Category Archives: Automotive Discussions

Limo hire companies need their vehicles to stay in top condition and that means that they might often partner with a specific auto shop that services their vehicles exclusively. This kind of partnership is beneficial to both sides and, while your auto shop may already service limos from time to time, building a relationship with a specific company guarantees regular business that brings in continuous revenue.

Acquaint Your Shop With Limo Maintenance

While limo maintenance and repair may not be the main service offered by your auto shop, partnering with a specific company means that you must be an authority on the subject in order to earn the relationship. You have to be better than the other shops that offer limo maintenance and repair.

• Acquaint yourself with the parts, cars, and services you and your employees will need to maintain and repair.
• If there are a lot of mechanics available at your shop, gather the most experienced as an “exclusive team” to work with the limo hire company. The company will appreciate knowing their cars are in the hands of the best you have to offer.
• Be sure to research the limo hire companies in your area so that you know what kinds of cars you may have to service. Some companies have antique or other unique cars for weddings and other special events.  Is your shop equipped to service these cars?
• Talk to your parts suppliers. Find out if they offer the parts you’ll need for repair and maintenance of the cars you’ll be servicing and if they’ll be able to rush orders in emergency circumstances.

When you partner with a limo hire company, you’ll have to be impeccable. These people are servicing clientele that expect the best and even if you’re used to servicing high-end cars, limos are a different kind of category so do the research.

Reach Out to Limousine Companies

Once you’ve gathered the necessary education for ensuring your shop can handle limos and other specialty cars, it’s time to reach out to companies that offer limo hire service and start building relationships to create the impression that your shop is the go to place for limo repair and maintenance. Don’t treat it as a sale but instead treat this marketing campaign like making a new friend. You’re trying to establish trust between your shop and the limo company and that’s different than the average marketing campaign because you’re targeting a specific small group and not casting a wide net into a large audience.

Live Up to What You Promise

Building a relationship with a company that specializes in limo hire service is one thing but maintaining that relationship requires living up to what you promise. When you work exclusively for one (or a few if your shop can handle it) company, you are offering services that may be superior to what you offer your other customers. This doesn’t mean that you just ignore the clients that have been loyal to you. It does mean that you have to continue to educate yourself and your employees about what the specialty cars you service may need. Building and keeping a relationship with another business is a marathon, not a sprint. Take your time and work to maintain the relationship and you’ll always have a growing business.

Diesel or petrol? It’s probably the first question car buyers should determine before anything else. Which is better will depend on your circumstances, budget, and preferences. Let’s look at the three factors you need to consider when deciding between a petrol or diesel car.

1. Economy

A petrol car could deliver as much as 30% less fuel economy than its diesel counterpart, but it may be cheaper to own in the long-run.

2. Running Costs

Running costs tend to be a far larger matter than fuel consumption. These are the costs such as insurance, servicing, purchase price, and, of course, depreciation. All of these factors can vary considerably between diesel and petrol versions of the exact same car. Cars that are powered by diesel are typically more expensive to buy and service than the same car in a petrol version. However, ‘diesel premium’ reduces as cars get bigger. One of the most influential factors when it comes to running costs is time. Depreciation is no doubt the biggest cost in car ownership, so resale value will play a massive role in deciding whether to purchase a diesel or petrol vehicle. Fortunately, diesel vehicles are usually cheaper to insure and tax, and the more miles you cover, the more likely you are to save money with a diesel.

3. Driving Preferences

If you already have a negative opinion of diesel cars based on one you drove maybe five or ten years ago, it’s time to rethink your opinion. Engineering advances have finally blurred the line between diesel and petrol, in both refinement and performance. A diesel can develop maximum torque – that “push” you need to pick up speed – at much lower engine revs. This means you can change up through the gears earlier on. Such a narrow power band can render manual gear changes somewhat of a bore, but modern automatic vehicles work extremely well with diesel engines. Furthermore, today’s diesel engines are a lot smoother than their petrol counterparts, particularly the two and three-cylinder petrol units that seem to be a popular choice for manufacturers who want to boost fuel efficiency. Good diesel engines are about 35% efficient, whereas petrol cars are around 27%. However, companies like Mazda have been closing the gap by manufacturing petrol engines with a diesel-type torque, and also diesel engines with a petrol-like response. Today’s petrol engines are becoming lighter, smaller, and far more efficient without losing out on performance. An important factor to consider when choosing a diesel vehicle is the increase in the use of diesel particulate filters, or DPFs. With mixed driving, the filters are fine, but if you tend to drive around town the most, you may want to think twice before buying a DPF-equipped vehicle. Low-speed urban motoring tends to clog the filters.

Still Not Sure Which Car to Pick?

If your still on the fence, this video should help you with a little more information on the subject. Deciding which fuel type car will be most cost-efficient for you over time isn’t the easiest decision. Be sure to do your research first: there are plenty of sites where you can check out running costs for specific makes and models. To make things more complicated, or maybe more simple, check in soon for my post on Electric Cars and how they are bringing the future into the present.