When it comes to scoring corporate clients, some operators think the only way to gain business is through low-ball pricing, excessive gifting and comps, or hustling a sponsor within the firm to gain a foothold.

All those methods can work, but the cost of doing business is increased dramatically especially when year-round gifting and comps are necessary to offset poor service. Anyone can give away the bank to score various types of corporate accounts, but these companies then leave a sizeable portion of their earnings on the table. Additionally, not all corporate accounts are created equally, and the wise firm knows that those of a certain caliber are best left alone, especially if the company is slow or even no pay. You have to take care of yourself first if you are to grow and prosper.

The most beneficial approach I have found is to adapt yourself and your service to the specific requirements of the corporate niche to which you are attracted. The transportation industry is not a static thing, and merely showing up early with a clean car is only the beginning of the story; great service is a given. When prospective accounts look at your firm in the field, they are forming conclusions about your reliability and consistency. Are your chauffeurs aggressive in locating the client at the airport and at hotels, or are they off to the side smoking a cigarette or catching a nap in their vehicles in plain sight? How about the firms you utilize to cover your overflow work? Is anyone monitoring their performance in the field? If you want your service to be noticed by the big players, you have to beat their expectations and catch their eye.

Assertiveness in providing superior service is no crime, and the directives for this must come from the top. Whatever it takes to satisfy the client has to be a shared goal of management, reservationists, dispatchers, and chauffeurs. Corporate clientele like to work with sharp businesses and people who anticipate their needs before they do; how do you measure up? Vehicle damage, lateness, unprofessional behavior, and talkative chauffeurs are all no-nos. This also holds true for your farm-out companies. The way to project your brand into the corporate world is to protect it assiduously at all times.

Impeccable chauffeurs are a must for corporate work. First you must understand the culture of the company that you are working with, and your chauffeurs must meet those standards. This goes well beyond having the preferred newspaper and bottled water in the vehicle. They should engage clients professionally, and they should speak only if clients initiate the conversation. Your chauffeur should understand every facet of the corporate client's world-from the location of a good barber shop for a last-minute trim to a restaurant for drinks where he can be seen but not bothered-and act as a mobile concierge. If the corporation prefers a more understated performance with less flashy vehicles, then the request should be accommodated but top-notch service should never be compromised.

And finally, the ability to turn on a dime with changes and last-minute new orders during busy peak times with corporate and convention work means your reservationists and dispatchers had better be first rate. Changes happen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so get used to the fact that modifications to early-morning orders will come at the worst time possible, such as during a special event or convention. Flights can be delayed, meetings get postponed, and traffic delays occur, but the skilled, diligent service and a cool-under-pressure chauffeur will make it all come together seamlessly. Commitment to the corporate realm requires that you go with their flow, not with your limitations: They need it when they need it with no excuses or whining. If you are unable to accommodate this mode of operating, then servicing the corporate world is not for your company.

The corporate world can be shrewd and oftentimes challenging, but it can also be exciting, profitable, and educational. The rewards for operating a corporate livery are substantial as long as second best is never a goal. If you can speak their language and live in their ever-changing world, then corporate work just might be right for you. There is no better line of work to be in the luxury transportation trade for those who dream big dreams and live, eat, and breathe personal service. LD