June 23, 2025 • 12 mins
Olivia Barry, Chief Operating Officer for 13 Cabs, and Anna Tyon, Head of Passenger Experience, shares news with Peter Greco about their latest updates. This includes a better training system for drivers dealing with complaints, as well as a streamlined way to access a cab if you have an assistance animal.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:05):
Late last year, we caught up with one three cabs
and found out about their apps and the fact that
they were making catching a cab a little bit more
accessible and more friendly for people who might be blind
or have low vision. Assistance dogs. There's new news out.
Let's chat about it with Chief operating officer Olivia Barry live.
Good to catch up with you again.
S2 (00:22):
Thanks for having us. Peter.
S1 (00:24):
And Hannah joins us as well. Lovely to meet you.
And thank you for your time.
S3 (00:27):
Thank you. Peter. Happy to be here.
S1 (00:29):
Now tell us about some changes that have taken place.
So you've kind of gone above and beyond as far
as this time goes. You've improved your app this time around.
S2 (00:37):
So, Peter, this time we've really taken a more holistic approach,
I think, and making our drivers more accountable through the
use of better technology, better dispatching technology. And Anna, who
can take you through what's happening in her call center.
She runs all our call centers around the country, has
more eyes if you like, on these jobs. So we're
(01:00):
watching them as they move from being made as a
booking into a car to do more to ensure they're
picked up. And if they're not picked up, then we
are following through very quickly with that driver to ensure
they are reprimanded.
S1 (01:16):
And then if we go back one step, you've actually
also improved your training of drivers to make them a
more aware and then be kind of having to answer
some questions before kind of giving the all clear.
S3 (01:26):
That's true. We now have a dedicated training module in
our driver induction training. And we're also preparing training refreshers
drivers who have been with us for a long time
as well. There's dedicated training module educators, drivers on the
importance and the necessity of assistance animals, how well they're trained,
and also the importance of servicing guide dog owners and
(01:49):
assistance dog owners. Yes. At the end of that training module,
there is a compulsory set of questions that that drivers
must answer.
S1 (01:56):
Otherwise they don't get through.
S3 (01:58):
Otherwise they don't get through.
S1 (01:59):
Yeah. Well, also they're made aware of their legal rights
or their legal responsibilities too.
S3 (02:04):
That's right. Yes. All of that is a part of
the training module, which is also focusing on the language
that we use for drivers. We focus on real world
scenarios and situations to make sure that we alleviate any
and all concerns that drivers must have. We also cover
things like allergies and religious reasons, which are not considered
(02:25):
as good excuses or good reasons to refuse service.
S1 (02:29):
Well, tell us a bit about what happens at the
call center then, because those at the call center also
get information about the client and maybe what is or
isn't happening.
S3 (02:37):
Yeah, absolutely. So in the contact center, it all starts
with a call. And we have an automated IVR system
which responds to all calls first. This system recognizes if
a caller mentions an assistance dog and it will treat
the call accordingly. It means that such a booking will
receive greater priority in our dispatch system, and different rules
(02:58):
will apply to it automatically. If the caller gets to
a human operator or operators are trained to assist people
who are owners of assistance animals, and as such, the
human Contact center agent will also prioritize such bookings. Another
part of it is when the booking reaches our dispatch system.
There is a human dispatcher who monitors all jobs that
(03:21):
have not been fulfilled or not been matched with a car.
So all these dispatchers are trained to treat trips with
assistance animals as top priority.
S1 (03:30):
So Olivia, this is kind of Australia wide. And is
this actually happening now or about to happen?
S2 (03:35):
No, this is in play and it's national for all
of our bookings. And whether it's coming through the app
or the web or a phone call, and the passenger
offers the information to us, they are travelling with a
guide dog or an assistance dog. Then the way Anna's
described how the booking will be treated, that's how it
will happen all across the country.
S1 (03:57):
I know it's only been in a short time, but
any idea of how it's been received from both parties,
both the drivers and of course the clients.
