Yep it's here - the dog days of summer. Anytime the temperature reads over 95 degrees we know that vehicles are going to break down more. The limos, the party buses, the Towncars the SUVS.
It is NOT just our fleet. Have you ever taken a drive on the I-10 freeway in the middle of the day between Arizona and California? I have many times. During the winter there aren't too many stranded or broken-down cars. During the summertime there are MANY. Drive around the streets of Phoenix during the summer - same thing - many more cars broken down. Cars are not built to withstand the extreme heat without problems - engines overheating, belts breaking, compressors blowing. And it's hot. And people's patience is worn thin.
It's oppressively hot during the daytime in Phoenix. I always crack up when I get that call. "Yes it is my wedding on July 10th and I want a 10 passenger limo for 10 people from 2pm to 7pm". Really?? Really? In your wedding dress you want to stuff in right next to 9 other people loading into the limo at 110 degrees outside. Sounds fun!
One of our limousine friends (owns a HUGE company in Las Vegas) won't run limos in the daytime of the summer. They have deep pockets - they run a huge fleet of taxis so the limo business is just gravy to them. And they have no problem turning away limo runs for customers during the day in June, July and August (since they obviously have similar temperatures to Phoenix). This company ONLY books limos at night - after the sun-sets and they send a chaser van after the limousine.
This company, of course, charges more than we can demand in Phoenix. All other limo companies in Phoenix have drop-their-pants pricing - especially during the low demand summer. So if we charged $200 more than the next guy to cover the cost of a chaser van people wouldn't pay it. People won't cough up the money in Phoenix.
And then people call to complain. Angry that the vehicle broke down or that the a/c didn't blow colder. Get into your vehicle in the middle of the afternoon dressed in a suit after the car was sitting in the sun for 30 minutes. See how fast your car cools down - and you cool down. We service our vehicles all the time. Our maintenance bills are outragous. Especially in the summer.
I don't have a solution to this problem - do you? Would you be willing to pay more if we sent a chaser van and were honest that your middle-of-the-afternoon run in June/July & August is not really going to be fun. It's going to be hot. And you are going to be uncomfortable. And if the limo might break down - we will do our best to send a substitute vehicle out but sometimes everything is booked (or broken being repaired).
The limo business in Phoenix sucks ESPECIALLY in the summer - used to be good the rest of the year but I'd say with the recession it is officially a not-for-profit business!
In an effort to be completely up-front - to give our clients the best information so they can make a decision - we have put complete pricing for Arizona Prom limos and party buses on our website. Just click the picture above and you can go directly to the page that lists the total pricing, hourly minimums, defines what nights are considered Prom nights, and breaks down the cost-per-person for your Prom fun!
Many, many companies try to keep this data hidden so you are forced to call them. They believe that they have a better chance when they get you on the phone and then try a used-car-salesman-style to convince you that their's is the best limo company to book with.
We, at In The Scene Limousine, believe that we are your best choice because we have been in business for over 5 1/2 years, have great well-trained employee chauffeurs, have proper insurance limits and licenses, keep an immaculate fleet of well-maintained Arizona limos and party buses and make sure that your precious children stay safe on this important night of their high school - Prom night.
We are transparent - we don't try to hide behind used car salesmen tricks - who do you want driving your children on Prom night?
I'm trying to plan our wedding (yeah!) and getting frustrated at the lack of information on-line regarding pricing. I'm realizing that clients who are shopping for limos have it pretty easy. There are many on-line sites where you can request a quote from multiple companies and get instant pricing.
We also have our limo pricing right on our Prices page - along with listing the limo specials that we are running for this-weekend. Easy - simple- transparent. When we give you a price over the phone we quote an all-inclusive pricing. Includes a 15% gratuity, includes a fuel surcharge and an administration fee. All-inclusive. Out the door pricing. Sure if you want to tip more than the 15% that is appreciated and welcomed by the chauffeurs. But only if they do a great job should they expect any extra tips.
Then you can take that all-inclusive pricing and break it down by head - great $726 out-the-door for a 20 person Hummer limo - that is $36.30 per person. Pretty inexpensive when you consider the fun of all 20 of you in the awesome Hummer enjoying your cocktails with your I-pod pumping out your favorite tunes.
