From Excel Chaos to Automated Bliss: Managing 50 Taxi Cabs

The 3 AM Crisis

"Car 27 broke down. Again. At 3 AM. With a passenger."

For Genti, fleet manager at CityTaxi Tirana, this was the final straw. Managing 50 taxis with Excel spreadsheets wasn't just inefficient - it was costing them customers and money.

The Excel Nightmare

What Their System Looked Like:

1 master Excel file (45MB, crashes constantly)

50 tabs (one per vehicle)

12 columns per tab (service types)

Manual updates after each service

Zero automatic reminders

No mobile access for drivers

"I spent 3 hours every Monday updating the spreadsheet," Genti recalls. "By Friday, it was already outdated because drivers didn't report services."

The Hidden Costs:

**Missed oil changes:** 5-10 per month

**Breakdown frequency:** 2-3 per week

**Average downtime:** 2 days per breakdown

**Lost revenue:** €150/day per taxi

**Angry customers:** Countless

**Driver frustration:** Maximum

The Breaking Point

In November 2023, three taxis needed transmission replacements in one week. Cost: €4,500. All because of missed transmission fluid services.

"Our drivers were losing faith. Customers were switching to Uber. We needed a real solution."

Implementing Service Day

CityTaxi signed up for the Diamond Plan (unlimited vehicles, €49.99/month) in December 2023.

Week 1: Data Migration

"Service Day's import feature saved us. Uploaded our Excel chaos, and suddenly everything was organized."

Imported all 50 vehicles

Set up maintenance schedules

Added current mileage

Assigned vehicles to drivers

Week 2: Driver Onboarding

Each driver got app access

30-minute training session

Showed mileage update feature

Explained notification system

Week 3: Full Launch

Automated reminders activated

WhatsApp notifications for urgent items

Drivers updating mileage after each shift

Management dashboard live

The Transformation

Before Service Day (Monthly Averages):

Excel update time: 12 hours

Missed services: 10-15

Breakdowns: 8-12

Vehicles offline: 15-20 days total

Revenue lost: €3,000

After 6 Months with Service Day:

Admin time: 2 hours

Missed services: 0-1

Breakdowns: 2-3

Vehicles offline: 4-6 days total

Revenue recovered: €2,400/month

Real Numbers, Real Impact

Annual Savings Breakdown:

Prevented major repairs: €8,000

Reduced downtime revenue: €28,800 saved

Admin time savings (10 hrs/week @ €15/hr): €7,800

Total saved: €44,600

Service Day cost: €600

**NET SAVINGS: €44,000**

Operational Improvements:

70% reduction in breakdowns

85% less administrative work

100% service compliance

95% driver satisfaction

Unexpected Benefits

1. Driver Accountability

"Drivers now take pride in their vehicles. They update mileage daily and report issues immediately."

2. Customer Trust

"We show corporate clients our maintenance records. Won 3 airport contracts because of our reliability."

3. Smart Fleet Decisions

"Service Day's cost tracking showed which cars were money pits. We replaced 5 old vehicles and cut costs further."

4. Insurance Negotiations

"Complete maintenance records got us 15% lower fleet insurance rates."

The Dashboard That Changed Everything

"Every morning, I check the Service Day dashboard over coffee. Ten seconds to see:

What's due today

What's coming this week

Which cars are costing most

Overall fleet health

Compare that to 45 minutes fighting with Excel."

Genti's Implementation Tips

1. Import Everything at Once

"Don't try to phase it in. Rip off the bandage."

2. Make Drivers Partners

"Show them how it protects their income. No breakdowns = more fares."

3. Use the Cost Tracking

"You'll be shocked what each vehicle really costs."

4. Set Up All Notification Types

"Email for planning, WhatsApp for urgent items."

5. Review Monthly

"Service Day's reports show trends Excel never could."

The Bottom Line

"For €50/month, we got our sanity back. And €44,000 in savings? That's 8 new cars for our fleet."

CityTaxi now runs 65 vehicles with the same Diamond plan. Breakdowns are rare. Customers are happy. Drivers trust their vehicles.

"My advice to any fleet manager: Stop fighting with spreadsheets. Your competition is using tools like Service Day. Can you afford not to?"

Ready to transform your fleet management? Start with Service Day's 6-month free trial. Import your spreadsheet chaos and experience automated bliss.