Green Cab & Yellow Cab

I use these guys all the time but lately, I’ve been extremely disappointed and pretty aggravated just about every time I use them.
Valentines Day, we took a cab to the restaurant. Now everyone knows that the cabs now have a debit/​credit card machine you can use if you don’t have cash & you can even add on a tip. This is fantastic, especially for people like me who very rarely carry cash. We get to the restaurant and my boyfriend pulls out his card and the cab driver FLIPS OUT. No exaggeration, he starts yelling at us saying «Didn’t the dispatcher tell you the system was down?! We can’t use the machine! Cash only!» We apologized and told him we had ZERO cash so he yelled at us to just get out of the cab. So, we did. And as soon as we were out of the cab, my boyfriend called Green Cab and let the dispatcher know all about it. Turns out, he was trying to pocket the cash — nothing was wrong with the machine. And unfortunately, this is not the first time a cab driver for this company has pulled this.
A couple of months ago, I took a cab to my house from Somerville Avenue which is usually a $ 7 ride, before tip. Well, not only did the driver go all around the world to get to my house (to jack up the rate, of course) but he made me stop at an ATM to get cash! Which of course, added even more money to my cab fare!
Complaints have been made but nothing seems to be changing. So disappointed and pretty disgusted with some of these drivers.

Update: I have heard from the owner and they understand my points. They are actively working on these issues. I feel very good about that.
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I have had many good experiences with Green Cab. But, I have a few critical remarks:
— re. credit cards: From the perspective of the driver there seem to be 2 drawbacks to accepting credit cards. One is a delay of several days in getting paid. The other is losing a percentage of the payment to a charge just for using a credit card. I often don’t have cash around when I want to call a cab. But, now I don’t want to pay them with a credit card because I don’t want to cost the driver money and they understandably don’t want to be paid that way. Also bad, there is a sign in the cab saying that if the driver won’t take a credit card I should call a number. I do not want to be in the middle of this. If the company could find a way to set this right — so the driver faces no disadvantage by taking a credit card payment — then the cab service would be much more attractive. We should be able to ride cashless without any worries or awkwardness.
— re. cost as a function of route: Usually when I get into a cab the driver will ask me what route I would like to take. I feel that if I’m not sure of the route then he will know that he can take me any route no matter how long and expensive. I believe most cabbies will not take advantage of this. But, if the cost of going from point A to point B was fixed at the outset then that worry would be removed.
— re. reliability: The last time I called Green Cab the dispatcher said «10 minutes.» After 15 I called back and the the number was unavailable. I called over and over as a feeling of panic came over me because I had an important appointment to get to. What to do? As my wife continued attempting to get through to the dispatcher I signed up for über. I went through the forms, entered my credit card info. Put in my current address and destination. Was told what it would cost. I accepted and within 2 minutes an über car pulled up and took me directly to my appointment without hassle.

Fare Amount: $ 23.80
Tip Amount: $ 5.95
Total Amount: $ 29.75!!!
Normal route: 2.1 miles
Green cab route: 5.4 miles
It’s been almost 1 week since this occurred and I am still furious about being taken advantage of by driver #95 207. The Target staff member helped me call for this ride and got a quote of $ 10-​$ 15 depending on the traffic. What should’ve been a simple ride from Target Somerville to Harvard Square turned out to be a city tour via MIT route because driver #95 207 says there was traffic due to the farmers market. 5:30 pm on a Saturday… does he think we’re stupid? Everyone has a phone today and is able to check the traffic conditions which was all clear. However, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Little did I know he would take us that far… via Memorial Drive MIT campus! The different routes on my GPS doesn’t even show this route as an option. At that point we just wanted to reach our destination and get out! There was nothing we could do because we had 5 big bags of shopping items as we were in the process of moving my daughter into her apartment. Yes, it was my fault for not speaking up and letting him get away with it. What’s even more irritating is he continued to take advantage of us when he gave himself a 25% tip!!! He asked if I wanted to leave a tip on my credit card, but didn’t give me a chance to specify an amount!!! This is OUTRAGEOUS!!! I just took it and left because I was so tired, jet lagged and didn’t want to deal with him. PEOPLE! BEWARE OF THIS DRIVER… HE WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU IF YOU ARE NOT FROM THAT AREA. Licensed or not, makes no difference! We ended up using Über for the rest of our trip and felt more comfortable.

