From calling a taxi to tipping the driver, taxi rides have a unique protocol. Whether you’re a host, a junior executive, or a guest, creating favorable impressions when riding in a taxi includes knowing where to sit, how to get in, and how to get out. The way you behave in these situations is only part of that positive image that you need to project to the world.

When you travel with a group of trading partners, the rank and hierarchy of your fellow travelers determines seating precedence. Customers are the most important members of the group, above the top executives of the company. Junior executives should sit after everyone else, in the least desirable seats, or ask the group leader where they should sit. (In taxis, the middle seat in the back is the most uncomfortable, and the passenger seat in the front is the most dangerous.) The junior executive, not a guest, should sit in the front seat if there is very little room in the back seat. . Women follow this business seat etiquette of rank and status rather than the social etiquette of gender, and sit accordingly.

When two people ride in a taxi, the younger person asks the chief executive where to sit and then enters the cab curbside first, slipping in if necessary.

A taxi driver may or may not open the doors for passengers. If a man and a woman are traveling together on business, good manners still require that he open the door for her and let her in first. The woman sits on the rear passenger side; the man walks behind the taxi and sits behind the driver. Upon arrival at their destination, if both passengers share the fare, the woman gives her share to the man while they are still in the taxi. The man gets out first, leaves the door open for her, and then pays the driver from outside.

It is customary to pay a taxi fare in cash; however, if you prefer to pay by credit card or check, check with the driver before entering the taxi. Tips depend on the length of the trip and whether or not the driver has provided additional service. The usual tip is 15 to 20 percent of the fare, or more if the driver has helped with luggage or made additional stops.

When you travel for business, you represent your company and everything you do reflects on you and your company’s reputation. Updating your taxi decal will ensure that the impressions you give to others say the right things about who you are.