Finding Affiliates The 21st Century Way

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Technology is fantastic and efficient, but has it made operators lazy? With the incredible amount of resources at your fingertips, are you still taking time to properly vet affiliates further than just their website?

Emelia VandenHoek, operations and affiliate manager of MA Limousine & Transportation Worldwide, says this is imperative if you want to work with companies who are going to get the job done right every time.

VandenHoek recently attended her first meeting with the Going Global affiliate manager group hosted by Arthur Messina of Create-a-Card, and learned a lot about the amount of work that should go into discovering quality affiliates.

“With social media and internet access, there are so many new tools at your fingertips to find new affiliates that I find people are a little too quick to immediately jump on what they hear,” she explains.

VandenHoek gives an example of a post on a limo operator Facebook group where someone posted they needed an affiliate in a specific part of Florida, and the first few people who responded threw out names of operators that were miles away from where they were needed. “It’s important to do your own research in terms of checking people out and not just go off word of mouth.”

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About 55% of MA Limousine & Transportation Worldwide’s affiliate business is farm-in, while 20% is farm-out. The team pays incredible attention to detail, and ensures everyone is involved and attentive.

“It’s not just a job to us,” says VandenHoek. “It’s someone else’s business, but we are all incredibly invested in its success. We look after affiliates clients like they were our own because when you do affiliate work, they are your own. They become just as important as any of your other clients. I understand some are considered VIPs, but every client should be treated as such.”

As VandenHoek has grown in the industry, she’s noticed a significant difference in how much more efficient finding affiliates has become. 

“Now you can go to a company’s social media page and see how involved they are, videos of their fleet, and reviews. There are so many more options when it comes to picking who you really want,” she says.

The company decided to join LCT Connect because it’s yet another resource to get their name out to the rest of the industry. “We’ve always gone to the LCT Shows, and LCT Magazine is such a reputable source in terms of providing quality information, so I think it’s a great resource to find other likeminded, quality driven companies that have the same business values,” she says.

VandenHoek loves the industry, and even though companies like Uber and Lyft are making the environment more competitive, she believes there are always going to be people who want to chauffeur car service. “When you are faced with adversity, instead of freaking out about it, find how you can grow with it. Because that’s all life is – change and adjusting to it,” she says.

Keywords

affiliate networks   Affiliate Report   California operators   farm-in farm-out   How To   LCTconnect.com   technology   

 

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Absolute Styling Is Canada’s New Builder of Luxury Sprinters and Vans

Vancouver, B.C. — Among the newest names in luxury vehicle conversions and executive vans is Absolute Styling, whose moniker, says President & CEO Lorenzo Armani, highlights the company’s craftsmanship. Certified as a Transport Canada Limousine/Bus Manufacturer and by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the vehicles built by the company are designed to meet the demands of elite customers all over the world, catering to their personal preferences in style and design, according to Armani.

As a Mercedes-Benz Master Upfitter, Armani says that Absolute Styling works to exceed the customer’s expectations in each luxury Sprinter built at its facility. The company is focused on converting each vehicle into a system that provides supreme value, comfort, productivity, and the best levels of passenger protection. Each Sprinter includes all possible luxurious amenities that a top-level executive needs in a mobile office van, in order to provide the owner with the luxury of saving time and enhancing productivity.

“We handle your Sprinter conversions according to the quality and safety standards of the Mercedes-Benz Upfitter Program. With us you can live your dream of owning the world’s most luxurious Sprinter Mercedes-Benz style,” says Armani.

In addition to corporate vans, Absolute Styling can transform a Sprinter into a limousine-style shuttle, which Armani says are equipped with plenty of amenities like surround sound system, flat-screen Apple TVs, and more to create a highly luxurious setting for your group with optimal comfort and privacy. Seating options include full-powered seats with leg rests, heat, and massage.

Visit absolutestyling.com for more information.

