A lttle bit more on the Duchess

It is always nice to receive compliments from our clients. This one is especially nice considering the passenger was the Duchess of York:

From: Michelle (deleted email address)
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2008 10:40 AM
To: pa@luxxlimo.com; shad@luxxlimo.com

Subject: Thank you: Kaiser Permanente

Hi Pa and Shad,

The event went great! Thanks to you both and the driver Rick for taking care of our transportation needs. I greatly appreciate your flexibility in adding a Sedan on Saturday and basically keeping the driver available to the Duchess through her departure. We did not know of her departure plans until Saturday, so thank you for the flexibility.

Thank you both for your accuracy and professionalism.

Thanks!

Michelle
Kaiser Permanente Event Marketing

The Duchess of York graced our cars yesterday

We had the distinct honor of being chosen to provide transportation services to Sarah Ferguson and her assistants yesterday. Sarah was in town to serve as the Keynote Speaker at a Kaiser Roseville Event for women.

Although I didn't get to meet the Duchess in person (and we never ask any of our celebrity passengers for pictures or anything else for that matter), I understand that she was kind enough to give our chauffeur flowers to take home to his wife as well as writing a personal message to family in a book she gave him.

Make sure you ask the right quesitions before renting a limo

Before I got into the business of owning a limousine company, I was a limousine consumer. As a consumer, one of the policies that I detested were the constant "add-ons" to the base rates. I would book a limo, and think I was paying $75 an hour, but when the limo showed up, I was ask to sign a contract for $90 or more an hour. Since sending the limo away would have meant a last minute change in our transportation plans (not to mention the cancellation fee that most companies charge), I had little choice. I guess you could say that I learned the hard way to ask the right questions.

If this has ever happened to you, or if you want to prevent it from happening, please check out our Frequently Ask Questions page. Here you will find a guide to exactly what questions to ask before you book your next limousine.

I'm a Believer!

After seeing Neil Diamond tonight...

I'm a believer that he is one of the great songwriters of our time and still an outstanding performer.

I'm a believer that earplugs really help with the Arco Arena acoustics.

And most of all, I'm still a believer that riding in a limo makes any trip that much more fun!

New Kids are coming to Sacramento

The New Kids on the Block arrive back in Sacramento on October 9th. Their concert is sure to sell out and as will our limos - so we suggest you act quickly. To wet your appetites a little (and to wet Brandy, Sherie and Jean's appetites a lot), here are The Boys riding around in NYC in what appears to be Krystal Hummer much like the one you could be riding on your way to their concert.

Racing with the Kings

Ozzie, our General Manager, my friend Jean and yours truly were guests of our Kings Season Ticket Rep Michael tonight at RPM Indoor Kart Racing. While Jean and I will surely be invited back, I am not so sure about Ozzie as he nearly wiped out one of the Royal Court Dancers (luckily no points were deducted from his drivers license so our insurance rates won't go up - JK!). Ozzie went on to easily win his race, and immediately wanted to challenge Brad & Spencer who were just walking in the door. Luckily, Joe Nolan, Head of Security for the Kings had witnessed Ozzie's prior race, and refused to let either of the Kings Centers go anywhere near a Kart will Ozzie was in the building (JK again except for Ozzie did win his race).

BTW, if you have not been to RPM, it is a great place for a party or corporate team building event. Heck, I might even get into a Kart next time!

Hockey Season is just around the corner!

Hockey preseason has already started and the regular season is just around the corner. Getting to San Jose to see the Sharks can be a real pain - unless of course you are in a Luxury Limousine. If you are unsure whether you like Hockey or not, then I suggest you check out the Stockton Thunder. That's right! Stockton has a Minor League Hockey Team, and I can tell you first hand that their Arena is great place to see a game.

The picture with this post is from our limo trip last year to see the ECHL All Star Game which was held in Stockton. As you can see, we had a great time getting there and just looking at this picture reminded me of how I can't wait to go back again.

Thank you Shareef!

