New Operation and Opportunities in Denver

If you didn't notice it in the Westword article posted on April 24, the word is officially out... After managing the day-to-day operations for two and a half years, Teri and Greg have parted ways with Mile High Pedicabs. The separation wasn't pretty, but it was inevitable.

That's right. We're happy and free and launching our own elite fleet of cabs in Denver: Colorado Rickshaw Company. We waited to announce this on the blog until the paperwork (insurance, license, etc.) was completed. We're now rocking and rolling on the streets of Denver and nearby neighborhoods.

We've wanted to expand our business, but the constraints of our relationship with Mile High kept us from moving forward in the direction we wanted. With encouragement and support from operators, drivers and other associates, we're now pedalling our own rickshaw on our own trail.

Thanks to everyone who listened to and advised us. You know who you are.

Compared to our previous management, our initial fleet is fairly small; just 5 pedal cabs. But we have the experience and resources to grow when and how we choose. We've realized that bigger isn't always better. Greg is happy to have the time and energy to be out on the street as a driver again, since that's what he loved in the first place!

Colorado Rickshaw will provide rickshaws for special events, weddings, and tours in addition to transporting passengers at sporting events and around the downtown area. Our focus is on superior customer service, professional business practices, and continuing to support and promote the rickshaw industry.

We established City Cycle Logic (City Cycle Lodging in the Westword article) when we moved into our new facilities last year. Manging over 20 cabs and over 50 drivers never allowed us time to fully develop the concept. In additional to rickshaws, CCL will house green businesses and organizations in a central hub in downtown Denver.

We've formed our own pedal media company: Smart Ads Media. We're selling advertising on rickshaws and arranging events not only in Denver but in cities across North America. If you need help getting advertising on your cabs, or if you're interested in placing your brand on pedicabs, please contact us.

We will continue to provide training and consulting to new and existing operators through Big Tree Pedicab Management and Pedicab University. In fact, you will likely see more in this area of our repertoire.

Things have been pretty hectic over the past few weeks, but progress is being made. We'll keep you informed as we continue to press forward.

Do you (pretend to) care?

I read this post this evening and it got me thinking about how caring and not caring relates to pedicab drivers. (Hmmm... for some reason, most of what I read makes me think of some aspect of pedicabs.)

Does caring make a difference in the number of rides, size of tips, or just plain enjoyment of the streets if you care, or at least pretend to care?

And what exactly do you care about? The people on the street? The safety of your passengers? The experience of riding? Or your take at the end of the shift?

And, as Seth Godin suggests in this post, does pretending to care lead to actually caring? Does it make a difference?

Pretending that you care
Seth Godin 4/27/08

I spent part of the day in New York yesterday.

First stop, an expensive sporting goods store that prides itself on service. I bought some skates, paid and then asked the security guy (the one with all the shelves behind his desk, where people check stuff they bring in) if I could leave my stuff there for ten minutes while I ran an errand.

"No, I'm really really sorry," he said, "but we can't take responsibility and I'll get in big trouble if I do. I know it's a hassle for you..."

I left and did my errand. A little later, on my way back to the car, I had one last street to cross. Suddenly, a motorcade of 20 police cars, sirens roaring, whizzed by, blocking the crosswalk and making me miss the light (if anyone knows why NY City cops are suddenly doing this a lot, please let me know. Where are they going? Why? If it's an emergency, why don't they go faster?).

As I waited for the cops to go by, I watched a meter guy walk up to my car and slowly start to write me a parking ticket. I was being penalized for being a good citizen and waiting for the endless motorcade!

I ran up and begged.

He turned to me and said, "I'm so sorry. I know what a hassle it is, but once I press this yellow button here, I have to finish. But I bet if you go to court and complain, they'll waive it." Then he reached into his pocket and handed me a lollipop. "Thanks for coming to New York, and I'm sorry."

Except this story isn't true.

The guy at the sporting goods store just grunted at me. Explained it wasn't his job and just dared me to return the skates I had just bought. And the meter guy didn't even bother to acknowledge me or make eye contact.

No, you can't always hire exceptional people for these jobs. No, you can't always invest enough time to train them sufficiently. But yes, you can make, "pretending you care," a barely acceptable alternative.

It doesn't take much to take the edge off an encounter.

[Boy does this sound cynical. How inauthentic! How manipulative! Isn't it better to just hire people who actually care? Of course it is. But as far as I can tell, that's a lot harder than it looks--because so many organizations are organized around policies, not caring, and because so many employees have been trained not to care.

So, the essence of the lesson here is this: if people start out pretending to care, next
thing you know, they actually do care. They like the positive feedback and they like the way being kind makes them feel. It spreads. It sticks.]

For operators, how much do you care? How hard is it to find drivers who actually care? How can you tell? Do you bother to screen for drivers who care, and if so, how do you do it?

Love to have you with us in Raleigh

To anyone who is considering starting a pedicab business, or who wants to take an existing business to the next level:

I would strongly suggest that you attend this seminar. You are really going to need the fundamental information in the seminar to have a chance at a successful business.

I am in no way profiting at all from this seminar. My benefit is having successful Pedicab company owners representing the industry at a level which will advance us all to the next level, while shedding the misconceptions this business has acquired due to lack of leadership and consistency in owners.

This seminar, the only one of its kind, is for the first time going to be on the east coast and better yet, in Raleigh. I traveled to Denver, where it is normally held, to attend and it was worth the stretch in budget to do so. I credit the knowledge I gained to not just my company's success, but my company's overwhelming success.

The cost of it is peanuts compared to this risk of the overall investment to your company. It's worth spending your money on fewer cabs and getting quality training. Then buy more cabs and build your fleet as your business grows.

Check out the latest Raleigh Rickshaw media coverage in the Raleigh Downtowner. We are blazing a path to the gold Standard of Rickshaw/ Pedicab Companies and would love to have you with us !!!!!!!!!!

Donald Mertrud
Owner
Raleigh Rickshaw

Q: Owners and Operators, what is your biggest challenge?

Every pedicab operation is different. However, they all have things in common: drivers, rent, insurance, regulations, maintenance, seasonal changes, cash flow, storage, advertising, etc.

In your experience, what is the biggest challenge facing your business? How have you tried to overcome this challenge, and how has it worked? How can others reading the blog help you?

This question is mainly for owners and operators, although anyone is welcome to answer.

Discounted pricing extended!

We've extended the discounted price on the Pedicab Operators Weekend through the weekend. Register by the end of the day Monday, March 3, and SAVE!

Which are you?

In his blog, Seth Godin asks the important question: "Which are you?" It's much better to be a "the" than an "a". Are you A pedicab company or THE pedicab company? Are you A pedicab driver or THE pedicab driver? Wherever you are and whatever your profession, strive to be THE, not A.