Here’s How Uber’s Self-Driving Cars Look And Run

Uber’s self-driving cars have been transporting people around Pittsburgh for over two months now.

Uber reached out to roughly 1,000 regular users when it first launched the pilot program in September, asking if they would like the opportunity to hail a ride in a self-driving car. The program has since expanded the scope of the pilot, but Uber won’t provide specific numbers as to how many people got an invite.

Business Insider got a chance to ride in a self-driving Uber in September — here’s a look inside.

Business Insider article and close-up photos here

Keywords

autonomous vehicles   driverless cars   Pennsylvania operators   research and trends   self-driving vehicles   Uber   vehicle technology   

 

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Classifying Uber’s Business Model: A Complicated Affair

Fortune’s Adam Lashinsky writes: I’ve always found the If-it-walks-like-a-duck Theory is as good as any for evaluating businesses. Retailers tend to look like each other, no matter what they’re retailing. The same usually is true for software companies and semiconductor makers and so on. The corollary also works. Companies that slapped a “dot-com” on their names in the Internet bubble era weren’t digital wonders just because they said so.

I got to thinking about my theory this week when the European Court of Justice heard a case about just what to call the ride-sharing company Uber. European taxi companies and their political patrons would like Uber to be considered a transportation company, just like them. Naturally, they’d like to see Uber regulated accordingly. For its part, Uber prefers to be thought of as a digital platform, a totally different beast that ought not to be subject to the rules that govern old-fashioned cabs.

As with so many things these days, it’s not as simple as it looks. At first blush, Uber obviously is a transportation company. I use it to get a ride to the airport just as I used to call for taxis. It seems just as obvious Uber drivers are employees of a sort, seeing as they must follow Uber’s rules. So if you follow this logic, Uber is a duck, plain and simple.

Fortune article here

Keywords

Department of Labor   employee benefits   employee vs independent contractor   federal regulations   independent contractor issues   labor laws   TNCs   Uber   

 

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Company Accused Of Ditching Couples At The Altar

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Multiple couples have submitted complaints to the Greater Cleveland Better Business Bureau alleging a Cleveland limousine company took their money and then never picked them up on their wedding days. The company is named Aqua Limo.

According to complaints filed with the BBB, one couple and their entire wedding party was left stranded at the altar during their Oct. 2015 wedding. 

Several other brides and grooms were forced to pay for two sets of limousines when the company failed to return calls about a arranging the time and place of pick up. 

 ABC 5 News Cleveland article here

Keywords

better business management   client markets   Ohio operators   weddings   

 

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Industry Leaders Adjust Political Agenda For Trump Era

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — For operators, the incoming Trump Administration and a majority Republican Congress likely will bring an easing of regulations and a more pro-business agenda. The sticky question for the limousine industry is which rules are kept, killed, or changed?

The National Limousine Association’s lead lobby team outlined the national political picture Nov. 13 during LCT-NLA Show East and later followed up with LCT for an overview of possible regulatory efforts coming in 2017.

Trump’s 306-232 Electoral College victory over Hillary Clinton was one of the biggest political upsets in U.S. history, and could likely shake up political agendas and priorities across many business sectors, including ground transportation. Republicans will have 52 seats in the U.S. Senate and at least 239 seats in the House of Representatives.

“In general, across the issues, the Trump Administration is expected to be more pro-business, more supportive of small business,” said Louie Perry, a partner at Cornerstone Government Affairs, the Washington-D.C. lobbying firm that has been retained by the NLA since 2009. “One could argue all the little things that drive businesses crazy — such as overtime rules, employee misclassification, gas guzzler tax, emissions requirements, etc., — a more pro-business Trump Administration might make it a little easier for small businesses to operate without burdensome regulations.”

The major political question is how a populist-Republican-business tycoon who campaigned on helping the working class “forgotten man” will view the regulatory need for transportation network companies (TNCs), such as Uber and Lyft, which have dominated industry agendas for the last several years. The NLA and state and regional industry trade groups are fighting to establish a permanent framework for regulatory fairness on safety, insurance, airport access, and driver background checks among the primary ground transportation sectors, such as TNCs, chauffeured services, and taxicabs.

