Business Profile: Premier Transportation & Driving Service, Brewster
Going to the doctor’s office is already dreadful enough, but with John Kelly and Premier Transportation & Driving Service Inc. is doesn’t necessarily have to be.
Kelly’s Premier Transportation business opened a couple months ago and since then, he’s been driving all over Lower Hudson Valley and Tri-State area giving rides to residents that need to make an appointment on time. Primarily servicing Medicare patients, Kelly provides a ride that seems to go well beyond what clients are typically accustomed to.
Kelly said when he arrives to pick a client up, they’re in disbelief how luxurious the car and service is. It’s rare for a Medicaid patient to get picked up in a nice car, that’s clean and only serves one person at a time, rather than driving people in bulk.
“I get out and open the door and they’re like ‘are you sure you’re in the right place,’” Kelly said.
Additionally, Kelly tries to make each trip personalized depending on the client he’s getting. One client enjoys pastries from Brewster Pastries, so when Kelly picks him up, he has some goodies waiting for him on the seat next to him. And if the client needs to pick up a prescription after the appointment, Kelly drives them to pick that up as well.
Kelly said the key to quality customer service is treating every client with respect and paying full attention to the person he’s driving.
Most of the appointments are either for physical therapy or drug/alcohol rehabilitation, Kelly said. Sometimes Kelly even has to do a little prodding for rehabilitation patients to convince them to get in the car and make their group meeting. As someone with a Masters Degree in counseling, he usually persuades them to make the appointment.
And while Kelly, who sports a flashy bowtie, primarily assists Medicaid patients, he does drive for other clients not covered. He’s also provides rides to clients looking to go to the airport or for days spent enjoying the big city.
Kelly, a former college administrator and counselor, always had little businesses on the side in addition to his day job working for someone else. Even going back to his college days, he would disc jockey on Saturday nights and give driving lessons on Sundays.
“This was just a real out on faith where there’s no check every two weeks,” he said. “This is you need to make a check every two weeks. Some people think I’m a little crazy, but you work for people all your life, you finally say I’m not doing it anymore.”
Most of Kelly’s clients are from word of mouth and apparently word spreads quickly, as Kelly continues to see business ascend slowly but surely. As the former president and still active member of the Patterson Rotary and a Brewster Chamber of Commerce member, Kelly is well known and respected in the community.
He’s heard many stories from different passengers, many of which are former law enforcement and EMS workers. One client told him about her experience in the civil rights movement and he’s heard some cool stories from musicians, too.
Kelly hopes he can be a business that senior citizens can turn to.
“I want to be able to provide them a place where they know what they’re getting and they can trust the vehicle, trust the person in the car,” Kelly said.
Premier Transportation & Driving Service Inc. number is 845-350-2736 and website is www.premier-transport.com.
