|
|
PEAK SEASON TOURING
- Every year, without fail, 20-50 clients email and call me
frantically trying to find a coach (or coaches) for their
upcoming tour that takes place during "peak season"... "Peak
season" usually runs from April through October with the
heaviest months being June, July and August...
During peak season, there are ALWAYS more tours
that there are coaches... ALWAYS! The
important thing to remember is to secure a coach EARLY...
Although, just securing a coach is NOT enough... You
MUST establish a good and trusting relationship with the coach
company... Many times, I have client call me and state
that they "had" a coach contracted with another company, but now
they have nothing...
What happened is very clear cut... their tour was bumped for a
longer, or more lucrative tour...
You MUST establish a good and trusting relationship with a coach
company to help ensure that you will be taken care of during
peak season...
Another situation that happens during peak season is that a
client will "assume" that because they have a coach company
"holding" a coach for them that the coach is secure... WRONG!
Don't assume anything... BUILD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH
A COACH COMPANY!
What do you want to look for in a coach company?
1. Find a coach company that you can ALWAYS get in touch
with... 24/7... Be able to reach the owner... be able to
reach the guy who handles all the leasing (that would be me, Don
Neuen... office - 404-364-0177... cell - 678-859-2558)...
2. Find a coach company that OWNS their coaches... Brokers are
good people, and I know a lot of nice guys that broker
coaches... But would you rather deal with the guy who runs the
band or a guy who promotes concerts?
3. Owner / Operator Coaches can be a "good deal", but what if
you have problems? Do they have a sizeable fleet to back up
coaches that have problems? Do they have the resources to deal
with major problems during peak season? Are they able to "take
care of business" while performing the duties of driving and
running their coach company?
4. Make sure the coach company you go with has adequate
insurance... Make sure their coaches are registered as
"commercial vehicles"... if not, they may not have adequate
coverage...
5. Ask to be listed and receive a "certificate of additionally
insured"... this is a free service...
6. Check references, or at least visit their website for a list
of references... Flashy, high tech websites can easily be
created... a company that represents themselves properly will
show you in their website what they are all about... Vague,
generic websites are often that way for a reason...
So in recap... to handle peak season properly, make sure that
you build a good relationship with a coach company...
act quickly and don't assume anything... make sure you have a
"real itinerary" for the company to work with when preparing
your proposal... incomplete or missing itineraries are often
times not taken seriously...
|