It does indeed feel great to get behind the wheels and drive to your destination on your own but driving can be stressful sometimes, especially if you are a busy person with a jam-packed schedule. When driving you must, first and foremost, be vigilant at all times and stay focused on the road — this means you can’t do other things like checking your phone for messages or reading urgent emails. Furthermore, your organised schedule might collapse completely just because of minor details like getting stuck in a traffic jam, or taking a left turn instead of a right, or dealing with a faulty battery.
Hiring a chauffeur to do the driving for you will not only lift the stress off of your shoulders, but will also let you be more productive.
Chauffeurs are trained professional drivers who offer exclusive transportation services whether it be for business or personal events. They provide world-class services to help people have more enjoyable experiences when travelling for business or sightseeing around the city. Instead of worrying about the road and the responsibilities driving entails, you can just sit back and enjoy your time in the passenger seat.
Whilst the chauffeur drives you to your desired location, you are free to make phone calls, work on your report or presentation or even just close your eyes for a bit to get a rest before facing your work head-on. You will not stress over which route to take or how fast you can arrive at your destination, you can even enjoy the beautiful scenery while travelling! These are just some of the benefits of hiring a chauffeur.
Top 6 Reasons to Hire a Chauffeur
1.Professionalism, Safety and Security
When you get in the passenger seat of the car, you are entrusting your life to the person behind the wheels. Your safety is literally in their hands which is why it is a must to make sure that the chauffeur has an exemplary driving record. These chauffeurs who will drive you to your particular destinations are trained professionals and you can ensure that they value your safety just as much as they value their own. They have vast amounts of experience in driving and they have in-depth knowledge on how to ensure maximum safety on the road. But take note, the exemplary services they provide do not stop there! They will treat you with respect and professionalism. They will also help you get in and out of the car, or help you with your bags and luggages.
2.Productivity
If you have a chauffeur, you can sit back and relax in the passenger or back seat and do all the urgent matters that need your attention. You can work on those papers you need to submit early, check and compose emails, make a business call or even attend an online conference. You will have the freedom that you can’t simply have when you are driving the car yourself.
3.Timely Arrivals
With a trained and professional driver in tow, you will no longer have to worry about planning which routes to take ahead of time — your experienced chauffeur will do this for you. They will take into consideration any potential travel issues you might face for the day such as which road to take to avoid traffic jams as well as weather reports and duration of travel to know what time you should leave to arrive at the destination on time for your flight or for your meetings.
4.No Parking Stress
In a busy city like London, a task as simple as parking can be a headache. There will be times you will end up driving in circles waiting for a free space, or having to park several blocks away from your destination only to walk back to get to your car when the meeting or event is over. Having a chauffeur will not only reduce the stress brought upon by parking, it will also save you time. You can be dropped off at any location and be picked up at any spot convenient for you. No parking hassle, no waiting for a parking spot to be free.
5.Arrive in style
Aside from arriving at meetings or events on time, you also get to come out in style and make a lasting impression. It is guaranteed that the vehicles and the chauffeurs themselves will always be at their best presentation, adding that extra touch of style, but moreover, since you are not driving, you can come out of the car looking as fresh as when you get in, no need to fix your hair or for additional touch-ups. Your suit or dress will be in perfect condition, too.
6.Relaxation
It can be physically taxing to drive long distances, especially if you are on a tight schedule and can’t afford to stop even for a minute to get a bit of rest. If you have a chauffeur, you can just slide into the car, sit back and relax while enjoying the passing views outside your window. The comfortable ride might be the thing you need to recharge yourself from a busy day at work or from a long flight. A refreshed mind and relaxed body can make a significant difference to how you will handle the issues of the day.
What are the different types of Chauffeur?
Generally, a chauffeur is responsible for driving cars, ensuring the clients stay on schedule by planning on the best routes to take, calculating travel time and anticipating any needs for drop-offs and pickups. There are mainly two types of chauffeurs: a personal chauffeur and a corporate chauffeur.
Personal Chauffeur
A personal or private chauffeur safely drives clients to their destinations, and their children to school, after school activities, or social events. They are proven to be of great help when families need to travel across a traffic-filled road to get to their social appointments. But personal chauffeurs offer more than just their expertise in driving, they also make arrangements in case the motor vehicles need some repairs, they can help carry bags or luggages as well as run requested errands. Many personal chauffeurs are even asked to chaperone the young children to and from events.