I'm shopping for a caterer for our wedding. It's $32 per person - but then add 20% gratuity and then 10% for a delivery fee and then $3 per person for beverages and then $3 per cake cutting fee and then $175 for a no-host bar and then $3 per chair and then $2 for this overlay and then, and then, and then - ahhhhhh! When will the nickel-and-diming stop? Can I just get a TOTAL cost per person?? And where is that website where I can punch in my dates, guest count and get an instant quote from multiple caterers?
Limo shoppers have it easy compared to caterer shoppers. . . .
Discount hell that is what we are in. The days of the mortgage broker being a big-baller and taking his friends out in a Hummer limo for 7 hours at $150++ per hour are over. Now-a-days the majority of the phone calls we get are from people that are professing that this is their last few entertainment dollars they are scraping together for the birthday party celebration - or for their wedding. And they are looking for "transfers" just 7 miles away to the bars or from the wedding location to the reception site.
Maybe it's William Shatner and his Priceline commercials that started this idea that all prices can be negotiated in the favor of the consumer. In my adulthood the only times I've heard such bargain shopping and negotiating going on was at the swap meet or garage sales. "I'll give you $1 for this lamp". "I'll give you $75 per hour for a Hummer limo". We've heard it all.
The problem is that vehicles payments can't be negotiated down. Insurance remains the same high-price.
The problem is that the backbone of our business is on chauffeurs who work off of tips - and as our average ticket goes down their wages go down. Then these under-paid chauffeurs get frustrated and act unprofessionally on a trip - possibly ruining somebody's special occasion. Or quit.
The problem is that then the limo business cannot afford the vehicle maintenance bills so some limos run longer than they should with service issues - with the possibility to breaking down on your important event day.
Cheap limos. I can't wait for the day when we really can afford a cheap limo. It will be bright orange - with "CHEAP LIMO" in large graphics across it. When it shows up to take your group out and you get upset we will say but you asked for the cheap limo. . . .
For now we are just happy that it is finally picking up in the Phoenix market with holiday parties and airport trips. One day soon we will be out of lowball hell. Or certain limo companies will define themselves as being nothing more than a glorified taxi service. We hope that with our beautiful fleet of vehicles and professional chauffeurs providing excellent service that you get what you pay for - and in our case it will hopefully be more because we are worth it.
What do you think - are limos just glorified taxis? Or do you expect more from limo companies?
Almost sold out!!
The U2 and Black Eyed Peas concert is sure to be amazing and we have almost sold out our fleet for the show - below are the ONLY vehicles and the prices for what we have left:
Tuesday, 10/20:
Nothing is left for 10/20 - sorry!
Saturday 10/24 is shaping up to be a super busy night with Homecoming dances and lots of people wanting to hit the town - below are the ONLY vehicles we have left (besides standard SUVs and sedans):
Saturday, 10/24:
white Hummer limo available all night - $726 complete for 5 hour minimum - $145.20 each additional hour
Escalade limo available after 10:30 pm $475.20 complete 4 hour minimum - $118.80 each additional hour
Please call us asap at 602-996-5466 to book your reservations asap for these last few vehicles!
Everything else is SOLD OUT sorry!
Huge reduction in business travel, increasing fuel costs and wide-spread lack of consumer confidence leads to these top stories I've received just this week in my in-box about limo companies failing or reducing their fleet and employees.
In the Phoenix market we are doubling suffering as we normally have a drop in business due to the seasonality of this market of about 30-40%. When it is 110 degrees in Phoenix people leave town - or sit in their swimming pools and try and stay cool.
The big problem in Phoenix is that we didn't get enough revenue to tuck away to sustain us through the summer. Many of our prospective clients get upset that our Prom rates are so high - we need to boost the prices to help us through the summer - "make hay while the sun shines" as the saying goes. But this Prom season we couldn't hold our prices up - only about 4 nights had the "normal" insane demand.
So we've cut costs - everywhere we can. . . and thinking outside the box for new ways to acquire business and new niches to fill. . . We've lowered our rental rates trying to "make it up in volume" - our hourly prics and our transfers are at lower rates than they have ever been at in the almost five years we've been in business.
Top headlines about limo companies failing:
Metro Cars a Detroit limo company after company allegedly defaulted on loans and interest totaling $45.3 million. Metro Cars holds a roughly $9 million a year parking shuttle contract more. . .
BostonCoach, the fourth largest limo company in the nation owned by mutual fund giant Fidelity Investments, has closed branches in San Francisco, Dallas and Atlanta and a spokesman said the company now has 877 employees, down from 1,200 in April last year.
