Social Nuisance

In a few previous blogs I wrote about our use of social media. It is very good for connecting with people or staying informed. Sooner or later though, you have to question the time it consumes.

We don’t use an agent to manage our social media because nobody knows our company or customers as well as we do. We therefore have to decide which social media channel is best and where any time invested is most beneficial.

In the last couple of years, the industry specific groups on LinkedIn have proved advantageous. They stimulate conversation and challenge long-held beliefs but again, they can be time intensive.

Personally I think LinkedIn is great for building credibility. As from today though, I’m leaving a number of groups and reducing the number of emails I receive. This will free up time and allow me to concentrate on a broader mix of marketing channels.

Personal Space

Rarely do I travel on public transport but this week I took a 45-minute bus trip from a Spanish resort to the city. From the moment I had to run down the street to stop the bus I felt anxious.

As a chauffeur it is easy to forget why a passenger smiles at the end of a journey. You often ask yourself "was it because I missed the pot holes", "was it because I shared local knowledge" or "was it because of the conversation"?

Travelling somewhere new can be an adventure but it can be stressful too. Looking for the right bus at a station; wondering why someone next to you cannot stand-up straight; listening to the music from a teenager's iPod or even wondering if the driver will stop in the right place.

So next time I find my passenger, help with their luggage and guide them to the car I will appreciate why their smile is important. I will remember why local road knowledge is so valued and why a door-to-door service with the option of a friendly chat helps them feel secure.

Bread And Butter

Few people know it but DrivenByQ isn’t my only venture in to chauffeuring. My first attempt was over ten years ago with a pure Internet business. It was aimed at passengers outside the local area planning travel to ‘Wrexham Industrial Estate’.

After dabbling in ‘search engine optimisation’, I managed to gain a top three place in Google for a specific search phrase. Overnight, the web site became a success. It attracted work with celebrities, VIPs and all sorts of specialists travelling on business.

There was little competition online, so I adjusted the rates and creamed in the earnings. Unfortunately though, search engines frequently change the algorithm they use to rank web pages and in hours you can tumble down the listings.

The moral of the story is, earning cream is nice but it is foolish to base your business model on a short term strategy and consider it sustainable. It is a bit like trying to live on chocolate cake.

These days I value the repeat work we carry out for our long-term customers. Ok, it’s not a get rich quick scheme but just like bread and butter, you can live on it and stay healthy. In principle, it is a vital lesson for any chauffeur who is in it for the long term.

Busy Fools Airport Transfer Service

It has taken a while for DrivenByQ to define a niche in the market place but today we know exactly where it is and why! Although we take on all sorts of chauffeur work, 90% of our turnover is generated by airport transfers and 95% of those airport transfers are for corporate account holders in the Wrexham and Deeside area.

We like business passengers because they are well organised, they travel light and they don’t like hanging around at airports. In addition there is no issue with charging VAT and everything can be compiled on one monthly invoice so it keeps things simple. What is more, usually one or two people in each organisation make bookings, so we establish a good working relationship with them.

In contrast, budget providers in the airport transfer market, target holiday makers. With the lure of cash payments they often forget the basic principle of calculating a break-even point and they aggressively compete on price. They become busy, they get addicted to cash and very soon they burn out, completely under the illusion they are making money.

Generating enough volume for lots of journeys to link-up at airports takes time. After seven years of trading, things are working well at DrivenByQ. Our drivers are profitable and our rates of pay are attractive. For some reason though, we’ve recently noticed less availability from some drivers. So the question has to be, why would any driver with an executive vehicle prefer budget holiday makers over low-maintenance, reasonably paying business passengers?