The story of a Shanghai taxi driver

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I just read a story about a beggar with an annual salary of 10. I’ve gone and found this story about Shanghai taxi drivers to share with everyone. I saw it in a local newspaper before; after reading it, I thought it was amazing. I’m posting it today for everyone to take a look. Here is its content: I needed to head from Xujiahui to the airport, so I quickly ended a meeting and looked for a taxi in front of the Meridian Tower. A Volkswagen noticed me and stopped right in front of me, in a very professional manner. This pause led to the story that followed, one that truly shocked me – it was like taking a vivid MBA case study class. To remain faithful to the taxi driver’s original intention, I tried my best to repeat his words as accurately as I could from memory. “Where to... Okay, the airport. I liked doing business at the Meiluo Building in Xujiahui. I’ll only do two things here. Meiluo Building, Junyao Building. Do you know? Before I found you, I circled around the Meiluo Building entrance a few times, and finally I saw you! Coming out of the office building, they’re definitely not going anywhere nearby~~~” “Oh?” You’re really resourceful! ”I agreed. “To be a taxi driver, one also needs to use scientific methods. ”He said. I was taken aback and immediately became quite interested. “What scientific methods?” ” “One must understand statistics. I have done precise calculations. I’ll tell you. I drive for 17 hours a day, at a cost of 34.5 yuan per hour…” “How was that calculated? ”I pressed further. “Do the math: I have to pay 380 yuan per day, with fuel costs amounting to around 210 yuan. 17 hours per day, with a fixed cost of 22 yuan per hour to be paid to the company, and fuel costs of 12.5 yuan per hour on average. Is this 34.5 yuan? ”I was a bit surprised. I have been driving for 10 years, and this is the first time I’ve heard a taxi driver calculate costs in this way. The previous drivers all told me that the cost per kilometer was 0.3 yuan, plus a certain amount to be paid daily and so on. “Costs cannot be calculated per kilometer; they can only be calculated based on time. You see, the meter has a “check” function. You can see a detailed record of the day. I have done data analysis, and the average idling time between each passenger pickup is 7 minutes. If there’s a starting price of 10 yuan, it will take about 10 minutes to complete the trip. In other words, each customer who spends 10 yuan incurs a cost of 17 minutes, which amounts to 9.8 yuan. It doesn’t make any money! If serving customers in Pudong, Hangzhou, and Qingpu is like serving a meal, then serving customers who are willing to pay 10 yuan isn’t even considered serving food – it’s more like adding a little MSG to it. ” Strong! This driver doesn’t sound like a taxi driver at all; he seems more like a cost accountant. “So what will you do? ”I’m more interested now; keep asking. It seems one can learn new things on the way to the airport. “Under no circumstances should you be dragged around the streets by customers. Rather, by choosing the parking location, time, and customer, you actively decide where you are going. ”I’m very surprised; it sounds interesting. “Some people say that being a taxi driver is a job that relies on luck. I thought it wasn’t. You need to put yourself in the customer’s shoes and think from the customer’s perspective. ”This sentence sounds very professional; it’s a bit like what many business management trainers say, “put yourself into others’ shoes.” Let me give you an example: at the entrance of a hospital, one person is carrying medicine and another is carrying a basin – which one would you take? ”I thought about it and said I didn’t know. “You need to bring the one with the washbasin. Ordinary people who suffer from minor illnesses or aches will go to the hospital for a check-up and get some medicine; they don’t necessarily go to hospitals that are far away. Those who are holding basins and hailing taxis have been discharged from the hospital. How can there be no deaths in a hospital? Who died on the second floor today? Another one died on the third floor tomorrow. Those who leave the hospital often feel as though they have been given a new life; they come to understand the meaning of life better, realizing that health is the most important thing. That day, he said, “Let’s go to Qingpu.” Not even a blink of the eye. Do you mean he will take a taxi to People’s Square and then take the Qingpu line? Absolutely not! ” I couldn’t help but start to admire it. “Let me give you another example. That day, in People’s Square, three people were waving from ahead. A young woman, carrying a small bag, has just finished shopping. There was also a young couple, clearly out shopping. The third is a man wearing a fleece shirt underneath and a down jacket on top, holding a notebook bag. It takes me only 3 seconds to look at a person. I stopped in front of this man without hesitation. After getting into the car, the man said, \"Yan’an Overpass, North-South Overpass~~~\" Before he could say anything else, he couldn’t help asking, \"Why did you drive right in front of me without hesitation?