The Backup Plan September 2014

Latest

Posted On: November 11, 2020
Posted On: August 01, 2020
Posted On: June 25, 2020
Posted On: June 12, 2020
Posted On: June 04, 2020

Subscribe

Via Email:    

Archive



Blog Categories

Fall On Long Island

Posted On: September 16, 2014

Fall on Long Island


 

 

We love Long Island.  There are so many reasons to celebrate this incredible place not least amongst them are the gorgeous representations of all four seasons.  As we slip into one of my personal favorite times of year I would like to take a look at Fall on Long Island.

 

First of all the foliage, that brilliant kaleidoscope of color that possesses the flora of Long Island during the autumn months is truly a spectacle to behold.  Reds, oranges and yellows blossom from late September to mid November and they can be seen from Montauk Point all the way up into Washington County upstate New York.   A lazy drive down The Northern or the Southern State is all you need to do to find an appreciation for the fall foliage on Long Island.  Or go one better and take a ride out east, see the trees and then stop at any one of the multitude of farms that dot the picturesque landscape.  Baiting Hollow is a personal favorite as they have incredible fresh baked goods as well as the gorgeous ascetic.  Take the kids pumpkin picking or go on a haunted hayride.  Don’t have little ones?   Take your girlfriend too one of the several haunted houses or locations that long island is infamous for. 

 

No matter what time of year it is Long Island is a beautiful place to be.  In the autumn months the trees are nothing short of spectacular and the colors last for months and are beyond brilliant.  Not a tree guy?   Try an apple pie at Baiting Hollow Farm and Vineyard, take the kids pumpkin picking, or take the wife for a ride out to the country, no matter what you like Long Island has it!

 

All Star Limousine is a Long Island, New York based company with an extensive global reach; we provide expert Wedding, Special Event and Executive Travel services throughout the Tri-State area and the world. We have over 30 years of experience in the travel industry; our attention to detail, 2014 top-of-the-line vehicles and professional trained Chauffeurs set us apart from the rest! 

0

The Art of Service (Impossible To Please)

Posted On: September 12, 2014

The Art of Service (Impossible to Please)


 

 

Anyone who works in the service industry will understand when I say that some clients are just impossible to please.  Whether you’re a waiter, a chauffeur, a bartender, a concierge, or anyone who works in the customer service department of almost any organization we have all encountered at least one completely ridiculous and unrealistic individual who we knew was going to be a problem from day one.  These are the clients who come in the door with an attitude and are usually people who almost immediately give you that sinking feeling in your stomach.  Your first reaction is to tell them we don’t have the availability, or all our rooms or booked, or perhaps no I’m sorry we don’t serve that here, but business is business and that is when we make the first mistake.  Instead of saying “I am sorry sir I can’t help you.” we say “O of course sir, we can accommodate you.”

 

Stop me if the following chain of events sounds familiar, the person asks for some special accommodation or consideration, orders something off the menu or asks you to violate company protocol.  At first you hedge a bit, not that it’s a completely ridiculous request but you’ve been doing this long enough to know that this is how it starts.  The client reacts either by being irritated or pushy and will usually say something along the lines of “Well I was told by so and so that this place was the best, or the opposite “Well (insert name of competitor here) wouldn’t have a problem doing this”.  The other common reaction is to be a complete jerk and ask for the manager immediately, if this is what happens then you know, without doubt, the type of person you are dealing with.   So one way or another you make the exception, inconvenience the entire staff, spend time and energy going above and beyond for this client.  You are positive that you have exceeded their expectations and are completely sure that they will be satisfied and then the unimaginable happens.

 

After spending ten times as much time on this situation and bending over backwards to fulfill the special request.  The client, at the end, is still unhappy.  For most individuals who fall into this category unhappy is a gross understatement, they are more usually irate and belligerent, ranting and raving and demanding a refund or some other completely unrealistic compensation.  What they are complaining about is something typically unrelated to their special request (because they know you made sure that was done right), and often it is something so ridiculous and unforeseen that at first you may think the person is joking.  The check was brought too early, the bartender smiled at my wife, he did not get the door quick enough, my napkin wasn’t folded properly.  Little ridiculous things that 99% of the population (thank god) would not have even noticed let alone complained about. 

 

Unfortunately it doesn’t stop there, to compensate someone for the ice melting too fast in their water or the limousine driver not breaking the speed limit and running a red light, or the bartender who tried to cut you off because you couldn’t stand up straight, is not something your company or establishment does.  You politely tell the maniac that your sorry but there’s nothing you can do, and then the fireworks begin.  You see there unfortunately exist in this world people who enjoy hurting others, and typically the more pain they inflict the better it is for them.  The scary part is that these individuals are usually so self absorbed that they very rarely see themselves for what they are and they certainly don’t care about what it does to those around them.

 

Ultimately what can be done?  Unfortunately not a tremendous amount, you really can’t profile people and even if you did you run the risk of losing business or worse.  The only thing you can do is your best.  The law of averages dictates that eventually people like this will cross your path, that for every thousand clients that you please you will get that one that you never had a chance with.  Rise above and be the best you can be, don’t let these negative, impossible individuals ruin your day or break your spirit, remember to serve is divine.

 

All Star Limousine is a Long Island, New York based company with an extensive global reach; we provide expert Wedding, Special Event and Executive Travel services throughout the Tri-State area and the world. We have over 30 years of experience in the travel industry; our attention to detail, 2014 top-of-the-line vehicles and professional trained Chauffeurs set us apart from the rest!

