Hi I’m Oliviar. How can I help?
Frequently Asked Questions about Oliviar
Below are a list of some of the frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) related to the introduction and usage of Oliviar, our telephone-based booking system. Click the link to skip to the answer to the question.
- What is Oliviar?
- Can I use the system?
- How does it work?
- Do I have to use it?
- Why implement it?
- I don’t like telephone systems. What can I do?
- How will this make my life easier as a customer?
- How is this being rolled out?
- Can I book any journey using Oliviar?
- How do I tell Oliviar where to pick me up?
- When will my taxi be despatched?
- Can I book journeys for some time in the future?
What is Oliviar?
Oliviar stands for Our Lovely Interactive Voice Input And Response system. It is the latest update to our world-class booking software: Cordic. The system is telephone based and allows customers to book trips quickly and easily without having to speak to an operator. Oliviar can handle multiple calls at once which will reduce waiting times and engaged signals. Back to top
Can I use the system?
Oliviar is going to be rolled out slowly. This ensures we make the best use of it as well as allowing our customers to understand what it can and cannot do. The roll out will be staged so that not everyone will have access to it initially. We will narrow down the usage to those customers who live in certain postcodes local to Fleet (GU51 and GU52 initially). This enables our operators to manage the system and track how it is functioning. Back to top
How does it work?
The system is designed to be as user friendly as possible. If you have never used Hart Taxis before (or you have used us and you are calling from a number we don’t recognise) you will be directed to an operator. Your journey will be booked just as it is at present. Once you are in the system, though, Oliviar will recognise you the next time you call and give you the option of booking without speaking to an operator. Oliviar has a human voice and will guide you through the steps to booking your next taxi. You will have the option of selecting a pick-up at one of your predefined locations and the vehicle will be despatched as soon as possible. If, at any point, you wish to speak to an operator in person you can select the option and your call will be transferred.
If you are calling from your landline the system will know where to send the taxi and all you do is confirm that you want the taxi now. It will be despatched as soon as a driver is available. Back to top
Do I have to use it?
Absolutely not. We understand that not everybody is comfortable booking trips without speaking to a human. For those people who let us know we will remove the option to use Oliviar and you will always be passed straight to an operator. Back to top
Why implement it?
Over the last few months – especially approaching Christmas – we found that a lot of calls were being missed as people tried to contact our office and the line was busy with other customers. As a result customers were frustrated that they couldn’t book their journeys and either booked with our competitors or didn’t go at all. With Oliviar you will rarely – if ever – encounter an engaged tone when you call Hart Taxis. All calls are answered by Oliviar and dealt with automatically unless you wish to speak to an operator. At this point you will be added to the queue and placed on hold. Back to top
I don’t like telephone systems. What can I do?
At Hart Taxis we understand that there are certain people who don’t want to entrust booking a taxi to a computer. If you are trying to get to the railway station it is important that the taxi is booked correctly or you might miss your train. Some of our clientele also don’t feel comfortable dealing with technology. For those people there is always the option to speak to an operator. You will never have to use the system if you don’t want to. At busy times, however, you may be in a queue for a few moments as we deal with the calls ahead of you. Back to top
How will this make my life easier as a customer?
We know from analysing the journeys we’ve made over the last 10 years of using the Cordic system that there are a great many people who book the same, or similar journeys with us on a regular basis. This could be a morning trip to the railway station, a session at the gym, a visit to the doctor or the hospital, or taking a child to school. If this is your situation, Oliviar will be able to book your trip immediately without you having to wait for a free operator to take your call. At peak times in the office we can be answering phones pretty much non-stop. If you aren’t able to connect your call at the right time you could find the line engaged for 20 or 30 minutes. If you’re booking for a railway trip this could be the difference between catching your train and missing it. With Oliviar you will always be able to book your journey even if the main operator is busy. Oliviar can handle multiple calls at the same time and allocate vehicles appropriately. Back to top
How is this being rolled out?
To enable the best customer experience we are rolling this functionality out slowly. Initially only customers who call us from addresses within GU51 and GU52 postcodes will be able to use this functionality. Once this is bedded in and working correctly we will roll it out to other postcodes. As stated above, though you will never have to use the system if you don’t feel comfortable doing so. Back to top
Can I book any journey using Oliviar?
Oliviar is intended for customers who wish to book a vehicle for an immediate pick up. At the moment we are not intending to roll-out the functionality that allows future bookings. In time that functionality may be added. If you are booking an airport journey with us there are additional pieces of information we need that cannot be captured via Oliviar so we would need to transfer you to an operator to complete those bookings. Back to top
How do I tell Oliviar where to pick me up?
If you are calling from your mobile number you will need to let Oliviar know where you want to be picked up. To do this all you need to do is let us know your ‘favourite places’. These could be your home address, your work address and Fleet Station, for example. Or, maybe, a local watering hole or restaurant. We have set up a little page which allows you to define your favourite place for Oliviar to use. Fill this in and submit the form. You will receive an email back with your preferences so you can keep this for your reference. After using the system a few times you will easily remember which option is which
If you are calling from a landline Oliviar will determine your address from the most frequent location you use when booking vehicles from that landline. Back to top
When will my taxi be despatched?
Our intent is that Oliviar will send a vehicle as soon as you book the journey. However at busy time there could be a wait of up to 20 minutes before your taxi is sent. Once your vehicle is booked you can call Oliviar back and she will update you on the status of your booking and let you know if it has been allocated to a driver. You can also contact that driver via Oliviar once he has been allocated to the job. Back to top
Can I book journeys for some time in the future?
At the moment we are restricting Oliviar to booking jobs to be despatched as soon as possible (ASAP). However, over time we will start to introduce prompts that will ask you to select a time for the taxi. For an immediate booking you would enter ‘#’. For a booking in 30 minutes you would enter ’30#’. For a taxi to arrive at half past six in the evening you would enter ‘1830’. This will only be for bookings within the next 24 hours. Anything later than that will need discussion with the operator. Just wait on the line and you will be transferred. Back to top
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