Booking a taxi has so far been a dicey affair, especially if you are new to town and do not have a reliable operator recommended by friends. Here is one operator that is setting new standards for professionalism in this industry.
Cel Cabs operates in 3 cities - Bangalore, Hyderabad and Trivandrum. I have lived in all 3 cities for some time and have found their services exceptional relative to the other operators.
The call center is 24x7. You call up, and you notice the difference - the representative at the other end is polite, talks to you in English(a boon for those not local to the city, irrelevant detail for the rest!). And most important - the CSR understands what you are trying to tell her/him.
The rates are competitive and they have a flexible tarriff schedule - fixed packages based on hours+ kms or simple per kms rate. Outside city limits, waiting, overnight stay etc. are charged extra. Ask for the local rate card, as the charges differ city to city.
*Hyderabad: 040-23242526
Bangalore: 080-23466666
Trivandrum: 0471-2453553 *
The company uses its multi-location advantage to offer multi city booking. So if you are traveling between these 3 cities, you will be asked if you need a taxi in your destination city also! So you can use this service to get a drop to the airport you are departing at, and find a cab waiting for you at the airport you land at.
Once in Hyderabad, we had specifically asked for an Indica, but an Omni was sent instead. When we protested, the office immediately replaced it with an Indica. From then on, we have always preferred Cel Cabs.
The drivers are polite and professional, and are again multi lingual. Exception has been Trivandrum where we were stuck a couple of times with a driver who spoke only Malayalam and did not even know the route!
Otherwise, we have used Cel Cabs in all 3 cities several times and never have had a reason to complain.