S3 (04:03):
Well, through the nature of our business, it's very rare
that a passenger will come back and tell us how
great of a job we're doing. We are looking at
the completion rates and they are going up. It is
too early to share these numbers, but we are seeing
an uplift already.
S1 (04:18):
Fantastic lift. Why is this happened? I mean, we spoke
to you late last year and I think, you know,
fair to say that there'd been a fair bit of
angst and dissatisfaction about some of the services that people
who might have assisted dogs were getting. Why is this happened,
particularly this latest update?
S2 (04:33):
We just needed to really draw a line in the sand, Peter,
around the zero tolerance space for drivers refusing these trips.
So we had to upgrade some of the technology in
order to fulfill our obligation with informing drivers. So we've
done that. And you know, as I mean, both Anna
(04:53):
and I are big advocates of making sure that the
business is supporting every person who wants to travel and
chooses a taxi so that they can travel with dignity.
And I guess, yeah, we've done a lot of work
in the past, but we really hadn't implemented all the
elements we needed to be able to ensure we were
in the situation where we can just literally say to
(05:15):
a driver, well, you've done the wrong thing and you're gone.
That's it. And we're there now, and that feels good.
S1 (05:20):
Have you had much response from the drivers, either of you?
S2 (05:23):
I think look, good drivers love any action we take
to ensure a better quality of service. The great drivers
in our business, they applaud this kind of rule setting.
And you know, we hope that the ones that aren't
doing the right thing now have all the tools they
need to do the right thing and make better choices.
S1 (05:42):
So once we come to Australia wide, I believe. So
in terms of the training that is kind of standardized
as well through the different states and the training they
go through.
S2 (05:52):
Yeah. That's right Peter. So all our driver training is
delivered nationally. And a lot of the basis for, you know,
the original training we've done, we've done that with guide
dogs to make sure we have best practice at the
heart of the way we're training drivers in terms of
dealing with these passengers and the way they handle their
assistance dogs or their guide dogs. And that's still at
(06:14):
the core of of the message we're trying to get across.
S1 (06:17):
Well, how important is that? Because I guess it's all
well and good for people like yourselves who've got the
best of intentions, obviously, but you can't be expected to
know everything or the right way, or what people prefer
or don't prefer. I guess apart from customer feedback, but
you've gone out and consulted with people that are working
in the area, people with lived experience.
S2 (06:35):
That's right. So we've been consulting with Guide Dogs New
South Wales and Jennifer Moon for a long time. She's
been advising us over the years of that best practice,
and that could include the way a driver opens the
door for these passengers or, you know, does not try
and put the seatbelt on and things like that where
the dog should sit. But equally, Anna's been doing some
(06:58):
amazing work with a taxi working group that has people
coming to that, who have that lived experience and can
give us the very valuable feedback. So she can talk
about that.
S3 (07:09):
Yes, we've conducted several consultation groups with people who are
themselves assistance dog owners. We've also worked with Denman as live,
as mentioned, and also Assistance Dogs Australia have been quite
helpful in creating that training module that we discussed earlier
for our drivers what to do, what not to do,
what does good customer service looks like?
S1 (07:31):
Both of you. Just to clarify. So obviously if people
use the app, this kind of information is punched in,
if I can put it that way. Some people do
choose to ring for a cab. That's also going to
be accepting that kind of information or that'll be part
of the process as well.
S3 (07:46):
Yes, all that we ask is that the person calling
tells us that they're traveling with an assistance animal. This
is the only way for us to know that this
trip requires special attention. I wish we lived in a
world where we didn't need to know, and it would
just happen all by itself. However, we are here to
ensure accountability, and for that, we need to know that
(08:06):
you're travelling with an assistance animal. If you tell us,
we'll be able to do all of these things that
we mentioned before.
