drivers with the required safety equipment. Today, call volumes have returned to pre-COVID levels and that香蕉视频直播檚 turned fear into optimism.
香蕉视频直播淏efore the shutdown, at least 50 to 60 per cent of our business was coming from an airport, a hotel or a restaurant. When you factor in that those places have been essentially closed and are just starting to re-open, but our call volume is still high, we can say we香蕉视频直播檝e actually built business.香蕉视频直播�
Dale predicts he will have all of the 28-car fleet on the road in Kelowna (13) and Victoria (15) by the end of the year.
香蕉视频直播淎nd we香蕉视频直播檙e not stopping at 28. I got into this business to disrupt something. I am an instigator. I want to make the other businesses sweat a little,香蕉视频直播� he says with a laugh.
Dale香蕉视频直播檚 hope is that what he香蕉视频直播檚 instigating on the environmental side will also shift into high gear.
香蕉视频直播淥ur six cars in Kelowna put on three million kilometers in three years. That香蕉视频直播檚 700 tons of CO2 we香蕉视频直播檝e saved. We香蕉视频直播檙e five per cent of the local market. Just imagine if the entire taxi industry in Canada electrifies, which it will eventually. There香蕉视频直播檚 a big difference to be made.香蕉视频直播�
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With a team he香蕉视频直播檚 proud to work with, Dale is looking to the future. His wife Trisha has joined him and Jerry full time since the Victoria expansion. She manages the growing number of staff (90 and counting) as director of people and culture. Fourth partner Kate Wilson handles the marketing.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 been a heck of a ride for the first three years,香蕉视频直播� exclaims Dale. 香蕉视频直播淲here it will take us, we don香蕉视频直播檛 know香蕉视频直播ο憬妒悠抵辈
Dale actually does know where Current Taxi is next hitting the accelerator on expansion but (at the time of publication) the where and when are still a secret.
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