“Enter with your change o!”
Permit me to introduce you to the Lagos Danfo driver; the one that wears this badge not only because his Danfo plies the Lagos highway but because he changes his fare according to weather or the time of the day or just because he wishes to.
A sworn enemy of LASTMA and a runaway patient of Yabaleft, he still manages to hold on to his job and passengers even with his poor customer service. We’re sure you’re wondering why; well, underneath all these layers of craze is a wide range of business skills you can learn to make life/business easier for you.
1. Mathematical Skills
High up on the list of skills you can pick up from a Lagos driver is their MIT-standard calculating skills. Every one of them seems to have a good head for numbers–at least when it comes to money. No matter the distance or number of pick-ups and stops made while on transit, a Lagos driver will never miscalculate.
Even if he does, he will never be the one on the losing end.
2. Risk Taking Skills
What has a Lagos driver not seen? Show him potholes, he will reduce them to nothing. Show him fuel queues, you will meet him at the front. Show him LASTMA, he will laugh at you (and them). Why? Because Danfo drivers are men of valour.
He sees shege everyday and has grown thick skin. With only half of the bravery of a Danfo driver you will be able to tackle the vicissitudes of life and attain great heights.
3. Time Management Skills
Time is Money and if you don’t understand that yet, Lagos drivers will teach you. If it is not to beat the rush hour, it is to run before LASTMA arrests them.
They never have time to spare and they won’t hesitate to leave behind anything or anyone that threatens to waste their time.
4. Problem Solving Skills
Danfo drivers always find a way out of anything. It doesn’t matter that they are breaking like ten traffic rules or taking routes that are not on Google map. Speaking of which, Google Maps has nothing on them.
Doesn’t it amaze you how they’re able to maneuver Lagos traffic like it’s nothing? There’s no problem too big for them to find their way around.
5. Communication Skills
Good fences, they say, make good neighbors. The average Danfo driver knows this too well, so they set their boundaries from the onset. He states his terms and conditions before the journey begins, “Enter with your change o!” or something like;”I go stop for garage o!”
Never shall a Lagos driver be caught in situations like having to let go of money because there is no change. If after everything, you still act anyhow then you shall see anyhow.
N.B. Mastering this skill can save you from the ‘He didn’t pay me in full!’ chronicles at work. Start clearly stating your terms and setting boundaries in your work relationships today.
6. Collaboration Skills
Team work helps drive any project to success, you can see this in the relationship between the driver and his conductor.
The conductor is responsible for hailing/discharging passengers, acting as the driver’s third eye, collecting fares and disbursing change. The more in sync the driver and conductor are, the smoother your ride.
7. Supportiveness
If you have never been to Lagos, here is a quick update; Lagos roads are playgrounds for people with varying levels of madness. One thing is however surprising, even in the midst of chaos and unrest, it is the craziest of the bunch that look out for each other the most.
Be it a mechanical issue or oyibo repete episode, Lagos drivers usually look out for their own.
These tips are as good as a $200 ebook on business etiquette? Don’t say we didn’t do anything for you.
#Unsolicited is a segment for reviews and opinion pieces. This edition highlights seven business skills that can be learnt from Danfo drivers.
