Taxi booking faqs

FAQs for booking a Phoenix Taxi

Q: Is your taxi office really always open?

A: Yes. Our office is always open and we always offer taxis for immediate dispatch if available. We’re open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. There will always be a trained member of staff at the other end of the phone dealing with bookings or queries.

You can come to our Blyth headquarters any time to seek lost property or pay deposits. Unlike other taxi firms, we don’t divert our calls through to driver mobile phones throughout the night. This ensures there is always a trained member of staff taking care of your booking at all times which is vital for your peace of mind on late night and early morning work and travel connections.

Q: How far in advance do I have to book my taxi?

A: You can call at any time for a taxi and we will always send one if available. The vast majority of the time, we are able to send a taxi immediately. If you’re booking a taxi to be at an event for a certain time, or need a 6, 7 or 8 seater vehicle, it is always advisable to pre-book to ensure we can get you a taxi on time during busy periods.

Q: How far in advance do I have to book my taxi to get to the airport or train station?

A: Naturally, it depends on where you’re travelling from, but we always advise that you plan to arrive at the Airport, station, ferry terminal etc. an hour before you need to be there. That way, if there are unforeseen problems such as slow-moving traffic, road closures, or other problems beyond our control, you should still be able to make your connection without issue. It’s your responsibility to ensure that your travel plan allows for every eventuality.

Q: Will you refund me if I miss my train, plane, dinner reservation, medical appointment, etc. as a result of my journey taking longer than expected/my taxi being late/any other reason?

A: Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee to get you to a specific location for any agreed time. We are occasionally subject to unavoidable circumstances such as bad weather, road closures, breakdowns, driver emergencies, and other issues that may result in delays to the service. Unforeseen problems beyond our control occasionally occur and we’re unable to take responsibility for customer commitments. Therefore it is vital that you always give yourself surplus time to arrive at any destination. We are always confident that if you pre-book a taxi, we will be on time in 99% of cases. However, in the event of any delays in picking you up or getting you to your destination, we cannot be held responsible for any other arrangements you have made for after the taxi journey. We’re not able to pay compensation or refund the cost of a journey under any circumstances so please make sure you book transport for time-sensitive commitments with ample extra time to accommodate unforeseen delays.

Q: I would like to provide some feedback to you – how do I commend a driver, or make a complaint about a journey or service?

A: Please use our online feedback form, we’d love to hear your feedback so we can keep improving our taxi service. Please provide full details of where your taxi was booked to and from, your name, vehicle details, and anything else that will help us identify your booking and we will get back to you within 24-48 working hours. Please note that we’re unable to handle feedback and complaints over the phone or in person. This is to ensure your issue is received and acted upon by the appropriate member of management, all such correspondence should be recorded in writing.

You can write to us at:

FAO Management
Phoenix Taxis
South Albion Retail Park
Albion Way,
Blyth, Northumberland
NE24 5BW

Or use our online contact form.

Please detail the nature of your issue and provide a telephone number for us to contact you on. We kindly ask you to not attempt to make complaints in person at our office, as we cannot guarantee availability of management on our premises on any given day or time.

Call taking staff in our office may not have access to the necessary information required to investigate any complaints or the means of actioning any rectifications to issues that you may have had. In the interest of dealing with any feedback as efficiently as possible, it’s necessary that you place it in writing and submit it by our online contact form or post.

Q: Why can’t I just get a set fare off my driver?

A: Drivers aren’t aware of the prices of journeys in advance and therefore fixed prices are only available if you request them from a call taker in our office. Our call takers use a digital pricing system that utilises GPS technology, providing you with a fair and accurate price beyond what a driver can offer from memory or experience. If you book a taxi and forget to request a set fare, please call the office (or ask the driver to contact us for you) at the beginning of your journey.

Q: Can I pay for my taxi by credit or debit card?

A: Yes! Our drivers are equipped with chip and PIN card readers with additional contactless capabilities. You can pay for any journey by card and get a receipt from the driver. Card payments are an easy and secure transaction in which we don’t receive any of your card details. Alternatively, you can use our secure online booking form to get a price and pay for your journey by card in advance without having to speak to an operator. If you need to book a journey on behalf of somebody else and wish to pay by card in advance, please make this request when booking and payment will be taken over the phone.