Harrah’s Atlantic City To Get Major Makeover For 2017

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Building on the recent success of its $125 million, world-class Waterfront Conference Center, Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City plans a $30 million guest-room & suite renovation, to be completed by summer 2017.

The room and suite upgrades are part of Caesars Entertainment’s total investment of $200 million into its Atlantic City casino-resorts, which additionally includes future enhancements to Harrah’s premier nightlife destination, The Pool After Dark, the resort’s fitness center, and its upscale food court.

The renovations will be done in time for the 2017 LCT-NLA Show East, scheduled for Nov. 5-7, 2017. This year’s LCT East Show takes place Nov. 13-15.

Harrah’s Resort will re-design and enhance 450 guest-rooms and suites in its Bayview Tower, partnering with Las Vegas-based design firm, Marnell Companies, to curate the in-room guest experience. Bayview rooms, which will boast about 600-square-feet of space, will offer fresh design elements, featuring rich hues of lavender and blue accent colors, contrasting white and gray tones, and contemporary furniture, including a vanity dressing area. Freshly-appointed, modern bathrooms will offer oversized showers, while select rooms will additionally offer luxurious baths and signature amenities.

Harrah’s press release here

Related article: World Casino News

Keywords

Atlantic city   Caesars   casinos   Harrah’s   hotels   LCT-NLA Show East   limo tradeshows   

 

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Continental Helps Lincoln Gain Sales Momentum

DEARBORN, Mich. — Lincoln quietly notched another strong month in September as it remains in good shape to post a rare third consecutive year of sales increases.

Lincoln’s total sales were only up 1.3%, but its retail sales increased 8% last month, which is even more impressive when considering that management believes the premium segment declined about 2% to 3% in September.

The MKX continues to be a runaway success story for the brand, with its sales up nearly 50% year to date. It was also the first month of deliveries for Ford’s flagship Lincoln Continental. The all-new Continental posted sales of 775 units and units were being driven off dealership lots within just six days.

“They [dealers] couldn’t be more delighted with the launch to date, and not just the reception of the Continental, but some of the other Lincolns that’s brought new customers into the Lincoln showroom. And they’re selling MKZs, MKXs off of that traffic,” said Mark LaNeve, vice president of U.S. marketing, sales and service, on the sales conference call.

While September won’t go down as one of Ford’s most thrilling sales months, the rising average transaction prices, sales increases for Lincoln, and positive receptions to the all-new Super Duty and Continental are certainly developments for investors to be happy about. One of the most important things for investors to watch through the rest of 2016 are rising incentive levels, and whether or not major automakers can tone down incentive spending as the market plateaus.

Overall, Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) trailed the automotive industry in September sales, with total sales dropping 8%, down to 204,447 units, compared to the prior year. A large part of the decline was due to a 21% decline in fleet sales, but Ford’s retail sales were also off 4%. The industry’s total light-vehicle sales dropped 0.7% in September, but are still clinging to a year-to-date increase of 0.3% compared to the same time frame in 2015. While it wasn’t a strong month for Ford in terms of total sales, there were some bright spots in the data.

Source: Madison.com

Related: All the Lincoln Continental news @ LCTMag.com

Keywords

Ford   lincoln   Lincoln-Continental   new sedans   OEMs   vehicle sales   

 

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Operator Buys More Companies, Classes Up Fleet

SAN JOSE, Calif. — For all the industry challenges arising from TNCs nationwide, no operators must maneuver smarter than those in the San Francisco Bay Area, birthplace of Uber, Lyft, and the growing app-on-demand culture.

Operator Harry Dhillon, owner and founder of Ecko Transportation Worldwide in San Jose, has spent the past 18 months buying three local limousine operations while launching a complementary industry start-up. A look at his strategy provides some insights for operators figuring out how to survive and succeed as the on-demand mode of commerce sweeps through the global economy.

Dhillon, a 2015 LCT Operator of the Year Award winner, deploys a strategy that brings together several trends seen among limo operators: Buy smaller companies, create service niches or tiers, diversify the client base, upgrade the chauffeured fleet, expand into complementary regions, and start new, preferably tech-oriented, businesses.

Altogether, this approach can fortify a limousine company for the long-term while giving it advantages over Transportation Network Companies (TNCs).