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Windy City Limousine and Bus Wins Industry Award

George Jacobs, President

Chicago, Ill. — The Illinois Meetings and Events Magazine named Windy City Limousine and Bus “The Best Transportation Company in Illinois.” This marks the eighth time in nine years that WCL has received this honor.

“We are proud to win this award this year,” says George Jacobs, president of Windy City Limousine. “Our Team works so hard on a daily basis to be the best. It is gratifying to see that their efforts have been rewarded.”

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Vice President Kathy Kahne credits the success of Windy City Limousine to their proven record of reliability and customer-first mentality. “People trust what we say,” she says. “If we tell you we’re going to do it, we do it.” The company’s fleet includes sedans, SUVs, vans, mini-coaches, and 56-passenger motorcoaches.

Visit windycitylimos.com for more information.

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Casey Corporate Transportation Wins First Quarter 2017 LMC Circle of Excellence Award

Chad Casey of Casey Corporate Transportation
Atlanta, Ga. — Casey Corporate Transportation is the recipient of the 1st Quarter 2017 LMC Group Circle of Excellence Award. Casey won the award for excellence in business development outsourcing.

Chad Casey has owned Casey Corporate Transportation for 14 years. Serving the greater Atlanta area, Casey has a reputation for providing safe, reliable transportation with a personal approach. Chad is well known throughout the industry but particularly in his home base of Atlanta. He is the vice president and a founding member of the Greater Atlanta Limo Association (GALA).

Though Chad excels as a smaller operator, he has big plans for his future. To grow his business, he enlisted the services of The LMC Group’s Business Development department. Thanks to his creative thinking and hard work, Chad has realized a 40% growth in his business!

“Chad continually provides feedback, ideas, and leads, which is of paramount importance in guiding me as we grow his business,” says Alison Ford, LMC Business Development representative. He communicates well and often, and he works very hard to make sure that he’s available for meetings with clients and prospective clients. The level of success through the LMC Business Development program increases exponentially when a client collaborates with us in this manner. “

Another factor in Chad’s success is his no-pressure approach to sales. He believes in Casey Corporate Transportation and in their level of service, and he communicates that to clients. His confidence in his company translates to a comfortable sales approach that his customers respond to.

LMC Founder Kristen Carroll commented on Casey’s growth: “For as long as I’ve known Chad, I’ve been impressed by his vision and his willingness to try innovative approaches to developing his business. Chad inspires confidence in his customers, his partners at the LMC Group, and his new clients. I look forward to witnessing all he will achieve in the future.”

Visit cctatlanta.com for more information.

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Deem Work Fource: Business Travel Software That Works

San Francisco — Deem, a mobile and cloud technology provider for the business travel industry, today announced general availability of its Deem Work Fource platform, a next-generation software suite that offers a much-needed alternative to the present corporate online booking tools used by many businesses.

Applying an array of advanced technologies, Work Fource provides optimized solutions for each of the four key constituencies in the business travel ecosystem: for travelers who want to book trips and manage changes on the go more quickly and easily; corporate travel managers who need better ways to control spend, improve traveler satisfaction, and ensure policy compliance; travel management companies who want to deliver a more convenient travel-booking experience to corporate clients while maintaining duty of care; and suppliers who want to expand their market, grow revenues and offer a superior experience to customers.

“Let’s face it: we all concur that almost everyone finds the traditional corporate booking tools lacking in many ways,” said John Rizzo, president and COO of Deem. “They are clunky, complicated and time-consuming for everyone involved. They’ve been stuck in the past, and haven’t kept up with user centric designs, or taken advantage of the innovations in areas such as artificial intelligence and dynamic personalization; technologies which we’ve seen in more forward-thinking segments of the software industry. That’s why we decided to rethink our solutions from the ground up.”

