What makes a great Chauffeur?

Well, there's no simple answer. there are many attributes that work together in order to become a great chauffeur. Please note it's not the car you drive, that's only a tool of the trade, most London Chauffeurs have a great car, such as a Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The S-Class is really the standard bearer of the chauffeuring industry.

A great chauffeur does not neglect himself from the equation, extra effort should be put into grooming oneself - The client expects a gleaming car, but how out of place will it seem if an unkempt person is standing next to it? Imagine.. Dirty cuffs, scruffy shoes, dirty/creased trousers! the list goes on. over the last 15 years or so, the expectation has changed hugely. clients expect a well-groomed and well-spoken chauffeur, who is polite and always willing to help. i.e. If a client asks to stop at a local shop to buy some milk, always offer to go in and buy what they need for them, every client is a VIP and should always be treated as one.

I will go in to granular detail regarding what needs to be done to make yourself well-groomed. There are certain things that need to be done, which do need to be spelled out judging by the line of chauffeurs in the airport - but as I say, we'll save that for another post. let's assume that you as a London Chauffeur are very well-groomed already. So lets move on...

No, it's not your route knowledge. Most clients usually know the route better than the chauffeur - afterall, he has been working/living at the pick-up or drop-off for many years. that's not to say the chauffeur shouldn't bother to familiarise himself with the route. Most cauffeurs use Ggle maps or Wazw, as a tool to warn of upcoming issue along the route, a good chauffeur will be ready to switch routes early enough for the client not to notice. There was a time perhaps in the 80's when ex-police officers were in high demand for Chauffeur marketn. These days, a approachable and kind/helpful nature is essential.

Driving style - a sore subject for some - lets go back to basics, To the Advanced Drivers test at RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents), if you hold the steering wheel with one hand, you'll automatically fail. Professional chauffeurs keep both hands on the wheel at all times and both eyes on the road. It's amazing that TfL has made no requirement for chauffeurs to take any sort of advanced test, even the more basic test administered by The Institute of Advanced Motorists (Roadsmart). Most chauffeurs are not any more qualified than most people who hold a drivers licence (The TfL licenses do not check competency, just Identification, immigration status and English compentency). What a pity. A huge opportunity missed by TfL.

A Chauffeur's true distinguishing feature is his personility. You should possess a nature suited to service, much like a butler. I personally have driven clients for over 5 years, but when I did, I'd keep a box with grooming tools in it, as a distinguished client got out of the car, I'd ask him to wait a few moments (I'd already know whether this was possible, as you can tell if someone is in a rush), then i'd get the velvet brush out and give the front of his suit a scrape, to remove dust, lint etc, and if necessary around the shoulders to remove dandruff, then to finish off, a squirt or two of cologne, somthing subtle, so as to not collide with the fragrance he's alredy wearing.

A Chauffeur's true distinguishing feature is his personility. You should possess a nature suited to service, much like a butler. I personally have driven clients for over 5 years, but when I did, I'd keep a box with grooming tools in it, as a distinguished client got out of the car, I'd ask him to wait a few moments (I'd already know whether this was possible, as you can tell if someone is in a rush), then i'd get the velvet brush out and give the front of his suit a scrape, to remove dust, lint etc, and if necessary around the shoulders to remove dandruff, then to finish off, a squirt or two of cologne, somthing subtle, so as to not collide with the fragrance he's already wearing., perhaps one squirt at his tie, that shows between his suit lapels, then one on each upper arm. ., perhaps one squirt at his tie, that shows between his suit lapels, then one on each upper arm. ., perhaps one squirt at his tie, that shows between his suit lapels, then one on each upper arms ., perhaps one squirt at his tie, that shows betwee his suit lapels, then one on each upper arms ., perhaps one squirt at his tie, that shows 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