Many times we get the question - do you service the outlaying areas in Arizona - like Flagstaff, Prescott, Sedona, Tucson, etc. - the answer is OF COURSE! We are based in Phoenix but have no problem driving to those outlying areas and helping you with your events and parties!
Let's face it - there are not many limo companies in some of those smaller towns - so finding a Prescott limo or Flagstaff party bus can be nearly impossible! But people in Sedona still want a limo for their Sedona wedding.
There are additional costs for performing services in these areas that are 2-4 hours away from our main headquarters - fuel costs and payroll costs - so the prices are slightly higher than the price for Phoenix-based reservations. We would be happy to provide you with a custom quote for your event.
Planning a birthday party in Prescott? Wedding in Sedona? Bachelor party in Tucson? We would love to serve you in those areas! Just give us a call!
We run a pretty busy Arizona Limo service - our main headquarters in located in Tempe, AZ - a few minutes away from Sky Harbor airport. Our chauffeurs are normally pretty good - we only use CDL licensed, that pass a pre-employment drug screening, go through classroom and ride-along training runs before they go out on their own with clients.
All our chauffeurs are employees - not independent contractors. In Arizona, employment law is not as tough as places like California, where we just opened another operation. So when our chauffeurs in Arizona screw up - a truly negligent action - like speeding in our vehicles - or crashing a vehicle into a median or wall - we pass on the cost to the chauffeur.
Arizona limo services and other companies that have fleet vehicles on the road are probably very used to the speeding ticket notices from the many cameras all over the metro Phoenix area. You open it up and see the date, time, speed of vehicle, and a nice picture of the chauffeur. We fine our chauffeurs $100 along with sending in the info on whom the driver is. The bottom line - these chauffeurs should NOT be speeding in our expensive vehicles! So we fine them if they are caught by the cameras - it is a pretty good deterrent - and we are the one that suffers the biggest consequence if their speeding causes an accident.
Also our chauffeurs, being CDL licensed, should do a pre-trip inspection of their vehicle before rolling out on a reservation. We provide them with the check-off sheet to go through. While inspecting this vehicle - don't you think they should notice that a vehicle's registration is overdue by 3 months! Recently, we had a chauffeur ticketed because she was driving a Hummer limo that had overdue registration. Overdue by 3 months! She ended up having to pay for the ticket because she was the driver and she should have noticed the registration was overdue.
It is so frustrating - we were never sent the notice by MVD on the registration of this Hummer limo - but we aren't in front of these vehicles every day like the chauffeurs. They are supposed to do a pre-trip inspection and notice issues like that! And we have two detail staff-people that are supposed to check for issues like damages, overdue registration, tire pressure, etc.
Do you agree with holding the employees of this Arizona limo service responsible for these issues? What would be other solutions for getting people to do their job? Any ideas?
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!
We get the call sometimes. It is not a pleasant phone call. It is usually from somebody that is upset - usually at reasons that have nothing to do with us or our company. Maybe all their friends that were supposed to come out and celebrate the birthday party are being flaky. Canceling the celebration. Backing out of the plans. Or they just broke up with their boyfriend that they had booked the Tempe limo (or any other city for that matter) for. Or the worse yet - the wedding just got called off. Huge bummer.
So they want to cancel the limo ride that they had scheduled with our company for days or even weeks and months. The problem is that we don't have a huge fleet of limos - so when you tie up one of our vehicles with a reservation we take it serious that you will be using the vehicle. So we turn away other customers from that same vehicle at that same time.
We cannot afford to turn away business - or lose business. This is why you cannot cancel without penalty. With our company, you book with at least 50% down. That 50% is non-refundable at the time of booking. The other 50% is non-refundable once we are within 2 weeks of the event. If you have to cancel because something horrible happened - like the wedding got canceled - let us know at least 2 weeks before so you can at least not be obligated to the full 100% of the reservation!