“You need young energy to make sure you’re on par with the competition,” Dhillon told LCT. “You don’t put all your eggs in one basket but have different businesses and revenue generating pipelines.”

Altogether, the three purchased companies will boost Ecko’s overall fleet to 35 vehicles and enable it to expand into the Napa region.

• Most recently, Dhillon closed a deal Sept. 9 to buy Limo Stop of San Jose, the company that operated the stretch limousine involved in the fatal fire of May 4, 2013 in which five women died. The company had been in business for 16 years. Dhillon plans to rebrand it as El Worldwide Transportation, doing business under Ecko. The company gained two vehicles as part of the deal, which adds $600,000 to its revenue stream. “The limo fire was an unfortunate incident that can happen to any one of us,” Dhillon said. “They were trying to sell but no operators wanted it, but I saw potential. They have good corporate client accounts.”
• A month before, Dhillon acquired Air One Transportation Worldwide of San Jose, a small-fleet operation with four vehicles owned by Olga Spirina and Russell McGillicuddy. The $400,000 annual revenue operation specializes in a high-end VIP local clientele. As a result, Dhillon is keeping the company running under its name and website as his elite service tier. “I bought the company because the profit margin was higher and it had a clientele in place with many airport round-trips,” Dhillon said. “The rates are higher than for a normal limousine service because of its elite level clients.”
• In March 2015, Dhillon bought the largest of the acquired companies, Excel Limo & Sedan Service of Mountain View, a 16-year-old operation that added $1.4 million and 10 vehicles to the Ecko fleet. The company did mostly airport runs and group trips.

Combined, the added companies boost Ecko’s overall estimated revenues this year to $5.5 million with a combined fleet of 35 vehicles. Between now and the end of 2017, Dhillon will be upgrading his fleet exclusively to BMW 740i sedans, Mercedes-Benz S Class sedans, Lincoln-Continentals, and Cadillac Escalades. Those premium level luxury vehicles will complement his Grech Motors minibuses and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Vans.

Ecko’s farm-out business has grown since last year from zero to about 8-10 reservations per day, making up about 12-15% of his annual business. Overall, the client mix divides 70% corporate/business versus 30% retail/leisure. To grow his market reach, Dhillon joined a private aviation association to connect with charter jet providers to serve more FBOs and private aviation markets. Long-term, Dhillon wants to consider buying more smaller limousine operations in the $500,000-plus annual revenue range and grow to $15 million during the next three years.

Complementing his operations, Dhillon launched a start-up in July called Dhillon Enterprises, dba as Hashtag Business Solutions in Chandigarh, India. The five-employee company provides a one-stop shop for all small to mid-sized fleet operators needing 24/7 on-demand answering services, website designs, logo designs, presentation PDFs, and quality checks of operations. Hashtag assigns one employee per client company, who can focus exclusively on that company’s service needs. Dhillon plans to introduce the company at upcoming trade show exhibits.

Keywords

building your clientele   business deals   business growth   California operators   client markets   mergers & acquisitions   San Francisco operators   tiered services   

 

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How To Find A Digital Mentor

If you’re a member of the LCT Fast 40 group of operators, you’re probably looking at our technology coverage with glee and confidence. On the other hand, if you’re a member of the more seasoned crowd, you likely greeted this first part with skepticism, and maybe some concern.

I’ll share an embarrassing secret: the LCT editorial team recently participated in a demo with one of these software companies, and I’m not ashamed to say I had a difficult time following. As a Millennial, I’m adept at adapting to new technologies. But this experience made me realize why some operators hesitate.

I think something people have even more difficulty with than technology is learning it’s O.K. to ask for help. The primary mission of the LCT Fast 40 is to encourage the limousine industry to evolve with the times through innovative practices, tech adoption, and refreshed perspectives. But that’s not just meant to stay among younger operators.

When people choose to pursue a career in luxury ground transportation, I assume it’s because they enjoy providing top-tier customer service and have an honest desire to serve others. This idea of the “servant’s heart” got me thinking: If operators and chauffeurs find true joy in helping customers, why don’t they apply it to their fellow industry members?

