American Taxi Dispatch

Driver was late by over 40 minutes, and my wife had to give him directions to get to destination. She was not happy about this.

I was just in Chicago for a business trip and Über-​less (long story…) Having to leverage local taxi services, my hotel called American Taxi. I had 2 – 3 rides with them, all pre-​arranged, and found them to be professional and on time. I found it quite easy to book a taxi and they were on time each time.
This was a much better experience than other taxi companies I have used int eh past in different cities who would give you an estimated time of arrival, but you never really knew if they would show until they pulled up. America Taxi was reliable.
I’m also surprised by the other reviews on Unilocal and double checked that it was the same company (I got their card from a driver so it appears to be the same…)

Horrible!!! We were sworn at and threatened by our driver!!! Taxi 6167. He should be fired immediately! I will never take this cab company again!

So I posted Monday how American Taxi cancelled my cab at the last minute due to high volume, which forced my son and I both to miss our trains. Here we are 3 days later.
I thought I’d give you another chance to redeem yourself, never expecting to have a screw up again within 3 days. I ordered my cab last night, got my confirmation, checked my email to make sure it wasn’t cancelled again. 5:35 am NO CAB, I had to call, because, of course, no one bothered to contact me. Only to be told the driver was 15 miles away. Well I have to be on the train in 10 minutes, so I guess that’s not going to work. Well were doing the best we can, we’re very busy. Do you people realize, your customers lively hoods depend on getting back and forth, I could have lost my job over this. Are you going to pay my bills then? Again, how do you confirm cabs when you can’t deliver?

I have used American Taxi for over 15 years and the drivers are always quite nice and the cabs are usually very clean. However, every so often, the company overbooks and confirms a reservation for which they have no taxi available. This happened today when my taxi texted at the time the cab was due to arrive and said he just got the order and was on his way and would be there in 15 min. 25 min later I was still waiting. When I called American Taxi the dispatch said it was a busy morning. When I asked how/​why the reservation was confirmed the morning before, he just said again, it was a busy morning. An apology would have been nice. He didn’t even try. This will be the last time I use American Taxi.

American Taxi company is horrible! Don’t waste your time trying to get a cab from them. I placed an online order for pickup at O’hare 2 days in advance. I received a confirmation email stating that I should call after I picked up my luggage. I called the number provided by American Taxi to notify that I received my luggage. It is a voice response unit. You press a number to confirm that you are ready to be picked up and the computer said that a taxi would be dispatched. I went out to the taxi pickup area and saw an American Taxi, but when I tried to get in, the driver told me that he was not my driver and the dispatcher would text the cab # to me when it was dispatched. Waited 10 minutes, no text. Called American Taxi again and was unable to get a human on the phone. I again pressed a number to tell the computer that I was ready for immediate pickup and the computer responded that a cab would be dispatched. I repeated this process every 10 minutes for 40 minutes, before finally giving up. I called 303 Taxi, a human answered the phone, and I had a cab pick me up 10 minutes later.

My sister said these guys were great so I thought I would try… The guy was 45 minutes late picking us up… He did call when he was lost but then would not listen when I told him how to get to where I was staying… We were on our way to midway then he wanted to argue about how to get to the airport… I travel to Chicago several times a year and know the best route but he insisted and promptly got us stuck in traffic… Heading back up here at the end of the month and you can be sure I will NOT use these guys again

This is a great cab company. If you fly into Chicago or need a can to get you around to the suburbs, you should use this service. So efficient, polite and careful drivers, great fixed prices. We used them all week that we were in Evanston going from and to the airport and to Chicago.

This organization is truly awful. This is what happened to me Thursday evening after placing a reservation 13 hours prior to arriving at the airport:
1. I called the number provided by American Taxi to notify receipt of my luggage. I was given an option to take a shared ride, which I agreed to. The pre recorded message advised me I’d be texted shortly with my cab number.
2. after waiting 20 minutes I called a dispatcher to ask when the taxi would arrive. She put me on hold, then transferred me to a prerecorded message which stated «thank you for calling American Taxi» after which I was hung up on.
3. I immediately called back, and was advised by another dispatcher all taxis were cancelled for the evening and I was notified of this (not true). I went outside to wait in the taxi line and noticed over 50 American Taxi vehicles pass by within the following 15 minutes.
4. The following morning, I called the dispatch number to obtain the corporate office contact phone number. The person who took my call placed me on hold, then transferred me to a prerecorded message which stated «thank you for calling American Taxi» after which I was hung up on. This seems to be a habit with American Taxi.
I’ve shared my awful experience with numerous friends and 1,200 of my colleagues at work via email. I’m work for a very large retail operation which has existed since 1936. If I or my colleagues treate customers like this, we’d be unemployed. I will never use this company’s services again.
Unilocal should consider use of zero stars as a rating.