“A Trump Administration likely will be very free market oriented and anti-regulation,” Perry and his Cornerstone colleague and vice president Todd Webster told LCT. “But sometimes the issues we have as an industry – where we have a direct competitor competing unfairly with cost advantages – forces us to push regulators to hold our competitors to the same standards we are held to,” he added. “We want laws enforced equally for us and the competition. There are also lawsuits across country trying to settle those questions. How the Trump Administration views Uber will determine whether they are easy or hard to work with. Trump’s hotel businesses have seen the impact of Airbnb on the hotel market in New York, and the city has cracked down on Airbnb banning short term rentals, making them report their income, not discriminate, and pay taxes. Donald Trump has said repeatedly on the campaign trail we are a nation of laws. We hope that means he wants to help the livery industry by making sure the laws for all transportation providers are enforced.”

For the NLA and its lobbyists, the first order of business was to reach out to the Trump transition team and look for opportunities to meet with incoming Department of Labor and Department of Transportation officials to present the industry and its regulatory positions. The NLA drafted a position paper and has shared it with the Trump team along with news articles detailing the issues with TNC companies. Aside from TNC-related matters, Perry summarized some NLA priorities and speculated about possible federal changes related to industry concerns:

• NLA will encourage the new administration to kill an overtime rule the Obama Administration approved in July that raised the mandatory overtime salary level from $23,660 to $47,476 per year. All employees who earn $47,476 or less are now eligible for overtime. “That captures many people who work in the limousine industry who previously were not subject to overtime,” Perry said. “We urge the rule be reconsidered or killed. Instead of being phased in over time, the rule change was done immediately, causing too much of a burden on businesses.” [Update: Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Rule]
• NLA will seek clarification from the DOL on categories of employees and independent contractors related to TNCs and employee-based companies. “We hope Congress could speak once and for all on what they intend to do with the Fair Labor and Standards Act (FSLA) and how it applies to Uber’s business model. “It’s being litigated across the country, so it’s clearly a problem. If Congress legislated on that, it would be a good thing,” Perry said.
• NLA will push for more clarity on ground transportation safety rules, especially on FBI-level fingerprint background checks for drivers. Congress should accurately define safety standards and requirements as applied to operators of limousine fleet vehicles and commercial motor vehicles – especially if they are contracting for state or federal work
• Also, federal policies that may get a second look or modification, and thereby prompt the NLA to adjust its input, include requirements for electronic onboard recording devices (EORDs), also known as electronic logging devices (ELDs) for commercial vehicles; and potentially Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards may be revisited, which could have effects on auto manufacturing. “Larger vehicles might not be pushed off the road as quickly,” Perry said.
• The NLA will develop a policy position and association response to the issue of driverless/ autonomous vehicles. The DOT issued guidance on such vehicles this summer including 15 performance benchmarks that companies will have to meet, and recommendations for state legislation and federal equipment standards.

State Level Focus for NLA
While TNCs could be universally regulated in some respects at the federal level, the real battles and breakthroughs are more likely to occur among state legislatures and executive branches. “Uber and Lyft are active in all states, trying to get exempted from local regulations and have some kind of weak state regulation,” Perry said.

Uber and Lyft will also try at the margins to legitimize the TNCs in as many places as they can via federal statue, Perry said. “They’ll push for standardization and be part of ride sharing and carpooling legislation. The problem is they provide commercial transportation for pay. They will try to do everything in their power to include what they do and define what they do as carpooling when it is clearly commercial transportation service.”

Uber has spent $970,000 on federal lobbying in the first three quarters of 2016, and Lyft about $140,000, according to Cornerstone figures. Among states, Uber has 19 registered lobbyists in Texas, with Lyft using six; Uber spends about $1 million on lobbying in California; and it spent $1 million on lobbying in New York during the first six months of this year alone.

Two-Party Approach
That’s why regardless of which party prevails in an election, groups such as the NLA are careful to find bipartisan allies in Congress and state houses. Among key Congressional representatives who have either supported NLA efforts or been receptive to the industry’s agenda:

• Senate: Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, D-NY; Sen. Patty Murray D-NY; Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY (incoming Senate Minority Leader); Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH; Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-GA; Sen. Mark Warner, D-VA; and Sen. Roy Blunt, R-MO.
• House of Representatives: Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-CA; Rep. Kevin Brady, R-TX; Rep. Robert Scott, D-VA.

“We work with members’ offices who know or who have shown interest in working with our membership,” Perry said. “We look for anyone listening to our message of fair competition.”