Hopefully we can re-book the vehicle and not totally be out. It is a bummer when plans get canceled - for whatever reason - but we have to keep tight cancellation policies - especially because of the downturn in the economy. Hopefully when you book your Tempe limo, Scottsdale limo, Phoenix party bus - all your plans go through and you have an awesome time. That is what we are here to try and help you facilitate - having a great time with great prices, customer service oriented chauffeurs, beautiful vehicles and great service!
Many people in Orange County and LA County, California where terrorized by Richard Ramirez - known as the Night Stalker in the summer of 1985. Ramirez was found guilty of 13 counts of murder, 5 attempted murders, 11 sexual assaults and 14 burglaries.
Instrumental in his identification, capture and ultimate conviction was James Romero III - the owner of In The Scene Limousine! He was only an observation 13-year-old boy when he wrote down the license plate number of the car driven by a man that was trying to break into his family home. Little did he realize the implication of his actions and how being observant would save so many lives. Thank God he was observant and courageous as he chased after the Night Stalker and wrote down his license plate - information that was which was critical in the identification and ultimate arrest of the Night Stalker.
Back then James was a hero, and now he is still a hero - who knows now how many lives James helps to save when clients book chauffeured transportation instead of drinking and driving. Be smart, be safe - book your Phoenix Limo with the company run by a HERO!
Click picture below for video clip of news coverage of James Romero III which aired on CBS Channel 2 on 5/13/10:
Many people are confused about limo size and comfort. When we talk about passenger count we are talking the manufacture of the vehicles talk about passenger count they are counting on about 16" of space per person. I'm not a big girl - I'm a normal weight - a little tall at 5'8" for a girl. I'm about 12" wide from hip to hip - when I sit I spread out to be about 14" wide. So I would fit within the 16" of space - I would be thigh to thigh with my neighbor though.
Many of the women in Scottsdale are skinny and beautiful so a bachelorette party group with 11 women will probably fit no problem in the Chrysler 300 limo (that we say fits 9-12 people). But if you have 11 or 12 normal size people the Chrysler 300 limo would be way too small - sure you can squish in - but you probably won't be comfortable. So when you have a group of 10+ people we automatically start to recommend Hummer limos or party buses for maximum comfort.
Size of people in party buses is the same deal - like our 20 person party bus maxes out at 20 people - we can't fit one extra person - and if you really have 20 you might be more comfortable in the 24-28 passenger party bus.
When you are looking for a Scottsdale limo, party bus in Phoenix or chauffeured sedan transportation in Glendale.
Scottsdale is the heart of the nightlife and entertainment in Arizona and many, many people are aware of the heavy consequences of drinking and driving with Arizona's tough DUI laws so they opt to rent limos for their night out in Scottsdale. And of course it is fun to ride in a limo so avoiding a DUI is only 1/2 the motivation.
Here are 3 simple tips to make sure you get the best limos in Scottsdale service:
1. Figure out the date, time and number of passengers before you start making your calls to limo companies. We need all those details to give you an accurate quote. There is a wide variety of limos available to fit parties from 2-46 people and prices vary on certain nights because of special events and school dances. So having those details before you call will make your information gathering easier.
2. Price is not the only factor - you want to make sure the limo company is properly insured, has employees driving their vehicles not independent contractors, is licensed with the airport, DOT (for vehicles over 15 passengers) and AZ Weights and Measures. You are putting your lives in the chauffeur's hands - you want to make sure they don't get injured in an accident and then not have enough insurance to cover you injuries.
3. Service - check out on-line reviews at places like limos.com (where we have many, many 5 star reviews). You can get a steak at Denny's and you can get a steak at Morton's steak house - where would you like to eat? Limos have the same sort of ambiance and service as restaurants. If it is an old vehicle, worn down with broken amenities like the stereo or TV - was it worth the $20 savings for that limo?
Call us for your limos in Scottsdale needs - we can help make you night affordable, safe and with the best possible service!
We just got off the phone with another well-known limo company owner in Phoenix. He laughed and called us crazy for spending the money on $5 million in insurance coverage for our Hummer limos. Why? The law is that when you have 15 or more passengers you need to insure the vehicle for $5 million. But company owners in Phoenix pretend that their Hummer limos only carry 14 passengers ever to their insurance guys and the DOT auditor. And then sell their Hummer limos all day long as 20 passenger vehicles.
