 What Are The Ten Most Common Mistakes Made
When Hiring A Limousine Service? |
#10
Failure to ask about Ohio State Laws. |
- How many passengers are legally allowed to ride in a limousine?
- What is the State and Federal Law on passenger capacities and weight limits in limousines?
- Are we allowed to drink or have alcohol in the limousine?
- What will happen if we are stopped by the police?
- Can someone legally ride in the front of the limousine?
- If I ask, can you legally supply alcohol for me?
- If we have minors with us in the limousine, can we drink?
- How can I verify that what you have told me is true?
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#9
Failure to ask detailed questions. |
- How do I know you are not going to cancel me for a better trip?
- Why are your prices so much lower/higher than others?
- How do I know that the car I reserve will be the car I get?
- How old are your drivers? Are they responsible?
- Do you have an ongoing drug and alcohol testing program for your drivers?
- Will your drivers take good care of my children?
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#8
Failure to ask for references on company's reputation. |
- Do you have company references that I may call?
- Can you guarantee your service? What is your guarantee?
- Does your company provide service to corporate clients, and if so what corporations?
- How can I find out if you have a good reputation?
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#7
Failure to deal with a local company. |
- What area are you located in and are you locally owned and operated?
- How long have you been in business at that location?
- What areas/cities do you service?
- Are you an actual limousine service or are you a limousine booking agent?
- Can you recommend another service or two that I can call for comparison?
- What happens if the vehicle I rent breaks down or is late to my event?
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#6
Failure to ask about the company's cars. |
- What kind of cars do you have? How dependable are they?
- What year cars do you have? Do you have any new cars?
- What color cars do you have available? Do the exteriors of your cars look as new?
- Are in interiors of your cars clean? Do they smell of smoke or alcohol?
- Do you allow smoking in your cars? Do the interiors of your cars look as new?
- Are your cars safety approved by Ford and the federal government?
- How many people are permitted to ride in a limousine under Federal and State Law?
- With what accessories are your cars equipped? Do all of these accessories operate?
- How many cars do you have available? What coach builder builds your cars?
- Is the coach builder you use a QVM certified safe builder?
- Do all of your vehicles have State of Ohio Livery Licensing on them and are they properly insured for my safety?
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#5
Failure to ask about the company's chauffeurs. |
- Do your chauffeurs have good driving records? May I see them?
- Are your chauffeurs professionally trained, and if so by whom?
- How do your chauffeurs dress? Are they well groomed?
- How old are your chauffeurs? Are they insured and bonded?
- Will he/she know the area well, or will I have to direct him/her?
- Are your chauffeurs prompt and dependable? Do you guarantee that?
- Are your chauffeurs professionals, or are they just drivers?
- Will our chauffeur stay with the car so that we may find him?
- Will our chauffeur be waiting for us when we come out?
- Do your chauffeurs remain sober, and do you require alcohol testing?
- Do we have to tip the chauffeur, and if so, how much should we tip?
- Are my kids safe with your chauffeurs? Can I trust them not to buy alcohol for my minor children, and not to allow my minor children not to drink?
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 #4
Failure to compare services and cars. |
- Will your car arrive on time or early to pick us up? Do you guarantee this?
- What type of clientele and companies do you service?
- Does your company do a lot of party type trips? Do your cars reflect this?
- What type of "extras" do you include with your service?
- What happens if we cannot locate our driver when we are ready to leave?
- What happens if we cannot find our driver at the airport?
- Do you have a good communication system with your cars and drivers?
- What happens if we have to cancel our trip or you cancel us?
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#3
Failure to ask about insurance coverage. |
- Are your cars properly insured? Do you have legal insurance?
- What are your liability coverages? Can you provide documentation?
- Which of the three insurance carriers are you with?
- What type of insurance do you carry? Can you provide proof?
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#2
Failure to call well in advance for reservations. |
- Do I have to make advance reservations?
- How far in advance should I make my reservations?
- What if I need service at the last minute, can you provide it?
- Does it cost more to go out of town? Do you charge for travel time?
- How do I know you will show up? Can you guarantee that you will show up on time?
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#1
Failure to go and personally look at the company's limousines and overall operation in order to ascertain for yourself, the quality of service you will obtain for the money you invest. |
- What hours are you open, or do you use answering machines?
- Can I come out to see your offices? Do you have an office?
- Are you a legitimate company? Do you operate out of your house?
- Can I come and inspect your cars? Are your cars garaged or outside?
- How many passengers can ride legally and comfortably?
- Are additional passengers covered if you have an accident?
- What happens if we have to cancel, or you cancel us?
- Will I get a signed confirmation? How do I know you'll show up?
- Do you have the appropriate licensing for a limousine service?
- How do I know you'll be in business down the road?
- Do you have legal and appropriate licensing for a livery service, and will we be covered if something happens?
These are all questions you have the right to ask and have answered. If for some reason you are not satisfied with the answers you get, you may call the National Limousine Association, or the Ohio Limousine Association. These numbers are available to you the consumer. If you cannot locate the numbers, we invite you to call Carrington Motor Coach Limousine Service and we will provide them to you. Also, we will be glad to answer any other questions you may have. |
Be wary of companies that will not allow you to view the limousines at their office. You want to personally look at the company's limousines and operation to ascertain for yourself the cleanliness of the vehicles and the quality of service you will obtain for your money. Also be wary of companies who don't publish their address in the phone book or companies who don't accept credit cards. These are signs of an illegal operator.
The safety of you and your guests cannot be stressed enough. No matter what any operator tells you, It is both, UNSAFE and ILLEGAL to transport more than Eight people in any standard limousine, or 12 people in an SUV limousine at one time. Only Lincoln Town Cars, and Cadillac Fleetwood's, and Ford Excursions stretched NOT MORE than 120 inches to seat 8 and 12 people respectively are federally approved, certified safe, and legal to operate under federal weight limits and safety laws. Any other vehicle including the Lincoln Navigator DO NOT meet federal safety standards and are considered both dangerous and illegal to operate. (For further details, please review the Ford Motor Company limousine safety page. "Click Here" to view).
Never let the price determine who you rent from. This is a common and unfortunately a terrible mistake made by many first time limousine users. If you want a reliable, professional, and legal service that operates under Federal and Ohio laws and Safety Standards, you will have to pay a little more. More times than not, those so called good deals ruin peoples special events and leave a trail of unhappy customers. |
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