TaxiOffice Getting Started Guide

Welcome

Welcome to TaxiOffice! This article provides a quick guide to getting started with TaxiOffice including initial configuration and adding your first job.

This article is just one of many support articles and guides for TaxiOffice available in our Knowledgebase. If you cannot find an answer to a question, please try the search facility found on each page or send a message to our support team.

Provisioning

Before you can start using TaxiOffice, your new instance first has to be provisioned. Provisioning is the process where we generate and pre-configure a new TaxiOffice instance. Provisioning is handled by our automated systems and typically takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Upon completion, you will receive a message confirming the provisioning and activation of the new TaxiOffice instance.

If you do not receive an activation message within 15-20 minutes, please contact our support team. Please note that new TaxiOffice instances will not be activated until payment has been received.

Logging in for the first time

Once your new TaxiOffice instance has been activated, you can login and begin to configure TaxiOffice for your company. Open your web browser and go to the following address:

your.taxioffice.address/admin

For example, if you specified the address mytaxicompany.taxioffice.net during signup, enter the address.

mytaxicompany.taxioffice.net/admin

You should see a login screen. Enter admin for the username and the password you specified during signup.

First Time Setup

Once logged in, you will automatically be taken to the First Time Setup wizard. This wizard will lead you through configuring the core details and settings of TaxiOffice. Don't worry if you don't have all of the details to hand - nearly all of the settings you define in the wizard may be changed later.

Not all fields or options need to completed within the wizard. Mandatory fields are in bold text.

To begin the wizard, click on the Next button.

Step 1: Your Company

The first form in the wizard deals with the core details of your organisation.

• Registered Name - This is the formal name of your company or organisation. If you a sole trader, enter your full name.
• Company Number - If you are a registered company or organisation, enter your registration number
• Registration Jurisdiction - If you are a registered company or organisation, enter the jurisdiction in which you are registered
• Registered Address - If you are a registered company or organisation, enter the registered address. This may differ from your trading address

Once you have completed this form, click on the Next button.

Business Settings

This step of the wizard is where you define how and when your business operates. It is separated into two block: Opening times and Services.

Opening Times

• Opening Time - Your opening or start of business time.
• Closing Time - Your closing time.
• Job Lead Time - Defines how long in advance a booking must be made.

Services

• Services Provided - Select the services you offer. Please only select services you are legally permitted to offer.
• Local Authority - The name of the local authority, council or unitary authority you operate in.

Once you have completed this form, click on the Next button.

Step 2: Contact Details

This is stage of the wizard is where the contact information for your company is defined. These contact details are for both public (i.e. customer) and administrative use.

Account

• Alerts E-mail - The e-mail address that TaxiOffice alerts are sent to. This settings is only for administrative use and may differ from any public e-mail address.

Public

• Telephone Number - the public telephone number used by your company
• International Telephone Number - The international telephone number for your company. If you use a premium rate or freephone number for Telephone Number, enter its' standard telephone number equivalent.
• Fax Number - any public fax number advertised by your company
• E-mail Address - this is the public e-mail address for your company and will be shown on the public website and is the sender address used by all messages sent by TaxiOffice.

Once you have completed this form, click on the Next button.

Step 3: Financial Settings

This stage of the wizard is where payment, VAT and general financial settings are configured.

Important: The value of Currency cannot be changed once specified.

• Currency - the default currency used by your company
• Payment Period - Applies only to customers that pay by account. Indicates how many days after invoice date payment is due.

VAT

If you are registered for Value Added Tax (VAT) or Sales Tax, please complete this section.

• Registered for VAT - check or tick this option if you are registered for VAT or sales tax
• VAT Number - Your VAT or sales tax registration number

Once you have completed this form, click on the Next button.

Step 4: Fares

In the majority of instances, the values for Fares may be defined by your Local Authority. Please enter all values without any currency symbols.

• First Mile Fare - The fare to charge for the first mile of the journey
• Fare Per Mile - The fare to charge for subsequent miles
• Minimum Fare - The minimum chargeable fare
• Tariff 2 Multiplier - The decimal multiplier for Tariff 2
• MPV Multiplier - The multiplier to apply for MPVs
• Miles Per Gallon - The anticipated average MPG
• Cost Per Litre - The current average cost/litre of fuel

Once you have completed this form, click on the Next button.

Step 5: Add Driver

This stage of the wizard is where you define the first driver in your company. At least one telephone number must be supplied for a driver, preferrably a mobile number.

• Full Name - The full name of the driver
• Date of Birth - The driver's date of birth
• Address - The driver's home address
• Telephone Number - The driver's home telephone number
• Mobile Number - The driver's mobile telephone number
• Hackney Carriage Expiry - The date the driver's Hackney Carriage licence will expire. If not known, or the driver does not hold a Hackney Carriage licence, leave empty.
• Private Hire Expiry - The date the driver's Private Hire driving licence will expire. If not known, or the driver does not hold a private hire licence, leave empty.

Once you have completed this form, click on the Next button.

Step 6: Setup Complete

When you reach this stage, the First Setup Wizard has been successfully completed and TaxiOffice is ready to be used.

Nearly all of the settings configured in the wizard may be changed later through Settings & Tools > Settings.

To continue to TaxiOffice, click on the Next button.

TaxiOffice Dashboard

The TaxiOffice Dashboard is the standard welcome and information page for TaxiOffice.

Adding a Job

To add a job, from within the Dashboard click on the Add Job button. Alternatively, you can go to Jobs > Add Job or click on the Add Job button found at the top of every page in the Admin site.

What's next?

Whilst adding and managing jobs is the core activity of TaxiOffice, there are many other functions and capabilities including:

• Customer Accounts
• Quotes
• Managing Drivers and Vehicles
• Public Website

Got a question?

If you have a question or query, send our support team a message.