Universal Taxi Dispatch

They were 45 minutes late in picking my girlfriend and I up from Ohare last night despite promising cab would be there in 25 minutes. They didn’t bother to let us know cab was running so late. I would have called Lyft. Also picked us up at wrong spot at international terminal despite me telling dispatch exactly where we were waiting. The guy taking us to airport got lost going to airport. How is that possible???

This company is horrible my 17 year old nephew got a cab #118 last night after work around 12:25 am and the cab crashed twice in the express way and still managed to take off and not let my nephew out of the car. Still brought him home and charged him $100 for a 8 mile distance. I called today to report the driver and no one is available to speak to me. This is unacceptable

Hello I used to work for these company about two months ago this is a horrible company the cars are in really bad shape am surprise they don't get inspections they pick up students 7 and up in these cars that are unsafe and horrible.. 95 dollars a day for a lease come one too much and they don't give you rides only enough to pay the lease don't ever use or work for this company ever ...

I am a corporate executive with Sears and was recently relocated to the Chicagoland Area.... I travel in and out of O'Hare Airport on a Weekly basis and needed to find a reputable Limousine Service that I could depend on. One of my collegues, told me that they had been using Universal Limousine & Private Car for over four years. I gave them a call on a Monday morning for my Monday afternoon flight. I did have my expectations, however I was blown away by their service, their professionalism and their customer support. From the first pick up I have felt like my business mattered to Universal Limousine. There rates were great, they were on time and their cars are new and immaculate. I usually don't have the time to review services that I take because of my schedule, However with times like these, It sure is great to feel appreciated as a customer. Universal Limousine has earned my business as long as I reside in the Chicagoland Area.

Thanks for all your help Universal Limousine

Charles Priester

I am not from Chicago, so I used them at the airport. The whole round trip was a disaster. They arrived 20 minutes late every time, and they didn't helped me for my baggage. The drivers didn't even know how to get to the airport. A sham for a "Taxi Company"

Awfull experience ! The driver was 25min late, the cab smell like old cigar, i was shocked by their service. Won't use it again

I had an unacceptable experience with Universal Taxi. I booked a taxi on January 1, 2016 at 12:57am. At 1:30am I received a call from dispatch telling me the cab was at my location, although the cab was not at my location, and I called the phone number provided for my driver. She figured out she was lost and tried to find the address. After talking to her on my phone for 26 minutes outside in 25 degree weather she finally showed up at 2am. My destination was the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. That trip is 6 miles and should have taken approximately 15-20 minutes and cost around $20. Again the driver got lost, on the way to a major Chicago landmark, and took an extra 20 minutes to get to my destination and my fare was over $33. While the driver did apologize for getting lost both times, that experience was unacceptable.

im an ex cab driver and i have worked for a few cab companies in my day...honestly the majority of these drivers are lazy degenerate cry babies who would rather complain than work...if i know one thing is that no cab company is going to put up with late payments on a lease. they tell you when they first hire you that NOTHING IS FOR SURE...driving a cab isnt like any 9 to 5 job. you have to put in the hours and give the time in to make your money. sure there will be some late nights but hey you have your slow days you have your good days. majority of these drivers sit around and do nothing and turn down rides to gamble or god knows what. you cant be lazy or a slacker otherwise your just setting yourself up to fail.

im not from chicago but i stayed for the summer with my in-laws and obviously being from florida my wife and i didnt have a car at our hands so we predominantly used universal to drive us around. if we needed to go downtown to have a good time they would take us and we had an extremely courteous driver and then we would go back to the suburbs. honestly they removed alot of stress and they did me a big favor by being such a prompt and professional company. so if im ever in town again im definitely taking universal for sure

i usually have a friend drive me to the airport when i have to leave for work through midway or ohare. i took them a few times and its a pretty decent cab service. i've taken so really bad cabs before but universal is basically a relaxation on the way to the airport. for a person like me im a very time efficient person which means i completely hate tardiness. i was nothing but pleased when my cab came early because it put my mind at ease.

I have been a repeat customer for universal for about 2 years already. they are by far the most professional and on time car service i have used by far. I have never had a complaint about there service. Every time i call the dispatchers remember my name and we always get nice drivers. I frequently travel out of town for work and whenever i need a car they are always on time if not 15 minutes early. The cars are always nice and clean as well. By far they are the best taxi service i have ever used.

Overall it's a good business. No I do not work for universal, don't suggest I'm lying! Most of the drivers want to make an honest buck. My mother and I have known Steve over years, and he seems to be a good guy, trying to provide for his family. I don't know how great it is too actually work for a cab company, I feel a lot of the drivers may have higher expectations than what it is. I hear a lot of stories, I get that lease payments and gas really add up. My only dislike is the drivers that purposely try to rip their customers. They will put rate 2, etc, instead of rate 1 when going a short distance, which is only going to add up to a few more dollars, but they do it all day and get and extra maybe 20+ possibly. So screwed up that they want to jip you $3.00 for example. Really? But most don't do that from my experience. Just watch for rate hikes, get quotes on prices if going far, and remember only trips that go 2 towns or further or have more than one passenger go past rate 1. Oh and the drivers get made at dispatchers a lot for reporting on them to. Only drivers that unfairly charge someone normally get disciplined! Food for thought. Yea dispatchers may be snippy at times, but the Taxi driver took on the role they have..... no one else's fault. Oh and they are usually timely, though once in a while lost or late, but I don't expect perfection.....