It’s probably safe to say everyone has had a mentor at one point in their careers who guided them to where they are today. This is a busy industry, and many operators don’t have much time to devote to other people. However, digital mentorship will provide both parties with benefits and make it easier to learn about evolving programs and software.

Use Your Resources

The first step is to connect with operators who already use the same software as you (or as you plan to). One of the best places to find a potential mentor is through limo groups on Facebook. Don’t be afraid to post your concerns, and don’t worry about whether or not your questions are “stupid.” The only dumb question is the one not asked.

These groups exist to support and encourage members of the industry. We should be building each other up, not tearing each other down. Another fantastic way to find someone willing to help is at trade show networking events or local association meetings.

On the flip side, if someone asks you to mentor them, remember you have struggled at one point as well. Before you say you aren’t interested, consider the benefits that come with sharing your knowledge: Development of management and leadership qualities, gaining a potential new affiliate, and increasing your recognition within the industry through word of mouth.

Patience Is Key

With technology, patience (and practice) makes you better. This goes for the mentor and the mentee. Getting upset because someone needs to see how you dispatched that vehicle three times is not going to help the situation. In turn, getting angry and frustrated because you need the direction repeated will only blind you further. When both parties get mad at one another, the relationship falls apart.

Support One Another

Mentors should remember to praise their mentees strengths and celebrate progress. Mentees should appreciate the time and effort their mentors put in to help. Both should listen to each other’s concerns and respond in a respectful manner. The mentor isn’t any better than the mentee; they are a team.

Once the mentee feels comfortable enough, it is time for them to become a mentor and pay it forward.

LEXI TUCKER is LCT assistant editor and coordinator of the LCT Fast 40, a group of operators under 40 who collaborate and learn from each other about all aspects of chauffeured transportation. She can be reached at lexi@lctmag.com.

Keywords

continuing education   Facebook   industry education   LCTFast40   Lexi Tucker   Millennial Matters   Millennials   mobile technology   Social Media   

 

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Louisville Operator Puts Recruiting Skills To Good Use

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — You don’t choose the limo life; the limo life chooses you. Nick Lopez, director of sales and marketing for JACO Limousine & Transportation and Kentucky Bourbon Tours, embodies this statement. He never had any family in the business, and didn’t really think he’d ever end up working for a limo company. As it turns out, he has skills that prove to be pretty useful in a time when finding quality employees is one of the biggest concerns for most operators.

Fateful Encounter

Lopez met Todd Roberts, the president and owner of JACO Limo, at a local event in Louisville at a brandy distillery. It was here Roberts noticed how Lopez worked his way in and out of the crowd while making connections. At the time, Roberts was new to the Louisville market and saw this as a great opportunity to bring Lopez on board.

With a background in sales, Lopez came from the recruiting industry where he honed his skills as a headhunter and trainer. He also had an interest in technology.

“It was a good opportunity for JACO Limo because, being new, it helped that I brought corporate connections, a wide network, and an understanding of how to recruit and train,” he says.

Before meeting Roberts, Lopez didn’t really know anything about the luxury ground transportation industry. Originally, Lopez was working with sales professionals in Louisville on LinkedIn related training, teaching them how to use the advanced search functionality of the site to identify certain personnel in perspective organizations they could call and work through to obtain business.

“I came out to help [Roberts] with that, and I realized pretty quickly he wanted something more; he wanted to keep me on board full-time. I came out and looked at the fleet and was immediately impressed. When you look out and see all of those neat vehicles, it really makes you feel it’s something you want to be a part of.”

The Right People Make Business Boom

Consistent with most medium sized operations, JACO Limo deals with many corporate clients and affiliate work. Retail has been steady, but when any company starts up in a new market, it often has no web presence and people don’t really know the business exists, Lopez says.

“That’s the latest piece of the business we’ve been building out. Over the past three to four months, retail has now picked up a lot heavier than it was before, which is a natural progression.” It’s also a testament to having Lopez on board.

One reason for the recent increase in business is the way Lopez treats staff. “I was told earlier in my career your employees are your number one clients. It was when I got to JACO Limo I really came to understand that,” he says. This is his first opportunity in a management role, and he has learned you need the right people to get the job done.

“We have more 2016 vehicles than anyone in the Louisville market, but that doesn’t mean anything if you don’t have the right people driving them. If they aren’t having a good time and they don’t have the right resources and knowledge base, then the vehicles don’t matter.”

