Riding out the storm for a coach hire company

26/6/2020

 

Summer is the busiest season for private coach hire. At Dews Coaches we were geared up ready for European tours, showing tourists the local sights in Cambridge and Peterborough, youth organisation trips, VE celebrations, flower shows, the races, seaside excursions and a full schedule for our vintage vehicles booked for weddings and fairs…. Every caller asked the same thing ‘you must be really panicking?’

 

And as the cancellations stacked up and tighter restrictions made coach travel harder and harder and news of bigger players such as Shearings’ going into administration; we were – just a bit!

 

With 65 employees relying on the company we strategized for what we’re calling ‘the 18 month winter’ and we knew that we would have to look at every opportunity to stay afloat. Our first moment to seize funnily enough was reacting to the loo roll crisis! Warehouses and supermarkets were crying out for extra hands and we worked with recruitment agencies to deliver them. Since then we’ve provided rail replacement services to ease some peoples worry of traveling into London on trains. Implementing a cutting edge fog sanitizing system and comfortable social distancing measures have given customers confidence in travelling.

 

 

We have kept our service buses running every day the same as before lockdown, keeping keyworkers and those who need public transport moving, and securing new contracts in this time. We have been working closely with the Cambridge and Peterborough Education Transport teams, moving keyworkers children and planning ahead for their safe return in September.

 

This quieter time has also been useful for all those niggling things that can get put off during a crazy summer season. The Operations team have been busy installing new software and catching up on servicing and training. We have also been using zoom and joining online webinars and we think these changes are here to stay; now it’s proven that flexibility doesn’t have to effect productivity.

 

We have a great team here, the comradery and acceptance to all changes has been phenomenal. So whilst we would like this period behind us as quickly as possible there’s a spirit we’ll hopefully be taking forward with us.

 

Visit Dews Coaches website for more information on their services.