The Work Fource suite combines an array of advanced capabilities—including machine learning, predictive analytics, adaptive personalization, and a best-in-class consumer-style user experience—in four groundbreaking solutions:

• Deem Road Work, for travelers: mobile and desktop apps for planning, booking and updating trips with unprecedented ease and flexibility, thanks to a variety of intelligent features such as personalized recommendations and pre-emptive assistance.
• Deem Clock Work, for corporate travel managers: a robust set of tools for managing travel programs, spurring adoption, and fostering compliance, driven by a uniquely flexible and comprehensive policy engine.
• Deem Book Work, for travel management companies: a fast, flexible and efficient set of administrative tools that streamline agency processes to better serve corporate clients while also growing revenue.
• Deem Net Work, for suppliers: powerful APIs and services enabling providers of air, hotel, rail, ground, and other logically adjacent content and services, to market their products and services in the Deem platform.

“This is software that travelers will actually like and use, leading to much higher adoption,” said Rizzo. “Widespread adoption gives companies a greater ability to control travel costs. They can manage spend before it is committed, at the time of purchase and avoid being blindsided by expenses after the fact, when it’s too late to do anything. It’s difficult to reverse the flight or hotel after a traveler has filed the expense report.”

Work Fource products are cloud-based and seamlessly integrated with each other and with external systems, such as calendar apps, expense and ERP systems. The platform also addresses the needs of global clients with a full suite of language, localization and content capabilities including air, rail, hotel, and ground transportation.

“Deem’s approach is to optimize its platform to serve the needs of the entire business travel ecosystem, at the expense of no one—that’s an industry first,” said Rizzo.

Deem’s current cloud customers will be seamlessly upgraded to the new software as part of their scheduled release, with their existing data and settings preserved.

Visit deem.com for more information.

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CLI Worldwide Names New Vice President of Operations

CLI President Joe Magnano (left) and VP of Operations Frank Casara

Irvine, Calif. — CLI Worldwide Transportation is proud to announce that long time industry veteran, Frank Casara, has joined their team as vice president of operations–chauffeur development.

“I’m extremely excited about joining the CLI team. I believe my past experience will complement the success CLI has already achieved and look forward to being a part of their continued growth,” says Casara.

With more than 27 years of experience in the chauffeured transportation industry, Casara previously worked with other industry leaders Dav El/BostonCoach and Torrey Pines Transportation in roles within general management, business development, chauffeur, and reservations departments.

On Casara’s decision to join CLI Worldwide, President Joe Magnano said, “I could not be any more excited with Frank joining our team. His personality, industry knowledge and leadership skills as well as his concern for client care are some of the reasons I felt this was a great move for both of us. Our company’s culture and Frank’s work ethic will be some of the formula needed to help further enhance our customer experience!”

With CLI Worldwide, Casara will revise and manage all chauffeur training programs, chauffeur enhancement programs, chauffeur monitoring & accountability, vehicle licensing-permitting, and other operational procedures on the day to day. Frank will also work with the chauffeur mentors at both facilities. He will also work with the CLI dispatch team, events, and the fleet department to help assist in enhancing and improving day to day processes.

“He shares our values and our focus on professionalism, and places the same strong emphasis as we do on the customer experience,” adds Magnano. “He has shown himself to be an extraordinary leader throughout his career and has a proven track record.”

Visit cli-worldwide.com for more information.

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American Limousines Adds New Freightliner Coach to Fleet

American Limousines’ new Freightliner motorcoach

Baltimore, Md. — American Limousines recently announced the addition of a new 2017 Freightliner coach to its fleet. The 48-passenger luxury coach has been customized by Executive Coach Builders of Springfield, Mo. The first of its kind on the East Coast, the company believes this sets a new standard in the luxury coach market.

“We’ve built our business on what we’ve learned from customers,” says Gary Day, owner of American Limousines.

American Limousines has equipped the coach with optional equipment that ensures their passengers a high-end experience. These include luxury passenger seats, front touring windows, an Elite entertainment system with six video monitors, enclosed parcel racks, underbelly luggage storage, seat trays, USB ports at every seat, and a restroom at the rear.

Visit amerlimo.com for more information.

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