Showing posts with label July 21. Show all posts
Showing posts with label July 21. Show all posts

Friday, July 21, 2017

How Operators Can Cater To Quinceaneras

Every day millions of girls of Hispanic descent in the U.S. turn quince, or 15 years old. They celebrate this teen coming-of-age event with a festive celebration called a Quinceañera. One of the unique features of this major teen coming-of-age event is the Quince Girl keeps a court like a bride keeps her maids and groom keeps groomsmen. Just like a wedding party, the Quince Girl and her court need a ride to the ceremony.

The Ideal Booking

An ideal booking for a single Quinceañera can be up to three limousine or party buses from your fleet. For example, the Quince Girl may choose a classic limousine for her and her court — traditionally consisting of eight couples — and another for her closest family and friends for the initial pickups and trip to the religious ceremony held at a church. From the church, the Quince Girl may want a party bus to transport her and her court to the reception and after party. For a limousine fleet owner, this type of booking could help ensure more cars get off the lot and into service.

Unlimited Stops

In addition to multiple pickups, drop off at the church, the reception, and the after party, the Quince Girl may want to be “taken to several picture locations for a photo shoot,” says Anna Olejnik, customer service manager at VIP Limousine, Inc. in Chicago, Ill.

It’s important for her to know unlimited stops are included in her package as there will be many. It’s a selling point VIP Limousine mentions in its marketing materials. 

“This is extremely important because when one books an hourly reservation, multiple pick-ups or picture locations are what they need,” Olejnik says. “As a result, it’s important to let our clients know they can make as many stops as they need without any additional charge.”

This is what enticed Lupe Perez, a 19 year old from New York’s Hudson Valley, to book her limousine when she was planning for her Quinceañera. “I looked for a [limo] service that didn’t mind taking us all over — like different parks and stuff,” Perez said.

Limousine Or Party Bus?

Each Quince Girl differs in her tastes about her preference for a limousine or party bus, as YouTube Quinceañera vlogger Stephanie Rangel suggests on her channel, MyQuinceanera. In her video, Quinceañera Party Bus or Limousine?, noticeable trends stand out.

Olejnik notes, “The industry is definitely growing more into a party bus industry. However, the classic and elegant look of stretch limousines and SUVs will never falter. Those with a refined taste will still lean towards the classic look. However, modern times are calling for contemporary party buses.”

The Size

Sometimes it’s not so much about whether the Quince Girl prefers a limousine or party bus, but how many can fit in either. While she may love the classic look of a limousine, she may pass up a 13-passenger stretch Lincoln Navigator for a 28-passenger party bus. Her full ball gown, with crinoline and accessories, may take up to two to three seats. She must ensure enough room to accommodate her gown.

Yeyney Mendez Peralta, who lives in Pennsylvania, recalls shopping for limos for her Quinceañera. “I tried to look for the one [limo] that the people who were going to go with me [would ] fit in and not be smushed. It’s better to have more space, I think.”

Colors

Colors have meaning in the Quinceañera, and it’s important the color of the limousine complement the colors worn by the Quince Girl and her court. Peralta adds, “the color of the limo should match the Quinceañera dress color. My dress color was mint and I got a white limo.” VIP Limousine is ready to meet this request. “All of our vehicles are white since we specialize in weddings, Quinceañeras, and large scale events,” Olejnik says. “We find our clients think they are much more appropriate for the occasion.”

Bilingual Staff

While many Quince Girls speak English, their parents, who often do most of the planning and booking, may speak it as a second language. To close a sale, having a bilingual staff member may be a huge plus when speaking with a parent.

Mercedes Gonzalez, director of purchasing at Global Purchasing Companies, a firm that buys Quinceañera dresses for member retailers nationwide, says a bilingual chauffeur can be advantageous and just as important when speaking with the parents in their native language. “I would say 90% of the girls are English speakers and would prefer someone who speaks both [Spanish and English].” At VIP Limousine, they have bilingual customer service representatives for this reason.

But what if you don’t have any bilingual staff? For a fleet owner with no bilingual staff or Quinceañera marketing efforts, there’s still a chance to service the Quince Girl. “What is most important is the service and quality of vehicles you have to offer, [and] what makes you different than other companies out there,” Olejnik says. In fact, because VIP Limousine proved itself as an exceptional transportation provider, it was able to organically attract the lucrative Quinceañera market. “We started out mostly marketing to weddings. However, we quickly became known in the luxury transportation industry, and as demand grew, we tailored our packages and created a specific one for Quinceañeras.”