S1 (08:13):
Sometimes there's kind of a prior record of I called from,
you know, number one, the King William Street, Adelaide, if
I could put it that way. And, uh, it's then
registered the fact that I had an assistance animal, is
that kind of also the case in this situation, or
every time I ring, regardless of if I'm at the
same address, I still have to mention it.
S3 (08:31):
It is up to you. So if you're talking to
a person, you can ask them, can you put this
onto my profile? The easiest way, however, to do that
is of course to do it in the app. There
is one toggle. You move it once, and then all
of the trips that you book with us from that
moment on will be marked as a trip with an
assistance dog.
S1 (08:49):
What about the app then? Has work gone into making
sure that's accessible as well? Some people are really clever
with technology. Others are perhaps not quite as good like me.
Hand up for sure. So is the app reasonably intuitive
and accessible? Have you gone through the processes there to
make it accessible as well?
S2 (09:05):
We have Peter, and we know that the feedback we
have received about the app is that it works very
well with voice recognition, and I think it is really
the choice for a lot of people who are vision
impaired or blind, because it does work very well on
phones that are responsive in that way.
S1 (09:22):
Without wishing to get too much off the topic, so
would it be fair to say that a bit of
AI has been used or AI Air has been beneficial
in kind of making this better than it might have been, say,
5 or 10 years ago.
S2 (09:33):
Uh, I think we're taking the right steps with AI
as we introduce that into the business. And I think,
you know, you could say that some of the call
center is is using AI, and the app uses it
in terms of dispatching cars. But really that part of
it where it interacts on voice is about functionality and
making sure that it isn't too complex in that it's
(09:54):
not overwhelmed with information to communicate.
S1 (09:57):
And if things don't go the way I'd like. Uh,
what about in terms of complaints? I believe there's maybe
a better way for you as a contact center to
handle complaints. Or have complaints registered?
S3 (10:08):
Yes. So anyone can lodge a complaint with one three
cups through various channels. You can do this on our website, Cosmo.
You can also call our main number and the person
will instruct you to lodge a complaint. You can also
lodge a complaint directly from the app. There is a
point in the menu where you can lodge a complaint
(10:28):
right there. And lastly, you can send us an email to.
The email address is available on our website as well.
So various ways of submitting a complaint. We also have
a phone line that's dedicated to complaints. It has limited
times throughout the week, but that's a dedicated line for
specifically for complaints where trained staff will be able to
(10:50):
respond to you right then and there.
S1 (10:52):
What happens if I haven't had a good experience and
I complain? Does that kind of always get a bit
of priority in terms of the attention?
S3 (10:58):
That's an excellent question. So all of our complaints are
responded within 48 business hours. When I say responded, it
means that a human being will review your complaint and
will attempt to resolve it. So that happens within 48
business hours. At the same time, any complaints mentioning assistance
animals or guide dogs or any other terms on the
(11:19):
same topic? These complaints get auto prioritized. It means that
they will be treated and responded much faster.
S1 (11:26):
Well, it sounds like a very positive move. I think
I spoke to you about six months ago live. So
maybe in six months time if we catch up again
and see how it's all going, because these things sometimes
take a bit of time to roll out and I
guess to kind of flow through to everyone that's using
it to to get a bit of an idea of that,
the changes and the benefits. So we might have to
re-engage again in six months time or something like that.
S2 (11:46):
That's great, Peter. And look, I think coming on your
radio show and being able to reach the audience that
this is applicable for is really important to us because
we're making the changes. Really, we want to be able
to be very pragmatic with them and have better results
for the passengers who need better results and can travel,
you know, and feel very respected when they do that
(12:08):
every time. And that's our goal. And so we absolutely
welcome the feedback, and we thank you for helping get
our message out there.
S1 (12:15):
We appreciate you speaking to us. That's attitude. Who's in
charge of the contact centre at one three Cabs and
also their chief operating officer live Barry. And a new,
updated and better way to contact and also to communicate
with their clients. So if you use one three cabs
check it out, tell us what you think and get
in touch with them. If you're not happy and get
in touch with us if you are happy so we
(12:35):
can let the world know.
