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Old 04-04-2010, 08:39 AM
 
Location: Andersonville, Chicago
188 posts, read 595,065 times
Reputation: 95

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I also hate the "card broken/threaten to not pay/retraction" dance, to the point that I've avoided taxis if I didn't have cash. I've discovered something that helps appease them. If you have enough cash to cover the tip but not the fare, I hand them my CC and say "I'll tip you with cash." They don't seem to have too much of a problem with that.

Not that I should have to bother with such stupid strategies not to **** off a cab driver, but...
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Old 04-06-2010, 01:54 PM
 
Location: International Spacestation
5,185 posts, read 7,374,630 times
Reputation: 1415
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drover View Post
The issue is not that I don't understand why they don't like taking credit cards. The issue is, I don't care. First, it does not cost 10% to process a credit card transaction. I've managed merchant accounts and I used to be in the credit card industry so I know what the fee structure is like. Second, taking credit cards is a cost of doing business these days -- a cost most merchants are willing to pay because it increases their business volume and for those who don't use ancient machines is often quicker to process than cash. Third, cabbies are given special protection from competition in this city (and most others). In exchange for this protection, they have to abide by certain rules, one of which is you take credit cards. If you want the king's protection, then you pay the king his due and you follow the king's rules. Is that basically another way of saying "get a better (or different) job"? Yeah, it is. And it's perfectly reasonable.

And as for tipping, the surest way to get a crappy tip from me is to play the "my machine is broken" game or to act like you're doing me a favor by taking credit cards like you're supposed to.
of course you dont care, I dont care either lol, I respect self centered folks. Im pretty self centered myself. Just sharing the process.
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Old 04-06-2010, 02:15 PM
 
Location: International Spacestation
5,185 posts, read 7,374,630 times
Reputation: 1415
Quote:
Originally Posted by JustinHaugens View Post
About the 10% thing Metro mentioned, I think he's possibly talking about who he works for taking 10%.

Who knows, but this credit card bit is only going to get cheaper for the driver if they stop fighting it. If it's accepted more, then companies fight the system and say we'll let people use it more if we make more money from the service we provide.

Do you think all these fast food joints started allowing credit cards because it was convenient to you? Only because they were able to bargain a cheaper transaction fee in the long run.
You are correct, I cant speak for every agency, some lost 5% some 7% some 10%....Im no longer a driver so Im not sure how the system is now. Hey sometimes when I go in a corner store they wont let me buy anything with my debit card if I dont spend 10bux. Its their rule I dont get all pissy and cry about it. I just respect the game and adapt. Its comical how regular people cry when things dont go there way, I can honestly say I never had an issue with the doctor/lawyer/executive types and credit cards, but the Op attitude came from the waiter, retail, customer service types. Nothing wrong with either type of occupation/profession. Its just the entitled attitude comes from non accomplished people. Interesting.
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Old 04-06-2010, 03:05 PM
 
8,279 posts, read 11,598,714 times
Reputation: 10074
Maybe I'm just a dinosaur, but if I take cabs, I just pay in cash.

It's pretty annoying to stand behind someone in a grocery store who insists on paying a bill of $8.63 with a credit card...my God, take a 10-dollar bill out of your wallet/purse, and get on with it.........
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Old 04-06-2010, 03:36 PM
 
Location: Chicago: Beverly, Woodlawn
1,966 posts, read 5,963,493 times
Reputation: 703
Quote:
Originally Posted by MassVt View Post
Maybe I'm just a dinosaur, but if I take cabs, I just pay in cash.

It's pretty annoying to stand behind someone in a grocery store who insists on paying a bill of $8.63 with a credit card...my God, take a 10-dollar bill out of your wallet/purse, and get on with it.........
Cabs are often a business expense that needs to go on the corporate card. If the policy states that credit cards are always accepted, a good professional will smile and accept the card graciously (even if they are cringing inside). To me, anyone else is an *******. Their reasons are irrelevant. After all, as far as the driver knows my problems are worse and I deserve a free ride.

That said, being the sensitive type, as long as they accept the card with a smile, I always make up for it with a very fat tip. If they grumble, no tip.
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Old 04-06-2010, 03:45 PM
 
11,973 posts, read 31,191,808 times
Reputation: 4632
Quote:
Originally Posted by MassVt View Post
Maybe I'm just a dinosaur, but if I take cabs, I just pay in cash.

It's pretty annoying to stand behind someone in a grocery store who insists on paying a bill of $8.63 with a credit card...my God, take a 10-dollar bill out of your wallet/purse, and get on with it.........
This is pretty common these days. I certainly do it. People just don't carry cash anymore. It's rare for me to have more than twenty or thirty dollars in my wallet, and not rare at all for me to have only two or three dollars.

But if I'm working late and know I may have to take a cab home from the office late at night, I make sure to hit an ATM earlier in the day. I just can't stand the inconsistency of the credit card machines in cabs. If it's going to be mandatory, enforce it!
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Old 04-06-2010, 09:02 PM
 
Location: Chicago
38,706 posts, read 101,199,471 times
Reputation: 29941
Quote:
Originally Posted by MassVt View Post
Maybe I'm just a dinosaur, but if I take cabs, I just pay in cash.

It's pretty annoying to stand behind someone in a grocery store who insists on paying a bill of $8.63 with a credit card...my God, take a 10-dollar bill out of your wallet/purse, and get on with it.........
I don't carry cash and I'm not about to start. This is the 21st Century -- this isn't the 1990s where a credit card machine has to pick up the phone, dial the payment processing center's computer, wait for its modem to answer the phone, send a series of beeps and clicks, and then wait for the credit card computer to send back its own series of beeps and clicks at its own leisure. The payment processing network is now fast enough that paying with a debit or credit card at any retailer with updated equipment should be just as fast or faster than paying with cash.

Last edited by Drover; 04-06-2010 at 10:05 PM.. Reason: forgot a word (d'oh!)
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Old 04-06-2010, 09:58 PM
 
11,973 posts, read 31,191,808 times
Reputation: 4632
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drover View Post
The payment processing network is now fast enough that paying with a debit or credit card at any retailer with updated equipment should be just as fast or faster than paying with cash.
I think it's actually faster, since it eliminates the need to open the cash register to make change. And it also eliminates people fishing around for correct change.

Now check writing is another story...
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Old 04-07-2010, 02:14 AM
 
5 posts, read 19,659 times
Reputation: 13
If cabbies have to take credit cards then they should also charge the customer a surcharge. Only fair I think. The cc companies charge anywhere between 3-6 percent per transaction, and then of course, you have to pay for the use of the machine, blah, blah. People have become so lazy nowadays. Everything is about convenience, so one should pay for those 'conveniences'
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Old 04-07-2010, 02:18 AM
 
Location: Chicago
38,706 posts, read 101,199,471 times
Reputation: 29941
If you want to pay a surcharge for something that every other industry considers part of the normal CODB, you can be my guest. I'm not gonna.
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