Behind the wheel: being a limousine driver

by YASER ALY

We thought it would be nice to show you a little bit about the world behind the wheel of a limousine. So we decided to share our experiences as a limousine driver with you, including some tips on what makes a good driver.

As a limousine driver you need to do more than just drive a car. First of all, you are driving a car so you need to know traffic, ways and shortcuts like your back pocket. In case of road work, traffic jams or accidents on the way, you still need to be able to get the customer on time at the destination. Fortunately, there is a good gimmick that can help: a GPRS device that will tell you the way. It is a good investments for any starting driver, but be advised that such devices are only as good as the software they have. It is still advisable to know the city you are driving in very well.

Another aspect of being a good limousine driver is that you have to have good people skills. Passengers come in all shapes and not to mention all different kinds of moods. Maybe one customer just had a grueling day at the office, or he/she just came from the most horrible flight you can imagine after already traveling for 20 hours, with a jetlag! Understanding such situations and keeping in mind that a driver is there to calm down the customer, make him/her feel relaxed and welcome is a crucial skill! At times, in case of a wedding, prom or birthday event, the driver needs to make sure the atmosphere is set for happiness and being jolly! In some cases a driver needs to be able to strike a conversation, having sincere interest in the passengers and at other times the driver needs to understand that the passenger just wants to be left alone. There are even times that a driver functions as a therapist: listening and giving the customer a chance to vent whatever it is that is bothering him/her. At the end of course, the customer goes home and does the driver goes on to the next customer. The service is completed and ends with the customer exiting the car. Yet, sometimes, small gestures and events can have a lasting effect.

Punctuality is an excellent quality for a driver. One of the worst things a driver can do is show up late for work. For others this might be bad and will result in a reprimand from your boss, but for drivers it means someone will be late for work or even worse: for a flight! In case of special events, it means the bride might be late for her wedding! As drivers are merely human beings, being late may happen, especially when driving customers late at night and early in the morning the next day. Despite all precautions: double alarms, spouses waking you up, bosses calling to make sure you are on your way in time, it may occasionally happen that a driver is late! Deservedly, tips might be withheld. Yet, please try to understand: drivers are only humans too! They are not machines, so they might be late in rare cases, whether due to weather conditions, traffic or oversleeping.... although that does not give them an excuse for being late, please give them a break now and than and ask why they are late? It would be gracefully appreciated!

We would like to conclude with some quotes from our drivers about their job:

��I am a limo driver, I like my job so much and the best thing about it is that I see the smile on all my costumer's faces. It is a great thing to be a pro in your job and to feel that you are making things easy on others.��

��I think it is a great feeling when you see somebody is smiling at you because of a good service you delivered. I have been working in the limousine services for a while and I love it, so many costumers are so satisfied and comfortable when you have done a professional service.��

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