On Saturday morning, there was no traffic, and we flagged down a cab in downtown Boston to get to Logan. At that time and under those conditions, a trip to Logan from downtown should cost ~$ 15 – 20 (including tip). In any case, a Green Cab vehicle pulled over and we got in. Turns out that was a mistake. The cab driver asked where we were going, and we replied «Logan.» He then drove to I-​93 north and took it to exit 28 in Somerville /​Charleston, and he followed Cambridge Street to Rutherford Avenue.. . and then he got back on I-​93 going south!
The entire time I kept saying «I don’t understand this route» and «where are you going?» with no response. He ended up taking I-​93 to the Callahan Tunnel and finally proceeding to Logan. Still no explanation from the driver regarding the reason for the completely unnecessary trip to Somerville, which was obviously done to run up the fare because by the time we arrived at Logan, the fare was $ 30.. . plus a $ 5 surcharge for unclear reasons (typically there is a $ 7.50 surcharge for LEAVING Logan, and a $ 2.75 surcharge for ARRIVING at Logan — the $ 2.75 surcharge was already included in our exorbitantly inflated meter price. The $ 5 ‘add on’ was just nonsense.)
We told the driver we weren’t paying, wanted a receipt and wanted to see his hackney license. I ended up giving him the $ 30 in order to get the receipt as evidence of this ridiculous over-​charge. I called the company and was told that paying $ 30 (or $ 35) for a ride to Logan was «not right», but that nothing could be done about it because no managers were available until Monday.
So, on Monday I will call the Somerville Police Hackney Bureau (at 617−625−1000) and inform this of this. It’s not entirely about the money (although getting ripped off like that is obnoxious), rather it’s offensive that potential visitors to Boston are being taken advantage of by disreputable cab drivers. If Boston wants to continue to be a tourist destination and inspire return visits, this kind of behavior has to stop.
Bottom line: I’d avoid Green Cab vehicles unless you want an unnecessary, time-​wasting, expensive detour included in your trip.

I called on Friday night, June 5, to arrange for a cab to pick me up in Arlington at 4:45 the next morning to bring me to the airport. The cab arrived a few minutes early, the inside of the car was immaculate, and the driver was very professional. The only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is because the dispatcher sounded like a hot mess and didn’t exactly instill confidence that the cab would arrive as scheduled.

I’ve now lived in Somerville for 3.5 years and my loyalty to Green Cab has only grown. Now, no one really loves cab companies so whenever I say to a colleague that Green Cab is my go-​to cab company they always ask why. And truth be told there’s one ride that really started it all.
I travel for work on a regular basis and I’m frequently taking early morning flights out of Logan. I always call to schedule my pick-​up the night before. Often, the dispatcher recognizes my cell number and the conversation goes like this:
Dispatcher: «Taxi.»
Me: «Hi. I would like to schedule a pick-​up for the morning.»
Dispatcher: «[My address]?.»
Me: «Yup.»
Dispatcher: «Going to?»
Me: «Logan.»
Dispatcher: «Time?»
Me: «5:45.»
Dispatcher: «You’re all set.»
I love it. Maybe I’m a sucker for that Somerville brusqueness but that conversation could not be more efficient. In any case, one morning I sleep through my alarm. When I miss my pick-​up, which I never do, dispatch calls me. The call wakes me up and when dispatch realizes what’s happened, tells the cab driver to wait while I throw clothes on. I made my flight. In the dozens of times since then that I’ve scheduled pick-​ups, Green Cab was late once. (It was for a 7:30 pick-​up and there was traffic.) Most of the time they’re there 5 to 10 minutes early and they tap the horn to remind me to get out the door at my pick-​up time. Once I’m in the cab, 90% of the time the driver is local and knows every nook and cranny of Somerville. The other 10% of the time, the driver is pleasant, knows the route, but may not know the short-​cuts and traffic patterns of every intersection. (I suspect this is because I ride with them in the morning, but still.)
If you’re hoping for pleasantries and cheer (especially from dispatch), don’t call these guys. And the app has been buggy in my experience, so I still go with a phone call, so if you’re looking for minimal human interaction, go with Über. But if you want reliable service in a part of Boston where most cabbies just say, «Huh?» in response to an address, they’re your guys.

