Why a Sedan Service is the Way to Go in the City by the Bay

If you are scheduled to fly to San Francisco for a business trip for the first time or the twentieth time, you know how difficult navigating around the city can be. Not only  does the City by the Bay have some of the hilliest and most confusing street plans in the United States, but things are also selling for a premium price there, gas and rental cars included. Taxi rides are undependable and outrageously expensive and public transit might not get you where you’re going on time. We’ve compiled a list of reasons why booking a sedan service is the only way to travel on a business trip in San Francisco, from price to convenience to punctuality.

Price

Price might be the most pertinent element of San Francisco traffic that makes booking a sedan service the most price-conscious choice. Rental cars in San Francisco are among the most expensive in the country. According to Travel and Leisure magazine, renting a mid-size sedan for a week in San Francisco can cost upwards of $400. To put that in perspective, the same car would go for around $260 in a place like Kansas City. San Francisco, in fact, has been named the third most expensive city in the United States in several year-end polls, meaning that, in addition to astronomical prices on rental cars, your food and lodging will make your expense account bulge, as well. Booking a sedan service means your fees and charges will be consolidated into one clean figure. Once you pay the bill, you don’t have to worry about surcharges, gas fees, or other ghost charges popping up on your bill. 

Also, taking a cab is not advisable in San Francisco due to the sky-high prices and San Francisco’s notoriously sketchy cab conditions.  A 20-minute cab ride from San Francisco International Airport into the city can cost you as much as $25 or more. If you have a particularly active business schedule, those cab rides can really pile up, which is a terrible value considering the unpleasant conditions of cabs and the impossibility of getting any work done in a cab.

Navigation

San Francisco is definitely a crowded urban space. There are roughly 15,837 people per square mile, which translates to a lot of cars, a lot of bikes, and a generally confusing labyrinth of people all around. San Francisco has actually been ranked as the third most difficult to navigate city in America, third only to Boston and Washington, D.C. Especially in highly populated areas of San Francisco, like the financial district, the flow of tourists and locals crowding street corners and crosswalks is heavy, as well as the number of cars striving to beat lights. Some parts of San Francisco, especially near Fisherman’s Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge, don’t allow left hand turns at lights until 6:00, which is additionally confusing to people who are new to the city and attempting to drive themselves around. Adding the element of a stressful business schedule to the rather difficult-to-navigate nature of San Francisco’s street grid can equal a productivity-hindering transportation experience every time you leave your hotel.

Efficiency

A sedan service offers a level of efficiency that just cannot be rivaled by renting a car. Not only do you have to drive yourself, meaning you shoulder the stress of navigation, but you also remove the possibility of using your commute to get crucial tasks done for your job. A sedan service Chauffeur is typically a local expert, which means he will know the navigation and traffic patterns of the area where your business meetings are taking place.

Using car service in San Francisco just once will convince you. After experiencing the affordability, efficiency, and lack of stress, you’ll never again attempt to navigate the streets on your own.

Image credt: freedigitalphotos.net/porbital

Lower Costs and Keep Your Travel Budget on Track

As a travel manager, you must wear many hats and possess several and varied skills. Perhaps one of the most important abilities, though rarely considered during the hiring process for a travel coordinator, is negotiation. The word may bring to mind haggling, and in some cases you could end up doing exactly that, but the real spirit of negotiation is coming to a decision both your company and the vendor can be happy with. That means you don’t have to take the listed price as final, but you also shouldn’t offer drastically reduced bids to the hotels, airlines, and transportation services. With some simple tips and tricks, you could find yourself saving money on every aspect of travel for your executives, and over time, that money will add up—making you the hero of the day for lowering travel costs.

Simply Ask 

Too many people take the listed price as final, and it does indeed save time to book hotels and flights at the stated cost. However, just asking could open up a world of discounts you’ve never experienced before. When booking hotels, call the specific hotel to reserve the rooms instead of using the corporate website. By speaking with the desk attendant directly, you could learn of on-site promotions or last-minute deals you couldn’t otherwise find. The same is true when buying plane tickets. If you contact the desk directly rather than using a discount travel site, you could use your membership clout to negotiate better prices.

Use More Effective Words 

Sometimes just asking for better prices won’t get you anywhere. If, however, you know which words to use, you could get exactly what you want and need. Instead of saying “Is there anything you could do?”, ask “How could I save more money?” By asking how, you will engage the customer service professional in a conversation about money-saving techniques. You could learn about upcoming special offers, loyalty programs, last-minute deals, and many other opportunities to take advantage of savings. In many cases, you could end up speaking with management professionals who have the authority to give better prices.

Turn Last-Minute Price Inflation into Last-Minute Deals

In many cases, booking flights or hotels at the last minute could be a nightmare of inflated prices, but you don’t have to settle for the quoted costs. No airline or hotel wants empty seats or rooms, and this is where you can really put your negotiation skills to the test. Simply asking won’t get the job done here, either. You’ll need to get a bit more aggressive to get the prices you want. Be prepared to flaunt your loyalty status to lower your costs, including how many flights or nights you’ve personally booked for your traveling executives. By showing your history with the airline or hotel, as well as your intention to continue using their services, you may be able to finagle rock-bottom prices for a last-minute trip. If you get what you want, write down the name of the service agent who helped you, and don’t be afraid to contact that particular professional in the future. By remembering names and circumstances, you could parlay one good deal into a whole future of better prices.

Quote Lower Prices

In most cases, you get exactly what you pay for, so jumping on board with the lowest-priced ground transportation could end in disaster. You can, however, use the lower quotes to get good deals from the companies you do trust. For instance, if you have seen savings of 25 percent with an untested limousine or town car company, don’t be afraid to call up the company you often use and ask why they can’t offer similar prices. You may not get the full discount for your executives’ trips, but you might receive a significant cut in costs.

Follow Through on Threats 

The beauty of loyalty programs is the reward you receive for continued use of one particular company. However, even the best companies can relax over time and begin offering sloppy service and inflated prices. Your first instinct may be to threaten a switch to other companies, but losing those reward points could be a serious blow to your savings record. By registering for several different loyalty programs and spreading your company’s travel plans between them, you could build a nice nest of credits with several, giving you the ability to jump ship without panicking over points. 

As you continue to build great relationships with travel vendors, you'll learn even more ways to save money.

Image credit: freedigitalphotos.net/David Castillo Dominici