Black & White Cabs: Frustrating Fares and Unreliable Taxi Service

A Mixed Bag of Experiences: The Good, the Bad, and the Downright Shocking

Black & White Cabs, operating out of Belmont, Western Australia, currently holds a low rating of 2.2 based on customer feedback. While some encounters have been positive, a significant portion of reviews paint a picture of inflated fares, unreliable service, and concerning driver behaviour. It's clear there's a distinct divide in customer opinion regarding this taxi service, and understanding this requires a deep dive into the reported experiences.

One bright spot consistently emerges: the kindness of certain drivers. Several customers specifically praise individual drivers (though often forgetting names or taxi numbers), highlighting their friendliness and ensuring safe journeys, particularly for vulnerable travellers. One customer travelling solo after her husband couldn’t pick her up from Perth Airport appreciated the "nice and friendly" driver who safely delivered her home – a reassuring experience amidst an otherwise stressful situation. This positive feedback suggests the effectiveness of individual driver training and the importance of employee selection. However, this positive aspect is frequently overshadowed by the numerous criticisms surrounding pricing and operational efficiency.

Price Gouging and Questionable Practices: A Recurring Complaint

The most pervasive and distressing theme in customer reviews centres around exorbitant and often inexplicable fares. Multiple accounts detail drivers taking advantage of passengers, particularly those unfamiliar with Perth or unable to fully communicate. Examples include:

• Airport Transfers: The significant disparity between Uber quotes and Black & White Cab fares for airport transfers is a recurring issue. One business traveller was quoted $35 for an Uber, only to be charged $78 by a Black & White Cab, followed by a further $10 attempt to solicit a tip. Hotels in Perth have reportedly received numerous complaints about fares exceeding $80 for the airport run.
• Targeting Vulnerable Passengers: A particularly alarming incident involved a female traveller being targeted late at night. A driver allegedly attempted to inflate the fare by $10, refused to show identification when requested, and demonstrated argumentative behaviour. The clear power imbalance—a lone female, late at night, with luggage—raises serious concerns about driver integrity and the company's oversight.
• Inflated Fares & Lack of Explanation: Another harrowing experience involved a customer's mother, who doesn't speak English fluently, being charged an outrageous $105 for a short taxi ride. This highlights a potential lack of oversight regarding fair pricing and the exploitation of language barriers.
• Unjustified Waiting Time Charges: One customer reported the driver stopping for 20 minutes, ostensibly for "refreshments," while en route to Northam, resulting in a two-hour trip instead of the estimated 1 hour and 15 minutes, with the extended waiting time being passed onto the customer.

These incidents suggest a lack of fare transparency, inconsistent meter practices, and a potential lack of driver accountability in adhering to fair pricing policies.

Unreliability and Broken Promises: Missed Flights and Abandoned Passengers

Beyond the issue of pricing, Black & White Cabs faces serious accusations of unreliability. Several customers have experienced significant disruptions due to no-shows or late arrivals, resulting in missed flights and considerable distress.

• Wheelchair Taxi Failures: A particularly poignant case involves a disability pensioner who booked a wheelchair-accessible taxi two days in advance but was left stranded when the driver didn’t show up. Subsequent phone calls to customer service yielded empty promises and frustrating delays in resolving the issue, with a refund taking nearly two weeks to process. This severely impacts individuals with disabilities, who often have limited transportation options.
• Advance Bookings Ignored: The same pattern of failed advance bookings applies to standard maxi taxis. One customer booked a taxi a week in advance for an airport transfer and was simply left without transport, forcing them to arrange last-minute Ubers and arrive late to the airport. This isn't an isolated incident, suggesting systemic issues with dispatch and booking management.
• Customer Service Inability to Resolve Issues: Many reviews describe an ineffective and frustrating customer service experience. Customers repeatedly report repeated calls, being passed from one person to another, and receiving conflicting information with no resolution provided. Supervisor’s promises to call back are routinely unfulfilled.

These consistent failures highlight a critical breakdown in operational efficiency and a failure to prioritize customer commitments.

A Need for Reform: Accountability, Transparency, and Driver Training

The overwhelming negativity in customer reviews regarding Black & White Cabs underscores a need for urgent reform. Addressing these issues requires a multi-faceted approach:

• Fare Transparency and Regulation: Implementing clear, publicly accessible fare guidelines, strict meter regulations, and more rigorous oversight to prevent price gouging is paramount.
• Driver Screening and Training: Extensive background checks, enhanced training in customer service and ethical practices, and ongoing performance evaluations are crucial to ensuring driver integrity. Emphasis on sensitivity towards vulnerable passengers is required.
• Improved Booking System and Dispatch: Overhauling the booking system to guarantee service reliability, reducing reliance on manual dispatch, and implementing better communication channels to proactively inform customers of delays or cancellations are essential.
• Customer Service Accountability: Empowering customer service representatives to resolve issues efficiently, holding them accountable for fulfilling promises, and investing in improved training to handle complaints effectively is necessary.
• Disability Services: A dedicated focus ensuring reliability and fairness for those relying on wheelchair-accessible services is vital. Proactive communication and immediate resolution of booking errors are critical.

Ultimately, Black & White Cabs needs to demonstrate a genuine commitment to customer satisfaction and operational excellence to rebuild trust and rectify the issues highlighted in these reviews. Failing to do so risks further damaging its reputation and driving customers to alternative transportation options.