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Sunday, August 04, 2002

By Donald Hammonds, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Here's some advice for those who want to get the word out about Pittsburgh.

Get a cabbie to do it.

	(Illustrated by Ted Crow, Post-Gazette)

Or so it would seem based on out-of-towners' reactions to cab drivers who have gone through a hospitality training and incentive program sponsored by the Greater Pittsburgh Convention & Visitors Bureau and backed by a long list of local companies.

Visitors to Pittsburgh from 77 U.S. cities and eight foreign countries who used taxi services from April through July filled out 772 comment postcards -- and all but five of those postcards were positive.

Visitors raved about the level of knowledge that the cab drivers had about their town, their courtesy, the cleanliness of the taxis and the willingness of the drivers to go out of their way for their passengers.

Leo Sanchez of Washington, D.C., said his cab driver "was so sweet, so polite and so excited about her job that she made me feel like I was missing something by not being a Pittsburgh cabbie."

And that's the point, say supporters of the training, known as PROCabbies, for Pittsburgh Relies on Cabbies.

Cab drivers are usually the very first people visitors and convention attendees see when they arrive.

If they're surly or unhelpful, it can lead to a bad impression that can sour a newcomer on the city or the region. In contrast, a resourceful and cheerful cabbie can smooth the way for a good visit. "They're what we call frontline ambassadors," said Lynn A. Popash, director of membership for the bureau.

The economic development benefits that can result from the program are obvious, officials said. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that those who've had favorable impressions of the region from the start might remember Pittsburgh if they ever start looking for new homes or a place to set up shop for their businesses.

So far, as many as 300 cab drivers from Checker, Yellow, Peoples and Eagle cabs have completed the training, becoming "ambassadors" capable of answering questions about the area and providing suggestions for places to eat and sights to see. As a fallback, the drivers receive a binder that includes information on local attractions, fun facts, Pittsburgh "Firsts," trivia, special events, hotels and restaurants. It can serve as a ready reference if they are unsure of answers when questions come from "guests," as passengers are known in the program.

The cab drivers also are given a "saddlebag," which is displayed on the back of the driver's seat with customer comment voting cards and business cards. Area hotels, attractions and restaurants have donated prizes for monthly giveaways to drivers who provide the best service.

"We strongly committed to this program because we could bring substantial training to our drivers," said Yellow Cab Co. President James Compolongo. "I've been an advocate for cab drivers in Pittsburgh for years. The drivers just need people to recognize them and give them credit for who they are and what they do."

Based on responses from recent "guests," graduates of the program are earning such recognition -- for themselves and the region.

"[Our] driver really gave great advice about the churches of Pittsburgh," wrote Dorcas Demasio of New York. Jacqueline Drucker of New York said her driver was a "great ambassador for the city, and even knew alternate routes and traffic patterns." And R. Stone of Reading, England, said his driver was "courteous, prompt for an out-of town pickup."

Even those who were negative were not overwhelmingly so -- and some had an element of humor to them. "One said, 'The driver gave me whiplash, he drove so fast.' Then we saw the passenger was from New York, so we had a good laugh about that one," said Joyce E. Lee, director of tourism.

As significant as the positive responses are for efforts to promote the region, they also mean a lot to cab drivers.

"I truly love my city. And I'll go out of my way for my customers to show them around and treat them well while they are here," said Janet Lynn of the South Hills, one of five winners of special packages for which the drivers competed.

Wayne Carey, another winner and a driver who lives east of the city, said his favorite thing to talk about and show customers is the skyline. "Ever since I was a little kid, I've loved it when I came through the Fort Pitt Tunnel or saw the skyline from any other spot. This program just gives you a chance to share the city with them and really get a chance to enjoy yourself."

Lynn even went beyond the biblical extra mile for her customers, which included a family from Greece whose son was attending a university here. She helped them secure an apartment, and now acts as a mentor for the young man and helps "keep him in line," she added with a laugh. She also gave him a book on Pittsburgh to help him get acquainted with the city.

Another customer of hers was giving a lecture at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School, and she tutored him in "Pittsburghese," some of which he threw into the seminar, Lynn said.

The idea for the pro cabbie program had been kicked around first about a year ago, officials said. "With the convention center closed, we knew business would be down for the taxi drivers, and we thought perhaps they would have time to attend the classes," said Laura Ellis, the bureau's director of communication.

Bureau officials emphasize that the program is not meant to suggest that the cab drivers "needed" the training or that there was dissatisfaction with the job that they were doing.

Indeed, one cab driver outside the Pittsburgh Hilton and Towers, Downtown, on a recent Friday afternoon said he took the training but didn't learn much new about his hometown or how to help people out because "I do that anyway. I've always done that."

He noted, for example, that he had just taken two guys from Philadelphia to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Oakland, pointing out former steel mill sites on the South Side and the University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning on the way. Being polite just comes naturally here, said the driver, who declined to give his name. "People are more friendly here vs. New York or Boston."

Still, supporters say the program can only help maximize the potential cab drivers represent in helping to promote the city -- and making visitors feel welcome.

As a result, the cab drivers also feel better about themselves and their jobs, the bureau's Lee said.

"One of the drivers was so proud of himself and his cab. It was so clean you could have performed an operation in there. There was a fresh citrus smell in the car, and even he smelled wonderful since he had on a nice cologne," she added with a laugh.

Post-Gazette staff writer Teresa F. Lindeman contributed to this story.