Driving A Client – 6 Professional Measures To Keep In Mind

Clients come in all shapes and sizes, and require different services depending on the kind of business you run. One thing is universal, however – they need to be treated with respect in all things. After all, clients are trusting you to perform for them a service, sometimes a service that can quite literally define their wellbeing or financial potential. Security services, for instance, could be considered to hold the life of their client in their hands depending on the quality of job they do. It can be that serious.

Sometimes, businesses will determine that driving a client from one place to another is a worthwhile and complementary service to offer. This might involve picking up a client to show them around a range of houses in the real estate sector, travelling with them to an event, or bringing them into the office. Of course, like our security service example, driving anyone in a vehicle will mean that you hold their well-being in your hands.

For this reason, only the most professional protocols should be in place. In this post, we’ll discuss some of those, as well as how you can prioritize safety above all things:

The Car’s Condition

Of course, to begin with, it’s important to recognize that our driving candor will reflect every single value of our brand. For this reason, it’s important to make sure that the condition of the vehicle we use is properly maintained before we dare to have a client travel within it.

Having it cleaned at a car wash, making sure all the belts and safety features are in good order, ensuring that the brake fluid, oil and tyre pressure is topped up appropriately, ensuring the interior is cleaned and that a scented car fixture is placed in the vehicle, all of this can ensure that professionalism is your first priority.

Of course, assigning a driver you trust is also key. This might be a leader of the business, someone experienced, or a rental driver used via an outsourced company. They must be calm and confident on the road, and groomed well. This helps the car seem inviting and a worthwhile place to travel.

Promptness At All Times

It’s a great idea to make sure you chase promptness at all times. Arriving to the pick up point ten minutes early is ideal, or even earlier if you want to be certain. This way, you can make sure that the vehicle is always waiting, not that the client has to wait for you. 

Remember though, it’s much more important to arrive safely at the destination than quickly. Even if a client suggests to the driver to hurry up, that should never come at the expense of obeying proper road rules.

Safe & Cautious

Drivers should operate the vehicle in a safe and cautious manner. We should also vet our drivers appropriately, making sure they have no points or punitive measures as part of their license, and that if necessary, they have the correct form of license for carrying others depending on the rules and regulations of your state or country.

Plan The Journeys

It’s essential to make sure that each journey is planned, with at least two backups applied should traffic or unforeseen situations take shape. Now, this isn’t to say that you need to plan this like a military operation, but your driver must be aware of an ideal route to take, and a couple of other options that are approved if necessary. They must be aware of places to travel should the vehicle need immediate maintenance, or who to call in the event of a problem. We must also make the client aware of the journey they are to follow, so that they can feel safe in our planning, particularly if this is the first time we have driven them.

Vehicle Maintenance

Vehicle maintenance is an essential component of a safe, smooth ride. It’s a good idea to fill up the tank with fuel ahead of time. It’s important to make sure the airbags work appropriately. Cleaning the windshield is crucial, too, especially in hot and dusty weather. 

We need not opt for the most flash and expensive car to invest in when picking up a client. We just need a capable, safe road runner that can be trusted to get us from point A to point B in relative comfort. Prioritizing safety over trying to make a statement is key, and will show the client where your real focus lies.

Correct Risk Assessments

A thorough risk assessment must be carried out before driving a client anywhere. Even if we’re simply driving a client two miles from the airport to the front door of our business, a range of variables can, unfortunately, potentially cause problems or even harm to the driver, yourself, and your client.

As such, it’s best to be overcautious in our risk assessment than under cautious. What are the potential threats? It might be, for instance, that 10am-11am are the quietest times in the morning, right after peak traffic, and that certainly beats recommending your client to come in at 9am when the roads are bustling.

It may be that you have no qualified personnel on staff capable of driving a client comfortably, at least with the high degree of caution advised, and so hiring a driver and vehicle from a local executive transport firm is an essential investment, despite your relatively small stature as a firm.

Of course, route planning also factors into your risk assessment. It may be better to add ten minutes to your journey if it means avoiding a route that has newly laid roadworks upon it. Additionally, making certain that a parking space is reserved outside of your business is worthwhile for preventing issues upon arrival.

Additionally, if an emergency does occur, having access to the contact information of the best car accident lawyers can be key, allowing you to gain the compensation necessary and find closure for the incident.

With this advice, you’re certain to get the best out of driving a client, from pickup to arrival.