TAKING A HIT: For all the concerns about the rental car industry making inroads with luxury chauffeured transportation,
today's article in the Los Angeles Times shows that industry has plenty of problems and challenges of its own. Rental car customers increasingly insist on economy cars, for obvious reasons. Except, there aren't enough to go around. So maybe this could be an opportunity for the chauffeured transportation industry: Why rent a car to drive around an unfamiliar city when a chauffeur can take you wherever and when you need to go? It might be worth the industry's while to promote chauffeured packages for visitors who otherwise might get around in rental cars. From the customer's standpoint: No gas, no insurance, no driving hassle, no figuring out the GPS, and of course, as always, a comfortable ride with a professional chauffeur. From the industry's standpoint: Another way to build revenue and compete with rental car companies on their own turf. -- M.R.
Print | posted on Monday, July 14, 2008 8:45 AM