Friday 25 March 2011

Perfect Planning..

Following on from my previous blog theme of chauffeur driven car travel for celebrities or VIPs, I am going to share a few tricks of the trade. So, let us start at the beginning with the old adage ‘perfect planning prevents pathetically poor performance’. Research will often ease concerns and furnish a driver with valuable information so investigation before a job goes a long way.

Having a full list of contact telephone numbers is crucial. Calling a passenger’s agent and asking some quick questions is always a nice touch. Don’t forget to enquire how the driver should address the passenger - stage name, first name, surname or maybe their title? Asking if the passenger has unusual requests is useful too. We once encountered a well known Spanish Tenor who insisted the car was 28 degrees Celsius, even in the middle of summer!

If the passenger is arriving at a major event, it is essential to do a practice run the day before and talk to members of the security team if possible. Ensuring they recognise the driver or vehicle is a big help. In addition we often take two drivers and two cars if possible, having a plan B to fall back on is enormously practical. Working with security will often certify a parking space or alternative exit if required.

Finally, as a company we are never fully booked on the day of a big event! It is much better to sub work out to other people and leave cars floating in case of last minute emergencies. We also ensure a manager can be approached at last minute without anything to distract them. I can almost guarantee that is when a customer or organiser will need us most so that is when 'we are there for them'.

Saturday 19 March 2011

Who Did You Say?

In the last blog I wrote about celebrities and how they can trigger a chauffeur company to raise their game. One thing unmentioned was the pressure a driver can face. Just imagine it - some passengers are surrounded by significance. It is a very odd sensation when all the planning becomes reality and things can feel surreal. Meeting a distinguished individual for the first time can distract a chauffeur and undoubtedly impair their driving ability.

Over time I’ve recognised it is wise to utilize drivers who know nothing of a passenger’s fame or success. If a driver is unaware of status they do not become star-struck. However, they can become surprised at where they end up or who they meet. A classic example was one of our team who took a band to a recording studio. They liked him for being so natural and entertaining. They requested he transport them for another two days. On the last day, he called me from a seat in a very exclusive VIP lounge, situated back-stage at an incredibly popular national festival. He announced “Hey Ray, these boys are big you know – they have gone platinum”!

On the flip side, after meeting an A-list celebrity and managing unexpected developments, future events can be a breeze. I remember the time we waited to meet a well known Canadian singer and his band. They were coming from London on a private jet but got caught in traffic enroute to the airport. As the first person to find out I had the responsibility of calling the Producer and telling him. He wasn’t pleased. He had to reschedule national TV from that call! Arriving thirty minutes late meant the band missed an extra nine million viewers that night. I was just glad we didn’t cause the delay!

Apart from the tension attached to VIPs and celebrities, there is always a buzz or element of fun with anything showbiz related. There are some top tips to organising chauffeur travel for such occasions. Maybe I will share some next time?

Saturday 12 March 2011

The Famous VIP Treatment

At social events, mentioning the word Chauffeur as an occupation, is often met with the question “Have you ever met anyone famous”? For some reason, the word ‘Chauffeur’ relates to fame and celebrity, conjuring up all sorts of intrigue. Of course, the answer to the question is “yes” and each individual I recall is always with a story.

The first celebrity was a well-known 1980’s breakfast TV presenter (with a very distinctive laugh). She was travelling to London so I asked a driver with intricate knowledge of the area to work that day. His claim to fame is that she insisted he ate something and not only peeled a banana but fed it to him while he was driving.

Another time, a finance guru from America (who looked so confident on TV) had an attack of nerves before arriving at an event where he was due to give a presentation. The driver had to pass the entrance, park around the corner, calm him down, reassure him and then build him up before arriving a second time.

Over the years I have met lots of TV presenters and famous singers. Some have even needed to approach me and identify themselves because they have been so unrecognisable – especially if meeting them in a public place. Sometimes it is hard to spot a celebrity even when you are expecting them. Even more so if they have no make-up, or they are wearing a head scarf or have dark glasses - and for some reason they always look taller on TV!

The truth is, driving celebrities or publicly recognised individuals is the exception rather than the norm for us at DrivenByQ but it has challenged us to raise the game and question what we could do to keep VIPs comfortable. Over time this has been positive because we have recognised any special treatment should not be reserved for VIPs. If everyone is treated like a celebrity or a royal then what is the difference? Shouldn’t everyone get special treatment?

Friday 4 March 2011

Tweet Tweet, Twitter Twitter

A couple of years ago I attended a conference where a guest speakers demonstrated Twitter. I wrote about it in a previous blog about social media but thought now was maybe a good time to revisit the subject and reflect on our experience.

We find Twitter fairly inadequate on its own. It really needs software like Tweetdeck to unlock its potential. These manage the layout of tweets and give real control over information, particularly if combined with powerful keyword searches. With Tweetdeck, Twitter becomes a fantastic tool in alerting us to subjects of interest which may change or develop quickly. The ash cloud of 2010 is a perfect example.

We have also found, combining Twitter and ‘Google Alerts’ on a smart phone facilitates an early response to customers who use social media. It delivers prompt awareness of topics involving our company name which might profit from a swift reply. There are other benefits to twitter as well, like alerting followers to competitions or promotions and we can direct people to news stories or information on the Internet.

Most of all though, we absolutely love flight alerts from Manchester Airport and encourage all our drivers to sign up for these - especially when one of our competitors still uses Teletext before leaving his house. We quietly chuckle when he complains “flights land early”! Like he says when he’s often late “How else was I supposed to know?”