How to Choose a Limousine Company

Chicago is a great city for business and for tourism. We all want the exceptional service but are mindful of the cost. As consumers, we have choices for everything. We want to make educated decisions so that our experience is pleasant, cost-effective and most importantly, safe.

Of course, some of you may be choosing a limousine company for yourself and some may be deciding on a transportation vendor for your entire company. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Service Quality

Age of the fleet is important, but service savvy is critical. There is nothing more disappointing then having elegant transportation, but extremely rude chauffeurs or customer serivce agents. You will get a good feeling on this right away with a phone call or your first ride with the company. This will either make or break the deal for most of us.

Type of Services Offered

Consider your needs. For business travelers a certain type of vehicle will suffice, but for weddings, private parties or going out to dinner the request may be quite specific. As for all options. Meeting planners, of course, are interested in buses for event planning. Ask for on-site coordinators for events. Consider the full fleet and services offered by the prospective vendor.

Price and Value

Chicago is unusual because shared ride is accepted in the market. Try this in New York or Los Angeles and it won't work! Shared service is a way to travel in style and luxury at a discounted rate. Even if the company doesn't have another pick up, you still pay the shared price. When you consider other alternatives, be sure to compare similarly as many companies may not include extra surcharges such as fuel and gratuity in the quoted rate. This way, you will get a comparable price analysis. The least expensive is not always the best route. As we've all heard..."you get what you pay for!"

Safety and Insurance

Insurance is often overlooked but should be considered. This is particularly true if you are responsible for transporting large groups. On the same note, seatbelts are important on buses and difficult to find. Chauffeurs that need a radio or phone to communicate should be kept to a minimum, or preferred not used at all while driving.

Chauffeur Certification

Chauffeur selection and criteria may be different among companies. Some things to keep in mind are background check, motor vehicle report, drug testing (prior to hire) to ensure safety of the travelers. It's also professional to see the chauffeurs uniformed.

Ease of Booking

This day and age, so much is booked and researched online. Having the ability to book online is a great advantage and is finally an option at some transportation companies, however some may be limited capability. Also, storing profiles is a must so they can be quickly accessed for ease of booking. Don't forget to ask for an e-confirmation if provided!

Reputation

Investigate your company of choice to see how reputable they are and how long they've been in business. A good way to do this is word of mouth and of course, check the Better Business Bureau for complaints at www.bbbonline.org/consumer/.

My Chauffeur is the leading ground transportation company servicing the Chicagoland area for over 32 years. We have a fleet of over 200 sedans, limousines and buses. We operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to meet the scheduling needs of our clients. Professionalism, experience and superior quality are at the heart of our business philosophy. For further questions, please contact Lisa Ihde, Director of National Sales at 847-376-6169 or lisa.ihde@mychauffeurchicago.com.