Keywords

chauffeur pay   Cornerstone Government Affairs   federal regulations   LCT-NLA Show East   legislation   limo associations   lobbying   Louie Perry   National Limousine Association   NLA   regulatory enforcement   state regulations   TNCs   Uber   

 

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Uber Drivers Complain About The Silliest Things

Your Uber Driver Hates You: If there was ever an article that shows the difference between chauffeured car service and TNC drivers, this would be it. Take a peek at what urks drivers — talk about entitiled. “Pet peeves include: Riders who break the law by cramming in too many passengers, or not bringing a car seat/booster for their infant/toddler, or bringing open booze containers…like they’re in a limo.” The Week article here

Uber Now Tracks Passengers’ Locations Even After They’re Dropped Off: Previously, the TNC only collected data from the user if the rider had the application open. Now, if a rider calls for an Uber and closes the app, the company says it will continue to collect location data up until five minutes after the ride ends. NPR article here

Banned Uber Drivers Can Now Have Their Appeals Heard In New York City: The process involves ex-drivers presenting their appeals in front of a panel of five Uber drivers picked by the Independent Drivers Guild and Uber. The panel then decides whether to keep ex-drivers’ suspensions intact or reverse them, allowing them to resume working for Uber. Digital Trends article here

Chicago Uber Driver Accused Of Sexual Assault Had Previous Harassment Complaints: Adnan Nafasat posed sexual questions to two male passengers during rides in Feb. and July of 2014, according to a motion filed by Assistant State’s Attorney Thomas Prisco. Both riders subsequently complained to Uber, prosecutors say, but Nafasat was still working for the company on July 31, 2014, when he allegedly choked and sexually assaulted a 21-year-old male passenger. Chicago Business Journal article here

Uber Driver ‘Takes Young Women On Horror Ride In Middle Of The Night And Dumps Them By Deserted Reservoir’: Shenel Osman and Rachel Cousins say the driver had taken them on a detour “in the opposite direction” of where they were going. The pair claim he got out of his seat and violently grabbed Rachel’s arm while yanking at her seatbelt shouting, “you are not my responsibility anymore, get out of my property now.” Mirror article here

Keywords

apps   Chicago operators   driver behavior   drunk passengers   mobile applications   New York City   New York operators   Sexual Assault   TNCs   Uber   United Kingdom   

 

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Dublin Operator Takes ‘Never Say No’ Approach To Clients

Biggest success: “We’ve never lost a customer account and still have clients today who were with us from the very start,” says Myles Flood, co-owner of LfL Worldwide Chauffeured Services in Dublin, Ireland. The company has provided transportation for personal occasions where a passenger turned out to be a senior manager for a large corporation, who then switched his corporate business to LFL due to the level of service received. “We always tell our chauffeurs to remember: You never know who’s in the car!”

Lessons learned: When it comes to running a luxury ground transportation business, chauffeurs can either make or break you. “It’s very important to choose the right people and empower them to do their job right,” Flood says. Also, when first dealing with a new client, it’s vital to set out the payment terms and, where possible, have a signed contract. “Larger corporations can take up to 90 days to pay, which can affect a smaller company’s cash flow, especially as drivers will have already been paid.”

Fast Facts

Location: Dublin, Ireland

Owner: The Flood Family

Founded: 2005

Vehicle Type: sedans, MPV/SUV

Fleet Size: 7

Employees: 8

Annual Revenue: $650,000

Website: www.lflcs.com

Phone: +353 86 414 1837

Clientele: Flood’s team has worked hard to become the preferred service provider for a few big names in the tech world. “Dublin is a large tech hub with 28 of the 30 biggest U.S. technology companies having their European headquarters here,” he says. They also have a thriving tourist, conference, and event industry in Ireland. This brings a great deal of business through travel agents, tour operators, and DMCs they work very closely with.

Advice: Flood suggests joining your local association, introducing yourself to other operators in your area, and letting them know you’re available for any of their overflow work.

Start-up costs and methods: Flood started out with $40,000 and invested it in the best vehicle he could afford. He also knew since a website is often the first impression future clients have of your company, it would be extremely important to not pinch pennies and get it done right the first time.

Origins: “We saw a gap in the market and took the opportunity to use our customer service backgrounds as a point of difference,” Flood explains. “But like most small fleet owners, we started out as a home-based business with one vehicle and focused on the retail market.” The company was built slowly, as it made sure to pay special attention to treating each customer with care.

Customer service strategies: Flood takes a “never say no” approach to customer service. The company will answer any questions from a prospective client, whether through email or by phone, as soon as possible. “We realize the relationship starts from when first contact is made with a reservation agent, right through to when our chauffeur says goodbye.” Flood believes in the importance of thorough chauffeur training to ensure they understand it’s the little things that count.