I just got an email from the Kings that Shareef Abdur-Rahim announced his retirement today. I only had the pleasure of meeting him once, at Peja's Charity Bowling Event (that's my friend Amber between them). Even though his mouth was wired shut from an on court injury, 'Reef" still not only made an appearance at the event, but also bowled, and even tried to carry on a limited conversation.

Although Kings fans never got to see the basketball skills that made him an All Star earlier in his career, we did get to see what a true gentleman he was. We wish him the best of luck as he enters his post basketball life.

"The Big Crush"

The Amador Vintner's Association holds its annual "Big Crush" October 4th and 5th. Going in a limo assures that you can fully enjoy the experience, without having to worry about driving. This is a very popular event, and our schedule is already filling up fast, so call today to reserve your limo for this fun event.

Sarah Ferguson speaks at Kaiser Roseville a week from today

The Duchess of York will be the Keynote speaker at next Saturday's Body in Balance Women's Health Conference at Kaiser's Roseville facility. This is a free event and open to all women, whether they are members of Kaiser or not. For more information on this outstanding event, please click here. And to read the Sacramento Bees" interview with the Duchess, click here.

Luxx Limo Partners with KHTK - 6 Lucky Listeners Will Be Going to See Bret On Us!

That's right - one lucky listener and five of his or her friends will be heading down to Oakland in style in one of our limos to see the Raiders take on Bret Farve and New York Jets on October 19th. Listen to Sports 1140 from September 29th through October 15th to learn how to enter this exciting contest.

Shad the Bureaucracy Fighter Comes Through Again!

When I started Luxx Limo, I had no idea just how many Governmental Agencies I would have to deal with. Besides the Tax Agencies (IRS, FTB & EDD) that I contend with in my other job, I now have to deal with the PUC, CHP, DMV and DOT. In addition the local airports (SMF, SFO and OAK) each have there own separate rules and regulations. Thank goodness I now have help dealing with these other agencies and their seemingly endless string of arcane rules and regulations.

To give you an idea of what I am referring to, we have been waiting for our personalized livery plates for our Hybrid Tahoe since May. While we are able to legally operate the vehicle within virtually all of California (including our local airport), we could not operate it at SFO, because it had not passed their separately mandated inspection.

This was because SFO would not allow the inspection to happen until we had our personalized livery plates. This is where Shad comes to the rescue. After three trips averaging two hours apiece to the DMV, countless phone calls and lots of sweet talk, today he was finally able to obtain the necessary documentation so that we can now take the vehicle to SFO for its inspection. Only then will we be able to legally pick up or drop off passengers.

Since there are annual fees involved in every step of the process, one would like to think that the governmental agencies would make it easy to obtain these necessary licenses. But not here in California - no wonder we have a budget crisis!

Getting Married? Then check out this great blog

Our friends and business associates at Dynamite Weddings have an outstanding blog, The Dynamite Daily. The blog, which is written by recent brides or those who about to become brides, features daily tips on the latest trends in weddings. This blog is not to be missed by anyone involved in planning a wedding or serving the wedding industry.

To show just how much we think of The Daily Dynamite, we are making it the first official blog that we are following. To check it out for yourselves, simply follow the link on the right side of this page.

Congrats to Tiffany Coachworks!

Our congratulations go out to Tiffany Coachworks - our favorite supplier of limousines on breaking ground on their new manufacturing facility. Set to open this coming January, this 128,000 square foot plant will be located in Riverside.

Currently we own three Tiffany vehicles, two of which are eight passenger limos, and the third is our 2008 party bus that we picked up in March (pictures of the bus are to the right).

Traveling? Then "Go Green" with our World Wide Referral Network

One of the many benefits of being a member of Green Ride Global is that we have the opportunity to network with like minded limousine operators not only around the country, but also around the world. All of these companies are hand selected, and meet the same high standards of customer service and commitment to reducing their carbon footprint as we do here at Luxx Limo.

So the next time your travel takes you away from Sacramento, please consider using one of the fine providers of ground transportation services. Feel free to book yourself, or simply let our staff handle everything for you. For a complete list of areas served, click here:

George should have used a Luxx Limo

Skip ahead to about the three minute mark in this video and you will see that even a Presidential Limo can have a bad day!

