Key differences between a driver and a chauffeur service

Most people have probably used a bus charter service at least once. It might have been a ride from the airport to the hotel or maybe tour transportation with charter buses. That trip would not be possible without the person behind the wheel driving from point A to point B. Essentially those are the professionals representing the face of every transportation company and the ones passengers interact with the most. They can be either regular drivers or professional chauffeurs. And in this article, we will explain why and how this is different.?

Industry insights about professional chauffeur service

Most people are used to the term “driver”, from the courier that delivers packages to the people that drive charter buses for a living or a person driving for a ride-sharing company like Uber. However, there is a vast difference between driving/delivering from one spot to another and the professional service of transporting passengers.?

The chauffeur service quality originally came from black car service rentals and was transferred to bus charters. Businesses like that set the gold standard in the industry. The combination of new, pleasant, clean charter buses/vehicles and exceptional chauffeur service became mandatory for any respectable transportation company.?

Driver versus a chauffeur service – what are the differences?

There are several significant differences between regular drivers and professional chauffeurs. In today's world, mediocre or poor guest service is becoming more and more common. Although there are some “drivers” who provide great service, the vast majority provide mediocre service, focusing on just the driving. However, all quintessential professional chauffeurs set themselves far apart from everyday drivers. They truly care about providing WOW-level service to every guest.?

Here are the main things that distinguish the chauffeur service:?

• Wow-level guest service – polished, well-mannered, polite professionals that are happy to assist passengers in many ways, by always opening the door to let guests into an immaculately clean vehicle, assisting guests with luggage, providing cold water, or any other requests they might have.??
• Professional steps of service: A warm and sincere greeting with a smile, using the guest's name; Anticipation and fulfillment of each guest's needs; Finish with a warm goodbye.?
• “Thank you!? People never say thank you enough. But professional chauffeurs do!? They are grateful for every guest and are committed to giving exceptional service. Chauffeurs say thanks!
• Building strong relationships and creating chauffeur guests for life; Being responsive to expressed and unexpressed guest needs.
• Guest versus customer: Chauffeurs treat their guests better than anyone else does, to make each person feel like a guest in our home; To make each guest feel valued and special.?
• Attend to the little things: Professional chauffeurs pay attention to little things which don’t significantly affect our main service of transporting guests. It’s a way of saying, “If we look at the little things, just think about what we will do with the big ones.”
• Dress code – well dressed in a suit is a must for a chauffeur and always professional in appearance;
• Knowledge and experience – a chauffeur has to know their way around the city and be calm in intense traffic conditions;
• Responsible and safe driving – a professional company will only hire qualified personnel with stellar reputations in safety, reflecting the company’s quality.?

Things like this make the difference between the good and the excellent bus charter companies. The ones that want to stand out set the chauffeur standard, and the others work with ordinary drives.?

Setting the standard for chauffeur service for the bus charter industry

Integrating professional chauffeur services with the business of charter buses means exceptional guest service and increased quality standards for the whole industry. For Chicago, for example, this started with companies with knowledge and experience in the black car service business and transitioned the high-quality customer service to regular bus charters.?

To achieve this, companies work only with professional chauffeurs they hire or train with strict standards and the highest quality of service and develop a strong culture of proving the very best service to guests.? Managers and owners in those companies care about and demand WOW-level service. It is not just driving people around; professional chauffeurs offer experiences and treat each and every guest like family.?

Providing outstanding chauffeur service is not an easy task, but it is part of who every professional chauffeur is. Just like our incredible team of chauffeurs!?

This article first appeared on our blog.