Limousine companies nationwide have embraced the national booking concept. At one time, only the large networks were farming business to affiliates. Today, even small companies are taking bookings outside their geographic area. If you have not done affiliate work, consider building this business through a referral network and I will show you how. Are you ready to Internalize? Are you ready to do this demanding business? If you are driving and forwarding the phones to your cell phone, you are probably not. You need to have an infrastructure set up where you have someone answering your phones 7/24/365, who is empowered to act. You are in business to service customer needs That means no answering service. You ll need someone who can close out jobs and send invoices within 24 hours and jump on remote websites and take work down. It also means that you may need to wait to get paid. Can you float receivables for 30-120 days? The biggest roadblock to doing this type of work is often your own organization. The structure? If you decide to plunge into affiliate business, you ll need to develop the why should I hire your company? pitch. National providers are more demanding than regular clients. Understand their needs and then tell them how you ll be able to meet them. How to sell it? The trick is getting the first company to try you. This takes work. Go to trade shows and network with your peers. Think about starting by doing work locally for your competitors. With downsizing, the demand locally will be greater as fleets are depleted. Recognize that every limousine company is a potential client. You would be surprised how much business some small operators are farming.
The delivery? Be a good listener Once you score an affiliate job, overachieve every time. You are trying to create a raving fan who will brag about your company. Give them a reason. Ask for referrals Ask questions such as, Is there anyone that you know I should speak to about doing affiliate work? Can I use your name when I call them? Can you tell me what companies you think are farming work in my area? Do you work with them? Do you have a contact that I could call? What s Important to Companies Farming Business? Service This is the number one most critical point that affiliates want. They need to be assured that their clients are getting the same level of service from you that they provide in their backyards. Responsiveness Most companies won t go back to an unresponsive operator. The reality of affiliate work is that you can receive up to five calls per job. To the affiliate company, the answers to these calls assure them that you are doing the job the way they expect you to. Time and charges Most companies want a call when the job is over with a verbal confirmation of what tolls and parking will be and how long the jobs took. Close outs These should be performed within 24 hours. Bills should be sent to the affiliate so they can bill their own clients. Many companies are doing this in real time so they cannot wait for you to invoice. If there are charges on your bill that they are unaware of, then either they or you will have to absorb them as they already have sent the invoice to their clients. Documentation Most companies will not do business with you until they receive an insurance accord naming them additional insured. They also may want a contract and an information sheet that includes fleet age and mix. Most will want your prices to them and they will ask for a discount.
Procedures Forget your system; this is about the client. The affiliate company is the client, not the person in the back of your car. If you want their work, you play by their rules. Are you prepared to only use typed, not handwritten signs with the affiliate s logo for every ride? This may be a requirement. Finding the right Operator Finding a reputable service operator is the first step. There are many ways to go about this. When selecting an operator, remember that you must maintain the quality and integrity of your service. Don t get so focused on finding any operator that you don t perform due diligence and learn about the company you are choosing to represent you. One of the best and most reliable methods of locating a vendor in another country is by asking other vendors who they use in that specific country and what experience they have had. This will take away the guess work and give you more of a reassurance to do business with the operator. Another method is by using the NLA Directory of Members. The NLA (National Limousine Association) has members in 56 nations. These companies desire to do business with U.S. transportation providers and invest in membership dues to make that connection and agree to uphold the standards of the NLA. But my advice would still be to do your own due diligence before selecting the operator you will be working with. Many of them also attend the International LCT & Chauffeur Driven Show in Las Vegas & Atlantic City each year to meet American companies seeking to do business in their country. The Trade Shows are a great place to collect business cards and categorize by country. If you do this, you are not starting from scratch when a call for service in another country comes up. If you are an affiliate of a global network, you might just want to farm it into their network pipeline since they deal with this every day. Let someone with experience handle it. They can give you a total price in U.S. dollars you can confidently quote to your client. Money Matters While the U.S. dollar is recognized in nearly every country, you must be sure when you receive a quote that it is expressed in U.S. dollars instead of the foreign currency used in the country you are calling. For instance, if a company quotes you a price of 500 Euros, that about equals $684 U.S. If you repeat the price to your client of 500 Euros or perhaps even 550 thinking you are making 50 Euros, you actually would end up losing $134! Check the foreign exchange rate with your bank or an exchange conversion website such as www.xe.com.
