Mandy is looking for Cheap Limo Hire

 

Ask anyone that uses the search term ‘Cheap Limo Hire‘ and in all likelihood they will tell you that they don’t really want cheap. What they want is a good deal from a reliable company offering a decent stretched limousine. They may also tell you that it is difficult to differentiate between the good, the bad and the ugly. Maybe that it is nigh on impossible to compare offers because no two organisations are the same and they would be right. This article uses a fictitious character, Mandy and two fictitious companies to investigate how these differences arise, and how Mandy might compare each aspect of the offer from the limo company, including the actual limousine, the type of business, any additional services and the ‘pedigree’ of the organisation.

 

There is no intention of coming to a definitive conclusion, because Mandy, like everyone else is an individual and when hiring a limousine, it is very much a case of horses for courses, there is no right, nor wrong. But knowing how to compare the different offers may be useful to others that fact the same challenge. Many is looking to hire for herself and seven friends, this makes it a large responsibility, because if she and her friends have a bad experience, you can be certain, that they will forget the the ‘cheap price’ long before they forget a cheap experience. Therefore, Mandy’s responsibility, like many other real life characters is a potentially daunting one.

 

Mandy has decided that she wants to go to the NIA in Birmingham to see her favourite band, with a group of her friends and, has been charged with the hire a limousine to take them to and from the event. Mandy searches the internet, completes some online forms and receives two replies, one limo company is cheaper than the other, so Mandy calls both companies.

 

Limo Company One

Is asking £325 for the two journeys. The company is licensed for private hire, the vehicles are licensed as private hire vehicles and all of the chauffeurs are licensed to drive private hire vehicles, meaning the chauffeur’s have had to pass a medical and criminal records bureau check. Limo Company One, is offering a 3 month old, silver Chrysler 300 stretched limousine for the journey. They have also offered to include a bottle of Champagne. Limo Company One has confirmed that their vehicles are subjected to bi-annual checks by local authority authorised test centres. These are much stricter than a normal  vehicle test,  even checking that all of the lights and other electrical items inside the limousine are working. Limo Company One, is a full-time operator, VAT registered and has been trading for over 5 years. They operate from commercial premises and have invited Mandy to view the limousine at their premises or if she is too busy, they will point her to the high resolution pictures on their website.

 

Limo Company Two

Is asking £250 for the two journeys. The company has not yet licensed their company for private hire, therefore, they have no need to licence their limousines or drivers. They are offering a 2001 Lincoln Stretched limousine in white, which has covered 168,000, but is in “excellent condition”. The vehicle has recently passed a normal MOT test. Mandy can only view the limousine in the evening, as long it is not on hire, because Limo Company Two only operates on a part-time basis, from their home and their partner is not keen on too many late night visitors! Because Limo Company Two is a “part-time limo company”, there is no need for the business to be VAT registered and they have “only been trading for 6 months”. Limo Company Two can’t show any pictures of the actual limousine, because their website is under construction, but it does includes generic pictures of the same type of limousine.  Limo Company Two has offered to throw in a bottle of “Bubbly” for Mandy and her friends.

 

So which company is the cheapest? Obviously Limo Company Two. But is it a fair comparison, one price is lower than the other, but it is not a like for like comparison? One company is offering a brand new limousine, the other, one that is nearly 7 years old. One company has taken the time, trouble and expense to licence their business, limousines and chauffeurs, the other has not. One company operates full-time, from commercial premises and has been established for over 5 years, the other has confirmed that they are part-time, work from home and new to the business.

 

Limo Company One has invited Mandy to view the limousine at their premises, or indicated that high resolution images of the actual limousine are on their website, Limo Company Two has also invited Mandy to view the limousine, but is not keen on personal visitors at their home address and is unable to show images of the actual limousine, but Mandy can see the “type of limo it is” from the generic images on Limo Company Two’s website. Finally, Limo Company One are offering Champagne, whilst Limo Company Two is providing Bubbly. So which company is the cheapest?

 

The difference in price between the two limousine companies works out at just over £9 per head. If Mandy and her friends just want a cheap form of transport to get to and from the event and she is not bothered about niceties such as licensing, (which after all is the responsibility of the limo company), plus she admits that she and her friends can’t tell the difference between Bubbly and Champagne, then the chances are, she would be better off going with Limo Company Two. Or, perhaps consider another form of low cost transport, such as a minibus.

 

However, if Mandy believes that the journey to and from the event should be part of the whole experience and, she firmly believes that companies that invest in their business, vehicles and staff are likely to offer a positive and enjoyable experience, then she would be better off going to Limo Company One. After all, the difference is only £9 per head, they have not cut corners by offering cheap Bubbly and Mandy may well believe that trying to save a few pounds on a bottle of alcohol may be symptomatic of other short cuts that she and her friends can’t see.

