02/11/2022

Ideal Cars join the Uber local cab network

We are happy to announce that Ideal cars will now be receive work booked via the Uber app. Customers will choose the local cab option and get informed that an ideal cars taxi has been sent to them.

This works via Autocab’s Igo network, similarly to the way we receive Cmac and DG cars bookings. Uber work will priced at our tariffs with the customer paying Ubers commission on top of the fare. Drivers will then receive the job in line with all other account work.

This is a great opportunity for us to receive extra work at our quieter times and prioritise Ideal customers when we are busy. this in turn means more money in your pockets.

There will also be a new feature added to driver companion for Uber bookings only, so you can call your customer directly and they will also be able to contact you. All calls will go via an external number so there is no risk of any contact details being shared.

This does not mean Ideal cars are part of Uber or any other operator, this is just us increasing our workload in quieter times.

Any questions please contact Dale

14/06/2022

Temporary fix for GPS issues

Due to the issues we have been having regarding GPS signal and units not tracking distance we have decided to move all fares to a fixed fare system. This is a ‘soft’ fixed fare system which gives you the ability to edit and amend fares in the vehicle.

Below is how this works…

you will receive the job with the fixed price displayed(as above), you will then swipe arrived and picked up the same as you do now.

If a customer changes their destination, you can press the magnifying glass on the map screen(top right) and type in the new destination. This will edit the price to the new destination chosen.

To add waiting time, tap the meter at the top of your driver companion. This will give you the option to start waiting time. waiting time will stop once it detects movement or you manually pause it again. (GPS issues might stop it automatically stopping)

If the customer decides to add a via onto the booking, in the right hand menu is the add via command. press this when you are at the via and the price will edit to include a via at your current location (if issues with GPS stops this happening, please contact the office)

We hope you understand the reasons we have had to do this, to ensure drivers and customers have an happy medium whilst the GPS issues are resolved.

23/03/2022

New prepaid card payment process

We have now moved our app pre paid customers onto the deferred payment method. this means anyone booking and paying via the app will “set aside” an increased amount for their journey to cover any waiting times and/or deviations in the route.

the pay structure is as follows;

less than £7 estimates will reserve an extra £3.50.
£7 to £20 estimates reserve an extra 50%
and anything above £20 reserves an extra £10

Any metered fare exceeding these reserved amounts will fail and alternative payment should be sought by the driver.

21/03/2022

Fare increase goes live today

We can confirm that from today, all of our prices have increased. After consulting all the suggestions that drivers had recommended, we feel the increase is the fairest we could have for drivers and customers.

This increase applies to all bookings that have been made on or after today. Any bookings made prior will still be subject to the old quoted price e.g. airports. We are also unable to change any account customers prices has they are the prices agreed at the time of acceptance. Please help everyone by doing the work at the old price should you get one sent to you.

09/03/2022

Prepaid app booking changes

After some consultation with Autocab, we have managed to change our pre paid app bookings. Fares will still be subject to a 10% charge but will be capped to guarantee you receive the minimum fare of £3.20 after commission is taken off

04/03/2022

Another partnership for Ideal Cars

We have signed up to receive extra bookings from First travel solutions. FTS specialise in airport and rail transportation, from moving staff members to different sites, to providing emergency transport for passengers.

Ideal cars look forward to working with FTS as we grow in the future.

01/03/2022

5% App offer finishes

The start of March sees our 5% off app bookings offer, come to an end. During the last 2 months our app as been used more frequently than any January and February in Ideal Cars history and was close to matching Decembers usage.

We hope by launching this offer we have convinced people to continue to use Taxis in the quieter months when they may otherwise not use taxis and more importantly use Ideal cars over other local companies that offer the same booking methods as we do.

We have now ended this offer as we believe, entering March, our booking numbers will increase in the coming weeks, restrictions have been lifted completely and the general public will be looking to make this year memorable, after spending the last 2 years under some form of restriction. We have already seen many bookings, coming in for the coming months, of a type that we normally wouldn’t be doing and to places not normal travelled by our customers.

18/02/2022

Another partnership for Ideal cars

Ideal cars are proud to say we have arranged another partnership with an app based booking platform, U.V.A.

After finding success in Dubai with their taxi booking app, U.V.A launched in the UK in Birmingham. Ideal cars were approached by UVA due to our reputation of providing a quality, on time service. UVA will be operating in the Nottingham area and heavy advertising will be going out soon to promote this fledgling brand.

Similar to CMAC, Minicabit etc. Fares starting and finishing outside of our operating area will have an extra charge applied to accommodate you and the dead mileage incurred. All in-car fares will be the same as Ideal cars’ normal tariff.

