What you should look for when choosing a limousine service
If you’re looking for luxurious transport for a wedding or formal event, or you need a reliable corporate transfer service to pick you up from the airport at all hours, you’ll know how overwhelming it is to choose the right limousine hire service.
While there are quite a few services specializing in formal events and airport transfers in Brisbane, there are a few factors to consider that can help you pick the best of the bunch—and enjoy the benefits of more reliable and more enjoyable transport around the city.
The fleet on offer
Whether it’s an elegant wedding or a simple airport transfer, you’ll no doubt have an idea of what kind of transport you’re looking for. Different limousine services will have different kinds of vehicles to suit the kinds of work they do—some will have stretch limos and luxurious town cars, while others will have party buses and hummers—and not all services will suit your needs.
Smaller companies will obviously have fewer choices when it comes to the types of vehicles available, but you’ll often find they’ve opted for timeless high-end vehicles that have broad appeal in order to accommodate their clients.
A large fleet is also not necessarily an indication of how good the service is; in fact, there’s often an inverse relationship between the two—smaller companies are often more invested in customer satisfaction, delivering better reliability and more personalised service to carve out their place in the market.
Hours of operation
Accessibility is very important when it comes to choosing a limousine service. Because reliability is crucial in the time sensitive occasions where you’re relying on a driver—like your wedding day, or an important corporate transfer—there should always be someone available to take your call.
Look for a limousine company known for accommodating their clients’ schedules and time constraints, and for being available by phone at all hours of the day or night. If you’re hiring them for a wedding, make sure that they’ll commit their entire day to you to avoid any problems with conflicting jobs.
For airport or corporate transfers, Brisbane residents should make sure there’s no time limit on pickups that could affect them with the remote airport location.
A good company won’t just have a reputation for getting their customers to where they’re going on time and in style—they’ll have drivers who are still waiting for your arrival hours after your flight’s been delayed. Read up on their reviews to ensure that your potential limousine service is committed to being there for you whenever you need them.
Presentation and attention to detail
Reliability is important, but the way your limousine looks matters—especially if it’s for your wedding day. That’s why you should visit your potential limousine hire service in person to view their offerings wherever it’s possible.
While you might be able to get some idea of the quality of the vehicles from a photo online, you won’t see the attention to detail in the interior, which is a big factor when you’re hiring for an important event.
A good limousine hire company will have keep their fleet pristine at all times. They’ll commit to thoroughly detailing the car before major events like weddings, to ensure that the glamour, elegance and ambience of the experience is maintained.
Their town cars will also be immaculately presented for every transfer, no matter how busy they are, so all their clients can enjoy the comfort of personalised transport.
Safety and licensing
Perhaps the most important factor in choosing a limousine hire company is their commitment to safety. Always check that the company is insured, properly certified with the Department of Transport, and is committed to driver training.
All limousine hire companies must abide by strict regulations of vehicle maintenance and upkeep, and they should be able to provide evidence of this on request. Ensuring that the vehicles are mechanically sound is important for your peace of mind when you’re trusting someone with your personal safety, but it’s also important to know to get an idea of how reliable their services are.
Limousine drivers are also subject to licensing regulations, and should be able to show that they’ve got a good driving record, as well as clean drug tests and criminal background checks. Besides this, drivers who are familiar with the area are always a good choice, because they’ll have the local knowledge to avoid obstacles and choose the fastest and shortest routes.
Web reviews and testimonials
One of the best ways to find unbiased reviews of limousine services is by searching their ratings on Google, Yelp, or bridal websites. Most customers who have had a bad experience with their limousine hire won’t hesitate to warn other potential customers to avoid the company, and many who’ve had a good experience will want to share it. Reviews on these sites are most often unsolicited, and can give you a good idea of how the company performs.
While it seems a bit redundant these days, a good way to find a reputable limousine hire service is through good old-fashioned word of mouth. If you know any recently married couples or business frequent flyers, they’ll likely have some valuable first-hand information that can help you find the right service for you.
And don’t underestimate what you’ll find on the Facebook pages and websites of each limousine service. If you discover that a potential service provider has web pages chock full of glowing reviews, it’s a good sign that their customers are willing to stake their online reputations on supporting their professionalism. You’ll also read about the kind of experiences they deliver, so you can get an idea of what they can do for you.
