Today I am presenting another written interview with Neil & Denise of Panama Roadrunner Secure Transport. They provide safe secure airport transfers and day trips throughout Panama. They are also all Canadian and American drivers and native English speakers in a Spanish speaking country. Neil & Denise moved to the area from Calgary Canada in 2011 and started Panama Roadrunner that year.
Check out the interview:
1. What got you interested in starting a transport service? Share your story.
We moved to Coronado,Panama in May 2011 from Calgary, Alberta. After about six months of semi retirement we were starting to feel as if we needed more to do, so we started looking around for some part time job opportunities. Panama Roadrunner was looking for a driver, but the owner said the company was for sale so he didn’t know how long we would be able to work for him. After many discussions, Neil and I bought the company.
Neil and I started the company with the two of us and one driver in the city. We had purchased one Dodge Caravan and had a Dodge Ram truck. Tourist season in Panama is from American Thanksgiving to Easter. The three of us had a fairly busy tourist season and by the end of season we had hired a second contract driver. Our second busy season we had grown to 4 full time and one part time driver and last year we had 12 drivers on the road. We have grown to a team of 15 drivers and are in the process of hiring a couple more for upcoming tourist season.
2. What makes your service unique from other transportation services?
Panama Roadrunner Secure Transport provides airport transfers and day trips for tourists coming to Panama. We have Canadian and American drivers who speak English as their first language. Our goal is to give our guests a sense of comfort and trust: when they land at the airport they know that there will be a North American English driver waiting for them. We also have a driver who speaks French and several who speak Spanish. We pride ourselves on safe and secure transport with North American standards of excellence. Our drivers are also trained as guides and know much of the local history to share with our guests.
3. You mentioned you also offer secure airport transfers, what are some ways you help others stay safe while traveling?
Our emphasis is on safe and secure transport for our customers. We accompany our guests throughout their trip – whether an airport transfer or day trip – our drivers are with them throughout the day. Our drivers are all trained in the best routes of the city and carry mace and tazers. We also offer security transport for those guests who require extra care.
4. How have you gone about promoting your services and what’s working for you?
We have a facebook page, youtube channel and a google plus page. The youtube and google plus are new to us in the last few weeks. Trip Advisor has been the best source of referrals for us – we are #1 under activities in Panama. We have worked with property managers and realtors in the area and have also developed a great referral network.
5. What are your future plans for 2014 and beyond?
We plan to continue to grow Panama Roadrunner Secure Transport and perhaps once day branch out into other areas of the country as Panama continues to grow. It is important to us that customer service always meets or exceeds our guests expectations and that we continue to offer the personal touch.
Learn more at http://www.panamaroadrunner.com/
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2 replies on “Canadians in Panama – Interview with Neil & Denise of Panama Roadrunner Secure Transport”
My family and I used Panama Roadrunner for a transfer from Toucamen Airport to Coronado last summer. We found Denise and Neil to be very prompt and professional. Neil was our driver. He was on time, very polite and he shared a lot of historical information about the area during the drive. We were very happy with the service provided by Panama Roadrunner and we highly recommend them!
KR – Vancouver, BC
Thank you for your kind comments and your referral! We were happy to be of service to you! Denise