Things You Must Know
Before Hiring A Limousine Online
by: Michelle
Hawkins
Hiring a limousine is not as simple as you think and your limousine rental
service, might just take you for quite a ride, if your
not very careful. Its therefore quite important that
you select a good and reliable limousine service and ensure a smooth and safe
ride all the way.
Quite often, you can judge how a limousine service treats their customers
through a telephone inquiry. If your call is answered promptly and courteously
by a company and if they give you all the important and relevant information
without hesitating, you can be assured that they are a good bet.
While looking at web sites of limousine operators, its best to check if they
have a fixed line number and a physical contact address. A mobile number or
just a vague p.o. box number are signs of poor or fly by night operations.
It's also important to see if the web site of the company whose services you're
considering hiring, displays images of their own vehicles. Many companies use
pictures of brand new limousines but have cars that are battered and beaten. Its best to physically examine the cars.
There are times when you might come across agents who will tell you that they
can secure quotations on your behalf. In such cases, the limousine operators
pay for each inquiry they receive or a percentage of the hire value. It means
that you will pay a higher price than you would otherwise These
brokers often make claims that their limousine operators as
"accredited" or "approved". It's best to stay away from
such types.
Price is an important determining factor. Note that all limousine operators so
not charge the same price. A professional limousine operator generally charges
$45 an hour for a minimum of 4 hours for a car like a sedan while a stretch
limousine may cost $60. A super stretch limousine may cost o a few dollars
more. Even if you have to pay a slightly higher price in order to hire a
service from a reputed and established limousine operator, it's always worth
it.
It's also important to keep in mind the duration that you will need the
limousine for. It generally takes about an hour to prepare a limousine for
dispatch. Therefore, most operators ask for a minimum charge or a minimum hire duration of 3 hours or so. This is generally
higher during peak periods like Christmas, New Year's Eve etc. The minimum hire
charge is most likely to be in the region of £150.
Another important question is reliability. Stretch limousines are expensive to
maintain and repair and poor companies often overlook any maintenance or
repairs. Hiring from such companies can be quite disastrous. Your limousine may
not show up on time or breakdown mid-way on your journey.
Its also important to know how long has the company
whose service you plan to hire been in business. If they are well established,
they are obviously more reliable than someone who has just started out a few
months ago.
Try and find out how many cars the operator has in its fleet. Just in case the
one you have hired breaks down, will they send you another one at once.
Is the operator you're planning on selecting situated close to where you need
to be picked up from? That will ensure that they reach you on time.
Its also important to know how old the car you will be
driving in is. After all, you don't want to show up in a beaten car at your
fancy do. Its also sensible to view the car
physically, a few days in advance if possible.
Also check what the rental price includes. Does it include VAT, Drinks, Gratuities etc? Don't ever hesitate to as if your chauffeur
is licensed, trained and polite.
Does the company have the appropriate private hire insurance? It's best to view
it.
It's also quite sensible if you have written confirmation of the price?
Will you be given a booking confirmation with the itinerary and price included?
What are the payment methods they accept? What is the deposit you have to pay
and when is the balance due? It's important to know these in advance to avoid
confusion later.
A professional limousine operator will be able to answer all your questions
satisfactorily and ensure that you have a smooth and comfortable experience.
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