During the winter, limo drivers have to always be looking out for icy and slippery roads, but what about deer? If your company drivers don’t have the training required to steer clear of deer while driving during these dark cold months, you may want to educate them on the best practices to avoid such an issue. Hitting a deer can cause irreversible damage to a vehicle, so if you’d like to avoid any limo insurance claims in your future, here is what you should know.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that more than 1.5 million deer/vehicle collisions occur every year. In order to avoid falling into this statistic, here are some ways to avoid deer collisions this season:

1. Continually scan the road for deer. If you see one near the edge of the road, slow down immediately so you will be able to react to their behavior.
2. Use high beams when it’s safe to do so and you’re not around any other vehicles. When you’re in a wooded area, high beams will greatly increase your visibility in this situation and may help reflect deer eyes in the distance.
3. Honking your horn and flashing your headlights can help scare an animal out of the middle of the road if you see one in the distance.
4. When you do see a deer in the road, try to avoid swerving because you could find yourself turning into oncoming traffic or off the side of the road into a ditch. This situation may cause more injuries than actually hitting the deer would.
5. If you do happen to strike a deer or other animal, do not try to move it or else it could injure you. Instead , contact the authorities and stay at the scene until the proper assistance arrives.

At Wolpert Insurance & Risk Management, we want to make sure limo drivers in Massachusetts are being as safe as possible on the roads this winter. For more information, contact our livery insurance agency today.

As a customer-based business, a lot of your company’s success relies on customer satisfaction. If a customer has a great experience riding in one of your limos, they may be inclined to recommend your services to a friend. On the other hand, if they have an unpleasant experience, they’ll also tell people they know and may give your company a bad reputation. In order to maintain an excellent level of customer service, it’s necessary that your drivers know how to treat customers in a respectful and pleasant manner. Our limo insurance agency has the information you’re looking for.

All limo companies have varying approaches when it comes to customer service, but in the end it usually boils down to a few common areas. Here are some ways you can teach your drivers to be more respectable when chauffeuring customers:

• Be polite: Using simple courtesy with a client is easy and should always be done. Always address a customer formally unless they request otherwise and always open and close the car door for them. Before leaving the initial departure point, confirm the arrival address and any departure times with the client to avoid any mix-ups. It’s a good idea to carry business cards with you that include a phone number/email address where you can be reached in case your client needs you.
• Accepting tips: As a courtesy and thank you for a job well done, many of your clients will offer you a tip. It’s necessary to remember that tipping is customary to some companies, but not all. Remember that if a client does not tip you, it doesn’t mean they were dissatisfied with the service. They may just be accustomed to tipping or simply forgot. Never, under any circumstances, ask for a tip.
• Privacy: Regardless of how long a client has been using your services, a main component of limousine driver etiquette is maintaining a degree of silence concerning their actions or conversations while in the limo. Obviously, if your client does anything illegal then you should take the necessary action, however any personal details or actions of your client should always remain private. Keeping the confidence of customers will help your company down the road.

At Wolpert Insurance and Risk Management, it’s our job to help livery companies protect themselves while improving their business overall. For more information, contact our livery insurance agency today.

What is in your limo’s emergency kit this winter? Having an emergency kit stored in the trunk is a necessary item because you never know what can happen on the dangerous winter roads of Massachusetts. Whether you’re driving solo or have passengers in the car, the risk involved with driving increases when it is dark and cold and the roads are covered in snow and ice. Our livery insurance agency has the information you’re looking for when it comes to being safe this winter, so here are some common and crucial items you need in your limo’s emergency kit:

• Jumper cables: This is a no brainer. Any vehicle—personal or commercial—should always have a set of jumper cables in the trunk. You never know when you’re battery is going to suddenly fail on you or when you accidentally leave a light on and your battery drains. During the winter, the cold weather makes vehicles more likely to need an extra jump in order to start, so having cables is a must.
• Bungee cord: If you’re ever rear ended or back into something and you cannot get your trunk to close, a bungee cord will help. It can also help with a passenger or driver side door if neither will close. Bungee cords are compact and easy to transport so you may want to have a set containing different sizes and resistance.
• Two-in-one screwdriver: Instead of carrying a regular screwdriver, a two-in-one will come with a Phillips head and a flat head. If you suddenly need to perform maintenance under the hood such as changing a headlight or tail light, you may need a screw driver.
• Duct tape: What can’t duct tape do? Duct tape can come in handy in vehicles for a variety of reasons such as when a power window will not shut all the way or you have a tear in your interior.
• Spare tire and jack: All vehicles should have a spare tire somewhere in the trunk along with a car jack. A flat or busted tire can happen at any time and changing a tire is easy if you have the right tools available.
• Shovel: In case you’re away from your limo for a lengthy amount of time and you come back to find it covered in snow, a shovel will come in handy. Shovels allow drivers to remove snow away from the tires to make it easier for limos to get out of spots.
• Blankets: When your limo breaks down in cold weather, you suddenly appreciate the value of the car’s heater much more than before. Winter blankets to keep you and your passengers warm until help or a replacement limo arrives is always a good idea.
• Cones and Reflectors: Being pulled over by the side of a roadway is extremely dangerous. Having three reflectors that you can place 100 yards, 60 yards and 30 yards behind your vehicle may just save you from something horrific.

At Wolpert Insurance & Risk Management, we take the time to make sure our clients are getting information and limo insurance coverage options they need in order to be safe and successful out there on the road. For more information, make sure you contact us today and we’ll help you with any questions you have.