A Better Model. A Better Service.

My last few blogs have discussed how the private hire industry works and how the drivers within it are engaged. DrivenByQ has a mix of employees who drive company owned vehicles and self-employed sub-contractors who have their own vehicles. The full-timers are mostly exclusive to DrivenByQ. The part-time drivers however might sub-contract to multiple companies and will also have some of their own clients who use their service.

At every stage of growth, DrivenByQ has depended on sub-contractors to help at times of peak demand. At the executive level however there is only a small pool of sub-contractors in our local area. Very few people can offer the same level of quality as ourselves. Rivals will even resort to using a taxi company when they are busy. This drastically reduces the quality of the vehicle used and means no plate exemption too.

At DrivenByQ, we believe that if a customer expects an executive car service, they should receive an executive car service. To ensure this happens, we use our sub-contractor network from across the region and upgrade the service from executive to VIP if needed. This often costs DrivenByQ more than we charge to a customer. On the flip side, it not only ensures quality is maintained but it gives passengers a pleasant surprise.

Some of the VIP vehicles will be the latest (long-wheelbase) Mercedes S Class. These cost over £70,000 when new and represent the pinnacle of a large, luxury car equipped to the highest standards. Features of these cars include double glazed windows, electric sun blinds, massaging seats, adaptive lumbar support, digital TV and ambient lighting. The L version (for long) even adds an extra six inches over the standard car. This gives generous legroom and the rear seats have an additional electric recline function.

It may seem overkill to send such high-end vehicles for DrivenByQ customers but it ensures the ongoing relationship with corporate customers is maintained. It also builds the relationships required for us to transition from our local market to a regional one. With over one-hundred airport transfers a week to and from Manchester International Airport, it seems only natural to make Manchester Airport the next focus.

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?