UK tourism: Business is booming for coach operator Bill’s

As it goes into its 20th anniversary year, business is better than ever for Bill’s Minibus and Coach Hire. In fact, only a scarcity of bigger premises to move into is holding back the Milton Keynes-based operator from big growth, says Managing Director Ryan Legg. 

This success was mirrored by its 2024 brochure launch last month — its first since before the COVID-19 pandemic — when it welcomed hundreds of regular and new customers. Such is the popularity of its launches, it had to hire a conference venue on the outskirts of the city and near its main depot. 

A recently acquired six-year-old Scania was on display within The Ridgeway Centre as Ryan and Daytrip and Holiday Manager Charlotte Baker talked optimistically about 2024. “Last year was probably our best in terms of the overall company,” says Ryan. “Private hire, and everything in general, has been doing really well. 

“I wouldn’t put it down to anything in particular. We’re still the same size as a couple of years ago with an O-Licence for 25. We’ve just kind of perfected everything. We had a bit of a rebrand in 2022 as our brand was quite basic and old-school. I think that helped quite a lot. We took on some new contracts and our name has got about a bit more.” 

In September, Bill’s will welcome its first brand new executive coach, an Irizar in anniversary livery — one of four due to come straight off the production line in which it has invested for this year. 

‘We need a bigger yard’ 

“The biggest problem we’ve got at the moment is premises,” says Ryan. “We need a bigger yard, but we can’t find one for love nor money. Milton Keynes is a new city so it’s not like Northampton, where there are old yards everywhere. We’ve had meetings with the council, the MP, but nothing. We are constricted by the yard space — otherwise we could double the size we are. I could go out and get contracts tomorrow for 40-50 vehicles, but we just haven’t got the space.” 

So, for the moment, Bill’s — which spreads its fleet across two depots — is concentrating on selling out the current daytrips and short breaks in its 2024 brochure. It is confident in doing so, especially after a launch attended by around 400 people and where a similar number of brochures were devoured. Such is the demand, the operator can no longer cope with on-the-day payments at the launch so now has a box into which customers can drop their order forms.  

The power of a launch

For Charlotte, a brochure launch is invaluable for the business. “It’s about meeting people,” she says. “You speak to customers on the phone all the time and you don’t get that rapport that you do when you speak to them face to face. And it gives them a chance to ask questions or suggest things. 

“It’s gone well today. Especially after the pandemic, we didn’t know how it was going to go. But we’ve got some really loyal customers who come back all the time.” 

Bill’s will operate more trips than ever this year. “Ones that are popular and they sell out every year, they always go in the brochure, but there are quite a few new ones,” says Charlotte. “We have so many people wanting to go to different places and do different thing that we had to up our game.” 

The operator, which was founded and is owned by Ryan’s father, Bill, prides itself on customer service and using good hotels. “We won’t just put you in a two-star hotel,” says Charlotte. “It needs to be a four-star. I haven’t done it so much recently but we used to go and vet the hotel beforehand.” 

The brochure contains mainly day trips with just seven short UK breaks. “We’re getting quite a lot of people asking for more holidays, but we’d rather have six fully booked than twelve that are half-booked,” says Ryan. 

He adds of the focus on the UK: “We always said we’d never go across the water. I don’t think we need to. The amount of work we’ve got locally and in the UK, I’ve got no interest in going abroad. It’s just a hassle.” 

The fact that most of the clientele at the Bill’s launch have been around longer than the host city of Milton Keynes says much about the market, but Ryan and Charlotte detect an evolving, younger customer base, whether that be perhaps due to cost-of-living restraints. “They are getting younger,” says Charlotte, alluding to an increase of families now seen on board. Ryan adds: “I think in the past it was 60, 70, 80-year-olds, whereas now it’s 40, 50, 60.” 

Driver issues 

As with many operators, driver costs and shortages are a big challenge.  “We try and be competitive [with salaries], but trying to find good drivers is another issue,” says Ryan. “The customers expect a certain standard. When you get a new driver and they don’t understand what’s expected of them, they get a bit of a shock because they can’t just sit there and drive; it’s a bit more involved than that.” 

Bill’s solution is to try to be flexible with staff. “Work-life balance is what we’re seeing [as the answer],” Ryan says. “People don’t want to do 60 hours a week anymore.” 

Times in the industry may be changing but, despite challenges, the general trajectory for Bill’s is upwards. “2024 is going to be a busy year,” says Ryan.