You asked for it and we listened. In this column, we ask operators of all sizes and from all walks of the industry a question about their business and report their answers so you can assess how your own company compares to your peers. If you would like to participate, please email Rob Smentek at
TOPIC: While operators never like to say “no,” name a situation or request where you had to decline service. How did you handle with the client?
Honestly, we do everything we can to avoid saying “no.” In nearly 18 years of business, we’ve found that most challenges have a solution if you’re willing to be flexible and think creatively. Have we priced ourselves out of trips? Absolutely, but that was our choice because we either couldn’t provide the level of service we expect or the trip simply didn’t make business sense.
As for outright saying no, those situations are pretty rare and usually involve safety, integrity, or our core values.
One example was a client who wanted us to transport seven passengers in an SUV that legally seats six. He insisted it was only a short ride and no one would know. We politely explained that safety regulations are not optional and offered a second vehicle, but when he refused, we declined the trip.
Another involved a prospective client who wanted to bypass our reservation and payment procedures and simply pay the chauffeur directly. We understood his concerns, but our policies exist for a reason. We explained that we’d be happy to earn his business, but we weren’t willing to cut corners. In the end, we respectfully passed on the trip.
At the end of the day, I’d rather lose a trip than compromise the standards and reputation we’ve spent years building.
Kirk Bagger, Corporate Travel Manager & Founder
Captains Car Service in Cleveland, Ohio
I had a manager very early in my career tell me, “Leave the client wishing they could use our service, even if they can’t.” The original intent of this sentiment was about retail price shopping, but I’ve applied it across the board, especially when having to say “no.” My goal is always to provide an alternative—another time slot, a different vehicle than requested, or a direct referral or information on finding another quality provider. There is a huge chance my alternative won’t work for them, but they see us making an effort and will remember us being friendly and helpful. This leaves the door open for future business.
Erica Bugbee, Operations Manager
ExecuStar World Class Transportation in Highlands Ranch, Colorado
The most often requested service that we have to decline is smoking in vehicles. In Ireland there is a “workplace smoking ban,” which means that we can be prosecuted for allowing smoking in the chauffeur’s workplace (i.e., the vehicle). A client’s request never takes precedence over the health of our chauffeurs or the law.
Myles Flood, Founder & CEO
LFL Worldwide Chauffeur Services in Dublin, Ireland
One situation where we have declined service is client requests for a “smoking vehicle” for cigarettes, cigars, vaping, or marijuana. We never like to turn business away, but that is not something we allow or condone during the trip. It creates an uncomfortable environment for the chauffeur, affects the condition of the vehicle, and is unfair to the next client who expects a clean, professional experience.
We have also declined service when a request would create a safety or compliance issue, such as trying to exceed the legal passenger capacity of a vehicle, asking a chauffeur to make an unsafe pickup or drop-off, or requesting that we bend rules around payment, booking details, or proper conduct.
Another situation is when a client has previously been rude, abusive, or disrespectful to our office staff or chauffeurs, or has caused damage, excessive cleanup, or other problems in the past. We value every client, but we also have a responsibility to protect our team and maintain a professional environment.
In those cases, we explain our position clearly and respectfully. Whenever possible, we offer a reasonable alternative, such as a larger vehicle, multiple vehicles, or another solution altogether. But we will not compromise safety, professionalism, vehicle standards, or respect for our employees.
Paul Hartnett, President
Axis Coach Transportation in Manchester, N.H.
We have declined service when a request could compromise safety, capacity limits, or the quality of the client experience. As operators, we always want to accommodate people, but there are times when saying yes would put the client, the chauffeur, the vehicle, or the company in a bad position.
In those cases, I believe the best approach is to be honest, respectful, and solution focused. I explain why we cannot safely or professionally fulfill the exact request, then I offer a better option whenever possible. In my experience, clients usually respect the answer when they understand that the decision is being made to protect them and give them the level of service they deserve.
Moses Koktsidis, Owner
Second Nature Limousines in Wheeler, Ind.
Our decision to decline service is always rooted in the safety and well-being of our chauffeurs and staff.
A common example involves major events, such as FIFA World Cup matches. While we strive to accommodate our clients, we decline point-to-point work and insist on 8- to 10-hour minimums to ensure realistic service expectations during high-demand periods.
Additionally, we have maintained a strict policy for the past eight years of declining service for certain touring acts who frequently make unreasonable or illegal requests, such as illegal drug use in our vehicles. We prioritize a professional, safe environment and have chosen to forgo that segment of clientele to protect our team and equipment.
Finally, for charter operations like weddings or nights out, we generally enforce a midnight curfew unless we have a pre-existing relationship with the event planner. In our experience, strict operational boundaries help us maintain the high quality of service and safety our employees deserve.
Jess Sandhu, Director of Operations
A&A Limousine & Bus Service in Kenmore, Wash.
We had a situation involving an affiliate and a well-known performer with a smoking problem. We have handled him before, and he is a nice guy. As such, we received several phone calls from an affiliate, essentially begging for service and offering to pay us top rates—plus cleaning fees (for fumigation).
I reached out to the affiliate and said, “Let’s assume everything goes perfectly and we do everything that you ask. We allow the client to smoke in our non-smoking vehicles, we complete the job, and we bill you for the services and the cleaning fees. What happens if that client or entourage come back and complain that something wasn’t to their satisfaction? What if they are upset and refuse to pay you? Now your company turns around and refuses to pay our service and cleaning fees and everything that was agreed to. Not only has the customer not paid the bill, but they have ruined our relationship in the process. I am not willing to risk our relationship over a performer that comes to town once every 10 years.”
The representative at the affiliate company said that they saw my point and thanked me for my time.
Sometimes, it is safer and better for your sanity to not take the job.
Quentin Shackelford, Owner
AllClassLimo.com in Wichita, Kansas
While we always try to find a solution for our clients, we have declined service when a request was clearly discriminatory. For example, we have received requests not to assign chauffeurs from certain ethnic backgrounds. In those situations, our answer is clear: We do not exclude anyone based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.
We handled this by explaining it respectfully, but very firmly. Our chauffeurs are selected based on professionalism, discretion, experience, language skills, and service level, not on personal characteristics that have nothing to do with the quality of the service.
In our company, one of our golden rules is also that religion and politics are not discussed in the vehicle. We want every guest to feel comfortable and respected. When clients have asked about a chauffeur’s sexual orientation, I explain that we do not ask our chauffeurs about this because it is not relevant to their work. Since we do not ask, we do not know, and we cannot select based on that information.
Most clients understand once this is explained clearly. If they do not, we would rather decline the job than compromise our values.
Ralph van Delden, President
Van Delden Limousine & Travel Services in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
We’ve loved hearing your answers to our benchmarking questions—but we always welcome suggestions for future topics, too!
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