I, Rehan Jamil, do solemnly swear to create and uphold all the values of an excellent chauffeur…
That was the declaration I made to myself and anyone I had the honour of driving when I started on the path to The Summit in 2008 following my redundancy.
I had just joined the medical devices company and when the credit crunch took full effect, I was left newly married, and soon a baby on the way – and unemployed. Life was about to change in unimaginable ways.
Did I crumble? No, I refused to be another statistic…
I adapted to my new circumstances – a core value of mine I have distilled into my business and seen throughout the team.
I got my hackney carriage and private hire licence in the space of six weeks – I decided I was to be a cab driver between London and Oxford.
The first thing I did was to fit my car with Wi-Fi so I could continue my job search, my training and learning.
Soon many clients noticed the Wi-Fi signal associated with the car and it was then that a young, dynamic and brilliant Biotech project manager changed my whole world view – life was about to change again…
One conversation that started it all
‘How many devices can you connect to your Wi-Fi?’ and ‘Could you travel to and from Nottingham with our C-Suite team?’ Jesse said. There was a remote laboratory near the city, and they needed a tailored service like I provided, for one day.
Tailored journeys with superior connectivity became our selling point and suddenly I had to build a team and put systems in place. I had grown a chauffeur business before I even knew it!
Having said that, it didn’t really occur to me that this was my new occupation – I still worked toward the end game that one day I would return to my job in medical devices.
Then Covid lockdowns hit
And I almost gave up – almost!
But, thankfully I realised what this really was, was an opportunity for me to formalise my new business, put processes in place and get the right support I needed to grow it into a serious venture – I hired a business coach (honourable mention to Mr Peter Gregroy of www.neuroweird.co.uk), a business and accountancy service with Clearsight in London, and joined the Guild of Professional Chauffeurs.
The best part of the job though was when a client said, ‘thank you’, and it still is the best part of my job 17 years later. In those words, there is a gratefulness that I have helped them have the best possible version of their day – made the difficult easy, the stressful stress free or the busy, less rushed.
What drives Rehan?
It’s that thanks that really drives me. Just like I do for my wife and son, Hina Rehan and Ghani, I strive to make them all as comfortable as possible.
I want to have our service, my team and me, not just earn an income, but earn your respect, your faith and trust, and of course your gratitude – Thank you for your repeated custom, your referrals and your kind words of thanks. It really is all deeply appreciated.
And I’ll end by sharing two of my favourite things (other than my wife and son). My favourite car: The BMW 7 Series is the perfect size, perfect balance and perfect drive, especially in black with a cream interior. And my favourite saying in The Summit Chauffeurs:
‘We’re not just opening doors, we’re driving industry’…
Rehan 🙏🏽
If you’d like to connect with Rehan, you can do so via LinkedIn, or to make an enquiry and experience the service excellence The Summit Chauffeurs provides, email hello@thesummitchauffeurs.co.uk.