Never use them for a scheduled pickup. I had scheduled a taxi for my son for a pickup to O’Hare airport from Evanston, IL. I had checked the reservation again in the morning with the American Taxi. When the taxi did not come at the scheduled time, I called them only to realize that they had never sent the taxi and were dispatching one after I called. The cab driver also said that he just got the call to come. The taxi was 40 minutes late. He literally had to run to catch the flight. And you can just imagine our (parents) condition on a Tuesday before Thanksgiving day. And the dispatcher just took it in stride as it was a daily occurrence (which I am sure it is for this company). I will NEVER use them again (NEVER NEVER).

Avoid this Taxi service. Very poor customer service, very rude and grumpy driver. I got ripped off by the driver who forced me to pay for dropping me at my residence which is one mile from work. Please avoid this Taxi service. If they don’t improve their customer service and hire courteous drivers, they wlll be folded down soon.

The most disgusting cabs you’ll ever ride in!
The drivers smell too!
You gotta try it!

FYI — Cab 6150 smells terrible and the driver is angry with the world.

I too wished I could have given zero stars because they don’t deserve the one star. I was flying into Chicago o’hare’s from West Palm Beach Florida. When I made reservations for the hotel (you should see THAT review), I looked up the fee for a cab ride to Lombard, Illinois. All fees seem to be around $ 30-​$ 35. Before I got into the cab, I inquired about the cost, and they said $ 65-​$ 70. It was 15 miles from the AP to my hotel. I’m from NY and used to being ripped off, but even in NY, my cab fee from LaGuardia to Brooklyn Heights where I lived was only $ 25 for the same distance. They said here in Chicago, that the fee on the Internet is only if you «called ahead». WTF is that about? Since I was alone stranded at the AP, I had no choice than to get in the cab where I was told I would be charged one and one half of the meter. What a rip off! I’m seething from my experience. My suggestion is to inquire about getting car service where the fees are arranged in advance… no surprises that way.

This company doesn’t even deserve one star.
I was stood up for a 2^nd time last week… I even called at 5am when I saw I had not been matched with a taxi after getting my confirmation number the day before when I placed the order. The dispatch said it wasn’t a problem and a cab would be here for my 545am transfer to ORD. At 550am I called again and was told an order was never made and it would be a wait for a cab. I was already late.
Given this is the 2^nd time this has happened I will NEVER use them again. After the first time it happened I left a message for «John In the Complaint Dept» and never heard from him. I even hesitated the last time I ordered thinking «wow I hope I don’t get stood up again… surely that was a fluke.» Well they proved me wrong. Clearly not everyone deserves second chances.
I will be sure to do my best to make sure all of Chicago is aware of this terrible customer service with zero accountability for their mistakes. Zero.
Final words — DO NOT use this company! Ever.

Ordered taxi. They said 5 – 15 minutes. After an hour we walked home. Enough said.

I wish I could give American Taxi 0 stars. The whole experience was extremely disappointing.
I placed an order for a van cab to take myself and three others to O’Hare at around 2 AM. We had an international flight at 5 AM and several stops, so needed a punctual pick-​up. I called around 1:45 to ensure that my taxi was going to be picking us up at 2:10 AM, as I had not received any confirmation via text or email. The dispatcher assured me that they had my order and that they cab had not yet been sent, but it would be there by 2:10.
At 2:15, I called to see if the cab was on the way. This time, the dispatcher informed me that not only had the cab not yet been dispatched, but also that they could not guarantee that the cab would be there on time and could not give me an estimate of when the cab would arrive. Um… why did I order it a day in advance then?
The cab finally showed up about 15 minutes later after I spoke to another representative. I can be a bit of an anxious traveler, so had ordered the cab in advance to avoid having to frantically call other taxi companies at 2 AM, which is exactly what I ended up doing.
I let them know that I was extremely disappointed in the service and the whole experience, and their response was one of indifference. I will not be using this company ever again and strongly encourage other customers to avoid this one. Our cab driver ended up being very nice and helpful, so it is a shame he works for such an undependable company.
Do not promise something you cannot deliver, especially for those who need to be somewhere at a specific time. Ridiculous.

Last night, my sister and I arrived at Midway at 2am after a very delayed flight. She went to get a cab and the American Taxi Cab 665 told her that for $ 60 he would take us on two stops, one in Naperville and then another in Aurora. We got in the cab, desperate to get home at such a late hour, and when we were about to turn onto the expressway, the driver says that the $ 60 price is just for the first stop in Naperville and we’ll have to pay more to go to Aurora.
I ask why the price is so much higher than the price on the clearly marked chart that outlines flat rates from Midway to Naperville. The most expensive flat rate from Midway to Naperville is approximately $ 45. He says those prices are too low and says if we’re not comfortable with the price he’ll take us back to the airport. I felt threatened and nervous. It was after 2am, we needed to get home and he essentially manipulated us into paying more. I’ve never felt scared in a cab in Chicago, until this cab ride.
We finally got home — my sister opting not to go all the way to her house because he is insisting that she pay more — and I gave him the $ 60 and got out of the cab as soon as possible.

