Mentors

There comes a time in every mentor / mentoree symbiosis, where the student can surpass the teacher. I am not saying I have done that. I am not yet one month in the business. Burnout happens within the first 6 mos. But there are some signs of that progression.

He is still referring people to me. Two such called me yesterday asuming he was off Sunday as usual. I casually mentioned to one of them that he was working when I found out. Later I ran into the client at the bar he was working, when I dropped off another passenger. He made arrangements for me to bring him home.

Later, when I went to get him, I saw my mentor's cab in front. I knocked on his window to joke around with him, and he jokingly acted mad at me. He said he stopped by to see if the guy needed a ride. But he had been told about our arrangements.

A few other of "his" customers are calling me now first instead of just when he is busy. One even called him out and said "I am getting quality service". I am not certain but I think it is possible that he or I was set up last week.

The reason for the fallout with the previous customer is that arrangements had been made for a prepaid round trip. When it was time to return, the mentor was on a long run, and it would be about an hour. An hour later when the customer called back, he was on another long run. I was called by the cabbie, and went to get the customer. The customer has called me only ever since.

Last week, the cabbie ran into the customer, and tried to make small talk. The customer said he was getting quality service. That very night my mentor called me about helping him on a long haul. When I agreed, I called thge customer to tell him I was getting ready to go on a long haul, and wanted to give him a heads up.

He said omigod omigod, can you come get us now. I did and went on my long haul. Later that week he told me about the running into him. Now I have to wonder, was the lesson for me as a cabby, in how you do not want to turn down a long haul? Or was it for the customer to see how easy it is for someone to get tied up with ambigious return trips. In any case, I had the forsight to call the customer because I had a feeling he may have been ready to leave, and the customer knew exactly what was going on. I have not mentioned this to the mentor. But if it was a test, I passed.