After my review was written, the owner, Cheryl, reached out and apologized and explained that not all drivers are aware that this fee has been lifted. She even offered to send me a gift certificate. Very thoughtful. Not many business owners would take the effort to do this!

I WOULD CHOOSE UBER OVER THIS COMPANY ANY DAY.
I don’t know about you but I was brought up to be respectful and not to talk like an a-​hole to people who are trying to give you business.
I called to get an estimate from a train stop to the airport and after him sounding annoyed that it wasn’t an EXACT address he told me a price. He told me I can’t get picked up from there anyway because he needed an address so I gave him the address of the corner where I would be and named the cross streets. Mind you, it’s really not hard to find.
Anyway, I didn’t have a street house at the top of my head so because it took me a few seconds he interrupted me and rudely said ‘call us back when you have the address we’re busy here’ and hung up on me. Excuse me? Do you think I’d actually call you back after you speak to me like that? Learn some manners. You’re not getting any business from me.

I’ve used them all hours of the day & night for airport runs, and noticed that the answering service is surprisingly friendly, and the drivers have always been reliable & on time

Okay so here is an update not long after my last review the owner sent me a message saying that she would look into my complaint. But would be sending me a gift certificate and I have yet to receive it even though I sent her my address. Nevertheless I tried green cab today and it was a big mistake the driver was on his phone the whole time almost getting into accidents 3 different times. I also left my phone in the taxi and the driver made me pay him $ 20 to bring it back to me. Like I said in my last review Green and Yellow cab was my go to cab company. But after today the chances of me using them ever again are slim to none.

:UPDATE:
After posting the review below, I got a very sincere and apologetic email from the owner in a matter of minutes. It looks like they have new dispatchers who don’t know the ropes. And she said my friend should contact them for a refund regarding the surcharge for increased demand.
I’m updating my stars from 1 to 2.
0 star for their call handler and their training (or lack there of)
5 stars for their owner who has to remedy her employee’s mistakes
That still averages to a 2 star since what we as customers have to deal with is the call handlers before anything else when getting a cab.
:
I’ve always had a good experience with them until this year. Maybe the snowy winter has brought out the worst in them, but I definitely won’t be using them for a while. First, I had heard from my friend that they had charged him $ 80 from Somerville to Logan (a 20min trip) because there was too much demand and not enough supply for cabs in the city. The worst part is, he was only told after he had already taken the trip (is this even legal?)
Perhaps it was my bad for even trying after hearing this, but I’ve never had a bad experience myself so I didn’t even think twice before giving them a call. We called and reserved a cab 1hr in advance to go to the airport. We’ve used them before so our phone was tied to our address. We confirmed our address and the dispatcher promised a cab. 1hour later, our cab still wasn’t here. 15min later, I called them and told them the cab isn’t here. I was in a hurry so I just asked the dispatcher, if it just wasn’t coming. Apparently that offended the dispatcher and he yells «why would you say that? It will be there any minute.» Then he recites the wrong address (which was about 10 houses down the street). So I asked him «so, does the driver have the wrong address?» and his response was «Mam, I don’t have time to play games with you»: HANGS UP:
Apparently I’m not allowed to ask if the cab has the correct address.
Long story short, I think I’ll find a new cab company for now.

