The Backup Plan 2015

MCity and the Driverless Car

Has anyone ever heard of MCity Michigan before?  Well by the year 2020 everyone will have at least heard of this completely empty, un-populated, yet minutely detailed place.  MCity is a 32-acre fabricated environment that was built with the sole purpose of testing the driverless car.  There are fire hydrants, stop signs, building facades and of course roads, and very soon there will be mechanized population of pedestrians and cyclists.

Why populate the faux city?  Well it is easier to test different situations and trouble shoot potential problems when you can replicate a particular situation over and over again.  It also would violate several health and safety codes to send a 3-ton robot 60 miles an hour at a living human being. The Mobility transformation center along with the Michigan Department of Transportation and Technology has partnered with 48 other organizations including General Motors, State Farm and Verizon (but not Google or Uber), in an effort to get this movement off the ground as quickly as possible.  As many officials have stated this is a massive undertaking with many potential pitfalls and problems that is going to require the efforts of every facet of the transportation and automotive industries.

The idea of driverless vehicles is not a new one but it is one that we are very much on the verge of seeing implemented.  Many suspect that within the next decade seeing the driverless car on the road will be a common thing.  They say that it is the obvious evolution for the transportation industry.

Not everyone is all for this idea however and it has been stated that there is an obvious “Achilles heal” for self-driving cars.   Venture capitalist Bill Gurley states it simply “Humans will be much less tolerant of a machine error causing death then human error causing death.”   Now personally I do not know how much I agree with that, especially considering that experts have speculated that deaths caused by automobiles may be reduced by as much as 30,000.

However what I do see as a potential problem is that the programing and implementation of these vehicles would have to be near perfect.  As of right now there are many what ifs that are plaguing the idea of self-driving vehicles.  How will the vehicles sensors react to several phenomenon is in question, for example what will the vehicle do in snowy weather, will snow fall disrupt the vehicles traction control?  How will the vehicle react or respond to a police officer acting as a traffic controller? 

Ultimately the dawn of self-driving vehicles is here and the sun is rising over MCity Michigan.  Exciting and interesting but not without problems and concerns, technology and robots are fast becoming a regular part of our every day life.  The self-driving vehicle seams like the obvious evolution for the worlds transportation industry.

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, 2015 top-of-the-line vehicles and professional trained Chauffeurs set us apart from the rest!

3 Things To Think About When Booking Your Wedding Shuttles

Booking the transportation for your wedding day is typically something that is left until the very end of the planning processes.  This is only natural as there are many things that need to be established prior to arranging the transportation.  All locations and times must be determined.  Once this is done it is usually a simple matter to rent a limousine or an antique vehicle and say take me from here to there.  What becomes more complicated is when shuttle service needs to be arranged for your out-of-town guests or individuals staying at the hotel. 

Your wedding day is a time sensitive affair and things need to run smoothly so that nothing is missed and no one is late. Even though transportation is usually done at the very end of the wedding planning process, it is no less important then your flowers or your photography.   This is especially true with the shuttle service. The main problem is that you contracting a service that you will not be experiencing and that those that do experience it are not always aware of what was contracted for.   For these reasons follow our advice below and feel more confident in your shuttle arrangements.

1)   Establish a point person who will be at the hotels.  This person should be aware of the schedule that was created, and what guests will be on the shuttle.  This individual will be in a position to make judgment calls if necessary and can be counted on to represent the interests of the bride and groom, as typically they will not be reachable.

2)   Set up a schedule and include this schedule in your invitations or have it announced at the hotel.  Have an arrival time and a firm departure time this way your guests know when to be in the lobby.  It is also important to note that this schedule is only a guideline; there are many things that can throw a shuttle off track such as traffic, and loading times.  Give yourself plenty of room with the timing to avoid any disappointments.

3) Do not try to anticipate each and every individual’s course of action.  Trying to figure out what each one of your guests is going to do that day will drive you crazy.  Set up a shuttle service and then leave it alone, do not try to change things last minute because Aunt Suzy suddenly isn’t feeling good or cousin Matt decided he wanted to take his own car to the wedding. What people decide to do will change up until the day of, rest assured no matter what things will work out.

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, 2015 top-of-the-line vehicles and professional trained Chauffeurs set us apart from the rest!

All Star Limousine Now

Fast, professional and easy are three words we at All Star Limousine hear constantly.  Customers want their car immediately, they want the booking process to be quick and easy they want the best car in the shortest amount of time.  Its not always easy but we make it happen.  We accomplish this thru many methods but what we want to talk about today is our online reservation and confirmation process.  Our entire network, including our booking process, has been streamlined and built specifically for customer convenience.  You can book a transfer for the very same day, anywhere in the world, without even picking up the phone.  We also send automatic receipts and confirmations as soon as the ride is entered. 

