Uber Drivers Rebuke Attorney For Settling Class Action Suit

Some Uber Technologies Inc. drivers, unhappy with the company’s $100 million offer to settle claims it exploits them, are trying to get their lawyer removed with help from a competing attorney as a judge weighs the deal.

By not providing California and Massachusetts drivers the employee status they sought and paying them less than 10 percent of the value of their claims, the class-action settlement announced last month amounts to a sell-out by their attorney, Shannon Liss-Riordan, according to Hunter Shkolnik, a New York lawyer who’s pursuing his own cases against the ride-share service. Liss-Riordan’s firm, which stands to get as much as $25 million from the deal, was motivated by greed, Shkolnik and other lawyers said Thursday in a court filing.

Liss-Riordan said she did the best she could in a hard-fought and risky case to get a fair settlement for the drivers, which she said by some measurements amounts to almost a third of the damages they could have won if the case had gone to trial.

“It is easy for others to come in and second guess, but cases are settled all the time, and it is the lawyer’s duty to assess and balance the risks and make recommendations,” she said in an e-mailed statement.

Bloomberg News article here

Related article: Attorney Takes On Silicon Valley Firms Over Worker Rights

Keywords

California operators   driver pay   employee vs independent contractor   lawsuits   legal counsel   legal issues   Shannon Liss-Riordan   TNCs   Uber   wage lawsuits   

 

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Tech, Human Connections Drive More Business

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — In an industry disrupted by technology and TNCs, the true hope for success lies in closer client connections made possible by constantly improving service, applying new technologies, and making the most of social media and websites, two State of the Industry speakers told attendees Feb. 29.

The first speaker, LCT Publisher and Show Chair Sara Eastwood-Richardson, noted all the changes in the last decade, except one. “We’ve been in a paradigm shift ever since resurging from the Great Recession,” Sara said.

“Our service models have changed. Our client books have changed. Our operating systems have changed. Our fleet vehicles have changed. Our competitive landscape has changed. As I step back and look at what we were all about 10 years ago, I ask, ‘What hasn’t changed?’ I’ll tell you: I’m looking around the room and I’m seeing you are still here, and new operators keeping coming. That has not changed.”

Sara’s presentation outlined a slew of hopeful statistics, as well as a few highlights here:

• The industry’s primary source of revenue is the business travel sector, with 80% of the business travel spend consisting of airport runs. More airline passengers are expected over the next two decades. The International Air Transport Association released a 20-year passenger growth forecast which predicts a 4% average annual growth in air travel demand. By 2034, total passengers are expected to reach 7.3 billion.
• Looking at global trends, the Global Business Travel Association’s annual forecast predicts global business travel spending will hit a record $1.25 trillion in 2015. While final numbers are still being calculated, that represents 6.5% growth compared to 2014. Growth will remain strong through 2019, with business travel projected to grow 6.9% in 2016, 6% in 2017, 6.4% in 2018, and 5.8% in 2019.

Operator Troubles
Sara also summed up other trends and important industry concerns:

• The spread of apps and proprietary apps for use by affiliates is causing confusion among operators on what to use. 
• Insurance costs are rising, but more importantly, the non-renewal rate has soared with many operators finding their carriers no longer insuring party buses. Major players such as Zurich have paid out so many catastrophic claims from party bus injuries they have grown shy of the risk.
• Thanks to the onslaught of Uber driver disasters, passenger security is now top of mind. If you have not invested in a driver background check program at your company, you should make that a priority now.
• Many operators are transitioning from sedans in favor of SUVs that can function as either and have extra cargo space and seating.
• Vans such as Sprinters continue to eclipse the stretch as the way for groups of eight to 10 to travel in luxury.
• Videos have increased in popularity in websites and social media. Those not using video will be left behind.

Topic A
No State of the Industry would be complete unless addressing the No. 1 issue of the last several years. As Sara put it, “As for Uber? As the Arabian Proverb states, ‘Arrogance diminishes wisdom.’ Arrogance is a formula for leadership failure. The history books are filled with fallen companies run amok by arrogant leadership. While Travis Kalanik is eying a future using autonomous vehicles, he still has to survive the road to getting there. That road is filled with speed bumps.”

Sara cited the challenges of Uber’s background checks for drivers being under serious scrutiny; the growing number of people who don’t feel safe using Uber; expanded laws and law enforcement stopping or slowing Uber; Uber’s crazy methods of playing with you, such as adding $1 to the fare to ensure Uber places you with a “safe” driver; and lawsuits.

