Many individuals have questions when deciding to hire a limousine for the first time. One of the most common questions is how does a limo service operate. Most limo services operate using a set pattern which is common across the nation. Although limo services in a certain area may have slightly different rates, they will all operate the same way. The operational procedure is designed to streamline the reservation and service portions of the limo rental and provide consumers with an easy way to obtain and travel with a limousine.
The first step in the process is making the reservation. When an individual calls the limousine company, a customer service representative will be standing by to take all relevant information.
- The customer service representative will ask what date you would like the limo for, how long the limo will be needed, and how many individuals will be traveling in the limo.
- They will also discuss the hourly pricing of the vehicle and any additional features or services that are available for your reservation.
- Many limousine companies include the price of the tip into the cost of the rental and this will be discussed with the consumer at the time of reservation as well.
Once all of the details of the reservation have been worked out, the customer service representative will request a credit card number to hold the reservation. In some cases, this credit card will be charged 20% of the estimated price of the rental as a non-refundable fee for holding the reservation. This amount is deducted from the total cost of the limo rental at the end of the rental period.
If the reservation is cancelled within a certain period of time, typically within 24 hours of the pickup time, the fee is held by the limousine company as a penalty fee.
After the reservation is secured, there is nothing that the consumer needs to do until the date of the pickup. The limo and chauffeur will arrive at the pickup location at the designated time. Before the individuals get into the limo, the chauffeur will go over the reservation details to ensure that everything is correct and make an imprint of the credit card that was used to hold the reservation.
After the individual has signed the credit card slip for the original 20% reservation fee, they are free to enjoy traveling in the limousine. Directions and instructions for where the individual would like to go can be given to the customer service rep at the time of reservation or can be told to the chauffeur when they arrive and during the night.
At the end of the night, the individual will be asked to sign authorization for the full charge of the limo rental. If the individual have gone over the amount of time in the original reservation, additional charges will be added to the initial estimate for the cost of the service.
As most limo companies include the price of the tip in the cost of the limo rental, tipping is not necessary, although the consumer may want to give the chauffeur an additional tip for excellent service. The individual will be dropped off at their final destination and the limo will travel back to the limo company.