Marketing strategies: One of the most important aspects of marketing is having a detailed, well-maintained website. In addition, Flood believes you must ensure you rank highly on Google for the services you provide. “We have also attended the International LCT Show for the last four years and find it’s a great way to get our name out there for companies looking for affiliates in Ireland,” he says.

Future plans: The company has recently moved into a new facility less than 10 minutes from Dublin Airport and is looking to expand its fleet. “We’ll continue to attend the International LCT show, as it’s great to reconnect with our affiliate partners around the world. And of course, we’d love to win LCT’s Global Operator of the Year!”

Keywords

European operators   Global operators   international   Ireland operators   operator profiles   small business   small-fleet operators   

 

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Limo Caddy Can Upgrade A Back Seat To First Class

UNION CITY, N.J. — There’s only so much room for extra creature comforts in any vehicle. From candy, to water, to tissues, to gum, plus all the USB ports and mobile plug-ins, sooner or later you will run out of places to put items to wow your clients without crowding them.

Steve Karrer, head of business development for PLATROS, a company that creates innovative products and services for the transportation industry, wanted to develop a device that would help limo companies take advantage of the oft-unused seatback pocket and turn it into an instant amenity bar.

The invention was a curiosity draw on the trade show floor of LCT East in Atlantic City, as Karrer showed how it fit into the back of the right front seat of a 2017 Lincoln Continental.

Simple Stands Out

The Limo Caddy fits seamlessly into any vehicle’s seatback pocket and transitions it into an amenity bar. Chauffeurs can then offer their clients refreshments like bottles of water, soda, bags of nuts, granola bars, mints, or chocolate. It can also be crafted to include slots for business cards, cell phones, chargers, hand sanitizer, and marketing materials.

“If someone gets off a flight and they are hungry it lifts their spirits,” Karrer says. “For business travelers who are in between meetings and need a bit of a snack, it’s there for them. When they open the door it’s the first thing they see. Even those who don’t take anything still rave it’s there and being offered to them.”

Karrer first came up with the idea when he started working as a part-time, weekend chauffeur for TEVAS Chauffeured Transportation in February 2016. Within the second week of driving, he developed a broad concept of the product, and says he wanted to elevate the level of service for clients and give them more of a first class experience.

He put a prototype in his vehicle by the end of March, and clients loved it. “Even the prototype, which is pretty embarrassing in retrospect compared to what we have today, was met with a great reception from the first moment it was in the car,” Karrer says. “The passengers felt very special and commented on how I was going beyond the call of duty. From the first day I thought it was something that had a lot of potential.”

The first company PLATROS approached with a beta trial was Leros Point to Point in Valhalla, N.Y. “Customers have been really impressed,” President Jeff Nyikos says. “It’s a great way for us to differentiate ourselves from the competition.”

Karrer is also talking with three of the top 20 luxury ground transportation companies in the country who have shown interest. The LCT-NLA Show East provided him with ample leads, and operators were impressed getting to see the device in a few vehicles in person rather than just online.

Chauffeur Turned Inventor

Karrer partnered up with TEVAS owner and Managing Director of PLATROS Jeffrey Cartagena to bring the product to market. The company’s name is derived from the words platinum (referring to the level of service) and pros (short for professionals), reflecting their desire to create products to enhance customers’ experience and company reputation. As members of the luxury ground transportation industry, the two live their slogan, “Show them how much you care.”

“I was in business development for many companies over the years, and I used to work in New York a lot. I had the opportunity to experience that level of service you only get from a five-star business,” Karrer says.

“When I first came back to the US from living in Europe, I got to fly first class; that’s what really put me over. The first class experience in an airplane is really unlike anything else. They provided me with a little kit that had everything I could possibly need in one place, and I didn’t have to bother anyone to get it.”

Wanting to replicate this experience for his passengers on the ground, Karrer started brainstorming ways he could make this vision a reality. As with many other companies, TEVAS offered bottled water in the center consoles of their vehicles, but Karrer wanted to do it in style.

“Some people put a cup of mints in the cup holder, but I didn’t think it looked nice. I don’t think cars were really designed for presenting items…just kind of holding them. I ran into a lot of trouble with water bottles rattling and it would disturb clients. People would come in with coffee and have nowhere to put it without moving the water bottles out of their way,” he says. Thus, the Limo Caddy.