With our reserve now feature you can create a profile and book rides for that very same day, no phone call needed. We also offer fully customizable invoicing and trip confirmations, this way you can see exactly what we see the moment you enter or request a pick up.  This feature, as well as a few others, was implemented in an effort to extend peace of mind to our clients and customers. 

One of our most impressive features, and the one commented on most often, is our ability to send customer care alerts.  These are messages usually sent for one of two reasons, the first is to let a customer know that we have arrived on location and are waiting for you.  This lets the customer know that we are there for them and that they don’t have to worry about finding their car when they are exiting the terminal at the airport or just getting out of that business meeting.  The second most commonly requested care alert is by the admin, or the secretary of a CEO or VIP, this is sent to the person who does the actual booking, letting them know that we have picked up their client and that all is well, again all designed to maximize service and offer peace of mind.

This is only one small facet of our flawless service, but it is one that is very much appreciated by our customers.  Peace of mind, reliability and expeditiousness are all things valued in any industry, especially the transportation industry. We guarantee our service at All Star Limousine.

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, 2015 top-of-the-line vehicles and professional trained Chauffeurs set us apart from the rest!

Limousine Safety

10 Things To Ask Your Limousine Company

With all the excitement surrounding the most momentous of occasions sometimes clients and companies alike lose sight of some of the most important things.  For a limousine company the number one priority must always be the passenger’s safety.  Recent events serve to tragically illustrate this statement.

Here are ten things interested clients should make sure that there contracted companies are doing prior to renting a party bus or a limousine.

1)   Make sure that their vehicles are properly licensed insured and registered.

2)   Make sure that their vehicles are new and are well maintained.

3)   Ask about the hiring process for their chauffeurs, are they screened, drug tested?  If so how often?

4)   Ask about the different safety measure and fail safes the company has.

5)   Ask weather the company books the vehicle several times in a day and if the chauffeur will be rushing from one job to the next.

6)   Check on their track record and the reviews about the company online.

7)   Is the company big or small, a bigger company will generally be more reliable as they have more resources available to help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.

8)   Does the company sub-contract out its work?  If so then they are putting you in the hands of an entirely unknown operation.

9)   Does the company employ its own mechanic and or have its own facility to do the repairs.

10) How does the representative or sales person make you feel?  What does their facility look like?  If it’s dirty and if things seem shady expect the same from the service.

Please do your homework on the company you are contracting.  Limousine service is more then just a ride, we are responsible for your punctuality, we are responsible for your enjoyment, most importantly we are responsible for your safety and your well-being.

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, 2015 top-of-the-line vehicles and professional trained Chauffeurs set us apart from the rest!

3 Ways To Reach Your Target Audience On A Budget

One of the most common questions asked by small business owners is how can we get the word out about our product?  For the larger corporations and big box stores the task is far simpler, primarily this is because of the budget allotment for such a thing.  With a seemingly endless supply of cash, getting in front of people is an easy thing.  When the purse strings are a little tighter it forces you to be a bit more creative.  Below are three ways to reach your target market on a budget.

1)   Social media.  As we all know social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook are fast becoming the primary channels for marketing.  Right now these outlets are perfect for small to medium sized companies, as advertising is affordable and can be done from the comfort of your own living room.   In addition to being quick, affordable and very customizable it is intuitive and something almost anyone can learn how to do.

2)   Organic SEO.  Instead of using an expensive pay per click option like Google Ad words look to optimize your website and online content organically.  This is a lot easier then most people realize as search engines are becoming more and more advanced.  Ultimately they will get to the point where the best or most relevant content is what will be found first when a user enters a query into the search bar.  This will do away with rewarding those that have deep pockets or those that are looking to exploit loopholes.  It will force those that want to be found to have good, informative and relevant content.

3)   Finally have a great product.  If you are looking to get the word out there about a product or service, and have a very tight budget, put the money back into the service as opposed to trying to spread the word about it. When a choice has to be made, optimize the quality of what you are trying to sell.  The word will spread that what you have is good and worth seeking out.  The short-term loss will be worth it in the long run.

In the end, branding on a budget can be difficult, but it is possible for the little guys to compete with the big boys.   Social media is an ideal method for spreading the word about your company and doing it cheaply.  Organic optimization is fast becoming more relevant then the old pay per click model, make sure your website has plenty of useful and relevant content.  Ultimately the best and most cost effective way to market a product is to get people talking about it, and the best way to do that is to make it great!

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, 2015 top-of-the-line vehicles and professional trained Chauffeurs set us apart from the rest!