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Seven Tips for Choosing the Right Corporate Black Car Service
1. Get to know the people. It’s all about the people who will service and manage your account. Go visit them. All the bells and whistles mean nothing if the organization and its culture is not customer oriented. Checking references is one thing, but that is far too often done at a high level. Real due diligence talks to the admins that place the reservations and get the feedback from the travelers. This will reveal the company’s true reputation.
 2. Area of coverage and ability to supply a variety of transportation solutions. NY Metro based car services may not have a presence in the suburbs where most of your travelers may live. Check to see if the car service company has a presence in NY, NJ, CT, LI and WE, and what customers they actually have there. Also check what resources are available in all areas for larger vehicles; such as busses, vans and shuttles.
 3. Personalization. Black car services, especially the large ones, operate on franchise or co-op models. In order to distribute the work evenly, computers are used. This can take the personalization out of a very personal service. Make sure the car services you look at offers the option of manually assigning chauffeurs that are either requested or the right fit for the traveler, and be able to place that information into a profile data base for future reservations. You want your travelers to feel that the car service knows them.
 4. Sustainability programs. Car services today should be prepared to integrate well with your green initiatives; including offering low emission hybrid vehicles, and be able to serve large volume events with green cars. Travelers should also have the option to select a default vehicle type, or request one at time of reservation.
5. Trusted nationwide affiliate network; offering your travelers a one-stop shop throughout the U.S. at competitive prices to the National services. GDS integration with your travel agent should be seamless,with the ability to use Sabre and Cliqbook.
 6. Reporting. As they say, “You can't manage it if you can’t measure it.” Car service has a lot of extra costs associated with it, and too many opportunities for travelers to abuse them. Strict reporting to help manage the clients’ spend and carbon footprint is critical in developing a strong supply chain relationship. These reports reveal travel policy compliance and should also be available to administrators online.
 7. Technology. Check to see if the car service provider offers the technology you need for convenience to both the traveler and the finance department. Rich online reservation systems, traveler alerts, and e-mail technology keep up with the fast paced world of travel. In-car point-of-sale systems allow quick and accurate credit card transactions. Electronic billing options, including online systems, help accounting and finance departments get the answers fast.
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