Patrick McGillycuddy, head of fleet at ŠKODA UK, discusses the importance of customer service as a key differentiator from the competition.
The fleet vehicle sector is becoming an increasingly crowded marketplace with manufacturers consistently vying for a bigger slice of the market as the recovery of the economy continues to gather pace. Standing out from the competition has therefore never been more important, and one of the most effective ways of achieving this is through excellent customer service.
The requirements of every business, however large or small, are different, and there is no such thing as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. Any actions taken around vehicle supply programmes or strategy must always take into consideration your customer’s individual needs to develop a solution which is right for them.
The customer should never be viewed as just one person. There are often many different internal stakeholders beyond the direct report that are also influential within decision-making processes. All need to be listened to and carefully managed to ensure that their ongoing needs are met - they are ultimately the ones that will determine success. This means empowering and equipping members of the fleet team, both in-house and those in the field, with the right tools, information and level of responsibility to serve them effectively.
Consistent and open communication channels are key to ensuring that a good working relationship is maintained. This is one of the best methods for quickly identifying any problems or the necessity for changes to existing procedures, or indeed, any shift in the customer’s needs or wants. This can be as simple as a weekly conference call or on-site support such as timetabled face-to-face review meetings at their office. We often put in place a bespoke reporting system tailored to each client which allows both parties to monitor account performance at regular intervals against specific targets and timelines. The manner and speed in which any issues are resolved can be crucial to the vehicle manufacturer’s degree of success, whilst also being a notable differentiator between a brand and its rivals.
A fleet provider should not rest on its laurels. Delivering above expectation often proves to be a valuable method of demonstrating that they are offering additional benefit above what was agreed with the fleet operator. Beyond the supply of a high quality product, a well-oiled partnership should look to drive financial savings, greater efficiencies as well as process improvements on both sides. For example, we constantly challenge the business internally to keep whole life and running costs for our products as low as possible.
For any fleet procurement programme, the priority remains the customer when it comes to making any decisions or formulating a strategy. They should be at the heart of every decision as they are the ultimate judge of how good a brand really is versus the competition.
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