 

So which company is the cheapest?

This article cannot answer that question, nor does it seek to, because Mandy is an individual. The purpose of this article is to highlight the differences between the two companies by comparing aspects other than the headline price. It will be clear to many, that if Mandy were squeeze a little more money from her friends, then she could get much better value for money by going for Limo Company One, but if price is critical and she is prepared to take a larger gamble, perhaps she should place her business with Limo Company Two and then she will have achieved her objective of getting a cheap limo. If truth be told, no-one that hires a limo really wants a cheap limo, what they want is to understand the differences and achieve the best value.

 

Cars for Stars do not offer cheap limo hire. They are an award winning company providing late model, high value chauffeur driven cars and stretched limousines, with a service to match. Cars for Stars offer limousines and chauffeur cars through a network of franchised offices. All of which accept and operate to the same exacting standards, providing a quality service, with first class limousines at a fair and representative price. If you are not looking for cheap limo hire, but you want service, reliability and a choice of quality limousines representing real value for money, then call your local Cars for Stars branch.

 

All Cars for Stars branches are licensed for private hire by the relevant local authority, in London this is the Public Carriage Office (PCO). This means that all Cars for Stars franchisees are registered for private hire, the limousines are licensed as private hire vehicles and the chauffeurs are licensed to drive the cars and limousines.

 

If you are looking for limousine hire or chauffeur car hire companies based in the UK, then you could try the following internet resources. Chauffeur Cars Directory, Chauffeur Cars & Limousine Directory, as other general web directories with large limousine sections.

 

Limo Company One and Limo Company Two are ficticious names used for the purpose of producing this article. Any similarlity to any companies or businesses past or present is purely coincidental. Oh yes, Mandy is also a ficticious character!

 

Cheap Limo Hire, Cut Glass or Diamond?

 

Ask any professional jeweller and he will tell you the difference between a genuine diamond, cut glass or zirconia. Similarly, a professional limousine company will be able to tell the difference between a company offering cheap limo hire and one offering genuine value for money. The reality is, basic economics dictate that no limousine company can offer cheap limo hire unless they are offering less. Maybe it is an older limousine, an inferior service or maybe they have not licensed their business, limousines or chauffeurs for private hire. It is something of a guessing game, but the if you get it wrong, the ultimate price will be yours.

 

This limousine business is a service industry, so ask yourself this, when was the last time you heard someone refer to a ‘cheap service’ other than in a derogatory manner? Also, what self-respecting company would refer to their service as cheap? The dictionary describes the word cheap as ‘of poor quality, inferior, worthy of no respect, vulgar or contemptible. If you are seeking to hire a limousine for a special occasion or event, the last thing you will want is an inferior or cheap service. Of course, the reality is, most limousine companies do not advertise cheap limo hire, but some limo agencies and brokers do, so what message are these third parties trying to convey?

 

Could it be that the companies they represent are cheap, offer an inferior service or limousine, or perhaps the implication is that the agent or broker can negotiate a cheap price. Lets deal with each point. Few limousine companies can afford, or would wish to cut corners, they must buy their limos, insure them, provide public liability insurance, service and repair the limousines, employ professional chauffeurs, licence the company and vehicles and then add fuel. In all likelihood, the only place they can save money is on the cost of the limousine, the servicing or maintenance. Offering an inferior limousine would be counter productive, because it would be apparent to the customer and a failure to service or properly maintain the limo will lead to reliability problems.  Therefore, if they don’t cut corners and offer a like for like product and service, can they really offer cheap limo hire? Unlikely.

 

Perhaps the agent or broker is suggesting that they can negotiate a better deal than you can. Maybe, but once again, the basic economics must come into play here. The agent or broker has to receive their commission or fees, so who is going to pay that? No matter whether you are charged an agents fee direct, or the limousine company pays a commission, in the end, you are paying. So where is the saving coming from that allows it to be described as cheap limo hire? Surely, it is beyond reasonable comprehension, that a limousine company can offer a service and product equal to or better than their competitors, pay over a slice of their income to a third party and still come in cheaper. Once again, unlikely? A Chinese Proverb reminds us “cheap things are not good, good things are not cheap”.

 

Cars for Stars do not offer cheap limo hire. They are an award winning company providing late model, high value chauffeur driven cars and stretched limousines, with a service to match. Cars for Stars do not accept hires from anyone that would dare to describe their service or limousines as ‘cheap’. In fact, Cars for Stars do not accept any sub-contracted limousine hires. Cars for Stars offer limousines and chauffeur cars through a network of franchised offices. All of which accept and operate to the same exacting standards, providing a quality service, with first class limousines at a fair and representative price. If you are not looking for cheap limo hire, but you want service, reliability and a quality limousine representing real value for money, then call your local Cars for Stars branch.