Question: Does your company provide a toll-free number? Answer: Yes. It is 1-800-243-RIDE.
Question: Does your company provide a 24-hour reservation service? Answer: Yes. Valera Global is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Question: What credit cards do you accept? Answer: MasterCard, VISA, American Express, Diners Club and Discover.
Question: Do you offer nationwide and international service? Answer: Valera Global offers services nationwide and worldwide through a network of affiliate partners. These partners have been stringently screened to ensure that they have the same high professional standards as our primary location in New York City. Members of Valera Global’s team personally perform spot checks to ensure consistent quality and compliance with regulations.
Question: How often are your vehicles replaced? Answer: Vehicles are replaced every 2.5 to 3 years.
Question: What is the average age of your vehicles? Answer: The average age of Valera Global’s vehicles is 1.5 years.
Question: What amenities are provided in the vehicle? Answer: Specific materials, amenities and equipment must be carried in all vehicles. These items include but are not limited to a safety kit and camera, an accident kit, magazines, a golf umbrella, mints, water, maps, GPS, and a mobile phone.
Question: Describe your inspection procedures. Answer: Vehicles are fully inspected four times each year and have frequent, unannounced spot inspections for quality control.
Question: Do you perform thorough security, background and license checks on chauffeurs prior to their employment? Answer: Valera Global ensures the professionalism of each and every potential chauffeur by rigorously screening and training all employees. Criminal background checks and drug screenings are conducted on an annual basis. Chauffeur licenses are monitored by an independent agency.
Question: Please describe your safety program and the use of the DriveCam. Answer: Valera Global’s full-time certified National Safety Director screens each potential chauffeur and conducts tests prior to formal training. Valera also holds continuous screening and training of all personnel and consequently possesses one of the lowest accident ratios in the industry. All vehicles are also equipped with DriveCam, a video system that monitors the chauffeur’s driving habits. Chauffeurs are required to download DriveCam data on a weekly basis, and incidents such as hard braking, rapid acceleration, and sharp cornering are brought to the company’s attention.
Question: What are your insurance limits? Answer: Valera Global’s insurance program has a $1 million combined single liability limit. All chauffeurs and vehicles are in compliance with the prevailing municipal regulations and state laws pertaining to the public/passenger transportation industry in the jurisdiction in which they operate.
Question: Please describe the training process for your chauffeurs. Answer: Valera Global’s two-week training program is the most extensive in the nation. All potential candidates are paired with a mentor and study coursework on geography, map reading, radio communications, voucher processing and customer service. Professional defensive driving instructors are brought in to conduct one-on-one sessions. Each chauffeur must also pass a series of written and driving tests to ensure that they meet the Valera Global standard. Prospective chauffeurs are reviewed by several instructors during the course of the training program. Only those who complete it successfully are allowed to become Valera Global chauffeurs.
In addition, Valera Global conducts mandated ongoing training programs throughout the year for all of the company’s chauffeurs and employees. These seminars address topics such as job-related stress, safety and customer relations training. If a chauffeur is found to be deficient in a particular area, he or she is scheduled to attend additional individualized training where needed.
Question: Do you have a chauffeur mentoring program? Answer: Yes.
Question: Are there any unannounced tests of chauffeur’s ability? Answer: Yes. Vehicle inspections are performed on a regular basis. Chauffeurs are tested through spot checks and ghost rider evaluations. Ghost riders are individuals who utilize the service at Valera Global’s expense and report on staff and chauffeur perfor
Question: Does your company gather feedback from customers? Answer: Valera Global speaks to clients on a regular basis and listens to their observations, input and suggestions. If there is a problem, it is handled promptly and personally.
Question: What are your fleet control and dispatch capabilities? How do you dispatch information to cars? Answer: Valera Global utilizes the Odyssey reservations system created by GT3. All chauffeurs are equipped with a Blackberry, two-way radio and mobile phone. Chauffeurs are properly trained and instructed on relevant safety issues concerning this equipment.
Question: Can I personalize my reservation? Answer: Valera Global records and maintains preferences for every individual in an organization.
Question: Do you track flight delays, changes and cancellations? Answer: Valera Global tracks all flights directly from the satellite transponder onboard each plane. Real-time delays and re-routings are directly fed into the dispatch system, alerting dispatchers and chauffeurs.
Question: What are your meet-and-greet procedures for airport pick-ups? Answer: Clients are given a specific location inside the airport terminal where the Valera Global chauffeur will be waiting for them. This information is communicated at the time of reservation and later confirmed via a message left with a back-up contact and/or on the passenger’s mobile phone. The chauffeur will contact the passenger by phone when he arrives to give the client the exact location of the vehicle.
Question: What are your procedures in the event of a vehicle breakdown or accident? Answer: Valera Global always puts clients’ safety first. In the case of an accident or breakdown, Valera Global’s dispatchers are in constant communication with the chauffeur, and another vehicle is immediately dispatched to the area. After the incident, Valera Global’s full-time certified National Safety Director works directly with the client to record their feedback. In addition, the DriveCam recording is closely reviewed, and proactive measures are taken to ensure clients’ future safety.
Question: Can you provide quarterly report summaries? Answer: Yes. Valera Global provides quarterly reports to corporate clients in Excel or ASCII format, on disk or via email.
Question: Can I customize my invoices? Are they available online? Answer: Yes and yes. Valera Global offers clients customized invoice formats that can include special billing and/or departmental codes. Clients can also access their entire account online to view invoices and download vouchers.
Question: Can I book a reservation online? Answer: Yes. Online reservations can be made in the reservations area of this website. Clients with travel desks or agents can also make reservations directly to the system through all major Global Distribution System (GDS) platforms.
Question: Do you have a Special Events department? Answer: Valera Global has a dedicated Assistant Director of Special Events who manages all aspects of group transportation. The Assistant Director of Special Events works closely with event planners from early stages through to on-site coordination and execution.