It’s clear the company has proved itself. Lopez says some of the biggest successes they’ve had are being called upon to work global and national events like Muhammad Ali’s funeral, this year’s RNC, the NRA national convention, and the Kentucky Derby. “What’s impressive to me is we are called upon to go service other markets outside of our own to handle some key accounts.”

Marketing Master

A tactic that has worked well for JACO Limo is getting testimonials from corporate clients, affiliates, and retail customers. Lopez says clients are more than willing to produce quick 30 second videos for them to use to promote the company. In addition, the business is always looking for sales opportunities and referrals; Lopez considers the company’s chauffeurs to be its number one salespeople.

On the affiliate side, Lopez attends many of the industry events to forge strong connections. He plans on strengthening JACO Limo’s social media presence in the coming months as well. “This is an industry that’s very easy to share what you do via platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram,” he explains. His particular expertise, however, lies in the underused LinkedIn.

“If you understand how to use advanced search functions and filters, you can get so granular you can find 800 women that like yoga in the city of Louisville with one search. It’s a huge tool most industries don’t really understand, and therefore very few people leverage it.”

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Although he hasn’t been in the business as long as other operators, Lopez has some advice. “Keep networking. Let people know who you are, and don’t get discouraged. Leverage technology. Don’t necessarily recruit more, but recruit and train better,” he says.

Another suggestion: Help your chauffeurs by making processes more efficient. “We make training videos for all of our vehicles, so if a chauffeur is ever out in the field and for some reason something happens and they are uncertain of how to operate or fix something, we can just send a quick link to a video instead of having to take time to walk them through it. Just do anything you can to help speed up the day.”

Keywords

affiliate networks   employee management   employee recruitment   Kentucky operators   LinkedIn   marketing/promotions   networking   recruiting chauffeurs   Sales & Marketing   social media marketing   staff training   web marketing   WebXclusive   

 

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Uber Takes Advantage Of Florida Hurricane

Florida’s Uber Drivers Get Excited For Hurricane Surge Pricing 

The storm has killed at least 11 people in the Caribbean islands, but stateside, some of the TNC’s drivers are seeing it as a big money-making opportunity, according to posters in a number of online drivers forums and Facebook groups.

Vocativ article here

More Than 100 Uber Black Drivers Strike Against New Uber Terms: The TNC’s new agreement mandates Uber Black drivers charge their customers $1.65 a mile, far below the $2.40 minimum set by a Orlando City ordinance. That rate was established by the city in 2014 because it was the same rate charged by taxis and would effectively level the playing field. Orlando Sentinel article here

Why Uber Sometimes Pockets Extra Money From Rides: Uber pitched “upfront pricing” as a way to add transparency to its service by telling passengers how much their ride would cost before they ordered it. But the change has led to accusations that the company is secretly taking advantage of passengers and drivers. Fortune article here

California Police Searching For Man Who Posed As Uber Driver, Demanded Kiss As Payment: According to a report, three women got in the back of what they thought was their Uber driver’s car.The doors were locked when they got to the third woman’s stop. It wasn’t until a parking enforcement vehicle drove by and spooked the driver that he unlocked the doors. CBS Sacramento article here

Oklahoma Mother Warning Others After Uber Driver Picks Up Pre-Teen In Middle Of The Night: “It was frightening a driver would pick up a 12-year-old without an adult in the middle of the night and drive him somewhere without any parental consent,” said Michelle Seelig. News Channel 4 article here

Keywords

California operators   Florida operators   Oklahoma operators   Sexual Assault   surge pricing   TNC travesty   TNCs   Uber   weather   

 

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Uber’s Self-Driving Car Goes The Wrong Way

PITTSBURGH, Penn. — Uber driver Nathan Stachelek was pulled off to the side of the road when he saw the self-driving car turn the wrong way.

It was the night of Sept. 26 and the car he had spotted, one of the autonomous Ford Fusions Uber is testing in Pittsburgh was heading through the city’s Oakland neighborhood, just steps from the center of campus for the University of Pittsburgh.