Every day, millions of Hispanic girls turn 15 and celebrate with a coming-of-age event, the Quinceañera. Grow your teen coming-of-age event business by expanding to service this market. If you book weddings, you already know a great deal about handling a Quinceañera. To increase your share of this market, consider offering the Quince Girl a variety of makes, models, and colors of vehicles to match her dress, upsell or cross sell more than one vehicle for various segments, accommodate unlimited stops, add bilingual staff members, and always count the Quince Girl as two to three people to accommodate her gown. Implement these practices and notice a difference in your business. 

KESHIA RICHMOND is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Prom Guide Magazine (www.promguide.com) based in Pompano Beach, Fla. For a complimentary, basic, SEO friendly page and listing for your limousine company on PromGuide.com, the resource for teens attending prom and all teen coming-of-age events, send an email to keshia.richmond@promguide.com.

Keywords

client markets   luxury market trends   quinceañeras   Sales & Marketing   special events   

 

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Thursday, July 21, 2016

What To Expect In New Era Of Luxury Travel

There are many colorful predictions when it comes to the future of luxury travel.

‘Clanning’ experiences, immersive spaces and fantasy escapes in game-like environments are just some of the ideas being thrown around.

Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts recently released a set of predictions about future travel trends, which included a heavy emphasis on immersive, virtual reality technology that will allow travelers to engage in a fascinating array of mind-bending experiences.

The Street article here

Keywords

business travel   corporate travel   industry trends   leisure travel   luxury market trends   research and trends   technology   

 

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Jet Linx Charter Jet Service Offers The Gift of Time

Time is money, and no one understands that better than business executives who are forced to juggle hectic schedules that pull them in multiple directions at once. 

Jet Linx, which has been flying clients across the globe for 17 years, boasts 14 hangar locations throughout the U.S. and the nation’s third largest fleet.

Washington Life Magazine artice here

Keywords

business travel   charter jet   corporate travel   FBO market   Nebraska operators   private jets   

 

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Expedia CEO Predicts More Mergers In Corporate Travel

<p>Dara Khosrowshahi, <a href="http://ift.tt/1qixklg" target="_blank">Expedia</a> CEO (Creative Commons photo)</p>A period of consolidation could be on tap in corporate travel as online travel agencies seek to bolster their offerings and travel management companies seek to scale up their technology offerings.

Dara Khosrowshahi, Expedia CEO, during a GBTA Convention 2016 panel on consolidation this week, said, “I do think there will be consolidation in the corporate travel space because some of these companies don’t have the scale to invest in technology… there’s going to be a lot of consolidation in this industry; financing is cheap and it’s driving acquisitions activity.”

Skift.com article here

Keywords

business travel   corporate travel   GBTA   Global Business Travel Association   mergers & acquisitions   online services   

 

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TNCs, Chauffeured Services May Link Up Sooner Than Thought

DENVER, Col. — A feisty conversation between Lyft chief business officer David Baga and Scott Solombrino, president and CEO of Dav El / BostonCoach, at GBTA Convention 2016 July 19 showed the tension travel managers face in making the case for a more inclusive travel policy involving the sharing economy.

At one point, Solombrino went off script and spilled the beans: He had been approached by Lyft to potentially build a partnership between his car service and their ridesharing network, and had been rebuffed by Lyft when it came to instituting full duty of care standards.

Skift.com item here

Keywords

BostonCoach   business travel   corporate business   corporate travel   GBTA   Global Business Travel Association   Lyft   on-demand service   Scott Solombrino   

 

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Promzilla Is The Junior Bridezilla

Facials, manicures, dresses costing more than $650, high heels and stretch limos – these are just some of the demands being made by children as young as ten as the trend for junior prom sweeps the UK.

Indeed, Charlotte Scott from Newport, Wales, had just turned ten when she attended her prom last year in a $720 white and pink diamante-encrusted dress.

The now year seven student, who was crowned prom queen for her impressive outfit, said the event was a ‘huge confidence booster’ and she ‘felt like a princess’.

Daily Mail article here

Keywords

client markets   customer service   difficult clients   prom   special events   stretch limousine   student transportation   youth marketing   

 

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Self-Driving Mercedes-Benz Bus Rolls Through Big City

Autonomy isn’t just for cars; Mercedes-Benz has created a self-driving city bus, too.

The automaker revealed its latest creation on the morning of July 18. Called the Future Bus, it’s the first city bus that can drive itself.

Mercedes did more than just unveil the futuristic vehicle. It also sent it on a 12-mile route through the streets of Amsterdam.

