LOCATION is the key to garages' success in winning fleet servicing business. The 1997 Tolley Swan National Survey of Company Car Schemes has revealed that 45% of drivers use their local garage for servicing, prioritising the convenience of such arrangements above all.

This figure may be even higher if the servicing garages nominated by contract hire companies are taken into account, for a number will have arrangements with garages local to their customers. Where fleets try to maximise their buying power, the preferred route is to use a group of garages, which ties in with major dealer groups trying to win national fleet business by offering central billing among other services.

The Tolley Swan National survey advises fleet operators reviewing their servicing policy to examine who is responsible for selecting and monitoring the local garage chosen by staff, how the quality and price of work is monitored, and whether a single service policy would be appropriate for the entire fleet.