Its bigger national rivals also have laid off workers. They include Carey International Inc of Washington D.C., with 1,350 cars, and Dav El Chauffeured Transportation Network in Chelsea, Massachusetts, with 1,036 cars. More. . .
I know that many businesses are suffering in this economy. Hopefully most of the good limo companies (like us I think?!) will make it through. . .
What do you think? Are you a business owner struggling too? Since small business employs about 50% of the private sector employees and accounts for 60-80% of the new jobs created in the last decade I personally see it as everybody's problem what is happening to small businesses (like limo companies). . .
We went out to Myst on Saturday night to meet some friends and have some fun. It's been a super long time since we've been out - like a pre-planned night. Not just the spur of the moment - let's go meet some friends for dinner or at the clubs/lounges. Totally planned.
So I spent all Saturday thinking about these important things.
- What am I going to wear? Trip to the mall - outfit and accessories = $150
- How tan do I look? Trip to the tanning salon - 8 minutes on the bed to 'open my pores' and then Mystic tan = $22.50
- Are my toes okay? Trip to the pedicure place = $30 with tip.
- We don't drink anymore so we don't have to plan this part - but who is going to be the designated driver? Should we call a sedan service = $45 each way this way we get to be home - in our own bed. Or should we get a hotel = summer specials around $80-$100.
- Then the dinner and drinks = $70 for us (non-drinkers - party of two) or more like $120-200 for a party of two drinkers.
It seems like a lot of money when you add it all up. But it is fun -all work and no playtime gets really dull - and lonely.
I have a great blog article about how renting a limo or party actually saves you money on going out to help minimize some of these costs. The ultimate cost would be killing or injuring somebody in drunk driving accident. So hopefully you take it seriously to book a car or limo, designate a driver or book a hotel room!
I couldn't stop laughing! Some of our prospects and clients are exactly like this!!
How about a limo transfers right in the middle of a prime Saturday night - come on - my $100 is good here - I don't care that you should be making $500 for 4 hours of service on this busy night. . . .
Hilarious YouTube video done by Scofield Editorial - check it out! Hopefully people will find this funny . . . .
Click here:
Father's Day is Sunday June 21st! If you haven't thought of what to get Dad quite yet, well you are not alone! We at In The Scene Limousine have some helpful ideas and pricing to make you planning easier for that wonderful Dad in your life!
Sunday is an non-peak day for us - so we have great special pricing listed below!
Cheap Limousines COMPLETE Pricing:
Silver Chrysler 300 limo - only $325 flat for 4 hours!
Executive Van/Limo-Bus - only $350 flat for 4 hours!
20-Passenger Black Party Bus - only $375 flat for 4 hours!
White Hummer Limo - only 425 flat for 4 hours!
Escalade Limo - only $425 flat for 4 hours!
Black Hummer Limo - only $450 flat for 4 hours!
24-28 Passenger White Limo-Style Party Bus - only $450 flat for 4 hours!
Get a Limo, SUV Limo or Party Bus and then plan a brunch, lunch or dinner at a great local restaurant. Many restaurants - like Rawhide's Steakhouse, Lon's, Prado Restaurant at the Montelucia Resort or Meritage Steakhouse and Blue Sage Restaurant at JW Marriott have special fixed pricing on meals.
Or plan a golf trip with Dad - we will even do transfers in some of our vehicles so you don't have to pay for the down-time during your golf game AND you can enjoy all the cocktails on the golf course that make your game so much better - right?!
We are excited to announce that we have added a price sheet to our website to make it easier for our clients to see our all-inclusive hourly prices. Hopefully the price sheet is easy to understand - I would love any feedback or suggestions!
The pricing for airport transfers has already been listed on our website for quite some time for Towncars. Give us a call for great pricing on SUVs!
The pricing is valid for the metro-Phoenix area. Of course we will continue to update the nationwide service pages along with adding all-inclusive pricing for those areas.
Of course there will always be slight differences in pricing for certain conditions - like if you live very far away like Anthem, Buckeye or Queen Creek. We typically include about a 30 minute drive each way back to our yard in Tempe for free. With such super-discounted rates - we have to charge some drive time for farther distances.
Give me feedback - let me know in the comments if the price sheet is confusing - or if it is helpful to know up-front. Without having to make a phone call - what the prices are for all our beautiful vehicles.