“Not only is there a pending class action against Uber for their ‘independent’ status, but Uber is being sued everywhere by victims of driver crimes, for misleading clients about its safety procedures, for failing to submit mileage tracking technology for review, and for drop-offs and pick-ups at airports without airport approval.”

[PAGEBREAK]

Show-Stopping Confession
The topic of Uber resulted in a stunning confession from the second State of the Industry speaker, Bill Faeth, a serial entrepreneur and former Tennessee limo operator who now heads Limo University and Inbound Marketing Agents.

Faeth, who led 23 start-ups in his career, with most failing and fueling future successes, has 300 clients in the industry. “I believe in being who I am and in being real. I’m an Uber customer. I’ve used Uber in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Boston, and Nashville. I spent over $20,000 with them last year.”

As Faeth later put into context, he and his Millennial generation employees use Uber for research in distinguishing the strengths and weaknesses of TNCs versus chauffeured transportation. Out of that comparison, Faeth exhorted operators to do all the things Uber and TNCs cannot: “What Uber doesn’t have with me is a personal connection. The chauffeur doesn’t talk to me. He doesn’t open the door and doesn’t put my luggage in the trunk. He won’t discuss current events with me or even tell me about the city of Las Vegas. I’ve never spoken to Travis Kalanick (CEO) and don’t know my Uber community manager in my hometown of Nashville.”

What’s essential for operators is to adopt the Uber technology and use it in a more responsive, refined way that brings out the best in the high-touch, high-end customer service that chauffeured operations are known for, Faeth said. Limo operators should be implementing new software, or the latest iterations thereof; deploy a client app; put up a mobile responsive website with five landing pages to rank high in Google’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) searches; shoot and post promotional videos; interact with customers by using website Live Chat; and learn how to use social media to connect with clients.

“If you don’t have an app, you are operating your business like it’s 2006,” Faeth said. “If you’re not mobile responsive on your website, you’re running your business like it’s 2006. You have to market and run your business like it’s 2016, not 2006.”

Faeth cited statistics showing 55% of executives so far are consuming video every day; 79% will do so this year; and 67% will share a work-related video every day. “Video is the top consumed content on the Internet, four times more than email and Internet combined.”

Learning, adapting and connecting are critical to keeping customers and finding new ones. Many of those customers are Millennials, now up to age 35, who have money to spend and are planning travel. They want service that is fast, simple and easy. “You may think they are your customer of the future, they are not. They are your customers of today.”

Faeth closed with this summary: “People prefer connecting with people. They don’t want to buy from a brand. They want to buy from people. Video is most important to communication. It’s the next best thing to face to face. If you use video, put it in your About Us page of your website. You don’t have to be awesome at shooting it, but leverage it moving forward. Think about your customers. Make it simple. Make it fast. Make it more like Amazon.”

Keywords

business travel   business trends   ILCT 2016   industry trends   Sara Eastwood-Richardson   state of industry   TNCs   Uber   

 

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Motorcoach Industry Leaders “Fly In” For Capitol Hill Event

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dozens of leaders from the motorcoach, travel and tourism industry traveled to Washington, D.C. on May 4 to participate in the American Bus Association’s (ABA) first annual Capitol Hill Fly-In, where they met with elected officials and their staffs to discuss important issues affecting their businesses.

The day began at the Capitol Visitor Center where Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-District of Columbia, Ranking Member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, addressed participants and engaged with them on important issues facing the motorcoach, travel and tourism industries. Key Congressional staff from the Appropriations, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Homeland Security Committees also addressed the members.

During the in-person meetings with the officials from both the House of Representatives and Senate, Fly-In participants personally thanked elected officials for supporting the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, a five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill that was passed in December 2015. In addition, participants discussed other critical issues, such as the FMCSA lease and interchange final rule and bus security grant funding. The event concluded at the ABA Washington, D.C. office with a celebratory reception.

“Our inaugural Fly-In proved to be a great success,” said ABA President and CEO Peter J. Pantuso. “Our members not only had a chance to raise and discuss topical concerns impacting our industry, but also had the opportunity to build valuable relationships with their elected representatives and staff.”