Frustrating. When you have more passengers inside a vehicle - there should be higher insurance limits. If 20 people, God forbid, were seriously injured in an accident in one of our vehicles, at least we have the peace of mind that we have the correct insurance coverage to protect the company and help pay for injuries, etc.
We know of at least one company in town selling their 22 passenger party bus with only $1.5 million worth of coverage. Why the confusion? Are they just playing games? Why the cutting corners? It is just that - these companies cut corners and then are able to offer lower pricing. All at the expense of not protecting their precious cargo - their passengers on-board those Hummer limos and party buses.
Ask your company you are booking with to show you their proof of coverage - and look for $5 million worth of coverage for 15+ passenger vehicles!
The beautiful Valley of the Sun is coming to life with sparkling holiday light! It is one of our family's traditions to take a limo ride with close family and friends to tour the beautiful holiday lights in our neighborhoods.
We start at our house - having a scrumptious dinner and a gift exchange. Then our beautiful party bus arrives and the chauffeur rolls out the red carpet. The party bus has champagne, sparkling cider, soda and bottled water all pre-stocked for us. We bring on a few carafes of hot chocolate. The party bus is decorated with red and green balloons and holiday music is playing on the CD player. It is the perfect atmosphere - our chauffeur takes us around to see some of the beautifully decorated homes and businesses using the route that I've printed up for him.
My favorite places to make sure and visit include the McCormick-Stillman Railroad park, the Scottsdale Pavillions mall, Scottsdale Civic center and Westworld of Scottsdale. Other favorites our clients enjoy is the Community of Joy Church in the Northwest Valley, Desert Foothills Park in Awatukee, and the Mormon Tempe in Mesa.
We have a map of lights available for your reference. Our chauffeurs will go wherever you ask/route but we try and stay out of planning the route. Sometimes you may not be happy with the light displays and of course we don't control the decorations and /or whether the decorations are light at a home or not. We can make suggestions but ultimately the route/plan is up to you - (the client).
We laugh and talk on the ride - the kids "ohh" and "ahhh" over some of the beautiful decorations. And they are thrilled to see that one of the homes has Santa Claus sitting in front of it - ready to take our children's Christmas wishes!
A Holiday Light Tour from In The Scene Limousine is one of our family's favorite traditions around this time of year. Gifts can break or get lost - but memories and experiences last a life-time. Book your Holiday Light Tour today!
Want a cool - different idea for your next birthday or team building event? A limo scavenger hunt is a super fun way to get everybody together doing something fun and challenging!
Book one or two limos - depending on if you want to make this a team against team scavenger hunt or just a timed scavenger hunt. What is great about limos is you can have 8-28 people all together - in a stretch Chrysler limo, Hummer limo or party bus.
Have at least one digital camera per team and see who can find the most of the following items:
Take Photos of the Following:
___ Someone walking their dog.
___ A team member pumping a stranger's gas.
___ A bank deposit envelope.
___ A stranger serenading your team with an instrument.
___ Someone with more than four children (younger than 18 year old children).
___ The smallest house you can find.
___ A photo of an out-of-state license plate.
___ A disposable coffee cup with a business logo signed by an employee.
___ Graffiti in a local business' washroom.
___ A free promotional pen (must have company's info on it).
___ Someone 85 years old or older (holding their id).
___ Team sharing one soda (every needs their own straw).
___ Team receiving dessert complete with lighted birthday candle.
___ How much is a pina colado at the local bar?
___ The business card of a cosmetics salesperson.
___ A pizza coupon.
___ A cocktail umbrella.
More Kids Scavenger Hunt ideas (add or subtract from the ideas above):
___ How many swings at your local park.
___ Find something round like a ball (or a rock) to bring back.
___ Take a picture of a member of your team on another person's bike.
___ Take picture of a lawn ornament.
___ Find a slide that your entire team can fit on a take a picture.
It will be a blast to have a timed race in a limo for all these items - or to have teams competing against each other for this scavenger hunt!
