The elegance of the driver and his vehicle - luxury saloons or comfortable minivans for small groups - sets the tone for a VIP service. A rental solution that goes far beyond simply getting you from A to B. "The business traveller buys time".says Frédéric Mougenot, CEO of Massey. "a concierge in a car." There's no room for the unexpected with this tailor-made offer, enhanced by additional services such as a welcome on the airport tarmac or handling of customs formalities. Business travellers can rely on our well-established values: availability, psychology and discretion. What happens in the chauffeur-driven car stays in the chauffeur-driven car...
Despite its upmarket positioning, the market is also suffering from the economic climate. Major accounts are now favouring one-off bookings rather than long-term chauffeur-driven vehicle hire, out of a concern to save money and set an example. Nevertheless, the diversity of the customer base offers reassuring alternatives to service providers, for whom the real 'threat' is perhaps a new mix of genres. Changes in legislation have paved the way for other service providers, more and more of whom are joining the fleet of chauffeur-driven vehicles (VTCs). "There were nearly 400 companies in France up until 2009. Today there are around 3,800. The range of services on offer has multiplied, and it's difficult to identify a reliable and efficient service provider".says Pascal Delmotte, founder of the booking platform BookMyLimo, which aims to improve vehicle booking by focusing on quality. Top-of-the-range taxis? Low-cost drivers? The new hybrid services are generally leaning towards the first option, and taxis have been quick to denounce the fact that their monopoly is being called into question, despite the rule of compulsory advance booking. This constraint has been made easier by the new mobile functionalities used by Uber, Chauffeur privé and SnapCar, whose applications allow reservations to be made by smartphone and the car to be geolocated. Private taxis, chauffeur-driven cars, 'classic' car hire or car-sharing: the mobility landscape is changing and attracting new players, at the risk of confusing the business traveller. On the other hand, there is the undeniable advantage of offering a range of varied solutions that are all the more effective because they incorporate mobile functionalities.
1921
Over 90 years ago, Chabé introduced the first chauffeur-driven car service in Paris. An elitist offer based on tradition, since Massey, another major player in France, was created in 1948.
