There’s more to being a top chauffeur than driving smoothly and arriving on time, as Lexus LM driver Rob Mitchelmore knows from his 17-year career driving royalty, celebrities and diplomats.
Mitchelmore started his career as an officer with the Metropolitan Police in 1992. He was posted to Heathrow where he regularly had to look after VIPs passing through the airport. He spotted a gap in the market for highly trained drivers and chauffeurs, which inspired him to launch his own company – Eminence Chauffeuring. His drivers almost all have a police background and hold valuable qualifications such as Advanced Driving, Emergency Life Support and Enhanced Medic, Anti-Hijack, Armoured Vehicles and Personal Protection.
Mitchelmore shares his tips on what to look for when choosing a chauffeur:
Driving and awareness skills that are second to none
There are many different types of chauffeurs – driver/owner, personal/private, full-time and event chauffeurs among them. The two key skills required are the ability to drive smoothly and confidently and to communicate effectively – to speak clearly and to listen carefully.
Don’t assume a chauffeur has all the right training – ask for their qualifications. The best drivers will have outstanding car handling skills, but one who is Police Advanced Driver trained can foresee incident risks and react without the passenger even noticing. Being involved in many security incidents during my career, you get a sixth sense for danger and what feels ‘off’, acting on it discreetly before anything materialises.
Pre-journey safety checks:
When taking a flight, you assume the pilots have carried out the necessary safety checks. Likewise, a good chauffeur should carry out pre-departure checks, especially if not driving their own car: These include making sure the car has a valid MOT certificate, insurance and tax, examining the wheels/tyres for correct pressures, more than the minimum tread, with no rips, bulges or tears, reviewing the bodywork for any unreported damage, ensuring the vehicle has enough fuel/oil for the journey, knowing what fuel each car runs on and where the filler cap is, ensuring all lights are working inside and out, ensuring the seat belt mechanisms lock and checking there are no warning lights illuminated on the dash.
I always try to use drivers who have driven a particular car before, but in any case,
the chauffeur should collect the vehicle two to three hours before a drive, for familiarisation. If a driver is new to a particular vehicle, he should ask the manufacturer for a full spec’ sheet, for his own knowledge and to be able to answer any guest questions.
The perfect route from A to B
A good chauffeur will research the pick-up and drop off locations on the internet, Google Maps and Waze, and will plan a route for that time of day. For large events or when there is sufficient prior notice, we’ll recce the venue so we know exactly where to drop off. And if it’s a multi-car event we’ll send pictures of the route to all drivers, who will then try to drive it in reverse, from the drop off venue to the guest’s pick-up location, to make sure there are no issues.
Scenic route or hard and fast motorways?
A good chauffeur always aims to get the passenger to their destination via the shortest/quickest route, especially if the arrival time is critical; a scenic route is an added bonus. During events like London Fashion Week we get a lot of guest requests to stop so they can take photos of the vehicle, so we often research great locations for this and end up acting as the photographer.
No one can plan for accidents or road closures, but using the in-car navigation and other apps like Waze can help resolve a situation quickly. Drivers should never feel pressured by the passenger to break any rules or regulations, as this will affect their judgement and driving. A good chauffeur will politely decline requests to break the speed limit, as it’s their licence and everyone’s safety on the line.
Small touches that make the difference
Choice of vehicle is hugely important in ensuring a good drive experience for the passenger. I’ve been driving the Lexus LM (Luxury Mover) recently, which takes luxury to new heights with an on-board experience that’s like being in your own private jet. It showcases Lexus’s takumi hand-finished craftsmanship and omotenashi hospitality, with features such as pillow-like head rests, power-adjustable seats with massage function, 48-inch ultra-widescreen monitor, bespoke Mark Levinson 3D Surround Sound audio system with 23 speakers and the Lexus Climate Concierge.
It helps to anticipate a passenger’s requirements in advance. For regular guests we remember any specific requirements, from still or fizzy water to a certain chocolate or sweet. It makes a big difference and the Lexus LM’s fridge and multiple storage spaces including umbrella holder and foldable table have proved extremely useful in tailoring the ride to the passenger’s requirements.
A top chauffeur should be welcoming and relaxed, with a first-class standard of hygiene and personal appearance. This goes for the vehicle as well, which should be almost showroom ready, so long as the weather is behaving.
For guests coming from overseas it is important to ask about any special cultural requirements, for example in some cultures it is rude to blow your nose in public, so I’d make sure the drivers are aware in that instance.
What goes on in the car….
All private conversations whether sensitive or not, should always stay within the car. This is a huge trust issue as we have many CEOs and VIPs in the vehicles that often take sensitive phone calls. No chauffeur should ever repeat anything they overhear.
If a guest does anything illegal while in the vehicle, the chauffeur should pull over and ask that passenger to leave the vehicle. Where we’re commissioned to provide chauffeur drives for a brand or manufacturer, we have their full backing to do this if required and fortunately, this has only happened once in the 17 years we’ve been in this business.
To chat or not to chat
A good chauffeur knows when to speak and when to keep quiet. You can usually tell what’s appropriate by how the passenger reacts to a simple hello. Many repeat guests love a good chat, but equally, for some passengers, silence is golden. In developing the LM, Lexus’s pre-production research found ‘peace and quiet’ to be the most sought-after luxury qualities for the ultra-high-worth people surveyed. I’ve certainly experienced the benefit of the vehicle’s quiet, calm interior, which adds to the professional chauffeur service I provide.
As a chauffeur you never expect anything back from the guests, probably 99 per cent of guests always say thank you and nice to meet you and that’s all we need, it makes us happy to hear that.
About the Lexus LM
- The LM is Lexus’s flagship ‘Luxury Mover’, available with either four or seven seats
- 2.5-litre self-charging hybrid powertrain
- The interior exemplifies Lexus’s brand vision of “making luxury personal”; a “one button” control adjusts cabin climate, lighting and seating to the user’s personal preference
- Four-seat Takumi model takes Lexus Omotenashi hospitality to an even higher level, with large, airline-style seats that can be made fully horizontal with seven different in-seat massage functions and programmes lasting up to 15 minutes.
- Bespoke Mark Levinson 3D surround sound audio system
- In the four-seat LM, there is a 48-inch ultrawide screen monitor with three viewing modes: full screen, cinema and separate left and right screens showing different content. This is ideal for entertainment or online business meetings
- Five selectable Climate Concierge modes that adjust seat position, sunshades, seat heating and ventilation, air conditioning and cabin lighting
- Hidden tech in the four-seat LM includes personal charging stations with a wireless device charger and USB ports, reading lights, illuminated cupholders, and vanity mirrors
- On the road prices from £94,595