Deliver More Value and Reap the Rewards.......

"I was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a taxi pulled up, the first thing I noticed was the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, tie, and freshly pressed slacks, the driver jumped out and opened the door for me.

Handing me a laminated card, he said, 'I'm Alex Reiger your driver. While I'm loading your bags, I'd like you to read my mission statement.'

Taken aback, I read the card. 'Alex's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest, and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.'

This blew me away. Especially when I noticed the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!

As he slid behind the wheel, Alex said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.'

I said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.'

Alex smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and diet Coke, Sprite, water, and orange juice.'

Almost stuttering, I said, 'I'll take a Sprite since I’ve never had one before.'

Handing me my drink, Alex said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have People, Better Homes & Garden or Travel + Leisure magazines, Reader’s Digest, and the Bible.'

As we were pulling away, Alex handed me another laminated card, 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.'

And as if that weren't enough, Alex told me he had the heater on and asked if the temperature was comfortable.

Then he advised me of the best route to my destination for that time of day. He also let me know he'd be happy to chat and tell me about some of the sights or, if I preferred, to leave me with my own thoughts.

'Tell me, Alex, have you always served customers like this?'

Alex smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always. It's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard about power of choice.'

'Power of choice is that you can be a duck or an eagle. If you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. Stop complaining! Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.'

'That hit me right,' said Alex. 'It's about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around. The other cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'

'I take it that has paid off for you,' I said.

'It sure has,' Alex replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income. This year, I'll probably quadruple it. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message.'

Alex made a different choice. I hope we all decide to soar like an eagle and not quack like a duck."

Alex Reiger ~ TAXI ~ Names were changed to protect the innocent.