Despite the difficulties of their profession

Long, the Parisian taxi drivers had the vocation. Despite the difficulties of their profession. They knew all the routes of the capital, and shortcuts, played the confessors or psychoanalysts with their customers, when this was not the contrary.

Today, everything has changed. "Technological change have greatly made evolve the business." Thus, since 1991, we have our own radio system that works with touch screens, and all our taxis have a credit card terminal. "It is faster and more efficient," says Serge Metz, engineer, graduate of Polytechnique and the bridges and causeways, President-Director General of Taxis G7 (the call centre, 350 employees), which has 4,000 drivers affiliated (against 1,400 in 1988). Not to mention the GPS, to find more easily its path, and the mobile phone. "With the crisis and the mixing of populations, drivers also changed: managers in reintegration, and among them some doctors or entrepreneurs, now number in the hundreds in the group", continues the CEO.

About 15,000 drivers that account the profession in Paris (and new 1,700 in 2005, is a turnover of 10), employees are a minority ("35 hours per week, this does not earn a living", said a young driver). Most are craftsmen, tenants (of their plate and their car) or cooperative member.

Stifling regulation

"What has not changed, however exclaims a customer, it is that when it is sought are not." True. Offer is insufficient time advanced, despite a real presence, but to the right places not always, and it is probably the worst ads. However, "every day, routes vacuum represent 50 kilometres, or for 12,000 taxis on average, a daily loss of 600,000 kilometres, i.e. once and a half the distance from the Earth to the Moon!", exclaimed Jean-François Morève, himself former driver, today Director and administrator of the coopérative Gescop (1,200 drivers) and Manager of the SARL Alpha Taxis (call centre). The fault to a more difficult movement and suffocating regulations. Result: the profession demand reforms (see box), and not only for the responsible moments. "It is all the more necessary that the trade is by nature very binding schedules are sometimes incompatible with life of a family and generates a lot of stress." In addition, Parisian taxis suffer a real lack of recognition, then that drivers of province (about 30,000), them, are seen as notables. "Indeed, the first cause of abandonment of the trade, after retirement, nerve wear, discouragement, the lack of consideration," continues Jean-François Morève. And violence (there are however only two violent attacks per year in Gescop; two too many, of course).

All different

However, permanent contact with the client, the relative equal pay (since the race is priced), as well as the great freedom that allows the trade are all arguments that they seduce. Drivers pay their payroll themselves, have their own social security and contribute to the mutual of their choice except for Gescop Alpha Taxis, probably with the spirit of "cooperative". However, this autonomy from Serge Metz should not hide the fact that "the drivers are very attached to their sign." Or even. "What is important is primarily to have the radio in his taxi, relativizes a driver, to have races as much as possible." But this encumbers our charges. "Each, worth that worth, chooses the most appropriate to his case situation. One such, devoid of capital, will be tenant ("but it is of modern slavery"), another, owner of the plate, working as a tenant of business.

All different, all independent, drivers are not recruited on CV. The ideal profile "Love drive and have a strong concept of service, accompanied by a certain phlegm", continues the CEO of Taxis G7. In Gescop, two juries pronounce on applications from drivers duly equipped with their certificate of qualification. For the first, after four hours of mandatory information meeting, attended a quarantine of candidates, "reviewers" are three members of the Directorate, all former drivers: they give their opinion on the applications filed. The second jury, consisting of two directors and accounting manager, speaks with applicants. They seek to detect the cooperative spirit, since it is the legal form chosen by the company, and especially the notion of service and the commercial sense of the applicant: "first, there is the presentation: it will almost immediately refuse a candidate who has not shaved.". "And then placed in a situation: asked, for example, on what he will do in case of delay of the client", said Jean-François Morève. If it is adoubé, the candidate between as a future partner of the cooperative. "I get on average 12 people per month: is then given a day of training, including a part on accounts, and it gave them a bible with the who's who, the Charter of quality of service Alpha Taxi, our internal newspaper, and our DVD"of men in the capital".". A week before their taking control of the vehicle, it explains outline of operation, the specifics of the customer, the characteristics of our subscribers, the use of the on-board computer. "The day J Finally, it looks particularly their behaviour: for this, called customers at random and asked about their satisfaction after the race", says the Director of Gescop. As an enterprise integration path.

The next General Assembly of the cooperative entérinera the appointment of Yann Chatard: "this which attracted me, is that it is all shareholders, that everything is clear and square." This former steward of Air freedom will not need to receive training in English or on the customer relationship. He has already tested them in his former trade. And if you forget your laptop in the taxi, it you reported your passing. You said revival of the profession