By Dave Millhouser

Theres a great restaurant near here . . . but Ive never eaten there. A peek at my tummy makes it clear there arent many eateries Ive missed.

Ive driven by it hundreds of times but I never could find the door. Honest.

Those folks are missing a ton (pun intended) of my business because its simpler to go down the block to another place, where the entrance is easy to spot.

Translating this phenomenon into the coach industry, one organization has gone to major college athletic associations and offered one stop shopping, and promising superior safety because they "inspect" the carriers the colleges use.

An institution tells them where and when they need buses, and they handle everything, brokering trips to "approved carriers" so the customer has an added perceived layer of liability protection.

Companies that have been safely serving colleges for years are faced with the choice of paying for these inspections to be "approved," or risk losing business. In addition they may lose the direct contact that makes these relationships special.

Some coach operators may see this as a positive thing. It reduces the need to market themselves, and allows them to concentrate on operating safely and efficiently.

The brokerage fees and cost for additional inspections are, in their view, a fair tradeoff for the business they bring.

The risk they take is losing control of their destiny. Transportation may become a commodity, sold by the pound.

Other companies, particularly those with longstanding relationships with local colleges, are resisting the marketing companys efforts. Many schools have happily used the same carriers for years; coaches and professors have favorite drivers, and the bus operator understands and respects the institutions needs, traditions and preferences.

If you want to continue serving colleges where you have a good relationship, there are some things you might try. Dont let these marketing folks sneak up on you; stay in touch.

Enlist the help of grassroots folks. The administration may hire buses, but athletic directors, coaches and instructors have enormous influence. You, and your drivers, add real value by literally becoming part of their team.

When a successful coach feels you help them perform better, youre going to get the business. Its tough to feel warm and fuzzy about a broker.

One northeast company has employed a strategy that seems to work. They figured that the $5 million insurance required by law is not nearly enough to protect their investment.

They bought a ton of additional insurance and, not only are they better protected, they use it as a marketing tool.

Theyve approached local educational institutions, convincing many that the extra insurance wouldnt be affordable unless they were safe, and that it offers the college extra protection from liability. They have added charters, at higher rates, and the insurance protects the company for all their other work, too.

Your relationship with local colleges offers the opportunity to remind them of the value you add. Point out that, while inspections are important, they are only part of real safety.

Adding additional layers wont necessarily improve anything. Federal and state inspections and enforcement are stringent, and regulators have no subtle incentive to pass someone to get them on a brokers "approved" list.

A thousand inspections wouldnt have prevented the Bluffton University accident because, from all indications, the bus company was doing everything right.

Sometimes theres simply bad luck or being at the wrong place at the wrong time. But safety is surely enhanced when the customer is a friend, rather than an "account."

Youre local. When theres a question about a move, they can contact you quickly, rather than working through a third party. It can be tacky when a team gets lost enroute to a game; you wont let that happen.

If you lose a long-time customer, maintain the relationship because the new guys may stumble and your grassroots friends will point it out.

Fill in behind. Theres a great deal of other work related indirectly to college events. If a competitor snarfs the team, take the boosters. Do a good job and word will get back to administration.

Make things easy. Before they ask, present them with insurance information, SaferSys scores, and anything else that makes the case you offer as much safety and reliability as the brokered bus, with a personal touch. You know a ton more about the local colleges people, preferences, and destinations than someone brought in from afar based on price and redundant inspections.

The PD4104 displayed at the Museum of Bus Transportation is the bus my college used on athletic trips. I can show you the overhead rack where I USED to fit for napping.

We had a real relationship with the company and drivers. Forty-five years later the college still uses that same company because we were a team. Trust me the bus company was far more of a winner than we were.

Dave Millhouser is a bus industry marketing consultant and freelance writer. Contact him by email at Davemillhouser@gmail.com.