School Prom: How to hire a reputable limo company

Although this blog is written with a UK audience in mind, many of the pointers provided will apply equally to hires in other countries.

The first rule for booking your limousine is to start as early as possible. The reality is that the ‘school prom season’ is a relatively short one and as a consequence, demand will far outstrip supply. If you can, put pressure on your school to provide you with the date as early as possible, in addition, they could save all of their students a great deal of heartache if they had the prom on a day other than a Friday.

Once you know the date, you need to find a limousine company, first prize will be a company that has been recommended to you. Failing which, a good place to find limo operator is the Internet or Yellow Pages. The former will probably be faster and give you an opportunity to read up on the company and view images of some of their limousines before you call them.

If you are looking on the Internet, then you could start by searching for specialist limousine directories, these niche directories will list companies by town and county, so they are an excellent source for finding a limo company fast. Yellow Pages will provide a group of companies in one place, but the downside is there is very little information included in the actual advertisement and you cannot see images of the vehicles.

Another useful tip is, to ask your local authority if they have a list of limousine companies that provide limousine hire, they will not recommend any particular company, but they will be able to let you know those that are licensed for private hire. Whether you contact your local authority or find a company via some other media, you should always ask if they are licensed for private hire or if they have an operators licence, do not be tempted to use a company that has neither. From the 1st January 2008 it will be illegal for anyone to operate a limousine business without an operators licence or a private hire licence and any professional (and licensed) organisation will be able to provide you with this information on request. You wouldn’t get into an unlicensed taxi and the same applies to stretched limousines.

Shortlist 2 or 3 companies and then ask them for a quote, most will provide one over the phone, but you should also ask them to confirm it in writing, together with their terms and conditions, including what deposit they require and when the balance is payable. If they refuse to confirm the price in writing or provide a copy of their terms and conditions, simply move on, they just can’t be serious about their business.

Once you have received their quotes compare them carefully, take account of the price but do not be tempted to rely solely on price as a measure of whether you should use them or not. Also, make sure that they list anything that has been included in the price, on the contract, this may include soft drinks, balloons and so on. Please remember, whilst regretable, it is not uncommon for the less scrupulous operators to agree a low price in order to guarantee that you place your hire with them. However, when someone else comes along and offers to pay more, they drop you like a stone, normally with the excuse that they have “double booked” or “the car has been in an accident”. Unfortunately, you rarely get much notice and you could find yourself looking for a limo a few days before the event, or worse still, on the actual day. Ask around you will find that this type of thing happens all too often.

If you have the time, ask if you can view the vehicle, a well maintained limousine is a good sign of a professional operator. Don’t worry if they work from home, this does not mean that they are not serious about their business. Because demand outstrips supply, many limousine companies will travel to your location to fill the void, so don’t be too concerned if your preferred company does not operate from the same town.

Deposits vary by operator, but you will typically be asked to pay between 25% and 50% of the hire price, the balance will normally be due up to 21 days before the hire or ocassionally, on the day, payable to your chauffeur. If you can, and the deposit is over £100, ask one of your parents to use their credit card to pay for the deposit, this will afford some protection in the event that the company ceases to trade or does not deliver on its promise. Insist on a written ‘hire agreement’ so that both parties know what is expected of the other.

It is also worthwhile asking if there are any contingency plans in the event of an unexpected breakdown etc. Some operators collaborate and support one another in these circumstances and some may be part of a larger group, but quite a few will have nothing to offer in these circumstances except disappointment!

Another factor to consider is whether or not you want to use the limousine to bring you home from your prom. If you do, it is often less expensive overall (and more reliable) to retain the limo for the evening, especially of the prom is only going to last 4 or 5 hours. This is because it will often cost you more to have a separate outbound and return journey, than it would for a continuous hire. The reason for this is that most operators will either return to base or go onto another hire. The former means additional costs and the latter can result in the limousine being late to collect you. Always ask at the outset.

In summary:

Try and book as early as practicable, those who leave it late will have problems finding a reputable company and will almost certainly end up paying a significant premium (supply and demand).
Use the internet or Yellow Pages to find a local company. You can also use specialist niche directories to avoid trawling through the thousands of pages on the internet.
Ask your friends or family for recommendations
Make sure that the company has either a current PSV Operator Licence or a Private Hire Licence
Ask for a written quotation and a copy of their ‘terms and conditions of hire’
Make an appointment to view the vehicle if you can
Never be tempted to base your decision on price alone
Ask about contingency plans in the event of a breakdown
If the deposit is over £100, pay by credit card
If the prom is only going to last 4 or 5 hours, consider retaining the limousine for the duration, rather than arranging a separate outbound and return journey, it will almost certainly be quicker.

This posting can only be a guide, in the final analysis you must decide on who to placer you prom hire with, but these tips and guidelines should aid you in finding a reputable operator.

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