Mashable article here

Keywords

autonomous vehicles   buses   Daimler   driverless cars   Mercedes-Benz   public transit   self-driving vehicles   

 

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Limo Companies Get Creative For RNC

They normally sit behind the wheel of hearses and school buses, but right now, some Clevelanders are getting ready to hit the road in a different ride during the RNC.

Local transportation companies are hiring the drivers in an effort to meet the huge demand for limousines during the convention.

Newsnet 5 Cleveland article here

Keywords

group transportation   hiring chauffeurs   meetings and conventions   Ohio operators   recruiting chauffeurs   special events   

 

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Dav El BostonCoach, EmpireCLS To Launch On-Demand App

<p>Dav El / BostonCoach CEO Scott Solombrino is entering the on-demand ground transportation space, but with a luxury twist that emphasizes safety and quality. (Photo by Alex Wilson via Boston Coach)</p>DENVER, Colo.— Dav El│BostonCoach Transportation Network and EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services said July 20 they would launch a nationwide on-demand app for the luxury ground transportation industry.

The two major global chauffeured transportation companies announced the service at the Global Business Travel Association annual convention in Denver. 

The on-demand app will join several hundred affiliates across the country to enable the availability of an extensive on-demand — or “ASAP Fleet” — of luxury cars. New York City will be the first location to launch later this summer, followed by a systematic roll out of destinations across the U.S, the release stated.

<p>Empire CLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services CEO David Seelinger, who owns and runs one of the largest chauffeured transportation networks in the U.S., is joining competitor&nbsp;Dav El / Boston Coach to launch an on-demand app gearted toward corporate clients in the New York City market, to be followed in other cities. (Photo from David Seelinger)</p>The new app will provide corporate clients and consumers with the convenience of tap and ride style transportation with a high level of service and safety measures (including background checks, drug testing, insurance, defensive driver training, etc.) which can only be available from companies who have spent years training and managing professional chauffeurs. 

“This is an exciting time in the chauffeured car industry,” said Scott Solombrino, president and CEO, Dav El│BostonCoach Transportation Network. “It is extremely important to both companies that our clients continue to receive the highest level of customer care they have always enjoyed, while at the same time have access to the immediacy of on-demand technology which smartphones and portable devices can now provide.”

“Our new On-Demand service will streamline the process for clients to book rides with us and our affiliates,” said EmpireCLS Chairman and CEO David Seelinger. “The app is our safe solution for clients who need last-minute transportation and have high expectations for the quality of their ride.”

More details on how the new app will be set up and connected will be announced at a later date. 

Keywords

apps   Dav El Chauffeured Transportation   David Seelinger   EmpireCLS   GBTA   industry trends   mobile applications   mobile technology   mobility on demand   on-demand service   Scott Solombrino   

 

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How To Harness The Power Of Workplace Generations

<p>Operator Chris Quinn owns Corporate Transportation Solutions in Sacramento, Calif., and serves as a board member of the National Limousine Association (NLA) and the Greater California Limousine Association (GCLA). He&rsquo;s also a Battalion Chief with the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.</p>In the second decade of the 21st Century, America has reached the juncture of five distinct and diverse generations in the workplace. For years, we have talked about “Baby Boomers” and “Millennials,” “Gen Xers,” and “GenY.” Now, with “Generation Z” ready to flood the first rungs of the job market, companies must plan for the shifts in leadership needed to manage layers of age groups and experience.

At the 2016 International LCT Show, operator Christopher Quinn’s session offered practical approaches to getting such diverse age groups to work well together. Quinn owns Corporate Transportation Solutions in Sacramento, Calif., and serves as a board member of the National Limousine Association (NLA) and the Greater California Limousine Association (GCLA).

As an active fire captain training a mix of the younger generations, Quinn uses different ways to get optimum performance from his recruits, and also learned how and when to overlook differences. Quinn presented his insights into leading these young men and women while creating more productive, multi-generational work environments.

Generations Defined

Traditionalists are now the world market’s shareholders. Having lived through or been born during the Great Depression with some serving in World War II or the Korean War (1950-53), this older group values duty, honor, country, hard work and every nickel. Coming of age during the era of the military draft, about half are military veterans, so formal uniforms and dress are considered standard for work.

Baby Boomers are the offspring of returning military servicemen after the war. They enjoyed economic booms that make them idealistic and active spenders and consumers, but competitive and goal oriented. This group brought us women’s liberation and the civil rights movements. But they remain more formal in dress and presentation in a work environment.