"Tipsy Service"

Once again this weekend, Luxx Limo will be providing complimentary rides home for those who might have had a little to much of their favorite adult beverage. This time the service will be provided to guests at an El Dorado Hills party that is benefiting our favorite charity, the Make a Wish Foundation. We will also be providing the same service in Folsom to attendees of an event benefiting the Sacramento County Sheriff's SWAT Team.

If you have a charity that is holding an event where alcohol is being served and would like this service provided to you, please email me at bill@luxxlimo.com. If we have a vehicle available, we will try to accommodate your needs.

Last Chance to See the Cats?

I had a great time last night at the River Cats game. Their power surge continued as they pounded out 13 hits including two home runs to take a 1-0 lead in the Pacific Coast League Championship Series. I especially enjoyed watching our Closer's 99 mile per hour fast ball and unique motion that includes a certain "adjustment" before every pitch.

Judging from last night's attendance, I would say good seats are still available for tonight's game, and if you would like to do it in style (and safety), we still have cars that can take you and your friends and family to and from the game. If stadium food is not for you, I suggest starting a little early and hitting either Morton's or Center Court for a quick meal before the game.

Gone Fishin'

So what does the management staff at Luxx Limo do on their day off? They head out for some deep sea fishing for Halibut.

That's Shad, my Operations Manger on the left, and Ozzie, my General Manger on the right. There were 10 people on the Charter, and Shad wound up not only catching the most fish, but also the largest. As you can see, Ozzie wasn't to far behind - unfortunately, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, so Ozzie wound up losing his wager on who would catch the most. I am sure he will be demanding a rematch soon.

American Cancer Society Golf Tournament

Luxx Limo is branching out to once again help the American Cancer Society. After helping raise over $5,000 in a charity poker tournament two weeks (see the older post below), we are going to be providing Valet and Car Wash services for participants in their upcoming Golf Tournament being held at the Winchester Country Club on September 16th.

For more information about how you can help this event or how you can help this wonderful organization, contact Vita Sarginson, who is the Corporate Relations Manger at (916) 446-7933.

Goin' to the Clubs?

If so, click on the link to our MySpace page on the right hand side of this page. There you will find links to the hottest clubs in Sacramento. Best of all, when you arrive in a Luxx Limo, not only do you arrive in style, but with our relationships, our passengers usually get front of the line access and with no cover charge.

Orbitz comes calling!

I am pleased to announce that Luxx Limo has just been accepted as the Sacramento Affiliate of Baron Travel, Ltd. Baron, which is headquartered in New York City, is the sole supplier of chauffeured transportation services to Orbitz, one of the world's leading Internet travel sites.

Considering the size of our fleet, this is quite an honor to be chosen over some of our larger competitors. We look forward to providing Orbitz and its customers the same great service that our customers have come to expect.

Wacky Limos

Follow this link to see some of the wachiest limos ever built. One of my personal favorites is the 66 Mustang (5th from the top). Let me know your favorites.

Website for locating best gas prices and alternative fuels

The latest edition of the National Limousine Associations e-News contained an article about a great new website. At this site you will find links that will help you locate the lowest gas prices in the area (currently 3.65 a gallon at the Costco on Auburn Blvd.), links to alternative fuel dealers and side by side comparisons of various flex-fuel vehicles.

The site also contains explanations as to how alternative fuel sources actually work as well as some does and dont's (here is my favorite don't - "You should never fuel your vehicle with clean or used grease or vegetable oil that has not been converted to biodiesel. It will damage your engine." Dah!).

Thank you Sacramento!

All of us at Luxury Limousines would like to thank our loyal customers for helping to make August 2008 our second busiest month ever! This is especially good news as August is traditionally a somewhat slower month for the limousine industry.

I also want to thank my wonderful management team,as well as the admin staff, and especially the chauffeurs who continue to deliver the outstanding customer service that makes us stand apart from our competitors.