When did the company launch and how has it evolved since then?
We were founded in 1982 and started out as a same day delivery business within London, with imports, exports and a packaging arm of the business. Over the last 40 plus years the business has developed into a full scale global executive transport business offering services from London to Mauritius, Melbourne to Amsterdam, Paris to New York. We work with lots of different companies, for travel and transportation as well as private aviation.
And what would you say your company's USP is compared to other competitors?
Quite frankly, we employ human beings, which I think nowadays is something which, while it's not a rarity, is certainly not something that you can depend on. When we launched in the 1980s there were no online booking systems, there were no apps. Most things were just done over the phone, and so that remains at the core of everything that we do. We've got an operations team who have over 100 years experience between them and we are 24/7. In fact we never close, not even on Christmas day. There’s a legacy to our company too. Our Managing Director has been with us since 1985, our head of accounts has been with us since 1987 and one of our founders still comes in once a week with a round of coffees for all the staff. These are people who have grown up with the business.
Many of your customer base are high net worth individuals, and they obviously trust Prestige Couriers for ultimate discretion. How do you achieve that?
We look after some really exciting, high-profile people in various industries, and we never talk about it. We never publicise it on social media. Our business firmly relies on word of mouth and discretion. We have a host of luxury vehicles, many Mercedes, and don’t cover them in branding. It’s not what people want, they want to travel discreetly.
Can you tell me more about the lifestyle management component of the business?
That side of the business is fairly small as our focus is executive transportation. But it developed during COVID and remains part of the business today. We spoke to some of our concierge lifestyle management clients and asked, “what's going to make your lives easier?” And personal shopping was a key area. So we had our team buying haute couture items, Louis Vuitton handbags, Hummingbird Bakery cakes and delivering them around the country. We can be incredibly adaptable to our clients needs and we've done all sorts of cool stuff. For example, providing six drivers for golf buggies to chaperone guests at an event at Kensington Palace. We’ve gradually morphed into more of the lifestyle management business, but always with a strong transportation slant.
Has the old school approach worked out for you?
Some companies are fairly infamous and take the prime spots on Google. We've never really suffered too much from the emergence of apps, because we never had that business in the first place. We know our customers inside out and can anticipate exactly what they want from us, even before they know themselves. We had those people that needed the service to be perfect, and always did, and they would never, ever dream of going on an app.
How do Prestige ensure their clients have a personalised lifestyle experience?
Our customers like to get the same drivers over and over again, and that's one thing we're very good at. Our drivers are on a first name basis and we know them all. It's the little things like somebody wanting a certain newspaper on the back seat when they get in the car, or a certain type of coffee, or a certain brand of water. These are all things that we do for our clients, which other companies would just simply say no to.
Can you tell me a bit more about the fleet of luxury vehicles that you have as part of the passenger service?
Over the years we’ve procured a good fleet of Mercedes cars: E Class, S Class, V class, Maybach & Mercedes Sprinter for larger groups. We also have Range Rovers, Bentleys & Jet Class Mercedes.
What would you say are the top benefits of your corporate passenger transport for your clients?
Ultimate reliability and good quality service. Sensible human beings to talk to in the office to back up very good drivers. We're very transparent. We like to make sure that people go to bed at night knowing who's going to be picking them up in the morning to take them to the airport. So we insist on getting driver details out directly to people 12-24 hours before the trip takes place. We encourage our clients to reach out to the drivers directly, should they wish to, because we trust our drivers and likewise, we encourage our drivers to communicate directly with passengers, because we know they're not going to let us down.
Sustainability is a key focus for Prestige, how are you paving the way in the world of electric chauffeuring and couriering?
Sustainable luxury travel is becoming an important trend as travellers seek ways to enjoy high-end experiences while caring for the planet. Currently, we are in a position where every new vehicle that we bring on has to either be electric or a hybrid in order to achieve that license. So it's something we've been pushing a lot, there's been quite a few advancements in battery technology, and still it's of utmost importance to get the client where they want to be as quickly as possible without delay. A lot of our courier vans are all fully electric, offering a green delivery service. We have recently been crowned The Sustainable Company of the year for 2025 by National Courier and Despatch Association. This is something we are hugely proud of and is the industry's most coveted gong.
And what as a company, are your key focuses for 2025?
We’re always trying to grow the business and If you offer great service, the growth normally comes with that. Word of mouth is ultimately so important to us and we intend to be around for at least another 40 years.
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