The ABA is the trade organization of the intercity bus industry, with more than 1,000 motorcoach and tour company members in the U.S. and Canada. Its members operate charter, tour, regular route, airport express, special operations and contract services. Another 2,800 members are travel and tourism organizations and suppliers of bus products and services who work in partnership with the North American motorcoach industry.

Source: ABA press release

Keywords

ABA   American Bus Association   business travel   charter and tour operators   lobbying   motorcoach operators   motorcoaches   Peter Pantuso   tourism   

 

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How Can Your Service Succeed In The Millennial Travel Market?

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Jorge Gomez, a manager of corporate travel for Miami-based snack giant Mondelēz International, will appear on a LCT Leadership Summit panel May 23 to give insights on best business travel practices related to Millennials, including how procurement managers evaluate ground transportation services and adapt policies and compliance to accommodate this generation.  

Gomez will join business travel consultant Mark Williams and Limo Alliance chief strategy officer Lenore D’Anzieri for a Business Travel Roundtable: How To Monetize the Millennial Business Travel Sector, Monday, May 23, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the SLS South Beach Hotel.

Gomez runs the Corporate Travel Program in the Americas for Mondelēz International. He oversees strategy and policy compliance for travel and meetings, travel operations, process improvement, and value generation. Mondelēz (NASDAQ: MDLZ) is one of the world’s largest snacks companies, with 2015 net revenues of about $30 billion.

Gomez has more than 25 years of experience in the sourcing & supply management field in the manufacturing and service sectors, with responsibility over travel during the last 16 years. Before joining Mondelēz, he was the director over global procurement for indirect spend at Brink’s Inc., and has held roles with organizations such as FedEx, BCD Travel and Eaton Corporation. 

Panelists will explain how the right infrastructure can create internal brand affinity among Millennial business travelers, and lead to a successful travel program for chauffeured operations over  the next 10 years and beyond.

SUMMIT REGISTRATION HERE

Related LCT Summit articles:

• Business Travel Buyers Seek Better Service
• Summit Hosts Business Travel Roundtable

Keywords

business travel   business trends   corporate business   corporate travel   industry events   industry trends   LCT Leadership Summit   marketing to corporate travelers   Millennials   networking   procurement   

 

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Rapid Paws Delivers Your Pets Safe And Sound

If you live in an area as busy as Washington, D.C., you know how hard it is to balance work and family responsibilities. For those with pets, it’s twice as difficult. How do you make sure you’re not late for work, your kids get to school on time, and Fluffy gets to her regular vet appointment? Rapid Paws is the answer.

Barking Up The Right Tree

Founder and Chief Happiness Officer Paul Ozner wanted to combine the logistics of his former job as a controller of a fleet of 65 vehicles for a company that delivered 13,000 meals a day to senior citizens, charter schools, and daycare centers, with his love of animals.

As a pet owner, he realized busy professionals, seniors, disabled individuals, and people who were just plain lazy didn’t always have the time or energy to bring their fur babies to grooming and vet appointments. After doing research, he discovered 30% of new residents in D.C. don’t drive, and the licensed dog population had increased by 60% over three years.

“It just screamed ‘There’s a need for a service,’” he says.

So, he took the fleet management knowledge he had acquired working his previous job and made it his goal to meet the highest standard of care: The Animal Welfare Act mandated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Because animals are very sensitive, he wanted his business to reflect happiness and make owners feel at ease.

Clients can rest assured their pets aren’t being manhandled by strangers — they are being cared for by fellow animal lovers. Rapid Paws is approved by both the USDA and the Transportation Security Administration. “If you are moving pets, you want to live up to the highest standard you can,” Ozner says.

Working Man’s Best Friend

After 10 months of beta testing, Rapid Paws officially went live on April 1. The company provides just about every service imaginable: Airport pickup, interstate transportation, and trips to the vet, breeder, groomer, or daycare.

It operates two Nissan NV 2500 high-roof vans that are completely climate controlled with supplemental HVAC and stand-by power generation. Ozner says he is pleased with the vehicles because they are great to brand on and promote good air circulation for the animals. Workers clean the vehicles daily, but sanitize crates after every use with a veterinary germicide and disinfectant.

Ozner has arrangements made to rent extra vans if he ends up needing them in the future, and assuming business ends up booming, he has a longstanding relationship with Enterprise that would enable him to swap out his two current vehicles for a fleet of seven.

