Well-trained chauffeurs and properly worded contracts are a few of the ways to protect you and your staff.

With prom and wedding seasons just around the corner, the retail side of the industry is about to hit full-throttle. Retail work can be rewarding for sure, especially monetarily, but it's not without its challenges. Any operator who has dealt with retail customers has inevitably faced the following: underage drinking, out-of-control bachelor/bachelorette parties, clients sneaking cigarettes (or more), and many other behavioral difficulties.

Most problems are very minor, but, as one limousine operator in Alabama learned, some can be serious and dangerous. During a wedding in a small town called Decatur, a typical photography session with the bride and groom turned into a veritable nightmare. While the pictures were being taken, the photographer asked that the vehicle be running so that the lights would be flashing for greater effect.

At this point, the chauffeur should have been by the driver's door paying attention, but he was instead at the rear of the car watching the bride and groom. It was at this time that the best man, who was intoxicated to the point of stumbling, decided to take the car for a joyride.

As he drove away, he hit the bride with the rear door. He then proceeded to run over a curb and side-swipe several cars before he finally came to rest embedded in the side of a pickup truck. He then climbed out of the new 180" Lincoln laughing and cursing. Although this situation was extreme, it is a good example of why every operator should take proactive steps to avoid such mishaps.

For many seasoned operators who know how to deal with these problems, these occurrences are "par for the course" and most escalations of the situation can be avoided. Yet many newer and inexperienced operators find themselves in situations where not knowing what to do can cost money, clients, and much more.

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In order to ensure a smoothly operating retail company, you must have three major components:

1. A well-written and binding signed contract

2. Properly trained chauffeurs (with strict guidelines)

3. Code of conduct for clients (with steep penalties for non-compliance)

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GET IT IN WRITING

Before you allow a client to get into your vehicle, you must have a signed contract. "If you don't have a contract, you're asking for trouble," says Chris Hecker, president and CEO of Hecker Transportation in Santa Barbara. "It's the only way you can protect yourself and your company." Hecker, a 15-year veteran of the industry, says that your contract should include:

• Specifics of the run
• Prices o Rules and regulations
• Penalties for any infractions
• Acknowledgment of responsibility for damages, overages, and any • fines incurred as the direct result of a client's actions

When creating your contract, you should have an attorney review it to be sure it reflects all applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations. Also, if your state or local jurisdiction has a regulatory authority, be sure your contract wording takes that into consideration as well. "Your contract is only as good as the wording that is used," Hecker says. "You have to be sure it is 100 percent accurate and legally binding so that it will hold up in a court of law." Spend a little money with an attorney to make sure that it's done correctly.

When binding the contract with a client, you must be sure to fill it out completely with no blank spaces; otherwise it will not be a valid contract. Any changes in the run such as overages or damages, must be listed in and then initialed and dated by the client at the end of the run. Always be sure to completely explain everything the client is signing or initialing. A copy of the contract (not the master copy with the original signature) should be given to the client. This will help avoid confusion later.


PROPERLY PREPARE YOUR PERSONNEL
In any business, a boss wants to be sure all personnel are properly trained for the job and able to handle any and all foreseeable situations. Would you want to send an untrained employee to operate a 30-story crane? Of course not! Then why would you want to send an unprepared chauffeur out in an expensive vehicle with your valuable clients?

"We make sure all of our chauffeurs are trained to handle most anything," says Hecker. "We then give the chauffeurs the flexibility to assess the situation and make their own decisions on the spot." This helps in several ways. First, it shows the chauffeurs that you have faith in their ability to do their jobs with minimal supervision. Second, it saves the time that the chauffeur would have spent talking to dispatch or a supervisor which helps avoid escalations due to impatience.

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Your chauffeurs need to know:

• The rules and protocols governing the treatment of the client

• The traffic laws and livery regulations for all jurisdictions in which • • • they enter

• All the rules your company has set down for the safety and well-• • • being of the passenger

• What's happening in and around their vehicle at all times

• All regulations regarding the conduct of the passenger and how to
• enforce them

• The wording and meanings of all passages of your contract as well • as how to explain it to a client

If, for some reason, the chauffeur has to terminate the run and remove the client from the vehicle, be sure it is understood what this entails. "In California, you can't just leave a client on the side of a highway or on a city street," he says. "You have to drop off at a 'safe or sane' place such as a police or fire station."

Hecker adds that for his company, giving a client "the boot" is only a last resort for behavior such as severe verbal abuse or unwanted physical contact to the chauffeur.

"A chauffeur should also be able to recognize situations and when they're getting out of control," says Will Hogan, owner of Courtesy Limousine and Medical Transport in Dixon, Tenn. "If you can see it coming, then you're able to diffuse it." He says that it goes along with paying attention to what's going on around you.

He adds that when you have to get involved in a situation, you need to be respectful and handle it firmly but discreetly. "Don't embarrass your client," he says. "Pull the person responsible for the contract aside and explain the problem." Generally, the situation can be calmed and the passengers can go back to having fun. Remember, whenever alcohol is involved, emotions are in overdrive.

Of course, there are times when a situation can't be contained, and others when the chauffeur needs to be decisive. Whether it's terminating the run and taking the clients home, removing the clients from the vehicle, or calling the police and having them handle the situation. This is, of course up to the discretion of the chauffeur and according to company policies.

Policies generally differ from one company to the next. However one thing needs to always remain constant: chauffeurs need to be trained according to those policies and need to be able to handle the pressure and demands of the job.

A great tool to gauge this ability is to schedule "ghost rides" that involve various scenarios. This will allow you to see how each chauffeur handles the situation and the pressure.

LAY DOWN THE LAW
Whenever a client boards one of your vehicles, that person is subject to the rules and regulations of your company. However, many new operators "fly by the seat of their pants" where this is concerned. Many create rules as certain situations arise. "You have to create and abide by established rules from the get-go," says Hogan. "Everything needs to be set in stone before your vehicle ever leaves your office."

Your "rules of conduct" should be written into your contract and contain any and all penalties involved with them. "I have everything written into my contract, and it is explained to the client when the contract is signed," he says. "Always make sure you ask the client if there is anything that is not understood."

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