The reality is, good chauffeurs…really good chauffeurs are a minority – but why do so few excel at what appears, from the outside anyway, to be a fairly straightforward job? Andy Dubberley explains how to use your ‘softer skills’ when dealing with clients.
Perhaps it’s down to the fact chauffeuring is a profession that relies considerably on the personality of individuals and not just professional ability. Skill sets differ enormously between chauffeurs and although training will undoubtedly improve a person’s capabilities, there is no course on offer which has the potential to miraculously change someone’s personality traits. In a nutshell you are what you are!
In close protection the terms ‘hard and soft skills’ are frequently used to describe the requirements needed for a security professional to be effective at what they do. ‘Hard skills’ describe the more practical abilities needed for a particular role, so when we relate these to chauffeuring, we’re talking about things such as driving, geographical knowledge and even first aid – all pretty obvious stuff.
‘Soft skills’ however are a little more complicated, but equally as important because without them, a chauffeur will struggle and any amount of practical skill will be wasted.
What are these ‘soft skills’
According to good old Wikipedia, ‘soft skills’ are defined thus; ‘a term often associated with a person’s “EQ” (Emotional Intelligence Quotient), the cluster of personality traits, social graces, communication, language, personal habits, interpersonal skills, managing people, leadership, etc, that characterise relationships with other people’.
The ability to interact with clients is everything in our profession and this is where a chauffeur’s personality can and will define just how suited they are to our trade.
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