In the pet world, there isn’t really a need for on-demand transportation services. Rapid Paws is near-demand: give them at least a two hour heads-up, and they’ll be ready to roll. “It’s not like you have a collie who says, ‘Mommy, I have a strong urge to be groomed. Take me outside and call a cab — I’ve got to get my hair done, let’s go!,’” Ozner jokes.

If the service can be described in one word, it would be “reliable.” He takes pride in the fact if he says they’ll be there, you can expect them to be on time. The company only transports cats and dogs, but if there’s a large enough demand for creatures of a more exotic nature, they’ll look into it.

As far as managing the fleet goes, Ozner uses Insight’s Street Eagle GPS system and Limo Anywhere software. Customers are able to book online or through the Rapid Paws app, available on both Apple and Android devices.

Rapid Paws pricing is simple and fair: A trip of five miles or less is $25, five to 15 mile trips are $40, 15 to 25 miles is $60, and anything above 25 miles is $60 plus $1.55 per mile after that. If you plan on moving two or more pets, it’s $10 per extra animal. The company offers contract rates as well, and is flexible and willing to make deals with customers.

Sit. Stay. Type.

Ozner is a self-proclaimed “student of social media.” While Rapid Paws has multiple accounts, he’s more concerned with discerning what he wants the company to be and stand for. A McDonald’s franchise operator for 17 years, he understands how to make use of media, but is trying to learn the new toolkit first.

“Each channel has its own customer, and each customer has to be spoken to in a way that resonates appropriately through social media. I think that takes some training,” he explains. “I want to be able to properly address the questions potential clients have: Who is Rapid Paws, and can we trust these people?”

This desire for transparency is refreshing. One innovation he’s taking advantage of is Periscope. For those who are unfamiliar with the app, Periscope allows one to “go live” via cell phone or tablet. You can stream video and audio to any viewers who join your broadcast.

“People have baby cams and nanny cams. This is pet cam. I’m trying to build trust by allowing the customer to see not only their pet, but my driver as well,” he says. “It’s like saying, ‘Hey, take a look. We understand your concerns.’”

Using this technology is cheaper, simpler, and more effective than trying to hook up a CCTV system and gives doting pet parents piece of mind. Ozner believes this feature will be especially appealing to owners who need their pet transferred via interstate runs.

Who’s A Good Driver?

Rapid Paws takes driver training seriously. Ozner collaborated with a Canine Good Citizen and Schutzhund trainer to develop a syllabus each driver is required to go through (12 total training hours). They must then pass a practical and written exam to earn a certificate of completion. For added reassurance in the early stages of the business, Ozner chaperons every trip to ensure everything goes according to plan.

He’s also looking for veterinary technicians for a premium service called “Vet Tech Assist,” where customers can request to have a vet tech on the ride along with your animal. He believes this will help address a fundamental fear for some owners.

Related: LCT Explores Nissan NV 3500 Passenger Van

Related: Fetching Fifi – Rapid Paws Whisks Pets To Appointments

Keywords

GPS Insight   Limo Anywhere   mobile applications   Nissan   on-demand service   Social Media   startup   TNCs   Washington DC operators   WebXclusive   

 

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TNC Travesties Of The Week

[Note To Readers: With the high frequency of Uber- and TNC-related drama, controversies, violations, and bad behavior, LCT will choose the top stories each week and summarize here. You will be able to access all future round-ups under with the key word tag TNC travesty].

Beware Of Uber Vomit Scam: A New York City ride-share passenger was sickened to discover that Uber charged her $200 in addition to the fare in order to clean up vomit that she supposedly spewed over the car. SFGate.com article here

Alleged Drunk Uber Driver Slams Into Empty Tour Bus: A suspected drunk Uber driver crashed into the side of an empty tour bus and then scuffled with officers overnight March 2-3 in the San Diego Gaslamp Quarter. KGTV ABC Channel 10 article and video here

Keywords

accidents   California operators   criminal incidents   drunk driving   limo crashes   San Diego operators   TNC travesty   TNCs   Uber   

 

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90th Birthday Limo Bus Party Ends In Vomit Debacle

When a limo bus arrived in Mars, Penn., to transport two dozen friends and family members celebrating Helen Sarver’s 90th birthday to a steakhouse, the group discovered one of the bus’s two air-conditioning units wasn’t working as temperatures hovered near 90 degrees in August 2014.