Late last year, we caught up with one three cabs
and found out about their apps and the fact that
they were making catching a cab a little bit more
accessible and more friendly for people who might be blind
or have low vision. Assistance dogs. There's new news out.
Let's chat about it with Chief operating officer Olivia Barry live.
Good to catch up with you again.
S2 (00:22):
Thanks for having us. Peter.
S1 (00:24):
And Hannah joins us as well. Lovely to meet you.
And thank you for your time.
S3 (00:27):
Thank you. Peter. Happy to be here.
S1 (00:29):
Now tell us about some changes that have taken place.
So you've kind of gone above and beyond as far
as this time goes. You've improved your app this time around.
S2 (00:37):
So, Peter, this time we've really taken a more holistic approach,
I think, and making our drivers more accountable through the
use of better technology, better dispatching technology. And Anna, who
can take you through what's happening in her call center.
She runs all our call centers around the country, has
more eyes if you like, on these jobs. So we're
(01:00):
watching them as they move from being made as a
booking into a car to do more to ensure they're
picked up. And if they're not picked up, then we
are following through very quickly with that driver to ensure
they are reprimanded.
S1 (01:16):
And then if we go back one step, you've actually
also improved your training of drivers to make them a
more aware and then be kind of having to answer
some questions before kind of giving the all clear.
S3 (01:26):
That's true. We now have a dedicated training module in
our driver induction training. And we're also preparing training refreshers
drivers who have been with us for a long time
as well. There's dedicated training module educators, drivers on the
importance and the necessity of assistance animals, how well they're trained,
and also the importance of servicing guide dog owners and
(01:49):
assistance dog owners. Yes. At the end of that training module,
there is a compulsory set of questions that that drivers
must answer.
S1 (01:56):
Otherwise they don't get through.
S3 (01:58):
Otherwise they don't get through.
S1 (01:59):
Yeah. Well, also they're made aware of their legal rights
or their legal responsibilities too.
S3 (02:04):
That's right. Yes. All of that is a part of
the training module, which is also focusing on the language
that we use for drivers. We focus on real world
scenarios and situations to make sure that we alleviate any
and all concerns that drivers must have. We also cover
things like allergies and religious reasons, which are not considered
(02:25):
as good excuses or good reasons to refuse service.
S1 (02:29):
Well, tell us a bit about what happens at the
call center then, because those at the call center also
get information about the client and maybe what is or
isn't happening.
S3 (02:37):
Yeah, absolutely. So in the contact center, it all starts
with a call. And we have an automated IVR system
which responds to all calls first. This system recognizes if
a caller mentions an assistance dog and it will treat
the call accordingly. It means that such a booking will
receive greater priority in our dispatch system, and different rules
(02:58):
will apply to it automatically. If the caller gets to
a human operator or operators are trained to assist people
who are owners of assistance animals, and as such, the
human Contact center agent will also prioritize such bookings. Another
part of it is when the booking reaches our dispatch system.
There is a human dispatcher who monitors all jobs that
(03:21):
have not been fulfilled or not been matched with a car.
So all these dispatchers are trained to treat trips with
assistance animals as top priority.
S1 (03:30):
So Olivia, this is kind of Australia wide. And is
this actually happening now or about to happen?
S2 (03:35):
No, this is in play and it's national for all
of our bookings. And whether it's coming through the app
or the web or a phone call, and the passenger
offers the information to us, they are travelling with a
guide dog or an assistance dog. Then the way Anna's
described how the booking will be treated, that's how it
will happen all across the country.
S1 (03:57):
I know it's only been in a short time, but
any idea of how it's been received from both parties,
both the drivers and of course the clients.