31/01/2022

App 5% offer to continue

Our 5% reduction on our app as been a great success during January, so we have decided to extend the deal until the end of February. Our number of App bookings have more than doubled since January last year and is even higher than Pre covid Januaries previously. Our app work is approximately 25% of our workload and half of those are paid on the app.

This work will only increase due to the way the world is going and we need to embrace this work as its extra bookings that can be taken whilst the operators are taking bookings over the phone.

28/01/2022

New partnership commences

We have today (28/1/22) joined the UK’s biggest taxi comparison and booking platform Minicabit. This has been set up using our fares and you will receive the same amount as if it was a booking direct through Ideal cars. All bookings will be sent to us using the IGO network. The average fare booked on Minicabit is £60 so we are hoping to receive high value work through this connection.

Any issues with these bookings need to be escalated to the operators as their is a system in place and failure to follow these processes will result in a penalty fee being added to our account which will we forward onto any driver that doesn’t follow the process.

25/01/2022

CMAC bookings continue to grow in value

We are now 1 month into our partnership with CMAC and our bookings with them have been a huge success. In the first month (whilst we are on a trial period with them) we have completed 75 Bookings with an average cost of £38.30 per booking. These are extra bookings that are just not possible to receive over the phone.

We need to ensure we keep all our vehicles clean and tidy, inside and out. This will increase our reputation at CMAC as the best taxi provider in Nottinghamshire creating more work for you.

03/01/2022

5% discount offer for our app using customers

We have today (3/1/22) launched an offer for customers, that book and pay via our app, to receive 5% off their price. This cost will be absorbed by Ideal cars. You will still receive the full fare, without discount, minus 10% commission.

We hope his offer will create enough work to keep January from becoming the quiet month that we all know it can be.

29/12/2021

New Partnership Confirmed

Ideal cars have teamed up with CMAC, the UK’s leading ground transport experts. CMAC work alongside large companies such as the AA, RAC, NHS and Government bodies, plus many more.

Work is already starting to come in from CMAC to our system and drivers will soon see the benefits of us having these bookings.

CMAC bookings are similarly priced to our tariff for bookings up to 50miles, after this CMAC bookings are an higher value than we charge, so long distance work is more beneficial to you.

Any bookings which starts and finishes outside of our designated area (and does not enter whilst on the job), will also include PAID Dead mileage. The distance from ‘base’ to the closest location out of the pick up or drop off will be paid also, using CMAC’s agreed tariff.

09/12/2021

New Driver Companion Feature

Destination mode is now an active feature within your driver companion. This feature, when active, will try to send you jobs to your requested destination, i.e. home address, children’s school etc.

To use this feature choose “Destination mode” from the log off and break screen.

You will then be placed into destination mode for 30 minutes and the system will send you bookings that will take you to/towards the zone of your requested destination. You are allowed to use destination mode 3 times a day.

This feature is great for when you want to finish and it prevents the system from sending you further away and needing the job recovered by the office staff.

01/12/2021

New partnership confirmed

Ideal cars have teamed up with OTS (onward travel solutions ltd) to bring more long distance work to our drivers. OTS have been a supplier of nationwide, long distance, pre booked taxi work since 2006 and Ideal cars will now benefit from their reputation as a reliable booking source for customers.

We look forward to accepting work from OTS in the very near future.

23/11/2021

Driver companion now available for Apple devices

Thanks to our latest update from Autocab, the driver companion app is now available on android AND apple devices. This now allows more drivers to use their own devices and benefit from the weekly saving on their board payment.

If you would like to move your driver companion to your own phone, whether that’s Apple or android, come and speak to Dale or Danny and we’ll assist you in the process.

05/11/2021

New high profile contract won

We have been very fortunate to position ourselves as the new supplier of taxis to Turbine surface technologies limited (TSTL), based at Sherwood business park. Bookings will start coming in from here in the very near future.

We are hoping to be doing lots of long distance passengers and parcel delivery runs from this account.

Success with this account will lead to Ideal cars positioning itself as the number 1 taxi company for Sherwood park and hopefully more work coming from there.

Venues we already work with at Sherwood park are;

Mour hotel

Tsubakimoto

Cotton traders

Eddie Stobart

SMP.

06/10/2021

Increased work from local hotels

We have teamed up with both Mour hotel and the Bowman hotel to be their main taxi supplier to their guests. Using our online eBooker, these 2 venues will now book taxi for guests on their behalf without needed to call our offices. this will lead to more bookings being able to be placed.

in the first week trial with Mour hotel they used this service to book 4 taxis, at a total value of £87, each booking being £15+. all of these customers than rang/used our app to get back to the Mour hotel. Can we please ensure anyone being picked up from these hotels are given cards to ensure they use Ideal cars for the return journey.