Passengers became flushed, overheated and nauseated. Two people allegedly vomited.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article here

Keywords

difficult clients   law enforcement   limo buses   party buses   Pennsylvania operators   regulatory enforcement   state regulations   

 

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Anderson Monarchs’ 1947 Flxible Clipper Motorcoach

Keywords

motorcoaches   sports team transportation   vintage vehicles   WebXclusive   

 

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Anderson Monarchs Barnstorm Tour

Keywords

motorcoaches   sports team transportation   vintage vehicles   WebXclusive   

 

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Of Old Buses & Baseball

It could be argued that most sports teams, whether professional or recreational, prefer to travel to their games in style. More often than not, they want a vehicle that has the latest amenities, including Wi-Fi, television, and superb stereo systems. But do these things really matter in the long run? Shouldn’t it be the spirit of the game that propels players to want to give it their all?

Tom Murphy, a mechanic and volunteer with the Philadelphia Youth Organization, seems to understand this better than anyone. In fact, he wanted to give the organization’s team, the Anderson Monarchs, an experience as close to how players like Jackie Robinson used to travel — in a vintage 1947 Flxible Clipper 29 passenger motorcoach.

Origins

Our story begins with the discovery of the classic motorcoach. In 1997, a mutual friend mentioned to Murphy that Steve Bandura, coach of the Anderson Monarchs, was planning a Baseball Barnstorming Tour in tribute to the 50th anniversary of Robinson signing with Major League Baseball. They were going to charter a bus for the tour, and this got Murphy thinking. He eventually came across the Flxible motorcoach in a three year-old issue of a national publication. He called the owner, and it turned out he still had it.

Check It Out

To see photos of the team and their motorcoach, click here.

“The bus was an amazing time capsule at 50 years old — even with six flat tires,” Murphy says. If they wanted to borrow it, they’d have to put in the elbow grease needed to get it running again, the owner said. That same summer, the team put 5,000 miles on it. Unfortunately, the organization did not have enough money to actually purchase the motorcoach at that time. Fast forward to 2004, and they were finally able to buy it from the new owner thanks to a donation from a local benefactor to the youth group — Mitchell & Ness Nostalgia Co.The owner had driven it off the Warner Bros. Studios backlot in Burbank, Calif. in the early 1970s, and parked it in his barn in Connecticut. It had not been moved or started in 25 years.

Rough Repairs

The basic bus shell and suspension are very sound. It originally had an inline 8 cylinder Buick engine from the factory, but was replaced by Warner Bros. in 1970 with a GMC Million Mile 6 engine, which turns 50 this year and has about 450,000+ miles on it.

The biggest issue they’ve come across is trying to find replacement parts, Murphy says. The coach’s original four speed stick shift transmission needed parts that could no longer be found, so the transmission was replaced in 2015 with an Allison 1000 automatic overdrive transmission. This required a lot of custom parts and relocating the engine in the chassis in order for it to fit properly. Murphy’s friend, Howard McGoldrick, was able to wire the 2006 computerized transmission into the bus. This conversion was made possible by a donation from the Tri-State Chevy Dealers Association and CBS Eco Media.

As cliché as it sounds, renovating the motorcoach has been a labor of love. With no air conditioning or power steering, it still has a ways to go. “The goal here is to eventually make this a modern version of a 1947 Flxible Clipper,” Murphy says. “I’m spending time over the winter updating all of the exterior and interior lighting with modern LEDs and adding lights where they weren’t required in 1947…as well as a dozen other things that didn’t get done in 2015.”

Making a Difference

Why would someone put in all of this effort just to make an old motorcoach run? It’s all about what’s in it for the kids. “Jackie Robinson is someone they have studied and are well aware of what a pivotal person he is in history; he’s their role model. He rode buses like this in his career as a Negro League player. They are very aware their American experience is better for what he and others before went through to make it happen,” Murphy says.

Since the original Barnstorming tour in 1997, the team has gone on to do three more: one in ‘04, ‘12, and ‘15 (click here for video). And these kids can really play ball. Seven of them played on the Taney team that went to the Little League World Series in 2014. Mo’ne Davis — the then 13 year-old girl with the 70mph fastball — has been all over the news.

“These kids come from an environment where there is typically very little sports opportunity… I think the organization is a national treasure of sorts. The bus itself is probably the smallest part of it all.”

Related: A Young Ballclub Barnstorms The South

Related: Baseball and Black History

Keywords

motorcoaches   sports team transportation   vintage vehicles   WebXclusive   

 

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