Stachelek watched the car turn off Bates Street and onto Atwood, a one-way road, going in the wrong direction. From a distance he couldn’t tell whether the car was driving itself, or its human operator had made a mistake. Stachelek took out his phone in time to shoot a brief video of Uber’s vehicle backing up and driving away, then uploaded it to Facebook.

Quartz article here

Keywords

autonomous vehicles   driverless cars   mobile technology   Pennsylvania operators   self-driving vehicles   TNCs   Uber   vehicle technology   

 

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Reston Limousine Easing Out Stretch Models

Who can forget the ultimate scene in “Pretty Woman,” where Richard Gere pulls up to Julia Roberts’ Skid Row apartment in a white stretch limo, the knight in shining armor ready to save her?

Or when Cameron pleads with Ferris Bueller to “rent a limo … a nice stretch job with a TV and a bar” instead of borrowing his father’s Ferrari?

No one above a certain age, probably. But what those two classic limo scenes have in common — having been released more than 25 years ago — is the reason why Reston Limousine, one of the largest executive transportation companies in the region, owns just a few of its namesake vehicles anymore.

Washington Business Journal article here

Related LCT article: Reston Limo Adopts New Ideas For Operations

Keywords

Fleet Vehicles   industry trends   luxury market trends   Mercedes-Benz   Reston Limousine   Sprinter   Virginia operators   

 

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Is Your Website Mobile Friendly?

Statistics show time spent on mobile devices in the U.S. has increased to 51% compared to 42% for desktop computers. 

Technology — Watch It, Use It, Grow With It

Transportation companies, newspapers and video stores are just three examples of industries that have seen sweeping changes in how they do business, or don’t do business at all anymore. Companies once considered giants in these fields, such as Blockbuster, have either gone bankrupt or seen a massive loss in their profits. Yet the demand for the type of service they provide is still here. People will always need a ride. They will always want to keep up with political events and watch movies. Since this is the case, what happened? The answer is simple: All three have shifted to mobile app business models. Apps such as Uber offer a more affordable and convenient alternative to taxicabs. News can be found for free on a multitude of websites and social media. The prevalence of digital media has rendered physical media such as DVDs obsolete.

Why It Matters

Is your website mobile friendly? If potential clients are using a mobile device to search for a transportation company, you want your business name to show up in the organic (unpaid) searches. Search engines will penalize you by moving you further down the list of search results if your website is not “optimized” or designed to be viewed on a mobile device. This can cripple your chances of ever being seen by the potential customer. Beyond the visibility, the lack of a quality mobile user experience also can cause frustration.

Engage The User

A conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who visit your website and act, such as requesting a quote, placing an order, or even viewing offers on your website. The more conversions, the more connected you are with a site visitor. Some of the easiest sales can come from a mobile device if the visitor can “buy now.”

Booking Orders Online

One of the most important aspects of a website is the ability for a potential customer to engage your services during the site visit. Consider this: Skinny Ties, a necktie company that began in 1971, recently added eCommerce to its site. That’s the ability to buy ties online. Its sales shot up 378% in the first month! We live in a “now” society where consumer demands have increased due to mobile technology. People want to do everything from their phones, and if you aren’t ready to do business through a mobile device, you will be left behind. Having a mobile friendly website is not an optional consideration anymore.

Check Your Site

Visit your site regularly to make sure everything runs as you intended. Small issues can persist over long periods leaving people frustrated. Have you tried your “contact us” button? Are there links to people no longer with your company? Take the time to test it yourself. A negative user experience hurts your conversion rates and your search rankings. If you’re unsure if your site is considered mobile friendly, you can always use Google’s tool to check.

Other Factors

A mobile-friendly website will have the following characteristics:

• The website loads quickly. Mobile users tend to have slower connections, so load time is crucial.
• It is easy to see the content and navigate the site on a small screen. The user should not have to pan or zoom in to read text. Touch targets (like links or buttons) should be large enough to tap accurately on a small screen.
• No pop-ups hide any of the content.

Smooth Operations provides a broad range of information focused on new ideas and approaches in management, human resources, customer service, marketing, networking and technology. Have something to share or would like covered? You can reach LCT contributing editor and California operator Jim Luff at Jim@LCTmag.com.

Keywords

Jim Luff   mobile technology   smartphones   smooth operations   websites   

 

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