Our clients ask us daily for our thoughts on Uber, Lyft, Gett and other TNCs. (TNC or Transportation Network Company is the legal name in California for companies such as Uber and Lyft). We have 21 reasons why we think GET Global Executive Transportation is superior to a TNC. Please note, every TNC has different policies, so not every reason applies to every TNC.
WE ARRIVE EARLY AND WAIT FOR YOU
Our goal is to be on location and waiting 10 to 15 minutes prior to your reservation time. Then when you are ready, we can get moving. Our wait time doesn’t begin until 15 minutes after reservation time. In this aspect, we are old-fashioned and proud of it.Conversely, TNCs are the opposite. They expect you to request a car and wait for them. There is always a risk that a car is unavailable or it’s far away. Then you need to “babysit” the car. You need to make sure that the vehicle is moving and on the way. After that, continually monitor the vehicle to make sure it doesn’t cancel. In addition, the driver may call you to ask your destination and decide whether or not to pick you up. Then finally, the driver knows that if you are not present for 5 minutes, they will speed away to collect a cancellation fee leaving you to start the process all over again.
WE PROPERLY VET OUR EMPLOYEES
Our drivers must pass a drug test and are subject to random drug tests. We do a Department of Justice background check with fingerprinting. We do not hire felons or former felons. The prospective employee is interviewed in person face to face and we ride with the employee to evaluate driving skills. We require that our employees fill out an I9 form verifying eligibility to work in the United States. Our chauffeurs must qualify for our insurance policy with no DUI’s and 2 or less moving violations in three years.TNC’s do NOT drug test, do NOT do DOJ background checks but they DO hire former felons. TNC’s do NOT interview face to face or require any kind of driving skills evaluation. It’s unclear what kind of driving record is accepted. They do NOT even check if a driver can legally work in the US. They simply require a driver’s license and an internal background check. Then they are off driving people for hire. TNC’s need millions of drivers, screening out drivers is not in their interest.
PROFESSIONAL CHAUFFEURS
Our chauffeurs are full time professional drivers who view their job as a career. They are trained, supervised and friendly. They are uniformed in a black & white suit with a tie. Our chauffeurs truly care about the safety, comfort and overall experience that our clients receive.We like our drivers to be friendly and engage in conversation, however, they also understand that our clients may prefer not to engage in conversation. We understand your need to get work done or just relax after a long trip.Our drivers understand the importance of keeping your affairs confidential. They are instructed to be discreet and to not discuss your private conversations with the next passenger in the vehicle or other clients.Our chauffeurs number one goal is to get you to your destination in a timely and SAFE manner. They are trained not to tailgate, drive aggressively or erratically and to obey traffic laws. We participate in the DMV pull notice system which alerts us to a driver’s license being suspended and/or citations received.All feedback we receive from our clients is addressed individually with our employees to ensure a safe experience for everybody.
NO SURGE PRICING
We offer fixed flat rate prices. We do NOT charge extra for the time of day, high demand or day of the week. After an event, TNC’s almost always charge you a surge rate for a ride. Most times the surge rate on a standard TNC is equal to or exceeds our transfer rates. The same holds true for IAH… TNC’s have lower rates going to IAH and then the rates skyrocket for a IAH pick up.
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE ALLOWED IN OUR VEHICLES
All our vehicles are considered limousines by the State of Texas. So, go ahead and bring that bottle of bubbly or enjoy a few cocktails on the way to your special event, it’s completely legal.
WE PROMPTLY RETURN LOST ITEMS
We will do our best to return any lost item in a prompt manner. Our drivers are trained to check the vehicle at drop-off to inspect it for forgotten items. However, sometimes a phone or other article will slip down in a seat or elsewhere. Give us a call and we will make arrangements for returning your items. There is no worse feeling than getting dropped off at the airport and realizing you left your phone or a wallet in the car. With a TNC, it is unlikely to get your item back in a timely manner before your flight leaves or get it back at all.
WE DO NOT HIRE FELONS
This speaks for itself. We are all for giving felons a second chance, after all, they served their time, but perhaps their first job out of prison should be in a supervised position. It’s not responsible to send a drug addict or thief to pick you up and take you to the airport for vacation. Having a recent felon know your house will be unoccupied for a few days could lead to trouble. Our goal in hiring chauffeurs is hiring quality, not quantity.
Read more about this issue with this LA TIMES article discussing Uber hiring felons with their driver program.
NO DRIVER CANCELLATIONS
Our drivers do not cancel you! After you receive the text from your driver that he/she is on the way, rest assured he/she will be there. No need to keep checking your app to make sure your driver is moving or still on route.Of course, YOU can cancel your reservation with no fee up to 4 hours prior to the reservation time.
OUR CHAUFFEURS ARE EMPLOYEES
As employees, we comply with labor laws. State law also requires drug testing and DMV pull notice registration. Also, as employees, they are trained and supervised. We keep in close contact with our drivers to insure our drivers operate in a safe and friendly manner.TNC’s are trying to avoid all liability and responsibility for their drivers by classifying them as independent contractors.In addition, TNC’s avoid paying minimum wages, employer taxes, healthcare, workers compensation or any other benefits their drivers deserve and quite likely lawfully entitled to receive. There is a federal lawsuit determining these issues, but one thing is VERY CLEAR, TNC’s argue they are not liable for the actions of their drivers.
