Aunt Gail’s Taxi owner Gail Cossey reflects after five years in business

Gail Cossey, owner of Aunt Gail’s Taxi, is celebrating the five-year business anniversary of her cab company, reflecting on the past few years of ensuring customer service excellence.

In spite of facing challenges that come with opening a new business during the COVID-19 pandemic, Aunt Gail’s Taxi owner Gail Cossey was determined to let her business flourish.

Aunt Gail’s Taxi opened in 2020 and is celebrating its five-year business anniversary, along with accomplishments like building a strong team of drivers.

"It's hard to believe it's been five years already. It went very quickly. It feels really good. It's very exciting,” Cossey said.

Aunt Gail’s Taxi is the number one rated cab company on Google and was nominated for the service award from the Stratford Chamber of Commerce’s Business Excellence Awards in 2024.

It took a while for Cossey to find the right drivers for her taxi company partly because it was difficult to find people willing to work with the public during the pandemic restrictions. Also, Cossey focuses on customer service and wants to ensure that her staff are customer-oriented as well.

"I need people that like to be working with the public and that are friendly and outgoing and that can assist the clients with their walkers and groceries, that sort of thing,” she said. “The first couple of years was tough trying to get the right drivers.”

During the restrictions, Cossey designed a plan which included the plastic shields between the driver and passengers to mitigate COVID spread while ensuring that health care workers could attend work. Protocol also included wiping down machines after each transaction, doors and seatbelts, sanitizing and wearing masks.

"We never had a driver that came down with COVID while we had the shields in,” Cossey said.

She also got a liquor license for Aunt Gail’s Taxi so the cab company could keep the company going and deliver orders from the LCBO and Beer Store to customer’s porches. Aunt Gail’s Taxi also delivers takeout orders, groceries, packages and flowers to customers’ doorsteps.

"I really feel it was the deliveries and us having the shields that made us through our first full year,” Cossey said.

Aunt Gail’s Taxi ensures those unable to afford their own car can have access to transportation, that bar-goers have a safe ride home and that seniors can get around the city and maintain their independence.

"That is very rewarding about my business – is that I know we're making a difference by touching people’s lives that way,” she said.

To book a ride with Aunt Gail’s Taxi, call 519-276-2899.