0

Perseverance

Posted On: September 11, 2014

Perseverance


 

 

Perseverance is defined as “steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving.”  Perseverance is more then just sticking with something and it is more then just trying hard or doing your best, perseverance is succeeding against odds, it is triumph.   Perseverance is a rare characteristic but if you possess it you will succeed.

 

The old saying “If at first you don’t succeed try, try again” is a great one.  We must remember to not give up and never quit especially when it comes to something we are passionate about.  Quitters never win is also true.  What this is all about is the quest for success, the road is not an easy one, if it was, everyone would be successful, it takes many things and chief amongst them is the ability to persevere. 

 

Now another saying that comes to mind is the definition of insanity, which is to do the same thing over and over again but to expect different results.  It is important to distinguish between the two, perseverance is not continuing to bang your head against a brick wall and expect to knock it down.  Perseverance is the ability to continue to try, to constantly change and refine your method in an effort to achieve an end result.

 

Never give up, never stop trying if you love or believe in something.  Perseverance is a rare quality but it is one often possessed by the most successful.  Nothing in this life is easy we must always struggle, especially for the good things.

 

All Star Limousine is a Long Island, New York based company with an extensive global reach; we provide expert Wedding, Special Event and Executive Travel services throughout the Tri-State area and the world. We have over 30 years of experience in the travel industry; our attention to detail, 2014 top-of-the-line vehicles and professional trained Chauffeurs set us apart from the rest! 

0

The iPhone 6 And The Apple Watch

Posted On: September 10, 2014

The iPhone 6 and The Apple Watch


 

 

Apple has just announced the much-anticipated release of the new iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus.  It seems like not even a year ago the 5 and 5s debuted and one may wonder what could have possibly improved between now and then, well let me tell you, quite a bit.  We are advancing so fast, new technology and breakthroughs with software come out almost daily.  Not only did Apple release two new phones but they also unveiled their plans for a device that could be literally life altering, The Apple Watch.

 

So what does the new iPhone do better then the old one?  Its bigger, offering over an extra inch of display while somehow being thinner, in fact Apple touts it as the thinnest phone it has ever built.  A better, faster processor, an A8 64-bit as opposed to an A7.  More battery time over all for both devices, this includes a 100-hour plus increase in standby time.  Several improvements on the already incredible camera on the iPhone including optical stabilization which mitigates any blurring that may occur from the subtle shaking of the hand experienced when taking a picture, and a “Burst Selfie” feature that lets you nail that perfect selfie with the front facing camera.  Plus the rear camera will now be able to shoot 240 fps for ultra slow motion video.  A major announcement for Apple is that they are finally adopting built in NFC (near-field communication) for mobile payments, called Apple Pay, this has been long awaited by Apple fans.

 

Then we have The Apple Watch.  An all-new device that is multi functional and usable with an iPhone, The Apple watch is impressive as well as stylish.  It is everything from a health monitor, to a hotel room key, to a credit card; this instrument was designed by Apple to literally replace the wallet.  Also boasting Apple Pay you can scan in a credit card and use your watch to pay for transactions in the market place.  Of course it has apps, of course it has GPS and can receive and send text messages and of course it is fully customizable. 

 

Ultimately Apple has truly outdone themselves yet again.  Both the new iPhones are leaps and bounds better then their predecessors with a plethora of new and improved features.  The Apple Watch is a game changer; simply amazing this device has the ability to replace something that we have used fro centuries.  Apple is, as usual, leading the charge into the 21st century.

 

All Star Limousine is a Long Island, New York based company with an extensive global reach; we provide expert Wedding, Special Event and Executive Travel services throughout the Tri-State area and the world. We have over 30 years of experience in the travel industry; our attention to detail, 2014 top-of-the-line vehicles and professional trained Chauffeurs set us apart from the rest!

0

The Road Too Excellence

Posted On: September 09, 2014

The Road Too Excellence


 

 

Very few of us strive to be the best, the reality is that most of us push for mere mediocrity.  You may be thinking, after reading this, that you certainly aren’t one of those but think about it for a moment, are you?  What are your goals or aspirations?  Do you want to make six figures or do you want to be a millionaire?   Many of us are stuck in the pack wearing the same blue suits driving the same boring sedans never daring to take the lead and run out ahead of the group.   The road to excellence requires risk and daring, it requires life outside the comfort zone and it requires taking a chance.

 

Most of us are taught from a young age to follow your dreams, or we are told that you can be anything.  This is all done with the best of interest in mind but it is slightly misleading because as we grow older the reality of life begins to become more apparent.  Most people born into a certain socio-economic class stay there and so those that are born into wealthy families appear to have a much better chance at success.  This is also not the entire truth, in reality the world operates somewhere in the middle, we do have a lot of control over our destinies but it takes a lot to succeed and it takes more for some of us then it does for others. 

 

What we are told as children is true, you can be anything that you want to be, you just need to want it bad enough.   Nothing in life is easy, if success was simple to attain everyone would have it and it wouldn’t be anything special (there would probably be a new standard for success).   You need to be out ahead of the pack in a lime green suit riding a horse to work (an awesome image), not literally but you need to differentiate yourself from the norm, you need to not only step outside your comfort zone but to live outside of it.

 

The road to excellence is a long and hard one.  We grow up with mixed signals and hazy goals but once you latch on to something don’t let it go.  Live your dream, work hard and take chances.  Anything in life is possible you just need to dare to dream.

 

All Star Limousine is a Long Island, New York based company with an extensive global reach; we provide expert Wedding, Special Event and Executive Travel services throughout the Tri-State area and the world. We have over 30 years of experience in the travel industry; our attention to detail, 2014 top-of-the-line vehicles and professional trained Chauffeurs set us apart from the rest!

0