Corporate Chauffeur
Aside from driving the clients to their desired location for their meetings or events, a corporate chauffeur may also assist with some basic duties like booking appointments when travelling, arranging restaurant reservations and running some requested errands. They may also act as the company’s courier service and handle important packages or document deliveries. Corporate chauffeurs often have a wide range of experience and extensive knowledge of luxury car maintenance and caring for vintage vehicles. Corporate chauffeurs are smartly dressed and they ensure that the cars they drive are well maintained.
How can Little Ones help you in finding the perfect Chauffeur?
Little Ones agency has been in the service industry for over 15 years and with the vast experience that we have, we have honed down our vetting process to a fine art. We do an intensive interview with the candidates including a thorough discussion of their work as well as their personal experience, values and principles.
Little Ones agency makes sure that all the candidates that we send to our clients have undergone our strict vetting procedures and have:
More than 2 years of experience
Police check
At least 2 references from previous employment
Our experienced consultants will also make sure that the candidates are interested in the role and the salary package that you are willing to offer.
What are the vetting procedures of Little Ones?
The procedures for vetting a chauffeur varies depending on the agency you use. Little Ones agency ensures that the clients’ needs, safety, and security are the topmost priorities in everything we do, which is why we developed our own intensive vetting and screening process for every single candidate in our books.
This includes a face to face interview with each individual candidate, including a thorough assessment of their personal and professional history. Our Little Ones consultants will also take verbal reference checks from the candidate’s previous employment, following an intensive reference process. Little Ones also requires all candidates to have an up-to-date DBS or police check. You can rest assured that all of the chauffeurs on our books have been interviewed thoroughly before they even get to the hiring stage. We aim to work with clients to make the selection process as stress-free as possible.
How much does it cost to hire a Chauffeur?
The salary range of chauffeurs depend on the number of hours you require them to work, the flexibility needed for the position, as well as on the years of experience that they have. Chauffeurs typically work for 5 to 6 days a week, for a standard weekly total of around 45 to 60 hours. The majority of chauffeurs are employed on live-out roles but there are some who are provided with accommodation by their employers.
One of the things to consider when hiring a chauffeur is if you want them to work on a temporary or permanent basis. If you are looking to hire someone for a temporary role, Little Ones agency will charge you £30 per day as commission, and you will need to directly pay the chauffeur with their hourly salary, amounting to £10 to £12 per hour.
But If you are looking to employ someone in a permanent capacity, you will be charged with a registration fee of £69. After registration, our experienced consultants will be sending you a list of trained and professional candidates and help you all throughout the hiring process. You will then give the agency a commission fee, which is 16% to 18% of the candidate’s annual salary.
The market rate for a permanent live-out chauffeur ranges from £25,000 to £45,000 per year, but of course this is highly dependent on the number of hours they are required to work and on the experience and qualifications that they have.
For example, you are paying your chauffeur £25,000 net per year, then the calculation would be:
£25,000 X 16% = £4,000 (+ VAT)
What are the duties and responsibilities of a chauffeur?
The primary role of a chauffeur is to transport the clients to and from their specific destinations in a safe and comfortable travel. The tasks and duties might be different for each employer but a chauffeur must be able to perform the basic duties, including the following:
Ensure that the client's door is open as you greet them in a professional, sincere manner
Ensure safe and easy travel for the clients to their destinations
Comply with all the traffic/ road rules and regulation of the state
Ensure the security of guest belonging while travelling
Maintain good coordination with the hotel or airport representatives
Assist the guests with the luggage as and when required
Park the car at designated parking areas and also follow the parking policy.
Liaise with the company or client to determine when and where you will be collected
Keep the vehicle spotless in both exterior and interior appearance
Ensure that the vehicle remains pristine and in excellent working order
Maintain the vehicles’ service dues, cleaning, keeping and running condition
Select the fastest routes based on GPS software and traffic updates, unless otherwise instructed
Complete collections and deliveries of important packages or documents and files on behalf of the client, if requested
Forecast and respond to clients' questions and concerns
How can I hire a Personal or Corporate Chauffeur?
Our Little Ones consultants believe that you should feel supported from the very first point of contact. We will guide you from the start of your search and we will not stop even when you have found your chauffeur who perfectly complements your needs. Our consultants are always available to assist at any point during your search, providing top of the line service to each of our clients.
With Little Ones’ excellence and commitment to domestic staff placements, the team pride themselves on being able to delicately align a premium, luxury service to those who put their trust in them. For a no obligation consultation regarding our personal and corporate chauffeurs and the most suitable option for your family or company, or to view a comprehensive list of chauffeurs we have, please contact Little Ones Agency on 0207 183 0309 or send us an email to enquiries@littleoneslondon.co.uk.
