Limo and Sedan Services EXPOSED!!!

So, you are one of the priviledged ones that gets that elegant service that takes you to and from the airport, to and from meetings, conventions, proms, weddings, and other events? You enjoy your traveling experience! It is fine service indeed that you get from most limousine sedan services.




Arriving to the aiport and having someone there waiting for you at the baggage claim with one of those little signs is very good. Not having to worry about parking your car at the airport and pay those high parking fees, too, is good. Clearing your mind or brainstorming the main points of the board meeting you will be heading to while your professional chauffeur drives frees you from the headaches of commuting while allowing you to make business related calls, without worrying about getting side tracked by the imprudent traffic or pedestrians. Peace of mind indeed.

You must also consider that, if you are thinking of a night out, short as it may be, and you are considering drinking alcoholic beverages, you might just save yourself money by hiring a private sedan or stretch limousine (and split the cost amongst your friends).
Any way you cut it, riding with a sedan and/or limousine service is a great alternative because of the convenience, comfort, and safety.

Now that we've covered why most use limousines and how to afford a limousine, let's introduce you to a few secrets I've learned as a chauffeur for more than 10 years which may help you save money, save you from being scammed/ripped off, and educate you as to how the limo businesses are run.

As a chauffeur of many celebrities, government officials, and business executives, I cannot stress enough the importance of doing your homework before you choose limousine services. Not all limousine services are created equal. And no my friend, bigger is not always better (referring to the size of the limousine or sedan service).

I know many independent sedan operators and limousine service providers that do an excellent job and actually preffer limiting the number of accounts they accept so that they don't loose personal touch with the customers. That brings me to the point of not mistakenly thinking that 'bigger is better'. It simply couldn't be further from the truth. I knew, for example a large Dallas company that had more than 20 cars in their fleet, yet if you compared the service they could provide to the service an independent person can provide, you are in for a surprise.

Let us consider one underlying reason for this statement's veracity: Personalized Service. If you have the same chauffeur all of the time, as it would be the case when working with a small company or an indepenedent owner/operator, you will not have to repeat your preferences to the chauffeur you get EVERY TIME you need to go to the airport, including your favorite route, favorite bottled water brand, favorite newspaper, and whether you like listening to music, news, talk radio, or if you'd like it quiet all of the time for that business call you make to your administrative assistant to get briefed on the way to or from the airport.

Secondly: Amenities. As it may be expected, a smaller owner operator would be more willing to make concessions, like free bottled water and newspaper, perhaps even a non-alcoholic drink too; an option most larger operators would consider a headache (in terms of the scope of overseeing and confirming that ALL clients' demands and preferences are met).

Next: Special Priviledges. All owner operators have a say as to the charges they will and will not impose. For instance, suppose you need to swing by a drive thru coffee shop to buy drink. Well, if you are using a large service, the chauffeur is told to charge each additional stop, often splitting the charge with the chauffeur in order to have an insentive for him/her to apply the charge. An owner operator would be more likely to wave the extra charges to keep you happy and keep you as their much needed client.

Added to this is: Cost. I cannot tell you what a big difference this makes in your budget. Perhaps you CAN ride a luxury sedan rather than always taking a taxi. Most owner operators are always hungry for that one business executive that is traveling two to three times a week; or at least weekly. If you can assure him your continued business you can go ahead and discount your airport service at least 20-30%. For instance, one owner operator here in Dallas will charge his regular client $50 per ride, whereas the big company charges $65 to $75 plus service charge.

Think about it. Most large companies have so many clients that you are just one more client to them. They know that if you don't use them, they still have more clients and, as a matter of fact, they have so many clients that you might be picked up by an independent owner contractor anyway because their fleet has over extended its capacity. That's right! If you book an airport ride and they don't have enough cars they will still book your reservation, then they scramble to get an independent owner operator to do the job and pretend they work for the company you hired. If you don't believe me, just ask for the truth from your chauffeur the next time you get picked up, you'll confirm my words for yourself.

So, you've learned the differences between independent and large sedan and limousine service providers now. A persistent question amongst many limo and sedan service clients is regarding TIPS. That is, IS THE TIP INCLUDED? Many large companies deceive their customers telling them that there is a 20% service charge that's on the bill and that it takes care of the driver. Then they tell you that additional tip is up to you. Let me set the record straight: THE DRIVER WILL NEVER SEE THIS "TIP" IF YOU! The service charge merely covers, in part, the driver's base pay, the gas, and maintenance charge of the car. Tip is separate. Here's where I will expose the big limo services and explain how they deceive you. Drivers in Dallas, Texas, where I have worked get paid between $10 and $15 per hour. The catch is that a driver may only have as little as two or three runs in one day. The driver is hired on the promise that his REAL MONEY is earned in the form of TIPS, thus, his incentive is to work harder to please the client to earn his tip. Without it, your driver can't survive. I remember many a days working "full time" for a famous local limousine service and working 3 or 4 days a week at 2 to 3 runs per day; hardly a way to earn a living if my clients were being told that the gratuity was included.





In an effort to further educate regular sedan and limousine users on many tricks and deceptions of big limo companies, please continue to read my webpage as I will continue to strive to give you the information you need to enjoy safe, efficient, and scam-free transportation, whether it's for business, pleasure, or anything in between.

Next article: "Planning a prom limousine ride"