WE ARE COMMERCIALLY LICENSED & INSURED, HAVE PERMITS AND OPERATE LEGALLY
We are licensed and regulated by the Texas Public Utilities Commission and pay them quarterly fees. They make sure our vehicles are properly registered and insured and that we comply with laws. We have airport permits, we must go through a lengthy application process and get approved by the city attorney. In addition, all vehicles must be registered with them and proper insurance is regularly checked.TNC’s still operate in the “gray” area. Legally their vehicles should be commercially registered, but few are. TNC drivers need a TNC endorsement on their insurance policies, but few do, driving up the cost of insurance costs for everyone. They are also involved in a federal antitrust lawsuit claiming they are price fixing for their contractors.
WE COST LESS
Sure, when you compare a random person driving a compact economy car to our service, TNC’s are sometimes cheaper. But when you compare our service to what they consider the same class of service, we are 30 – 45% cheaper.For example, our rate from The Spectrum in Irvine to LAX is $109 plus a 20% gratuity or $130.80 in total.The drive is 48 miles and will take 60 minutes up to 105 minutes during rush hours. Doing the math to get a TNCblack car is $8 booking fee + 48 miles x $3.55 + $.45 x 60 to 105 minutes = $205.40 to $225.65That’s a savings of up to $94.85 by choosing In Style!!Our prices never surge!Also, after most events and pickups at LAX there will almost always be a substantial surge price. It’s very common for In Style’s cost to be equal to or less than a standard TNC.
WE HAVE A PHONE
That’s right, you can call us anytime. We have a full time in house customer service representative. Not an answering service, not someone in a foreign country. If you ever need to get a hold of us, we are here. We pride ourselves in providing excellent customer service in a timely manner!You will NEVER find a phone number for a TNC and trying to contact them through the app is frustrating at best. Customer service is not in their vocabulary.
SPECIAL REQUESTS
For a small service charge, we can supply special requests in the vehicle. Whether you want flowers, champagne, wine, your favorite drink or food… we can do it! Do you need the driver to run an errand while you are in a meeting… we can do it! We try to accommodate most anything you need!
EASE OF MIND
We email a confirmation at the time of reservation.- 48-hour reminder emailed- 24-hour text reminder- 2-hour email reminder- Text from driver when on the way- Text from driver upon arrival- Track your driver on the appSometimes on early morning pickups, TNC cars are not available or they cancel on you. TNCs make reservations, but if there is not a car in the area to take the reservation, they do not show up.
NEWER LUXURY WELL-MAINTAINED VEHICLES
Our entire fleet of luxury vehicles are less than 3 years old. We have upgraded all but one of our Chevrolet Suburbans to Lincoln Navigators. The Navigators are more luxurious, offer a much smoother ride and are more spacious. All vehicles are equipped with XM Radio, Bottled water and snacks.Our vehicles are dealer maintained on a monthly basis.TNC vehicles are supposed to be inspected yearly, although there is no oversight here. However, going a full year with maintenance issues is a major safety issue!TNC vehicles in Texas are up to 10 years old.
THREE AIRPORT PICK UP OPTIONSOPTION 1. Standard Curbside Pick Up
Your chauffeur will be parked right outside of the airport. When you have your bags and you are ready for pick up, simply call your chauffeur and he will pull into the terminal and pick you up curbsideOPTION 2. Meet and Greet
Your chauffeur will greet you with a sign right after you exit security. They will assist with luggage if you have any and then walk with you to the vehicle which will be parked in the parking structure.OPTION 3. Parking Structure Pick Up
Your chauffeur will park in the parking structure and wait in the car. When you exit security, you will proceed directly to the car in the parking structure.TNC’s are dispatched from the parking lot behind the limo/charter lot. It can take a minimum of 10 to 30 minutes for your car to arrive.
COMPLIMENTARY BOTTLED WATER & SNACKS
We stock each car with complimentary bottled water and various snacks for the ride.
LOW COST CAR SEATS
We offer three types of car seats. Forward facing toddler seat, booster seat and rear facing infant seat. Just let our reservation representative know what you need!
WE STILL OPEN YOUR CAR DOOR AND LOAD YOUR BAGS
We believe that being courteous has not gone out of style! We will get the door, hold your bags and help you in/out if needed. When attending more formal events, it would be completely inappropriate not to have the door opened. But there is a more important function here… safety. We always make sure traffic is cleared and you are safely in or out of the vehicle before closing/opening the door.Not surprisingly, the TNCs have had hundreds of instances where passengers have had their feet run over by their driver. Being in a hurry and carelessness should not be a part of your experience.Our chauffeurs will also load/unload your luggage and assist in getting them to and from your home.
WE ENROLL IN THE DMV PULL NOTICE SYSTEM
Simply stated, our drivers are listed with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Whenever a driver’s record changes, with a traffic violation or DWI, the DMV will notify us, so we know if our drivers are operating safely. This includes any suspension of a driver’s license. In the case of operating while intoxicated, our insurance company would drop the driver from our policy which would result in dismissal.TNCs do NOT utilize the DMV Pull Notice system, resulting in drivers on the road with poor/unsafe driving records and/or suspended licenses.
YOU CAN REQUEST A DRIVER
If you have a driver that you like, you can request that driver on a reservation. We will notate the request on the reservation and schedule accordingly subject to availability.