This company is extremely unreliable. I’ve scheduled multiple days ahead only to be met with a late driver, a no show or a cancelation on their part.
Once, I scheduled for a certain time, the cab got there early, and left with no notification whatsoever. By the time I reached dispatch, I had actually gotten halfway to my destination on foot.
I wanted to trust these guys, especially since I’m a resident of Somerville and enjoy supporting local businesses. However, they’ve proved themselves time and again to be disorganized, careless, and non dependable.

I’ll try and be quick, and to the point.
There is absolutely no reason to use this service now that Über/​Lyft are around.
I’ll admit, they show up more often than the other cab companies I’ve made reservations with in Boston, and they have a (halfway) decent app, but like I said… Über exists. Read through the 5 star reviews on these guys, and you’ll mostly get comments about them being hit or miss, or just a little better than the alternative cab companies. Read the 1 star reviews and realize you’ve got about a 20% chance of having that same experience. I haven’t compared prices to Über, Green & Yellow are probably a little cheaper… but my mom is sitting here after missing her flight thanks to them not showing up… even after making a reservation, calling to confirm, calling again after them not showing up, and waiting for their ‘other driver who is just around the corner’.
I’ve got two or three other cringe-​worthy stories, but you get the idea.
(If you’re still reading this, and choose to head my warning and use Über, bring your own GPS and all will be fine).

In my experience, Green & Yellow Cab is really as good as it gets when it comes to taxi services in the area. However, like another reviewer said, the drivers can be a hit or miss.
A few weeks ago, I was quite sick and walked to Market Basket for some soup. As I was making my way back to my apartment, I was becoming really fatigued, so I hailed down a green and yellow cab. The driver was so kind. He reminded me of my jolly, loving grandpa. When we arrived in front of my apartment, he told me to relax, put on an old movie, and feel better. Then he told me my ride was on the house because I was sick. I was so touched by his kindness. This experience and other positive ones are the reason why I always choose this cab company!
But over the weekend, a cab driver charged me $ 10, when my fare was only $ 4.90. He told me it was because of the minimum fee. I was puzzled because I had never heard of this fee before. I got the feeling he was being dishonest, and after questioning this fee, I paid him. I was pretty bummed and swore off Green and Yellow cab for about 15 minutes, at which point I decided to call the company to see about this fee. The dispatcher was very sorry and sympathetic and told me that the minimum fee had been lifted last year. She asked me to call back on Monday when the managers were in. I am in contact with one of the managers and it’s now getting sorted out.
Overall, great customer service, but watch out for dishonest cab drivers! Try not to judge the company based on a single bad experience.

Polite and fast. Tend to refuse credit cards and make you pay cash. Especially when you are in a hurry.

I took a cab this morning from my house near Sullivan Station in Somerville to Logan airport at 4:15am. The driver showed up early, helped me get my bags out of my house and into the car and was so incredibly nice. I forget his name (I’m the worst at names!) but he couldn’t have been nicer — such a sweetheart. I got to chat with him for a bit which was lovely. He helped me unload my bags too. We got to the airport very quickly and it was $ 27 without tip (I gave him $ 34 because he was so great!).
Cannot recommend this cab service enough! It was my first time using Green Cab and I will definitely use it again and recommend it to other people.