Next, you must pay for your services using a credit card such as Visa. You can choose to pay the operator in their currency to make it simple for them or convert the rate to U.S dollars. Either way, you may pay a fee. The fee can range from a 3% to 7% currency-conversion charge to U.S dollars. Or if you go the other way and pay the local currency rate, your credit card issuer may charge you a foreign-transaction fee to convert the sale into U.S. dollars. These fees range from 2% to 3% of the sale. You should call the issuer of the card you plan to use and ask what fees might be imposed, and then do the math to see what method is best for you. These fees must be considered and factored in when providing your client the final quote. Time & Date Don t forget that just because you are up and ready to do business that the rest of the world might not be. If you don t get an immediate response to your email, don t get too concerned. Smaller companies may not check emails or staff their offices 24/7 like most small U.S. operators. When it is 9:15 p.m. in California on Monday, it is 12:15 p.m. on Tuesday in Singapore. Visit www.timeanddate.com to see what time it is before you make that call. Make sure to confirm with your passenger(s) the date and day of the week their plane will arrive in a foreign country. Just because your client leaves LAX early Monday morning, does not mean it will be Monday when the client lands in Singapore, as he or she crosses over the International Date Line. You might remember that from your geography class. Cultures, Cars and Customs There are a few other things you must check before sending your client into the hands of a foreign operator. In some countries, after a certain amount of hours, the chauffeur must take a mandatory meal break. Surprisingly, this fee is added to your bill. Make sure you know exactly what type of vehicle you chartered as the Lincoln Town Car and Chrysler 300 may not be an option. In some countries, such as Japan, tipping is frowned upon so you won t see the usual 20% gratuity that U.S operators routinely assess to clients. An attempt to tip can be considered offensive. This is the same in South Korea. Make sure you do at least a small amount of research before making arrangements. Placing an International Call Placing an International call involves a series of numbers including a U.S. exit code which is 011. Next you dial a country code, such as 44 for UK. Next, you will dial the area code. This can be one to three digits and then the phone number that can be seven to nine digits. FYI: www.howtocallabroad.com uses a simple pull down menu system.
Placing an International Call Placing an International call involves a series of numbers including a U.S. exit code which is 011. Next you dial a country code, such as 44 for UK. Next, you will dial the area code. This can be one to three digits and then the phone number that can be seven to nine digits. FYI: www.howtocallabroad.com uses a simple pull down menu system. Sources to Connect With International Providers NLA Directory of Members Trade Shows for networking events Travel agents specializing in foreign travel A referral from one of your affiliates / operators Online search engines
About Us You are the focus We are recognised as one of the leading global client transportation companies in the world providing services in over 550 Cities. Our wide client base includes independent private passengers, major international corporations, A-list stars, high net worth families, five star hotels and Embassies. They continually use our services. We understand the importance of providing a quality service which inspires personal recommendation from our worldwide clients. Whatever chauffeur services you require anywhere in the world, from business meetings and airport transfers to corporate entertainment and special evenings out, Reliance Worldwide operate an impressive fleet of hire cars with a team of professional chauffeurs hand-picked for reliability, presence and professionalism. For exceptional elegance, comfort and speed in both business and entertainment look no further than Reliance Worldwide. Author REZA CHOUDHURY WAS BORN FOR LOGISTICS There s no better feeling than having a client recommend you to someone That s the ultimate compliment That means they value our service. Which is lucky for him because he happens to enjoy it. As the CEO and owner of London-based Reliance Worldwide, he operates in 550 cities globally. Over the last 10 years he has built up a network of affiliates and business partners that provide a truly global service. Read More