HOW FRIENDS DD WORKS
We send 2 drivers in one car to where you and your vehicle are. One of our professional drivers drives you home in your vehicle and the other driver follows. This gets you and your car home safe and sound and protects all others on the road. You don’t risk a DUI. You wake up with your vehicle in your driveway (and not left overnight in a parking lot).
1. Phone to book a ride or make a reservation.
Phone 604-670-0505 and tell our dispatcher where you want to be picked up, when you want to be picked up and where you are going to. Tell the dispatcher if you have a standard transmission. Tell the dispatcher if there will be stops and/or “drop-offs” along the way. The dispatcher will enter all details in our cloud based, APP based dispatch system. If you have not used Friends DD before, you will be asked to pay a $30 deposit via credit card. The deposit goes towards your fare.
2. Once your ride is booked.
a. When a driver is assigned to you, you will receive a text message on your cell phone containing all the details of your ride INCLUDING the name and cell phone number for your driver so that if you need to contact your driver, you can. Open that text message and read it checking the details. NOTE: do not reply to this message – our server cannot communicate with you.
b. You will also receive text messages from the dispatch system when your drivers are (1) on the way and (2) when they arrive.
c. “FLEXIBLE PICKUP TIMES” If you would like to change your pickup time, open the text message to get the name and phone number for your driver and phone your driver AT LEAST ONE HOUR BEFORE YOUR SCHEDULED PICKUP TIME (HINT: set an alarm on your cell phone for 70 minutes prior to your scheduled pickup time because time flies when you’re having fun!) PHONE YOUR DRIVER and make your time change request. If your driver cannot accommodate your request, your driver will phone the dispatcher who will then phone you with your options.
d. Shortly after your drivers start on route to you, your drivers will phone you with their ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival). If you do not answer this phone call, the drivers will text you their ETA. “Your designated drivers are on route ETA _. Please acknowledge.” Your drivers will keep phoning and texting until you respond, but if you do not respond within 5 minutes, your drivers will assume you are not there and move on to their next customer. It is your responsibility to monitor your cell phone in the 30 minutes leading up to your reserved time. Friends DD is NOT RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE if you do not monitor your cell phone in the 30 minutes before your scheduled pickup time.
e. Your drivers will also contact you directly to arrange where and when to meet. Help our drivers stay on schedule. Please be ready to leave when your drivers arrive. Once your drivers arrive, there is a “5 minute grace period” to get underway. After 5 minutes, the drivers will “start the meter” adding “waiting time” of $1.00 per minute.
f. If you cancel the trip once the drivers are “on route” there is a $30.00 cancellation fee. If you cancel the trip once the drivers have arrived, there is a $50.00 cancellation fee.
3. The drive home.
- Give your keys to our designated driver. You and all your guests get into your vehicle. Guests are not permitted to ride in the chase vehicle. Everyone must wear a seat belt.
- The designated driver will take enough time to adjust all mirrors, seat, seat belts and familiarize themselves with your vehicle. If asked, please assist to get heat and airflow over the windshield so that the windows do not fog up. Feel free to use your radio or sound system after you are underway.
- If you have a preferred route home, appoint a “designated navigator” who will be responsible for all directions. If you leave the route up to your driver, the driver will use a navigation APP to select a route.
- Your designated driver will pay special attention to the “chase vehicle” – the car that follows to pick up the designated driver at the end of the ride. Our 2 drivers work together as a team to get you home safely.
- As you approach your destination, please give the driver precise parking instructions.
4. Payment
- The fare is calculated using a Taximeter APP on the designated driver’s cell phone. Your driver will start the meter just before starting to drive and stop the meter when you arrive. Your driver will show you the meter reading. You pay the driver with cash or credit card.
- Receipts: Credit card receipts are emailed or texted to you at the time of payment. Cash receipts are issued by email the next day by scanning and emailing the original receipt (no duplicate receipts). Please give your driver your email address.
- Tips. 100% of all tips go to the drivers.