Uber vs Lyft vs Limousines

By Neil
October 11, 2018

There are a few new disruptive businesses in the transportation industry these days, but just because they’re new doesn’t mean they’re better. Here’s an in-depth look at Uber, Lyft, and a traditional limousine service so you can decide for yourself.

UBER & LYFT PROS

Now passengers can hail a car from the comfort of their home, an office, or somewhere else and have a car to them in minutes.
Third-party intermediary. Both Uber and Lyft remove the need for money to exchange hands and give both the passenger and driver peace of mind.
With a much quicker vetting process and an influx of new drivers, more people on the outskirts of major metropolitan areas and suburbs have greater access.

UBER & LYFT CONS

Surge pricing. Roundly criticized, “surge pricing” or “primetime” pricing is the practice of increasing the fair during high-volume periods with prices sometimes doubling or even tripling and making them effectively unaffordable.
Trip cancellations. This can lead to a schedule disruption for passengers, which can lead to missed flights, etc.
There are have some news articles that have called into question the safety of these services, like the shootings in Michigan by an Uber driver that killed six people.
While service might have expanded outside of large metro areas, if you’re in a rural area, you still might not have access to Uber or Lyft.
Questionable business tactics. Both Uber and Lyft have been in the news a lot for their disruption of the taxi industry, but have also come under fire for some aggressive hiring practices, driver lawsuits, and more.

LIMOUSINE SERVICE PROS

Experienced drivers. Limousine drivers are highly trained, experienced service industry professionals that can assure a safe, enjoyable night out.
Riding in a limousine can help set a mood and make an experience unforgettable.
Scheduled pickups. A limo can be booked beforehand to have a driver waiting for you.
Depending upon the number of passengers, a limo ride can actually be more cost-effective than Uber or Lyft.
Limousine services require their drivers to be registered and licensed. The drivers will clean their car after each passenger and can ensure a consistent experience each ride.

LIMOUSINE SERVICE CONS

If you’d prefer to get from Point A to Point B without any interest, a limo might be too conspicuous and draw too much attention. Stretch limousines with tinted windows especially draw attention from onlookers.
Plan ahead. Getting a limousine on demand can be hard, which means you’ll likely need to book ahead, but the other side of the coin is that they’re extremely reliable. If you have a limousine scheduled, you do not need to worry that your ride will be cancelled.

Let us know in the comments which option you prefer!

PCI DSS Compliance and You: What It is, Why It Matters, and How You Can Protect Your Business

By Neil
September 28, 2018

PCI DSS Compliance and You: What It is, Why It Matters, and How You Can Protect Your Business

There is nothing that affects the entire buying cycle quite like the theft or a potential breach of credit cardholder data. It leaves businesses faltering in the wake of lost customer trust and, likely, business, as well as subjecting the business in question to potential financial liabilities and losses.

This is where PCI DSS compliance comes in to protect consumers and businesses.

The potential threat of this spans every industry, including the limousine and car rental businesses that might accept payment for limo or car rental reservations online through a third-party application.

What is PCI DSS?

PCI DSS stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. The PCI Security Standards Council set the standards that merchants are required to follow to be compliant regarding data security.

The most important thing to know is that PCI DSS compliance is always changing and can be very complex depending on the type of business you have. If you’re a large brick-and-mortar retailer that keeps its clients’ credit card information on file, you’ll have more requirements to meet than a smaller e-tailer that uses a third-party payment site.

What Needs to Be Secure?

Items that fall under the umbrella of PCI DSS compliance regulations include anywhere cardholder data is captured from the point of sale through the payment system. This can include, but is not limited to: card readers, point of sale systems, store networks and wireless access routers, payment card data storage and transmission, payment card data stored in paper-based records, and online payment applications and shopping carts.

Potential Consequences of PCI DSS Non-Compliance

Losing client’s trust
Loss of sales and revenue
Fraudulent losses
Higher costs to become compliant
Legal fees, settlement payouts, and judgment costs
Fines and penalties
Restriction from ability to accept credit card payments
Terminations of responsible employees
Bankruptcy and going out of business

Small Vendors and PCI DSS Compliance

Fortunately, if you’re a relatively small vendor that does not store clients’ credit card information, then the requirements for you to be PCI DSS compliant are much easier to meet. For vendors that accept payments online through a third-party application, the process is handled by that application. For anyone in the limousine or car rental industry, an all-in-one booking and payment software that is PCI DSS compliant is The Booking Tool.

For more information about PCI DSS compliance, refer to the Quick Reference Guide and for more information about the PCI DSS complaint The Booking Tool, visit our website.

Calendar & Dispatch Screen

By Neil
March 15, 2018

One of the primary features of a limousine software is a calendar or a dispatch screen. Booking Tool is proud to release the next generation of a graphical calendar interface used for managing your day-to-day reservations and dispatching. The updated calendar screen is portable on all types of devices from a smartphone, to tablets, to both laptops and computers and just about every browser that’s currently out on the market. One of our goals when building the calendar/dispatch screen was to make it responsive to suit the vast array of devices that will be accessing it in today’s market.

Welcome to the Booking Tool Blog!

By Neil
January 3, 2018

If you are reading this blog, you are either searching for a premium, dynamic limousine or taxi cab business management platform or you are already one of our valued clients. For you, we have decided to officially launch the Booking Tool blog. Here, you will find a wealth of information that can be applied in the day to day operation of your business.

Booking Tool is a comprehensive management platform that can be seamlessly used by limousine and taxi companies. With a robust offering of features that includes payment processing, instant quotes, complete booking management, and automated e-mails, Booking Tool works for you to maximize your efforts. If you like the idea of working smarter as opposed to harder, then you’ll appreciate that Booking Tool takes a lot of the hard work out of your business so that your company can grow.

Our company’s owner, Neil, holds a degree in Computer Engineering. For nearly two decades, he’s worked in the IT web technology and security field. Booking Tool was created when a friend of Neil’s requested his help on a project. His friend needed a reservation system for his limo company, and Neil obliged. Soon thereafter, limousine companies began reaching out to him for his services. That was the birth of the Booking Tool.

Booking Tool is an all-in-one platform that fills the gaps that many limousines and taxi cab companies face. They are often left spending massive amounts of time on booking, payment processing, and communication. With Booking Tool, many of these functions are automated. Business owners get time back, and this time can be used to gain clients and make more money!

When you visit the Booking Tool blog, you can expect to find free resources for growing your company. We welcome you to read and share these resources with anyone who might find it interesting. We will offer tips and strategies for growing your business, and our team will let you in on the hidden benefits of the Booking Tool. We will announce new features and enhancements that are currently in development and available to our clients.

Security is of utmost priority, which is why we use the highest level of SSL encryption, as well as encrypting our database and securing our emails. This will ensure that information from your company and clients stays safe.

Stay tuned for more breaking news and industry information from Booking Tool!