Good manners

Where to, lady? um, please.

Reno taxicab drivers are getting a free makeover including new patter, new welcoming phrases, and fresh insight into what's happening around the Reno area.

Henceforth, passengers will be greeted with,"Welcome to Reno." Attention turned to cab drivers recently, says Steven Wright, Reno community relations director, because they are important to the city.

He cites a hypothetical example: A CEO contemplating relocating to the Reno area, he says, jumps into a cab.

He's listening to everything along the way.

A blast of negative patter from a cab driver might make that CEO get back on a plane and head home.

And reports of such talk has found its way back to the city, says Wright.

Not much, not often, but enough to indicate it was time to build a relationship between the city and the drivers.

Cabbies are important.

That's the message the city is delivering, with the help of the Economic Development Association of Western Nevada, the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority, the Reno and Sparks Chambers of Commerce, and 14 major hotels and casinos.

Because of the partnership with these entities, the cost of the program to the city is minimal, says Wright.

T-shirts, caps and other freebies have been donated by the partners.

And a three-ring binder being distributed to participating taxi drivers is supported by advertising on its pages.

The binder is one of the keys of the program, according to Daphne Shaw, Reno city community liaison.

It will be updated periodically and includes information on hotels, casinos, restaurants, and entertainment in the area.

Cab drivers are asked to keep it in their taxi to share with customers.

Shaw's department staged customer service training for drivers.

Based on a University of Georgia curriculum, it pulled in 50 of the city's estimated 300 drivers.

That was 50 fewer than hoped for, but a solid start anyway, says Shaw.

Next up: City officials will visit the Northern Nevada Taxi Drivers Association and of its two major cab companies, Whittlesea Taxi and the Reno-Sparks Cab Company, to deliver additional training.

In addition to customer service training, says Shaw, the sessions also encourage drivers to be the eyes and ears of the community to report potholes, problem intersections, and even crime spots.

And will the training have an effect on the city's bottom line? Will

more folks be enticed to stay? Too soon to tell yet, says Wright.

But the program has worked well in other cities, including Miami, Boston and Atlanta.