JUST DON’T DO IT. Like PP Mikey, I will also just copy the letter of dissatisfaction I wrote to the company. I can’t believe I was loyal to this company for three years.
***To whom it may concern:
I have been exclusively using your cab company since I moved to the area three years ago. While I have been treated so well by so many of your drivers, a few have «spoiled the whole bunch» and I will be taking my business elsewhere.
My biggest complaint is the repeated requests for cash and angry responses when cash is not paid for the trip. While I know the taxicab business is generally a cash business, you need to train your drivers to NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT GETTING PAID. I would also encourage you not charge them as much as the 12% I have been told they forfeit when a CC is used. Additionally, perhaps budgeting classes are in order as another excuse I’ve heard is, «I don’t get paid until Friday, please pay cash.» Most of us don’t get paid until Friday either. But we manage.
Finally, I would like to mention (and as a busy RN, I rarely take the time out of my day to write a note like this) cab driver #998. He was exceptionally rude during my ride from Evanston to Skokie today. He was on his cell phone for much of the ride (which is ILLEGAL in Evanston! Imagine if he got a ticket and I was late for my appointment!!). He used «Rate 2» which was the incorrect rate according to his window decal — and when I questioned him about it, he snapped and said «his meter was slow» and the difference was only 20 cents. I did not tip, as I felt his behavior was unacceptable, and he already tipped himself by using Rate 2. The final straw was when I handed him my credit card receipt without a tip on it and he THREW THE CREDIT CARD MACHINE across the car.
When excellent customer service is rendered, I have been known to give excellent tips. In fact, I have been known to get cash specifically for the driver. (I don’t carry cash and I use visa debit for almost everything.) However, this will no longer be the case, and I will certainly take my business elsewhere.***
I will also add another experience. I had to call and actually speak with a dispatcher one night as I was leaving the hospital. I needed a ride home, and I thought I would see if there were cabs lined up by the El first. This woman told me there was no Central St stop for the purple line on the CTA in Evanston. It was below freezing, and I was standing at a bus stop trying to explain where one of the largest hospitals in the metro is. Really? I finally hobbled back to the ER just before frostbite set in. ~30 minutes after my original call was placed, my Evanston-​Evanston cab showed up.

Terrible service. I’m just going to leave the email I sent to the manager of American Taxi. No follow-​up action occured:
I am following up on my message I left today on the American Taxi complaint voicemail, as well as a phone call to Barb, a manager. Both were regarding an extremely negative experience my mother and I had with taxis cab #142. Our taxi trip was arranged from O’hare Airport to Skokie at approximately 7pm on Tuesday, January 25, 2011. I have just dropped off my mother at her home, who was visibly upset at today’s experience.
«Our experience: I should have known this particular taxi driver would be problematic after he arrived 15 minutes later than the arranged time at O’hare and then carelessly tossed our bags into the trunk. As my mother was cold, we asked the driver to close the passenger side window, which he did, and then opened the drivers side window. Repeated requests to turn off the radio, so I could make a call, were ignored. Once we started our drive, that is where the larger problems arose: unsafe driving. The taxi driver drove irregularly and less than 40 mph on the freeway. My mother and I began to notice every car begin to fly past us and cross into our lane due to our slow speed and problems merging into lanes. Both my mother and I began to become concerned and asked the driver if he could drive more safely. The driver responded that „he knew how to drive“ and then began braking abruptly at intersections and stop lights, which it seemed intended to „show us a lesson“. I noticed the driver was checking texts and other media on his phone as he was driving. I told him to please pay attention to the road and stop using the phone, which was also ignored.
At this point I had enough, and I told the driver to start driving reasonably or we would stop this trip. The driver then began to cuss, using profanity such as „Fuck you,“ „Shutup“ repeatedly, and racial slurs. I was then told „You are not an American, so stop talking.“ Please note, that though I am of Korean descent, I am born and raised in Chicago, and this comment greatly upset my mother, also a U.S. citizen, even further. Finding this particular driver unreasonable and unsafe, I began to call American Taxi to issue a report and had him stop at a gas station to end this trp. We then walked the remaining blocks to our home. We paid the fare just to have him leave.
Overall, this taxi driver’s behavior is harassing and unacceptable. I have lived in Chicago close to 25 years, have taken hundreds of taxis including many American Taxi cabs, and this was the worst experience I have ever had with a taxi. I’m a home-​grown Chicagoan and looked forward to returning to my hometown after a several week trip, and to experience this as I walk off the airport was deeply disappointing. During this experience with the taxi driver for cab #142, I had to wait for the late driver past our arranged meeting time, had my luggage mishandled, repeated requests regarding windows and the radio ignored, been in the car with an unsafe driver checking his phone, and then was verbally harassed, all in front of my mother. I had and still have intentions of contacting my attorney, however Barb did do a good job ensuring me that this driver would be taken off the road and reprimanded. I plan to call tomorrow morning to follow up on this complaint, and expect that there is proper followup. I look forward to your reply.»
The managers at American Taxi did NOTHING to follow up, saying that they spoke with the driver, and he denied everything. Worthless company.