Being a chauffeur can be a very rewarding career! Ideally, people who choose to pursue this career path truly enjoy driving and are sticklers for high-quality customer service delivery. Moreover, chauffeurs are required to be extremely discrete, polite, organised and above all professional. Thinking of pursuing this career? Here are some things to be taken into consideration.

Understanding the role:

The first thing to understand is, that every chauffeur is a driver but not every driver is a chauffeur. Here are the three major differences:

• Anyone can be a driver: whereas to be a chauffeur you must always deliver world-class customer service and are always held accountable for your actions
• Chauffeurs drive top rated, first-class vehicles only
• For chauffeurs customer service is a priority

What the work entails:

As already mentioned, chauffeur work requires a high-level of customer service. Chauffeurs are usually required to make themselves available 24/7 and to do their best to guarantee clients have a comfortable, worry-free trip. Duties normally include:

• Driving your client, their family, and associates to multiple locations (depending on daily needs)
• Responsibility for vehicle upkeep – this includes cleaning and ensuring the vehicle is in excellent running order, so make sure to always have cleaning supplies at hand and all insurance matters in order
• Running errands for client
• Helping passengers with luggage, stepping in or out of the vehicle and opening doors
• Knowledge of items/refreshments required by passengers and ensure vehicle is stocked accordingly

What is required:

The minimum requirement to become a chauffeur are as follows:

• Clean driving license
• Clean record for safe driving
• Minimum 3 years of driving experience

Depending on employers, as a chauffeur you might be required to have completed a safe driving course or an advanced driving course – completing such courses will improve your chances of being hired.

Other considerations:

• Look into specialised forms of insurance, specific to chauffeurs, and what add-ons may be worth the spend. Speaking to experts on insurance such as ALA, will help you deciding which policy provides the best cover.
• Try to acquire as many skills as possible to help you give a well-rounded service. Some useful skills include speaking a foreign language, security and self-defence skills, first aid qualifications and strong geographical knowledge.
• Be sure to work on other skills such as punctuality, politeness, and discretion. These are highly valued in this profession.

Getting started in this profession will require effort and perseverance, but it proves to be very satisfying work to the right individuals.