ANNUAL FLEETS SURVEY: LCT Magazine changed up its annual
100 Largest Fleets survey this year to a "Vehicles" survey so we can get valuable input from ALL operators -- the final authority -- about the many chauffeured vehicles on the market. The chauffeured transportation industry is experiencing a major market shift following the dual retirements of the Lincoln Town Car Executive L and Cadillac DTS sedans last year. More vehicle makers are vying for the luxury fleet business than ever before, and we want to hear what you have to say. In addition to asking large to medium-sized fleet operators to count their vehicles, we are inviting ALL operators to rate the vehicles out there. Survey access until May 4 can be found here:
2012 LCT 100 Largest Fleets & Vehicles Survey. Stay tuned for some interesting results. --
Martin Romjue, LCT editor
Where’s the chauffeur? I wondered during my recent experience as rear seat client.
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Blogging, tweeting, posting to Facebook and making connections on LinkedIn are effective ways to build a brand and a loyal following. But how can those efforts generate revenue? Read more to learn five ways.
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AMENITY ALERT: Any operators have a limousine offering an. . . . exercise bike!? A converted Cadillac Escalade now offers that amenity, along with more luxury than the
Maybach sedans, known as salons on wheels. The wonderful thing about limousine interiors is the endless potential for creative configurations. The
London Daily Mail reports on an Escalade built by
Becker Automotive Design in Oxnard, Calif., which specializes in corporate limos on steroids. And with Daimler retiring the Maybach limousines, the super high-end niche of luxury limos has one less competitor.
-- Martin Romjue, LCT editor
This sand-covered Phantom limousine was spotted abandoned in Abu Dhabi, but some people doubt that it’s a real Rolls-Royce.
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I enjoyed a record-breaking day of revenue on Monday, reminding for a moment of what the good times were like way back in 2007.
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LCT EDITOR'S BLOG: The 2012 International LCT Show brought together a lot of interesting people talking about innovative ideas.
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In a short video interview, the head of social media at Ford Motor Company explains upcoming trends in social media and how the automaker is stimulating fan engagement.
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CUSTOMER SERVICE: One experienced operator points out that while you can't control the economy or who is President, you can determine your success by how you treat customers and employees.
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This is the first in an occasional series about a 21st Century social management style.
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A new tour bus venture, Hangover Heaven, has hit the Las Vegas strip with the intention of helping tourists stay on their feet and keep the party going. With stops at the Hard Rock Hotel, Paris, Bellagio and Cosmopolitan, Hangover Heaven will treat clients with an IV designed to cure a hangover in less than 45 minutes. Company founder Dr. Jason Burke studied anesthesiology at Duke University. The company will treat clients onboard their special bus or send a doctor to a client’s room for treatment. Visit http://hangoverheaven.com/ for more information. — Michael Campos, LCT associate editor
MK. . . WHO? USA Today's auto writer points out the
confusion behind the Lincoln vehicle names of MKS, MKX, MKT, MKZ, etc. Lincoln has simply been following the trend among automakers for the last decade in naming its elite, luxury brand models with a series of numbers and/or letters, i.e. Acura RL/TL/TSX, Infiniti Q30, Lexus 450h, Cadillac XTS/STS/DTS, etc. But apparently the retired Town Car and the Navigator are the Lincoln names that still garner the most name recognition among consumers. For the limousine industry at least, Lincoln got the name right: "MKT Town Car."
--- Martin Romjue, LCT editor
I never got a chance to say goodbye.
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HIRING GOOD HELP, AGAIN: My longtime assistant returns to full-time duty.
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Motortoys Limousine Service and Flamingo Air announced a joint promotion to offer couples an afternoon delight a private propeller plane along with a luxurious limo ride to and from the airport.
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