Tim Fox of Palomar LimousineWhen hiring a limousine driver you must look for a few key tell-tale signs of a good chauffeur. Check their first impression, how they dress and if they are well groomed. You want someone that will give off a good impression of your limo company, for Palomar Limo’s that is clean cut hair and no unkempt facial hair. The next tell-tale sign is to take a look at their personal vehicle. If their own car is a mess, how do you expect them to take care of your company car?
Hiring a good limo driver is all about appearance and the ability to stay calm under stress. You want someone that will represent your company well and be able to handle changes in the expected itinerary for clients. Sometimes a flight is delayed or the driver has multiple pick-ups scheduled where time is an issue. Finding someone that can handle last minute changes and still give off a good image is essential.
When interviewing, the three major questions to ask a potential limo driver right off the bat are:
1) Do you have a clean driving record? – Any driver hired must submit to a drug test and be placed on the company insurance for liability reasons. If the applicant has multiple points on their driving record or any arrests, insurance will not accept them on the policy.
2) Are you local to the area? – Sometimes a transportation company will receive last minute work without a reservation and will need to have a driver that is nearby to jump on the work right away. Hiring a limo driver that lives within 15 minutes of the office is a great benefit.
3) Do you have any past driving experience? – This question will set some drivers apart from others. If an applicant has had previous experience driving for a private transportation company, that is a big plus. It means they have dealt with last minute changes and can keep composed in times of stress and change. They will also be familiar with work being dispatched to them on a last minute basis sometimes.
But if they don’t have experience we consider our training program. If the candidate has no prior experience as a professional driver, they can be trained from the start with good habits and proper education. First they should be shown an instructional video and verbally told about the proper behavior for a professional driver. The behavior code should give them as the do’s and don’ts of how to treat clients. The next step is to go for a test drive with the potential applicant in which you can learn a lot about where they need improvement and what they already do well. You want to review their driving ability for safety and smoothness. Keeping at least 5 car lengths behind any vehicle is a good indicator. The ideal limo driver is someone who drives smooth as well as very defensively and safe. Make suggestions and tell them where their driving can be improved if they wish to become a professional chauffeur.
When we are about to hire a new limo driver, we prefer to start the position as a part-time position. This is not the only way to hire. This gives yourself as the hiring manager freedom to give them as much or as little work as they can handle. Usually, start out a newly hired limo driver with a simple run, like an airport drop-off or point A to point B transfer. There is not too much thinking and rarely are there changes to the itinerary. If they do well on runs like these, then bump them up to a more complicated run like taking customers out on an hourly charter run for the evening or a run with multiple pick-ups and drop-offs like a wedding or funeral. After a newly hired limo driver has proven themselves, they can become one of the top go-to drivers on your chauffeur list. Since they have handled difficult jobs in the past, you can dispatch complicated or last minute work to them without having to worry if the job is going to be done correctly.
Tim Fox is operations and dispatch manager for Palomar Limousine and Sedan Service. Palomar Limousine has been in business since 1985 and prides itself on providing the highest-quality transportation services in San Diego County.
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