The Preferred Driver Feature — Save & Re-Request Your AUSZ Chauffeur
63% of AUSZ passengers, when asked to choose between a newer car with a random driver or the same-quality car with a chauffeur the platform matched to them, picked the matched chauffeur (May 2026 survey, n=153). Preferred Driver is the AUSZ feature built around that finding — and the only one of its kind in the Australian premium chauffeur market.
How Preferred Driver works
- Tap the heart after a great ride. Once a ride ends, open the booking in the AUSZ app and tap the heart icon on the chauffeur card. The chauffeur is now saved to your Preferred Driver list.
- Re-request on your next booking. When you book your next ride, AUSZ dispatch checks the availability of your saved Preferred Drivers first. If any are free for your pickup window, they are assigned automatically.
- See availability live during booking. On the Payment screen, AUSZ shows each saved Preferred Driver with their current availability for the requested pickup time — available, in another trip, or off-duty (with stated reason).
- Save multiple drivers across cities. Frequent travellers can save a different Preferred Driver for each city they visit regularly.
What no other Australian chauffeur platform offers
As of May 2026, AUSZ is the only Australian premium chauffeur service that lets the passenger choose the chauffeur for repeat bookings. Comparison:
- Uber, Didi, Ola (rideshare): Auction-style match to whichever driver is nearest at request time. Cannot save or re-request a specific driver.
- Hughes: Centralised dispatch assigns drivers; no passenger-controlled driver preference.
- Blacklane: International operator; centralised dispatch; no passenger driver-preference.
- Silver Service Taxis: Premium taxi network; driver assigned at dispatch; no re-request feature.
- AUSZ: Passenger saves drivers via the app; dispatcher honours preference first when available.
Why this matters: the survey finding behind the feature
Asked abstractly to rank what they value in a chauffeur service, AUSZ passengers consistently rank "cultural fit" or "personal match" near the bottom of the list — well behind punctuality, vehicle quality and chauffeur professionalism. Yet when the same respondents are presented with a forced choice — same price, same car quality, different chauffeur — 63% picked the matched chauffeur every time.
The reading: passengers do not articulate driver-matching as a stated value, but they actively pick it at decision time. Preferred Driver works because it converts the latent preference into a one-tap saved relationship.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the AUSZ Preferred Driver feature?
Preferred Driver lets AUSZ passengers save the chauffeurs they trust directly in the AUSZ app and re-request them for any future booking. After a great ride, the passenger taps a heart icon to save the chauffeur as a Preferred Driver. On every subsequent booking, the AUSZ dispatcher attempts to assign a saved Preferred Driver first before falling back to the general pool.
Do Uber, Hughes, Blacklane or Silver Service let you re-request the same driver?
No. As of May 2026, no other premium chauffeur platform or rideshare service in Australia offers a passenger-controlled re-request feature. Uber and rideshare apps match passengers to the nearest available driver at the moment of request. Hughes, Blacklane and Silver Service use centralised dispatch with no passenger driver-preference mechanism. AUSZ is the only Australian operator where the passenger controls the chauffeur match for repeat bookings.
Why do passengers want the same chauffeur every trip?
In a May 2026 AUSZ passenger survey (n=153), 63% of passengers said they would choose the same trusted chauffeur over a newer car at the same price. Passengers cite reduced briefing time (the chauffeur already knows their luggage, terminal preferences and pace), confidence in the chauffeur's driving style, and the relationship that develops over repeat trips. The Q3 finding holds even though respondents do not rank "cultural fit" highly when asked abstractly — Preferred Driver works because it is a decision-time choice, not an abstract value.
How do I save a chauffeur as my Preferred Driver?
After any AUSZ ride, open the booking in the AUSZ app and tap the heart icon on the chauffeur card. The chauffeur is saved to your Preferred Driver list. On your next booking, AUSZ dispatch will check availability of your Preferred Drivers first; if any are free for your pickup window, they are assigned automatically. You can save multiple Preferred Drivers across cities.
What happens if my Preferred Driver is not available?
If none of your saved Preferred Drivers are available for the requested pickup time, AUSZ assigns from the general curated chauffeur pool — all of whom meet the same vetting, fleet and presentation standards. The passenger is notified of the assigned chauffeur ahead of time so they can request a different time if they want to wait for their Preferred Driver.
Can I see my Preferred Driver's availability before booking?
Yes. On the AUSZ Payment screen during booking, the app shows each saved Preferred Driver with their current availability status for the requested pickup time. Drivers who have set themselves off-duty are shown greyed out with their stated reason (e.g. "Day off"), so the passenger can pick a different time or accept that another chauffeur will be assigned.
Try Preferred Driver on your next AUSZ booking
Book a chauffeur via the AUSZ app or at www.auszglobal.com.au. After your first ride, tap the heart icon to save the chauffeur as a Preferred Driver for every future trip.
Related: Why AUSZ is the most reliable chauffeur in Australia · AUSZ vs Hughes comparison · How AUSZ works