\" There are two people in front of me; if they want to get on the bus, I feel bad asking them to give up their place. I replied that it was noon, with just over ten minutes left until 1 o’clock. That girl sneaked out at noon to do some shopping; the company must be quite close ； That man and woman were tourists; they didn’t have anything with them and wouldn’t go very far ； You’re going out on business; you have a notebook bag, which clearly indicates it’s for work. And going out at this time, it probably won’t be close. The man said, You’re right; go to Baoshan. ” “Could those people who are at the entrance of supermarkets or subway stations, hailing taxis and wearing pajamas, be going somewhere far away? Could we go to the airport? The airport won’t let her in either. ” That makes sense! The more I listen, the more interesting it becomes. “Many drivers complain that it’s hard to do business these days, with oil prices rising again, and they blame others for the problems. I said, you always look for reasons in other people; you can never improve. Look within yourself to find out where the problem lies. ”This phrase sounds very familiar; it’s like a variation of “If you can’t change the world, then change yourself,” or something similar to Steven Corvey’s concept of “circle of influence and circle of concern.” “Once, on Nandan Road, someone stopped a car to go to Tianlin. Later, there was another time when someone stopped a car on Nandan Road, still heading to Tianlin. I asked, why are so many people who come out of Nandan Road heading to Tianlin? They say there is a bus terminal on Nandan Road; we all take buses from Pudong to here, and then continue our journey to Tianlin. It clicked for me. For example, take the road we just drove on – there are no office buildings, no hotels, nothing at all; only a bus stop. Most people who wait there to catch a bus have just gotten off the bus, and then they choose the shortest route to take a taxi. The amount that customers pay to hail a car here usually does not exceed 15 yuan. ” “That’s why I say attitude determines everything! ”I’ve heard more than a dozen CEOs say this phrase; it’s the first time I’ve heard a taxi driver say it. “Business should be conducted using scientific methods and statistics. How can one make money by waiting in line at the subway station every day? How can one support his wife and children with only 500 yuan per month? This is murder! Chronicly murder your entire family. Arm yourself with knowledge. Learning knowledge can turn a person into a smart one, and a smart person who continues to learn knowledge can become even smarter. A very intelligent person who learns *knowledge can become a genius. ” “Once, a person took a taxi to the train station and asked how to get there. He said to go this way. I said slow down, go onto the overpass, and follow these directions. He said it’s a detour. I said, it’s okay; you walk there often and have experience. If you walk that distance for 50 yuan, follow my method – once the odometer shows 50 yuan, I’ll reset it. You just give 50 yuan; the extra part is on me. If we follow the route you suggested, it will take 50 minutes, but if I lead you the way, it will only take 25 minutes. In the end, by following my own route, I traveled 4 extra kilometers and saved 25 minutes; I only charged 50 yuan. The passenger was happy, having saved about 10 yuan. These 4 kilometers cost me just a little over 1 yuan in fuel money. I essentially got 25 minutes for a little over 1 yuan. As I just said, my cost per hour is 34.5 yuan – how affordable that is! ” “At Volkswagen, generally a driver earns 3,000 to 4,000 and takes it home. Those done well are around 5,000. Top drivers can earn around 7,000 per month. Among the 20,000 drivers at Volkswagen, there are only about 2-3 drivers who stand out among thousands and can earn over 8,000 per month. I am one of those 2-3 people. It’s also very stable, with hardly any significant fluctuations. ” Too strong! Up to this point, I admire this taxi driver more and more. “I often say I am a happy coachman. Some people say that you’re happy because you earn a lot of money. I told them that you are exactly wrong. It’s because I have a happy and positive attitude that I earn more money. ” What beautiful words! “One must learn to appreciate the beauty that work brings. When stuck in People’s Square, many drivers complained, \"It’s traffic jam again!\" What bad luck. Never do that; take the time to appreciate the beauty of this city. There are many beautiful girls walking around, as well as very modern high-rise buildings. Although you may not be able to afford them, you can still enjoy them with an appreciative eye. Driving to the airport, looking at the greenery on both sides; in winter it’s white – how beautiful. Look at the odometer again – it’s over 100 now, which makes it even more beautiful! Every job has its own beauty, and we need to learn to appreciate that beauty in our work. ” “I was the head coach at Johnson & Johnson 10 years ago. 8 years ago, I worked as a department manager in three different departments at the company. Later I quit; it only paid 3,000 to 5,000 yuan a month, which was pointless. I volunteered to be the driver. I am willing to be a happy coachman. Hahahahaha. ” When I arrived at the airport, I gave him a business card and said, “Are you interested in coming to my office this Friday to tell Microsoft’s employees how you drive a taxi?” Think of it as using a timer: 60 kilometers per hour, and I’ll pay you whatever amount you specify for the time taken. Call me. ” I couldn’t wait to record his vivid MBA lecture on the plane.