Our Chauffeur of the Month for February is Murtaza in Munich, Germany. We spoke to him about the tricks of the trade he uses to keep guests coming back for more.
“I started with a taxi company in 2014, and in our time as a taxi company we realized many of our customers were asking for black cars — more than black cars, for chauffeurs — and I think that was a good idea for me to extend my business with limousines, and professional drivers,” said Murtaza, who started working with Blacklane in 2017.
Having worked in both industries, Murtaza sees big differences in the level of service required.
“Our guests are expecting more from us… With booking in advance (as taxis are a on-demand service) we have plenty of time to prepare for every ride, and I think that’s the reason why the quality is very good. You have time to prepare for all the rides, to respect the special requests of our passengers… We have time to clean the cars every day, even after every ride, and it’s a very big difference.”
Using that preparation time wisely and keeping the vehicles clean are just two ingredients in Murtaza’s recipe for success. The other pieces he brings together to deliver top-shelf service include adhering to a professional dress code, greeting every guest by their name, and doing everything with a smile.
“Also a big important thing is the knowledge about the city, because during the ride many of our customers ask ‘What is this on the right?’, ‘What is on the left?’, ‘Could you tell me a little about Munich during the ride?’,” said Murtaza. If you’re wondering how Murtaza answers those questions, check out our post on the Blacklane blog where he gives his insider tips to getting the most out of your visit Munich.
“The most fun thing in this job is the diversity, we have a lot of change in this job,” Murtaza said. “Every day we see something new, we learn about new traditions and cultures, and we have many different people to carry from A to B… I think you have to love this job to do a good job.”
The passion that Murtaza has for his work shows in the numerous ways he has gone above and beyond for his guests. Among several stories he shared about going the extra mile for guests, Murtaza told us about an occasion he went to no less than three lost-and-found offices at Munich Airport to find a guest’s lost luggage, and another where he waited for a guest’s colleague arriving on a later flight so that they wouldn’t have to book a second ride.
“She told me, from now on I am motivated to do all my rides with Blacklane worldwide, that she’s responsible for the services of her employees, and that was for her a confirmation that Blacklane was the right selection to get the best service and to avoid extra costs.”
Here’s just a small sample of some of the great feedback that guests have had for Murtaza:
- “Truly a five-star transfer with attention to detail, thank you!” – Andris S.
- “Perfection. A truly kind and good driver who thought of everything. Immer gerne wieder!!!!” – David N.
“We are thinking every every day about new ways to satisfy our passengers, to make them happy,” Murtaza continued. “A good thing with Blacklane is that Blacklane helped us to grow our business. We started with one new car and one old car, and at the moment we now have three new cars to serve all the categories… We are now bigger, together with Blacklane. Otherwise it wouldn’t be possible in my point of view.”
As for his advice for other chauffeurs, Murtaza highlighted the teamwork that is required to keep guests coming back for more.
“If we work hand-in-hand and try our best for our passengers, that affects the overall business for us, and is helping all of us.”