Crafting For Quality

Looking for a way to offer amenities in an elegant manner, Karrer experimented with different materials. Eventually, he decided to craft the core of the device out of poly foam, which provides stability and keeps it from tilting or wobbling while on the road. The base is wrapped in a high-quality, durable faux leather, so companies don’t have to worry about upkeep. The top is made from real wood veneer, which is stained to a company’s requirements. This is then coated in a plant-based, odorless epoxy coating similar to that used on yacht bar coverings for a nice finish.

The device is molded to fit specific makes and models of vehicles. “Each car has its own Limo Caddy that’s specific for that vehicle, including year; we have a design made to match the contour of the width and depth of the back of the seat,” Karrer explains. They have molds for the 10 most common livery vehicles, and most vehicles don’t change their backseat pockets for at least three years.

All Limo Caddies are made in the U.S. and cost about $100, with bulk discounts starting at 20 units.

In the near future, Karrer says the company is looking to market the Limo Caddy to the general public as the “Seat Caddy.” They’ll also be offering branded items like water, almonds, and walnuts for the Limo Caddy as well.

PLATROS also has a device dubbed the “Vent Caddy” in the works, which Karrer invented when he was looking for a way to quickly cool drinks without ice. He came up with the original idea when he discovered holding a bottle up to the AC vent of a vehicle could turn a 103 degree bottle of water down to ice cold in 20 minutes. He then worked to develop a device that maximizes the vent air flow and cools the water bottle much faster and more efficiently.

Keywords

Atlantic city   client feedback   Harrah’s   industry vendors   LCT-NLA Show East   Leros Point to Point   onboard amenities   product reviews   WebXclusive   

 

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Why You Need A Social Customer Service Strategy

Social media is all about communication, and it’s time for businesses to stray away from broadcasting and interact more with their audience. Your audience is using social media to talk about their daily lives and experiences, so what are you doing to take advantage of that?

If you want to see the best ROI for your social media efforts, you need to apply a customer service strategy to it. These are some of the biggest reasons why a social media customer service strategy is no longer optional.

Business 2 Community article here

Keywords

Branding   customer service   Facebook   Facebook marketing   marketing/promotions   Social Media   social media marketing   Twitter   

 

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That Which Does Not Kill Us Makes Us Stronger

2016 is drawing to a close and what an interesting year it’s been. Donald J. Trump is our President-Elect. Who would have thought? Now, in hindsight, it seems the better question to ask is, “Who wouldn’t have thought?”

Trump will be the voice of the forgotten middle class worker who said, “No more.” He is anything but the poster child for America, or conversely, is he the perfect fit to represent us in a time of near civil war?

After all, the Founding Fathers of our great country were anything but refined, professional career politicians. Perhaps we are coming full circle.

For the first time in my life, I avidly followed this political season. I watched virtually every news station daily and listened to talk radio with fervor. I am no politico, but this presidential race captivated me. I drew many parallels from it that relate to what is happening with my job and to all of you.

What unfolded before us is what happens to a group of like-minded people who are in a perceived fight-for-their-life. In 2015, my guest speaker at the State of the Industry, held during the International Limousine, Charter & Tour Show in Las Vegas, stood in front of 2,500 operators and predicted that, thanks to Uber (and the fact we were running dinosaur companies in an old industry), we would be falling off a “fiscal limo cliff” by year end. It was time for real panic.

There was one flaw in this and among all the pundits. The institutionalized “executives” who did the betting have been out of touch with the heart of America (that’s you), so they lost the odds. When faced with a choice to do or die, we do. This industry is amazingly creative and resilient, and it’s because the survival instinct has not been snuffed out of us. We are not paper pushers. We are not career politicians or living above reality in the C-suite. Thank God.

We are the pioneers. We are the street-smart, ass-kickers who rally for the fight in the spirit of protecting our livelihoods. So instead of a mass chauffeured car industry implosion brought on by a $50 billion behemoth called Uber, our industry got serious, banding together on all local and national fronts. You turned out in droves to our conventions to stay current, supported the NLA, and devoured LCT for trade news and education. So now we are the ones looking toward a brighter, more tech-centric 2017, while our friends in the Silicon Valley are in the fight of their lives to avoid their own cliffs.

To all of you, our industry soldiers, I salute you on behalf of the LCT team. You are amazing. Stay connected and committed to excellence.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Blessed Kwanzaa, and cheers to 2017!

