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Meet the Team in Shepherd’s Bush
Having recently opened this year, the Otto Car Shepherd’s Bush hub in west London is our newest and biggest hub. We caught up with the team to understand how our much-loved former Hammersmith team has transformed to offer better help and support to our family of private hire drivers.
Long-standing in west London
“Here in Shepherd’s Bush, we see more PCO drivers than any other hubs. We’ve got more stock readily available for viewing and test drives, which allows drivers to get a better look at the PCO cars that they are interested in,” said Abdul, Hub Manager of the Otto Car Shepherd’s Bush hub.
Being based in Shepherd’s Bush, which is not too far from the former Hammersmith sales hub, Abdul is happy to see most drivers that would have seen the team in Hammersmith now moved over to Shepherd’s Bush.
“Being in the business for my seventh year, I was based in Hammersmith, which happened to be our longest-standing hub. As a result, we have a very loyal customer base. We look after our existing customer base, as well as any new customers who are looking to join the Otto Family.”
Abdul added that many Uber drivers have evolved with the private hire industry. Many started off with diesel and petrol cars, and now they’ve moved on to plug-in hybrids or fully electric vehicles. “We are more than happy to have and continue to guide all our drivers in making that transition as smooth as we possibly can.”
Did you know?
If you’re thinking about becoming an Uber driver yet haven’t got a PCO licence, Otto Car has articles on each stage, plus a guide to the entire PCO licence process here.
Supporting PCO drivers through their journey
Abdul manages a dedicated team of advisors, and in turn, they look after all customers local to the west London area. “A lot of our drivers visiting us may come for a long-term Rent 2 Buy + ownership plan or may look for short-term rentals on PCO Car Hire, either way, we want to give our drivers the best possible customer experience throughout their time with us. “
As a part of the sales department, Kieron’s favourite part of the job is to meet a lot of people and get to experience how their private hire journey unfolds. “One of our drivers is now on his third Rent 2 Buy + contract, which means we’re experiencing his whole PCO journey from the beginning up until now. It’s gratifying for me to he’s made a career with us, and is happy with us over the last nine years.”
Senior Advisor Travis, on the other hand, is a car enthusiast himself. “It’s fascinating to work around electric vehicles and learn about how to charge, even for a traditional petrolhead like me. It’s cool to see drivers’ journey, where they pay off their cars and own an asset, then come back again and earn more money.”
Advisor Shadi’s most unforgettable moments at Otto Car are all about doing the right things for our drivers and helping them along the way. “Many drivers are not sure about what vehicles to get at first. This can be daunting, especially when you come to a new place that you’ve never been. We have to be patient and explain the plans and cars best suited for them. At the end, they’ve always come back into the hubs and thank us for the support.”
And here we also have Mark, who manages the car park and makes sure all vehicles are ready for sale and safe to drive. “It’s essential for drivers to pick up their cars in the perfect condition, and I ensure that by checking the body works, tyres and all other requirements are met.”
The Otto team members don’t get any sales bonus, so you can trust them to advise you.
More than selling cars
When you join the Otto Car family, all your headaches are over. We help you take control.
In addition to the sales team, the Shepherd’s Bush hub also houses the Telematics and Driver Development teams.
“At first drivers are often not too sure about having a dashcam, that’s understandable. But we will explain to them that if something unfortunate happens, they can always come back to us to request a footage, and we help manage their claims.” MJ from the Telematics department said.
He added that the most rewarding part of the job is to help drivers protect themselves, for example, by securing the car registration for a hit and run, and using as proof of their innocence with passenger complaints.
Every car provided by Otto comes with a high-quality dashcam. And not only do we provide dashcams for Otto drivers as standard, but PCO drivers across London can now get one as part of our new Dashcam scheme.
Last but not least, we have Driver Assessor Rocky here to make sure drivers are at a decent standard. “Currently there is no standardised test in PCO driving. This is where Otto Car comes in to ensure all drivers and passengers are safe on the road before putting them in our vehicles.”
As part of the sign-up process, drivers have to take a driving assessment. “The number one priority in my role is safety, safety, safety. It is one of Otto Car’s core values, that’s to ensure that everybody gets home to their family and loved ones safely.”
Shepherd’s Bush is a convenient location for many private hire drivers who live or work in the west London area. It’s less than 10 10-minute drive from our former Hammersmith hub.
If you’re looking for PCO cars for rent or sale, or you would like to know if electric vehicles are for you, pop into our Shepherd’s Bush hub and have a chat with our friendly team. See you soon.
Address: 192 Goldhawk Road, London W12 9NS
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