I have been using Universal Taxi for almost 11 years now. I am legally blind in one eye after a car accident and Universal and their drivers are a life saver. I have counted on them for trips to the grocery store, to church, you name it they are there within 15 minutes. I live in Elmhurst and need to get around all the time. Universal has been great and their prices are sooo cheap especially when most drivers would take advantage of my situation. Thank you for your help.



Michelle Greene

Honestly, I use this company all the time and I think that the 1 person out there that doesn't appreciate the dedication and reliability from Universal Limousine, should use her time in a more positive way than dishonestly slandering a Great Company. Obviously she doesn't know of Universal Limo as the rest of their customers do.

As a senior citizen, I really do not like to drive in this Chicago Weather. Snow, rain and so forth. Every early December my husband and I leave Bartlett and fly to Sarasota until early June. We have taken Universal Limousine to and from the airport for the past 6 years and I couldn't be happier. This company never raises their rates. There are no gimmicks. Their cars are all new and clean and smoke free. We never have to worry about sharing a car with strangers because Universal Limousine only provides private rides. I feel that we always get our moneys worth and that is important to us Senior Citizens. The drivers always assist us with our wheelchair and our luggage. They are so very nice and we will continue to take Universal Limousine and will refer them to our friends and family.



Betty Rand

Bartlett, Illinois

Our Company has a Corporate Account with Universal Limousine. We have Executives going to and from all day long. What I love about Universal Limousine is the fact that they make my job easier and stress free when it comes to setting up reservations for the Executives in our Chicago Office and Suburban Offices. I can appreciate the fact that when I call Universal, the customer service staff there is knowledgeable about my company and its frequent travelers. The reservationists pay attention to detail and are always one step ahead of me. I never worry if our clients have delays on their flight times, because I will receive a call from the Universal Limousine Office or an email alerting me of the time changes. Since they Monitor the Flights, I don't have to. The are a company that we depend on and they come thru each and every time. Their rates are always the lowest and they are always on time. I would recommend them to any person or company. They are outstanding.



Jack Smith

Oakbrook, IL

It took me over 2 years to plan my wedding day. From the dress to the DJ, I did nothing but research the best companies out there so when my wedding day finally came around, There would be no surprises. But as many brides to be,,,, plans change and so do any arrangements for the wedding. When it came to reserving Limousines for my wedding, I wasn't sure what exactly I wanted in terms of the limo trip. I called many companies, but when I called Universal Limousine I actually received the help and information that I was looking for. I spoke with Christina and Sarah on several occassions, and they took the time to find out what it was that I wanted for my special day. They were different from all the other companies right from the start. I placed my reservation with Universal for three Limousines on my Wedding Day, As they promised, the Limousines arrived on time, even early. The cars were beautiful, the chauffeurs were in suites and the red carpet was rolled out for me. I felt like a princess. For the nervous brides to be.... you can count on Universal Limousine to make your Dream Day come True. This company is Awesome!!

Response to Universal's posting below...This is the problem with Universal Limousine!



This response is indicitive to how they handle their customers. They refuse to address the issue at hand and will instead give you the verbal runaround repeating policy and dedication to service.



\u201c\u2026.our company will continue our dedication, customer service and strive to ensure our customers receive "Extraordinary Service".



Extraordinary Service would be addressing the issue and resolving with some sort of compensation. They are very nice, but incompetent and dishonest\u2026..would you allow a thief into your home just because he asks you nicely with a smile?



Their review states nothing more than what is already on their webpage.



Also, please note the dishonesty in their listing....



The three companys listed in yellow pages are all the same, they just use different addresses to avoid bad ratings. Notice in each name the company name stays the same with changes in the word "Inc."



PLEASE NOTE:



Universal Limousine & Private Car, Incorporated. (spelled out "Incorporated")

Universal Limousine & Private Car, Inc. (Period after the word "Inc.")

Universal Limousine & Private Car, Inc (No period after the word "Inc.")

Company accepted cash tip in addition to a 20% gratuity, which I was not infomed of. After calling customer service to dispute this, it was explained that there is infact a manditory 20% gratuity charge on all rides, so a cash tip is not expected from drivers. If a customer insists on providing gratuity in addition to the 20%, the driver “must” turn it down and is only allowed to accept if the customer insist beyond the first refusal. Needless to say, my driver did not follow this policy and was supposedly reprimanded according to the sales rep Edward. However, I still did not receive any sort of compensation and only continued to have problems with this company.



If you do not mind theiving drivers and dishonest company reps, then use this company. Otherwise, STAY AWAY!