Complaints About Rudeness Decrease by 15.4% Year-on-Year
Self-Help Measures Such as Penalties for Accumulated Complaints
Complaints about the rudeness of Seoul taxis have decreased by 15%. This is the result of various improvement measures implemented by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, including the nationwide first enforcement of penalties for complaints about rudeness.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 1st, complaints about taxi rudeness last year decreased by 15.4% (from 3,050 to 2,581 cases) compared to the previous year, and the proportion of rudeness complaints among all complaints also dropped by 3.9 percentage points (from 26.5% to 22.6%).
Until now, local districts have imposed fines (100,000 KRW) on workers who violated courteous behavior, but it was difficult to prove rude language or attitude, resulting in a penalty rate of less than 2%. In response, Seoul announced the "Taxi Service Improvement Plan" in 2023 and, through the "Taxi Transportation Business Improvement Order," became the first in the nation to enforce penalties for complaints about rudeness. Since 2023, the number of rudeness complaints and drivers who have been reported multiple times have been managed on a monthly basis.
Meanwhile, service satisfaction increased last year following 2023. According to the 2024 Taxi Service Citizen Satisfaction Survey (Seoul Institute), the score slightly rose to 83.0 points compared to the previous year. Seoul taxi service satisfaction has steadily increased every year since starting at 82.1 points in 2020.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government attributes the reduction in rude behavior and the rise in satisfaction to thorough complaint management by drivers and companies. Drivers who accumulate 3 or more rudeness complaints and taxi companies with 10 or more are subject to penalties if ultimately judged to be rude. From February 2023 to the end of last year, 12 drivers and 3 taxi companies were penalized.
Before imposing penalties, Seoul issues a "warning" to individual taxi drivers who accumulate 2 or more rudeness complaints and corporate taxi companies with 7 or more, notifying them that they are at risk of penalties. By the end of last year, 218 taxi drivers and 68 taxi companies received such warnings. When a rudeness complaint is received, Seoul notifies the individual and corporate taxi transportation business associations and the drivers (taxi companies), and determines whether the complaint is valid by considering the opinions of both the complainant and the driver. Drivers with accumulated complaints must complete a 4-hour courtesy education course, and corporate taxis face a reduction in communication subsidies (5,000 KRW per month) for 2 months.
Both individual and corporate taxi industries are also making efforts to reduce rudeness. They issue warnings and conduct internal training for drivers who receive rudeness complaints, and operate a "Taxi Fare Refund System" that refunds fares up to 50,000 KRW to passengers. Yeo Jang-kwon, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government Transportation Office, said, "As a result of various efforts with the industry to improve taxi service, complaints have gradually decreased and user satisfaction has increased. We will do our best to improve so that Seoul taxis can become friendlier and safer, trusted by citizens."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