Gen-Xers were instrumental in the counterculture movement. Questioning established norms was a part of deciphering economic and political uncertainly in their early years. While not as job-loyal, this group also has absorbed more downsizing and layoffs in a post-boom economic world than their elders. Gen Y/Millennials enjoy economic prosperity and new technology. But they also look for group collaboration and want regular, even weekly, feedback on job performance.

Generation Z is still new to the work world, but this group has been wirelessly connected from birth and is likely to face heavy college debt while looking for fulfilling work.

Where Differences Become Clear

Describing each generation’s unique qualities is one thing, but managing them is another. Significant differences in values, skills, and style can challenge managers.

“All of that can lead to misunderstandings and decreased productivity,” Quinn says. “Worse, it generates less-engaged workers who tend to separate themselves into like-minded groups.” This creates silos of workers, generational bias, and ultimately, causes poor communication. “Some generations even feel singled out as less worthy employees,” Quinn adds.

Hiring the right people is vital for an employer, and operators need caring employees who value their work and want to succeed. “Ostensibly, the mission is the same, but the people have changed,” Quinn says.

From fashion and verbal presentation styles to workplace behavior and technological savvy, the people behind each desk vary widely based on their generational category. Communication is definitely one of the primary differences in style.

If a project goal is shared and understood by a group, for example, it may still be difficult to move forward if communication styles are not considered in the “how” of completing the project. A traditionalist is looking for direct requests and established tasks while Gen Xers prefer to communicate by email and text and are more ready to flex as things change. Baby Boomers may happily have a meeting at any time or take calls at home, while younger generations value greater work/life balance and will bristle at a call outside of work hours. The team may be top-notch, but time must be put into agreeing on the methods for working together.

In another scenario, an older owner or manager offers a bonus for a job well done on a project. The Baby Boomer may be glad to get the money, while a Gen Xer, who looks for instant gratification, wonders why she didn’t get the bonus six months ago when the project was complete. And she might even ask that out loud, stunning an older manager who thinks the employee is looking a gift horse in the mouth.

Recognizing the things that make an employee feel valued and motivated is an important step to creating a well-honed group.

Whatcha Gonna Do About It?

Choosing how to mix the various styles is a leadership responsibility fraught with challenges, but it is workable. If done well, the combination of styles and generations could enhance the quality of the company’s service and products.

“Embrace the challenges,” Quinn suggests. “Understand and cultivate the talent that exists in each generation.” This could be technological know-how or optimism. A Baby Boomer may be excited to learn about a new way to use in-house software and could be paired with a younger person to teach.

Determining expectations and strengths is a matter of good management research. While a Traditionalist or Baby-Boomer reads this as the company’s expectations, a Gen-Yer sees it as it’s intended: To figure out the employee’s expectations; don’t solely force expectations from the top down. Maybe one wants daily feedback, and another prefers to be left alone to work until a weekly meeting. Perhaps some want more flexibility in problem-solving, while others want the methods pre-set to work on. No matter the methods, when all sides know what is expected and preferred, it naturally becomes easier to find ways to drive results from happier, cooperative, and goal-oriented employees.

By clarifying first, managers will make fewer erroneous assumptions. Even better, it is possible to alter long-held beliefs and attitudes. But it takes a little time and patience to let natural abilities contribute in a productive way.

Perspective is part of what makes understanding possible. “Slow the row,” Quinn offers. “As a matter of respect, it is important to pay attention to the other side’s perspective.” Often, the desired result is the same. The Gen Yer may start an explanation with “Dude” as his title of respect, but the idea may be the best one offered at the table. By understanding perspective, different modes of getting there might be worth trying. Instead of seeing a difference or resistance, hearing assorted views can create the appreciation for talents and ideas of another generation.

Good leaders practice such principles anyway. Multi-generational differences just contrast the ways to accomplish excellent work for the organization. Managing these generations may be a challenge, but recognizing what each generation adds in value can be used to benefit the company. More importantly, it will be better for customers as well.

Christopher Quinn can be reached at CQuinn@ctslimo.com.

So Who Are These People?

Quinn notes “each age group of people has different perspectives that affect goals and execution. They are motivated in different but specific ways.” And while the years may overlap a bit based on family structure and personal experience, the generational break down is initially based on birth year:

  • iGen, Gen Z or Centennials: Born 1996 and later
  • Millennials or Gen Y: Born 1980 to 1995
  • Generation X: Born 1965 to 1979
  • Baby Boomers: Born 1946 to 1964
  • Traditionalists and Silent Generation: Born 1945 and before

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