BJ Roberts – Victoria Taxi

Award recepient: BJ Roberts – Victoria Taxi Company March 1, 2016

On 20th March, we had a guest that needed to get to Departure Bay in Nanaimo to meet her daughter in North Vancouver late afternoon on the 21st March. The lady had no vehicle and we tried many different ways of getting her there, but all were going to be expensive. From busing to Vancouver then taxi, flight then taxi, bus to Duncan then transfer, bus then sea-bus, we tried everything. Then we had a thought and wondered if our regular taxi driver, B.J., could do something for us.

The next puzzle was when to leave Victoria, her meeting at the hospital was to go till 2pm but could go longer. So we suggested to leave no later than 4pm so to catch the ferry she needed to meet her daughter on the other side.

We talked to B.J. and asked if he could do this pick-up at 4pm, keeping in mind she might be earlier if the meeting finished on time. He said he could do it and will put a contingency plan together if it’s an earlier pick-up and he can’t make it.

By the afternoon of 20th the plan was set, B.J. called into the hotel and talked to the guest so to settle the nerves of the guest. After talking to the lady, they came up with an awesome plan. This is why I’m nominating him.

He offered to pick the guest up at the hotel at 12.15pm and take her to the meeting, at the same time taking her luggage with them. He would drop her off and keep her luggage, so she didn’t have to store them in the small meeting room at the hospital. He’d then do some small runs around Victoria until she was ready to go. Bearing in mind B.J is normally an airport run cabby, he gave her his number and he was at her beck and call whenever she was ready. Then, after driving around Victoria for a couple of hours, drove her up to Nanaimo with her bags in the back for a nominal fee.

He always looks after our guests at The Magnolia and this is not the first time that he has gone above just being a cab driver, but part of the seamless workings of this hotel.