A roadshow day looks simple on paper: a handful of meetings in different places. In practice it is trains that do not connect, taxis that do not come and a lot of time on the phone looking for a lift. Hourly hire fixes that.
A roadshow can be a round of investor meetings in the City, a series of client visits across a region or a tour of a company’s own offices. Whatever the reason, the day is only as good as the travel between the meetings. When the car is always there, the meetings can be the focus of the day.
1. The car stays with you
Book from one to twelve hours, in half-hour steps. Between meetings the car waits, rather than being released after each drop. When you come out of a meeting, it is there.
With separate taxis, every journey is a gamble: will a car be free, how long will it take to arrive and what will it cost? Outside the big cities, taxis can be hard to find at all. A car that stays with you takes the gamble away.
You can leave your bags, your laptop and your coat in the car between meetings, so you only carry what you need. For a long day, that makes a big difference. It is like having your own base on wheels.
Your driver’s name and the car’s details are on your journey page before pickup. You know who is driving you all day. And they get to know the plan.
2. As many stops as you need
Where you go inside those hours does not change what you pay. Add stops as the day changes. A meeting in the morning, lunch with a client and two visits in the afternoon are all covered.
Business days rarely go exactly to plan. A meeting runs over, a new one is added or a client asks to meet somewhere else. With a car by the hour, you can change the plan without booking a new car.
If you need to call into the office, collect a colleague or pick up a sample on the way, you can. Your driver takes you where you need to go. The day fits around you.
Plan the route before the day, with the meetings in a sensible order, so no time is wasted going back and forth. Share the plan with your driver at the start. They can suggest the best way between the stops.
3. Work between meetings
The back of the car becomes a quiet office for calls and preparation. Between meetings, you can review your notes, make calls and prepare for the next one. You arrive ready.
On a train or in a taxi queue, it is hard to work, and confidential calls are almost impossible. In the back of a car, you have privacy. It is one of the most useful things about a car by the hour.
Bring a charger and a battery pack, and download what you need in case the signal drops. Between meetings, you can catch up on emails. By the end of the day, you have done much more than the meetings.
Some people use the time to rest between meetings, especially on long days. Half an hour with your eyes closed can make a big difference. Arriving fresh is better than arriving frazzled.
4. Look after your guests
Collect clients from the station, take them to lunch and drop them back, all in the same car. It is a simple way to make visitors feel welcome. It shows you have thought about them.
If you are hosting visitors from abroad or from another part of the country, a car by the hour can take them from the airport or station to your office, to a restaurant and to their hotel. They do not have to find their own way around an unfamiliar city. You are with them throughout.
For a site visit, a tour of several locations or a day of meetings with a client, a car by the hour keeps everyone together. Nobody gets lost or left behind. The conversation carries on between the stops.
Choose a car that suits the group, whether it is an executive saloon for one or two, or a people carrier for a team. Only the cars that fit your party and your luggage are offered. Everyone travels in comfort.
5. A price agreed first
You see the total for the hours you book before you confirm anything. There is no meter running and no surprise at the end of the day. You know the cost from the start.
For a day of meetings, the cost of a car by the hour is often less than it sounds, especially compared with several taxis, a hire car and parking. And the time you save is worth a great deal. For a team travelling together, it is even better value.
The price does not change if the traffic is heavy or the route is longer than expected. It is the price for the hours you booked. That makes it easy to budget and easy to explain.
For regular roadshows, putting the bookings on a business account keeps them off personal cards and records each one against the right cost centre. There are no expense claims to chase. It all goes on the account.
For regular roadshows, put it on a business account.
Ride with ZeroLanes. A car booked ahead, at a price fixed before you confirm, with the driver and the car on your journey page before pickup. Book a car by the hour.