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- Category: Industry News
You asked for it and we listened. In this column, we ask operators of all sizes and from all walks of the industry a question about their business and report their answers so you can assess how your own company compares to your peers. If you would like to participate, please email Rob Smentek at rob@chauffeurdriven.com for next issue’s question.
TOPIC: If you have staff on board, what type of duties do you have them doing to occupy their time? If you're alone in the office, are you tackling any new projects during the downtime?
Our office is closed, but our employees are constantly learning new things. For example, some of them are in the CSR training to obtain a certification, and others will be reviewing some YouTube videos in order to improve their service skills and learn new apps to reduce our expenses, improve vehicle maintenance, and rewrite our business plan. After watching the videos, they have to write an essay. There is always something new to learn.
Agustin Hernandez, Owner
Blackcar Offers Limo Services in Mexico City, Mexico
My logistics team is working on getting updated rates from our partners and COIs. They are also staying in touch with drivers that have been laid off. We are helping them out with questions about unemployment claims as well.
My sales team is reaching out to our existing clients letting them know we are still operating and here for them. In addition, we are very active on social media and education training and webinars.
Mark Kini, Founder & CEO
Boston Chauffeur in Beverly, Mass.
Currently, we are searching for ways to keep our cars even safer and to give our passengers added confidence for future rides. Therefore, we have produced droplet protection shields for each car to reduce the possibility of infection. We are attempting to reduce our costs by downsizing our fleet in expectation of less demand.
Franz Kraus, CEO & Owner
QLimo in Hamburg, Germany
Jeffrey Lane, Senior Manager, Business Development
FlixBus in Los Angeles, Calif.
Michael Lindsey, President & CEO
Lindsey Limousine in Windsor, Conn.
Rogério Machado, CEO
Concierge Car in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Ramon Mateos, CEO
Alquimavi in Mexico City, Mexico
Kevin Mullane, Owner
Silver Oak Transportation in Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Juan Gonzalo Parra, Owner
Luxury Rentals in Medellin, Colombia
Maria Priestly, President/CEO
Empress Elite Limousine in Kennesaw, Ga.
Tracy Salinger, President and CEO
Unique Limousine in Harrisburg, Pa.
Jess Sandhu, Director of Operations
A&A Limousine & Bus Service in Seattle, Wash.
Paul Thompson, President
Santa Fe Valet/Accent New Mexico in Santa Fe, N.M.
Ralph van Delden, Company Director
Van Delden Limousines in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Nancy Vargas, CEO
DH2 Transportation in Jamaica, N.Y.
We’ve loved hearing your answers to our benchmarking questions—but we always welcome suggestions for future topics, too!
Send an email to rob@chauffeurdriven.com you just might see your query answered in an upcoming issue.
[CD04.14.20]
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- Category: Industry News
In an email message to American Bus Association (ABA) members, President and CEO Peter Pantuso urged those in the motorcoach industry to stay vigilant as the association continues to make their voice heard to members of Congress. Although Congress is currently in recess, the industry is looking ahead to what the next expected stimulus package—dubbed CARES 2.0 or Coronavirus 4 by many—should include to protect the rest of the travel sector beyond the aid that airlines received. In late March after the passage of the CARES Act, the association applauded the efforts of Congress but also drew attention to the majority of small, family-owned motorcoach companies that have had to drastically reduce staff and temporarily cease operations altogether.
As a result, ABA, in partnership with The Bus Network, debuted a new website, BusesMoveAmerica.com, for members to stay involved in the fight with templates and Congressional contact information, as well as critical COVID-19 resources when they need them the most.
From his letter:
“We are there during hurricanes to take people out of harm’s way. We connect rural towns to city centers. We help workers get to their job. We carry U.S. servicemen and women to and from deployments. We are there to take groups to events, rallies, and concerts. We take kids to school and on field trips. We take families, friends, and groups to see all of America’s amazing sites. Our industry literally moves America.
“You are an essential part of the America’s transportation network. You are the connector in a multi-modal society. Our industry completes nearly 600 million passenger trips annually, nearly as many as the domestic airline trips. We bring $237 billion to the economy. America cannot bounce back from this pandemic without buses. Help us educate Congress on what life would look like if our industry fails. We are TOO IMPORTANT to fail.”
Visit buses.org or busesmoveamerica.com for more information.
[04.10.20]
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- Category: Industry News
In a hopeful and optimistic video to members on April 4, COO and Executive Director Scott Solombrino announced that the Global Business Travel Association’s (GBTA’s) convention, originally scheduled for July, had been postponed due to COVID-19. The convention, fortuitously themed “Together,” will now expected to take place November 7-11 at The Colorado Convention Center in Denver, although GBTA leadership will reevaluate in July based on global conditions at that time.
“We never could have anticipated how appropriate this year’s convention theme was going to be. When we picked it [in November], I wanted to send the message that the GBTA has always been about being together, and it was really simple. Who would ever think that we would end up with a pandemic and it would become as ironic as it is today,” Solombrino said.
Reaffirming his commitment to focus on the crisis at hand, Solombrino detailed a number of initiatives GBTA is taking help the many sectors of business travel that the association represents—including chauffeured transportation. Solombrino is the former president and CEO of Dav El/BostonCoach.
“While there’s so much out there that’s challenging us at such a rapid rate, some things don’t change, and that’s the mission here of GBTA. We want you to know how we're going to take care of you. … Let us give you the tools that we have in our toolbox to help make your life a little bit easier,” he said.
Some additional highlights of the video:
- GBTA will be issuing “honorary” 12-month memberships to any member who has been laid off or furloughed; membership will include access to all of GBTA’s education products, resources, research, and daily new brief; can rejoin the association at appropriate level at end of furlough or after securing a new position
- Updating the GBTA travel jobs board, now moved to the association’s homepage, to “help displaced members find their way back into the travel sector”
- A focus on continuing development, including webinars and podcasts; a debut video series called the Industry Forum Series launched on April 9 featuring an interview with Southwest Airlines President Tom Nealon, which is available on the GBTA’s website and Youtube channel
- The robust and active community that is available to members through the GBTA Hub
The full video message can be viewed at gbta.org or here.
[04.10.20]