Tim Chancellor, Enviteme Events and Celebration Limousines and Buses
How does Enviteme Events maintain high standards of quality and customer service? We send out surveys and ask for feedback. If we hear of a concern, we work to resolve the issue immediately. For example: during the hottest summer months, we had a wedding party comment that the air conditioning wasn’t cold. During the wedding, we had the bus’s air conditioning serviced and recharged. We stand behind our mission of exceeding the client’s expectations.
Do you believe more companies in the future will follow your business model, providing people with not only events, but also luxury transportation? We had done some research on luxury and found that most people are very happy with clean cloth seats instead of more expensive leather. We provide safe, clean transportation for the everyday person. We are pleased to offer lower rates so the bride and groom can have extra money for their honeymoon, or so people can afford transportation on a bachelorette party or winery tour. We would rather the group have fun and get home safely, instead of getting a DWI or an accident.I also continue to work a full-time position, so my livelihood doesn’t depend on our transportation business. I carry very low overhead and purchase, and I maintain used buses and limousines. This is why I can offer low rates and discounts. We have always met and beat any competitor’s rate on a similar vehicle.
What separates your business from other transportation services in the area? Customer service. We always try to exceed our group’s expectations. Most of the time, we surprise groups by having their cover waived at our partner bars, and we allow groups to decorate the buses.
Why do you start your company’s name with an ‘E’? The “E” stands for electronic invites. During our events, people would say while leaving: “That was awesome! Invite me to the next event.” Seems everything has gone electronic — relationships, classes, cameras, calendars, everything.
What motivated you to start Enviteme with the initiative to “get people off-line and in-life”? We saw the trend of people going to school online, dating online, and we noticed that professional people were getting more and more disconnected personally, with career changes, divorces and few ways to reconnect. We began doing small events for singles: speed dating, happy hours, winery tours, even skydiving. If someone shared an interest, we would create an event and invite others. We branched out and began doing couples events, working with balloonists, bed-and-breakfasts and float trip groups. We worked with non-profit and charity organizations as well.
What are some challenges you face in the transportation industry? Like any profession, the market changes. We maintain relationships and have socials to keep up with the changes, so we can adjust to those new opportunities. We would have never believed we would be doing shuttling for apartment complexes, sequestered juries and home tours.
Your current events include speed dating, fundraisers and skydiving. What’s next? Recently we are finishing up with Oktoberfest in Hermann. We will prepare for company holiday parties and Christmas light tours, which have been very popular. We have bridal shows, and New Year’s Eve is right around the corner. After the first of the year, we do Lake of the Ozarks pub crawls and jump into all the bachelorette parties from the holiday engagements.
What do you believe is the key to success in the transportation industry? I’ve learned from some of my business mentors to always exceed your customer’s expectations.