Keywords

business strategies   Donald Trump   industry politics   LCT Publisher   Sara Eastwood-Richardson   tips for success   

 

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Treat Your Employees Right For Maximum ROI

With the holiday rush approaching, hopefully you’re feeling appropriately thankful to the people who provide your company’s customer service–shift after shift, day in and day out, after hours and on weekends too.

Assuming you recognize the importance of the employees who serve your company’s customers, what’s the right way to convey your thanks?

Forbes article here

Keywords

customer service   employee benefits   employee management   employee perks   employee retention   how to   

 

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In Memoriam: Joey Zingali

On behalf of the Limo Digest staff, we would like to extend our deepest condolences to the Zingali family on the recent passing of Joey Zingali of Tiffany Coachbuilders. To say Joey was a larger than life character would be an understatement. He will always be remembered as a great industry friend. His competitive style and great personality were only surpassed by his incredible positive influence and zest for life. Words seem inadequate to express the sorrow felt by the loss of our friend.

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Starry Nights Builds Limo Caravan In The Desert

Client types: Starry Nights focuses on weddings, Quinceaneras, birthdays, and special events. Operator Geoffrey Jacobs says many spry senior citizens in the area that have become clients, too. “We live in a unique area with a lot of seniors, and we have a couple groups that use us to take Hummer limos out to dinner, or go to casinos and dancing.” Jacobs says he also has corporate clients who use Starry Nights routinely for transportation to the airport.
 
Growth steps: “It’s happening organically,” says Jacobs, who started Starry Nights with one limo. Once he got off the ground, it was within a year that he had four more. “The [senior clients] talk and pass our business cards around and some of the business clients like doctors and lawyers recommend us to colleagues and friends.”

FASTFACTS: Starry Nights Transportation
Service Area: Greater Phoenix and Maricopa County
Owners: Geoffrey and Angela Jacobs
Founded: 2012
Employees: 4
Vehicles: 5
Vehicle types: stretch limousines, SUVs, sedans
Annual revenues: $160,000
Website: http://ift.tt/1RpchJF
Contact: (602) 456-1793; Geoff@starrynightstransportation.com

Best marketing strategies: Jacobs says he’s held off on using Google Ad Words and that exploratory efforts with Limos.com proved unrewarding. But he has seen success with Craig’s List ads, bridal shows, and word of mouth. “Our whole Quinceaneras business started with a few ads on Craig’s List and then from there it spread through word of mouth.”

Business origins: Jacobs worked as a motorcycle officer with the highway patrol before starting Starry Nights Transportation in 2012. Wanting to make a career move, he traded in his boat for a Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine.

Business loves: “The people, and when you provide good service and everyone is happy,” Jacobs says. “The relationships we’ve built with so many people mean it’s not just a business. It’s a little personal too, and I like that.”

Customer service approaches: For weddings, Starry Nights will decorate the limos with napkins that match bridal colors and they are stocked full with soft drinks on ice. “We try to really do it up nice,” says Jacobs of his wedding work. “It’s a special event, so it’s key to remember that, and we just try to make [each wedding] a little more special.”

Success strategies: Having a good personality is key in this business, says Jacobs, who adds that phone etiquette is one of the quickest ways to impress clients. “Imagine the reception you’ll get if you’re grumpy on the phone and short. We take the time to answer all of our clients’ questions and it doesn’t matter how long we’re on the phone. We treat people like they are family and that’s a big thing. People call and tell us how they’ve dealt with others who are so rude and that they love booking with us because we’re nice.”

Fleet vehicles: Starry Nights has added a sedan to the fleet to keep up with corporate work. “When I first got the SUV, I figured about four jobs a week would cover costs, but we ended up doing 56 runs that first month, so I turned around and bought a Chrysler 300.”

Chauffeur retention: Jacobs says he pays his chauffeurs a straightforward, hourly rate and they keep gratuities. “My chauffeurs make more here than working for local competitors or TNCs, and every one of them has stayed around.”

Future plans: For now, Jacobs wants to grow his business for retail and corporate clients, but says he doesn’t want to add party buses yet. “I don’t want to go in the party bus direction because of local legislation working to change the laws where a host has to be in every party bus during transport for security. Combined with the insurance costs for buses, it’s more hassle than it’s worth for us. But we’ll see if that changes. We’re hoping to add another sedan soon.”

Operator advice: “Give it a try and enjoy it. Just expect a ton of work!”

Keywords

Arizona operators   New Operator   operator profiles   retail markets   small fleets   small-fleet operators   

 

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