How technology has helped!

So, that was a stressful weekend for me to be working! I have worked some hard days in the Browns Chauffeur Hire control room but none have been as hard as the one just passed. Thank you Iceland! Here is my story...

6 months ago I started the Browns Chauffeur Hire newsletter (which you can sign up for on the right) and during this week of travel disruptions it has proved to be a massive success. Many of our clients that get this newsletter were kept updated with what was going on Re: Ash Cloud and where we had cars available. Our Twitter page (link also on the right) has proven to be a huge success this week too, it got us a huge amount of exposure worldwide, which is something that we have found hard to do in recent years.

This weekend just passed started quite calm for me. I came into work with just one driver going abroad, Milan to be exact. I was chuffed with this job, the furthest we have ever been. Was I in for a massive shock in the hours to come. Twitter was my first port of call, I logged on within minutes of being at work and found Duncan Bannatyne asking for help in getting home. We had already driven Mr. Bannatyne over here in the UK but this was a job that would take up many hours of my Saturday morning planning.

Mr. Bannatyne and family were 851 miles away from London and needed to get home. Through Twitter I started a conversation with him that evolved into many phone conversations with him and our affiliates in Paris. We came to the conclusion that our affiliate in Paris would do the first part of the transportation, from South of France to Calais and we would complete the final stage with our own driver. I was chuffed, I managed to organise this logistical nightmare all by 10am but this was just the start of what would be a weekend of Browns Chauffeur Hire in Europe.

By this time my followers on Twitter had increased dramatically because of the conversation with Duncan Bannatyne and I was being asked to advise people at regular intervals on how to get home. I was in the groove, using Twitter to get people to go to our website and then ring us for help.

At this stage, panic had set in with our Hotel clients too. I was getting bookings from London to all over Europe, Madrid being the furthest we travelled but I was asked to quote for a job going to Kuwait. Circumstances had changed from me getting a few jobs to Europe to a rescue mission, trying to get stranded people home. We did jobs to and from: Calais, Lyon, Lille, Paris, Nancy, Madrid, Milan, Barcelona and many other places. We were offering a car sharing scheme at Calais, so people could get on the ferries. My main objective now was to help the people that were stranded!

On Saturday, I started to mention news groups in my Tweets. Then at lunch time, we got a phone call from CNN, they wanted to do a live interview! Us, on live TV. "It will go out to over 500million people" said the lady on the phone. I quickly passed this onto my boss. This was just the start, as on Sunday night we did a live interview for Capital Radio. Browns Chauffeur Hire was now on the map!

So overall, this past weekend proved to me that the technology that I was using was actually benefiting the company. We gained exposure and received many jobs through Twitter and our newsletter. Long may that continue!

Today, the airports are returning back to normal and we only have two drivers left abroad. We did our best in getting the stranded home and I think that we proved that we are one of the best chauffeur hires in the world!

Well, that was my story about the weekend just passed.

I look forward to getting back to a weekly blog

Take care

George x