Used these guys to get back to the hotel from Atwood’s Tavern in Cambridge. Called at around 12:15am.
Dispatcher: «Taxi.»
Me: «Hi, could we get a cab to pick-​us up from Atwood’s Tavern and drive us to The Eliot hotel?»
Dispatcher: «Sure.»
Me: «Ok, thanks. Any idea of how long? No rush, just curious.»
Dispatcher: Click. Hang-​up.
What? I wasn’t sure if we’d get a cab or not… so, I went back inside and sat down at the bar. I started to browse other cab companies when I looked out the window and saw a cab out front. I walked out and sure enough, it was Green Cab. I asked the driver to wait a minute while I closed out our tab. He said no problem, and true to his word waited the few minutes that it took for us to get outside.
The driver was friendly and did a great job of getting us back to the hotel at a cost of around $ 12. That seems a tad high to me, but it is what it is.
The dispatchers need some serious customer care training…
I called again the next morning for a ride from The Eliot to Boston Logan, and it went like this:
Dispatcher: «Taxi.»
Me: «Hi — wondering if I could get a cab from The Eliot on Commonwealth to Boston Logan?»
Dispatcher: «You there now?»
Me: «Yep, our flight is at 2:20pm.» (it was about 11:00am when I called)
Dispatcher: «Dude, I got nobody there. Call Boston Taxi.» Click. Hang-​up.
Uh, ok. Thanks, I guess?
—
Also, thanks to Karen from Green Cab — she messaged me and wanted extra details so that she could follow-​up with folks. This helped me better recall the timing of things; my initial review made it seem like a few days passed between calls/​experiences, but both took place on the same day (11÷20÷14). Thanks again for the follow-​up! Truly great that the company cares enough to check-​in and follow through based on feedback. Thank you.

Growing up in Somerville Green Cab is the ONLY cab I use and trust. The drivers all know the area and are able to effectively get you from Point A to Point B. No they don’t drive luxury town cars or have a funny pink mustache in the front but I’ll tell you what they do have. 35 years of phenomenal service in the Greater Boston area. That doesn’t just happen by chance. Technology and competition can be a good thing. Driving businesses that might be set in their ways into more innovative and customer driven business practices. But there’s something to be said about integrity and passion for a job well done. I believe the Chaille family has those qualities and puts out a great product by driving the masses to and from their destinations with class and dignity.
Last ride I got from in town I told the driver my address and he didn’t have to punch it into any GPS. He asked Is that the old school they converted? That is correct sir! Wow it’s nice knowing somebody pays attention. I leaned back and enjoyed the breeze through the window and the casual ride home.
A quote from one of the owners. «We constantly give back to our city and its citizens, especially the elderly and children. We have a non-​profit and give FREE rides to senior citizens of Somerville. We care deeply about this city and have done many things to help improve city living.»
Trust the Shamrock people! They won’t steer you wrong!

What do you do when you have a 5:45 AM flight to catch? Why, make an online reservation with Green Cab, of course. Seriously, the online reservation process was awesome and took less than 5 minutes! You just make an account, add your starting and ending point plus the date and time you wanna get picked up… easy peasy. I’ll admit that I was a little nervous because my phone reservation got lost once (6 AM reservation accidentally marked as 6 PM… ahh) so I called to confirm that there would indeed be someone picking me up at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. Dispatcher was great and confirmed that someone was already on their way. The driver was awesome — friendly and courteous. He even went out of his way to make sure he had enough change before he picked me up.
Only downside to Green Cab is that they don’t use a GPS system so if you don’t know where you’re going, make sure you look up the directions beforehand or pull them up on your phone.

Moved to the area recently and I’ve only used these guys once. I called to arrange an early morning pickup to the airport the night before my flight.
The cab arrived on time and got me to the airport quickly. The cab reeked of air fresheners; enough to make my stomach turn. The cab driver added an additional $ 5.25 on to my fare for the tolls. Is that standard?
The guy on the phone is a bit sarcastic and not very customer friendly, but it didn’t bother me too much, since I’m not trying to befriend my local cab dispatcher.

Y’all heard the news? Every Green Cab now accepts credit cards. Technology!
Aside from this ground-​breaking development, the drivers are never late when scheduled, typically a bit too conversational (even at that 5am Logan run), and the cars themselves are well-​maintained. Not luxe, mind you, but comfortably cushioned, stain– and odor-​free. And their fleet is large enough to where there always seems to be one nearby.
Of particular note: the folks at dispatch are an absolute hoot (absohoot?). Either THE most polite woman — loaded with P’s & TY’s — or the guy with the dry humor that had me belly-​laughing during my most recent call (ask me why, it’s cute), I’m always smiling when I hang up with them.
Who says that about a taxi service? I do. Five stars.