THE £500 CUSTOMER
WHY ONE AIRPORT TRANSFER COULD BE WORTH MORE THAN YOU THINK
Article by Phil Holloway Marketing Director Hollogram Ltd
www.hollogram.com
When a customer books a £50 airport transfer, how much is that customer actually worth to your taxi business? £50? I would argue that you should be thinking much bigger.
One of the most important things I talk about in marketing is customer lifetime value. Instead of looking at the value of one booking, look at what that customer could spend with your business over the next few years.
Take an airport customer as an example. They book your taxi to take them to the airport. If you provide a great service, there’s a very good chance they’ll book you for the return journey too. That one customer has already potentially doubled in value.
Then six months later they book another holiday. Next year they go away twice. Perhaps they also start using you for nights out, railway station journeys, business trips or family events.
Suddenly, that original airport booking could have developed into £500 or more of business. And it doesn’t end there.
If they’ve had a great experience, they might recommend you to friends, relatives and work colleagues. One happy airport customer could therefore generate several additional customers. This is why retaining customers should be every bit as important as attracting new ones.
The first step is providing a brilliant experience.
Make booking easy. Confirm the journey. Turn up on time. Make sure the vehicle is clean. Help with luggage. Be friendly and professional. If you’re collecting them from the airport, monitor the flight and make the collection as stress-free as possible.
These things sound obvious, but they’re all part of your marketing.
54
Marketing isn’t just Facebook posts and advertising. It’s every interaction somebody has with your brand.
The next step is making sure they remember you.
After the journey, why not send a simple message thanking them for travelling with you? Encourage them to download your app. Ask them to leave a Google review. With the appropriate marketing permissions, keep in touch with occasional offers, competitions or useful local information.
Most importantly, give them a reason to book again.
If someone travelled to the airport with you this summer, there’s a reasonable chance they’ll travel again. Your objective should be to make sure that when they start planning their next holiday, your taxi company is the first one they think of.
There’s another important opportunity here too: the return journey. When someone books an outbound airport transfer, don’t automatically assume they’ve organised their transport home. Ask the question:
“Would you like us to book your return airport collection at the same time?”
One simple question could double the value of that booking immediately.
Taxi companies spend significant amounts of money trying to attract new customers through Google, social media, leaflets, sponsorship and advertising. That’s important, but don’t forget about the customers you’ve already won.
A customer who already knows you, trusts you and has experienced good service is much easier to convert than somebody who has never used your company before.
So next time a £50 airport booking appears on your system, don’t just see £50. See the beginning of a customer relationship that could ultimately be worth £500, £1,000 or potentially even more.
Win the booking. Deliver a great experience. Then work hard to keep the customer.
That’s where the real value is. OCTOBER 2026 PHTM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