S3 (04:03):
Well, through the nature of our business, it's very rare
that a passenger will come back and tell us how
great of a job we're doing. We are looking at
the completion rates and they are going up. It is
too early to share these numbers, but we are seeing
an uplift already.
S1 (04:18):
Fantastic lift. Why is this happened? I mean, we spoke
to you late last year and I think, you know,
fair to say that there'd been a fair bit of
angst and dissatisfaction about some of the services that people
who might have assisted dogs were getting. Why is this happened,
particularly this latest update?
S2 (04:33):
We just needed to really draw a line in the sand, Peter,
around the zero tolerance space for drivers refusing these trips.
So we had to upgrade some of the technology in
order to fulfill our obligation with informing drivers. So we've
done that. And you know, as I mean, both Anna
(04:53):
and I are big advocates of making sure that the
business is supporting every person who wants to travel and
chooses a taxi so that they can travel with dignity.
And I guess, yeah, we've done a lot of work
in the past, but we really hadn't implemented all the
elements we needed to be able to ensure we were
in the situation where we can just literally say to
(05:15):
a driver, well, you've done the wrong thing and you're gone.
That's it. And we're there now, and that feels good.
S1 (05:20):
Have you had much response from the drivers, either of you?
S2 (05:23):
I think look, good drivers love any action we take
to ensure a better quality of service. The great drivers
in our business, they applaud this kind of rule setting.
And you know, we hope that the ones that aren't
doing the right thing now have all the tools they
need to do the right thing and make better choices.
S1 (05:42):
So once we come to Australia wide, I believe. So
in terms of the training that is kind of standardized
as well through the different states and the training they
go through.
S2 (05:52):
Yeah. That's right Peter. So all our driver training is
delivered nationally. And a lot of the basis for, you know,
the original training we've done, we've done that with guide
dogs to make sure we have best practice at the
heart of the way we're training drivers in terms of
dealing with these passengers and the way they handle their
assistance dogs or their guide dogs. And that's still at
(06:14):
the core of of the message we're trying to get across.
S1 (06:17):
Well, how important is that? Because I guess it's all
well and good for people like yourselves who've got the
best of intentions, obviously, but you can't be expected to
know everything or the right way, or what people prefer
or don't prefer. I guess apart from customer feedback, but
you've gone out and consulted with people that are working
in the area, people with lived experience.
S2 (06:35):
That's right. So we've been consulting with Guide Dogs New
South Wales and Jennifer Moon for a long time. She's
been advising us over the years of that best practice,
and that could include the way a driver opens the
door for these passengers or, you know, does not try
and put the seatbelt on and things like that where
the dog should sit. But equally, Anna's been doing some
(06:58):
amazing work with a taxi working group that has people
coming to that, who have that lived experience and can
give us the very valuable feedback. So she can talk
about that.
S3 (07:09):
Yes, we've conducted several consultation groups with people who are
themselves assistance dog owners. We've also worked with Denman as live,
as mentioned, and also Assistance Dogs Australia have been quite
helpful in creating that training module that we discussed earlier
for our drivers what to do, what not to do,
what does good customer service looks like?
S1 (07:31):
Both of you. Just to clarify. So obviously if people
use the app, this kind of information is punched in,
if I can put it that way. Some people do
choose to ring for a cab. That's also going to
be accepting that kind of information or that'll be part
of the process as well.
S3 (07:46):
Yes, all that we ask is that the person calling
tells us that they're traveling with an assistance animal. This
is the only way for us to know that this
trip requires special attention. I wish we lived in a
world where we didn't need to know, and it would
just happen all by itself. However, we are here to
ensure accountability, and for that, we need to know that
(08:06):
you're travelling with an assistance animal. If you tell us,
we'll be able to do all of these things that
we mentioned before.
S1 (08:13):
Sometimes there's kind of a prior record of I called from,
you know, number one, the King William Street, Adelaide, if
I could put it that way. And, uh, it's then
registered the fact that I had an assistance animal, is
that kind of also the case in this situation, or
every time I ring, regardless of if I'm at the
same address, I still have to mention it.
