Improve Customer Service with Fleet Management Technology

Transcription

1 Improve Customer Service with Fleet Management Technology Whether you manage five or 5,000 vehicles within your fleet, improved customer service is a key benefit that translates into a clear return on investment in the form of retaining existing customers, increasing the acquisition of new customers, lowering your cost to serve your customers, and increasing the job satisfaction of your employees. As most business owners know, good customer service is integral to the success of any business. It allows for better retention of existing customers, as well as the acquisition of new customers particularly when those prospects hear about your services from their trusted network of friends and colleagues. However, when it comes to the fleet industry where there are distinctly unique needs, goals and guidelines for fleet managers customer service can get tricky. In the fleet space, customer service requires providing real-time statistics and fact-driven information to customers, as well as records and reports that show visibility of costs. The good news: the adoption of fleet management technologies are increasing every year as they begin to offer much more complex capabilities including sensors that can track cargo events, such as if a door has been opened or closed or if there has been a change in cargo temperatures. All of this information can now be sent directly, and in real-time, to managers via alerts or s to their smartphones. Undoubtedly, the technology s impact on customer service is one of the main reasons an organization should consider implementing this technology. With a single dashboard, you can monitor all relevant statistics and mitigate any risks to your most important assets.

2 Technology at Your Fingertips, for Your Customer s Benefit The use of fleet management technology can allow for numerous positive operational impacts that in turn translate to better customer service. Competitive Pricing and Transparent Invoicing Fleet managers spend an enormously large amount of money on fuel, vehicle maintenance, communications, overtime wages and administration fees for their fleets. If you are looking for ways to offer a much more competitive pricing structure to your customers or clients, a fleet management solution may be in order. Furthermore, having information and comprehensive reporting at your fingertips enables you to provide customers with transparent invoices. Faster Dispatching Fleet management systems enable real-time monitoring of your mobile workforce so you can dispatch your nearest available driver to a customer s site. You can also manage your resources more effectively by tracking the exact position of your vehicles. This allows you to not only dispatch vehicles based on the proximity to a job but also to respond to your customers more quickly and provide them with accurate arrival times. Less Paperwork Online logging functionalities can record information as you drive, so there s a lot less paperwork at the end of the day. An online logbook can record jobs and working hours, data, miles driven and also allow for easy-to-use reports that substantiate your company s performance.

3 Where Employees Come In Additionally, fleet management technology can impact employee performance and retention by empowering drivers to work together with you and their colleagues toward greater goals of fuel, communications and operational efficiency. Adopting a standard set of best practices for communicating the new technology to employees is important as it can be used to not only increase understanding of rules and regulations, but also to ensure that you have employee buy-in for the technology both of which will definitely affect, for good or for bad, how your customers are treated. Best Practices to Adopt Include: Explain how telematics will benefit the workforce. For example, with fleet management technology there will be less stress, less paperwork, equitable distribution of work and safer working conditions. Make drivers aware of the reasons for introducing the new technology from the outset. Explain that the data will be used not to monitor individuals, but to arm them with information designed to keep them secure. Reassure employees that their privacy will be respected. Consider an incentive program to encourage positive use of the system. Offer employees the opportunity to ask questions.

4 How Mobile Plays a Role When managing your dispersed business from the road, it s important to have mobile access to your fleet management technology. There are solutions that provide a mobile app for smart phones and tablets that integrates seamlessly with the technology. By managing your fleet on the go, you can empower field managers to know where equipment is and where their drivers are, giving them insights when and where they need it. Furthermore, a mobile app for your fleet management solution helps you to deal with the challenges of the day. If a customer calls, you can pull up the relevant information in seconds. See at a glance where your drivers have been, their current position and the status of the orders they're working on. Everything you need to provide excellent service is there on your phone when you're not at your desk. This quick and easy access to reliable data about your vehicles 24-hours a day allows you to be confident you re making the right decisions for your organization, your employees and your customers. The Green Effect It s important to note that there are many organizations and therefore customers out there who value strict environmental standards. Fleet telematics can help your organization appeal to such organizations and minimize your carbon footprint by reducing fuel consumption and mileage, as well as by calculating the fastest route for any time of the day or week. Having a reputation as an environmentally-friendly business can add credibility to your operation. With this kind of increased efficiency, you could be in a position to add more jobs for your business. All this positive activity positions a business as forward-thinking, with a focus on issues that impact all customers and communities which ultimately means great public relations and better business!

5 Contact Us for a Free Demo If businesses introduce processes to monitor and use these reports effectively, it can directly impact the bottom line and help managers establish safer, greener driving policies. Call today to learn more. In January 2013, LoJack Corporation announced a strategic alliance with TomTom Business Solutions to offer LoJack Fleet Management Powered by TomTom. This alliance allows LoJack to build upon global stolen vehicle recovery network technology with a wider range of solutions that add value to customers and partners. LoJack Fleet Management Powered by TomTom is a powerful solution for fleet owners looking for ways to improve fleet profitability, productivity and efficiencies. Visit or call today to learn more.