S3 (08:31):
It is up to you. So if you're talking to
a person, you can ask them, can you put this
onto my profile? The easiest way, however, to do that
is of course to do it in the app. There
is one toggle. You move it once, and then all
of the trips that you book with us from that
moment on will be marked as a trip with an
assistance dog.
S1 (08:49):
What about the app then? Has work gone into making
sure that's accessible as well? Some people are really clever
with technology. Others are perhaps not quite as good like me.
Hand up for sure. So is the app reasonably intuitive
and accessible? Have you gone through the processes there to
make it accessible as well?
S2 (09:05):
We have Peter, and we know that the feedback we
have received about the app is that it works very
well with voice recognition, and I think it is really
the choice for a lot of people who are vision
impaired or blind, because it does work very well on
phones that are responsive in that way.
S1 (09:22):
Without wishing to get too much off the topic, so
would it be fair to say that a bit of
AI has been used or AI Air has been beneficial
in kind of making this better than it might have been, say,
5 or 10 years ago.
S2 (09:33):
Uh, I think we're taking the right steps with AI
as we introduce that into the business. And I think,
you know, you could say that some of the call
center is is using AI, and the app uses it
in terms of dispatching cars. But really that part of
it where it interacts on voice is about functionality and
making sure that it isn't too complex in that it's
(09:54):
not overwhelmed with information to communicate.
S1 (09:57):
And if things don't go the way I'd like. Uh,
what about in terms of complaints? I believe there's maybe
a better way for you as a contact center to
handle complaints. Or have complaints registered?
S3 (10:08):
Yes. So anyone can lodge a complaint with one three
cups through various channels. You can do this on our website, Cosmo.
You can also call our main number and the person
will instruct you to lodge a complaint. You can also
lodge a complaint directly from the app. There is a
point in the menu where you can lodge a complaint
(10:28):
right there. And lastly, you can send us an email to.
The email address is available on our website as well.
So various ways of submitting a complaint. We also have
a phone line that's dedicated to complaints. It has limited
times throughout the week, but that's a dedicated line for
specifically for complaints where trained staff will be able to
(10:50):
respond to you right then and there.
S1 (10:52):
What happens if I haven't had a good experience and
I complain? Does that kind of always get a bit
of priority in terms of the attention?
S3 (10:58):
That's an excellent question. So all of our complaints are
responded within 48 business hours. When I say responded, it
means that a human being will review your complaint and
will attempt to resolve it. So that happens within 48
business hours. At the same time, any complaints mentioning assistance
animals or guide dogs or any other terms on the
(11:19):
same topic? These complaints get auto prioritized. It means that
they will be treated and responded much faster.
S1 (11:26):
Well, it sounds like a very positive move. I think
I spoke to you about six months ago live. So
maybe in six months time if we catch up again
and see how it's all going, because these things sometimes
take a bit of time to roll out and I
guess to kind of flow through to everyone that's using
it to to get a bit of an idea of that,
the changes and the benefits. So we might have to
re-engage again in six months time or something like that.
S2 (11:46):
That's great, Peter. And look, I think coming on your
radio show and being able to reach the audience that
this is applicable for is really important to us because
we're making the changes. Really, we want to be able
to be very pragmatic with them and have better results
for the passengers who need better results and can travel,
you know, and feel very respected when they do that
(12:08):
every time. And that's our goal. And so we absolutely
welcome the feedback, and we thank you for helping get
our message out there.
S1 (12:15):
We appreciate you speaking to us. That's attitude. Who's in
charge of the contact centre at one three Cabs and
also their chief operating officer live Barry. And a new,
updated and better way to contact and also to communicate
with their clients. So if you use one three cabs
check it out, tell us what you think and get
in touch with them. If you're not happy and get
in touch with us if you are happy so we
(12:35):
can let the world know.
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.