Nine out of 10 van drivers admit to arriving late for customer appointments with traffic cited as the major cause by 93% of respondents, according to TomTom research.

The survey, conducted among mobile workers operating as part of a company fleet, found 27% of drivers are regularly late.

“Our latest research reveals traffic is a serious obstacle preventing service and delivery firms from attaining first-class standards of customer service,” said Thomas Schmidt, managing director, TomTom Business Solutions.

“Clearly, the majority of businesses operating a mobile workforce face a major struggle to meet customer expectations but although traffic cannot be controlled, its effect can certainly be mitigated.

“Advanced fleet management systems, incorporating live traffic information, allow companies to plan around delays and dispatch employees to jobs based on quickest arrival times, not simply who is closest to the customer.”

All of those questioned claimed traffic had an impact on their weekly job schedule, with 81% stating congestion was a regular source of disruptions.

The research also discovered 49% of van drivers feel stressed because of traffic. The top two reasons traffic causes stress are frustration at being stuck (cited by 63% of drivers suffering traffic-related stress) or annoyance caused to customers (21%).

“Traffic congestion puts significant pressure on mobile workers, causing missed deadlines, disruption to the work schedule and disappointment among customers,” added Thomas Schmidt.

“Advanced fleet management technology provides the tools needed to alleviate stress and make employees’ jobs easier.

“Smarter routing means less frustration, while workflow planning can take into account journey times for specific routes or times of the day, meaning customers are provided with accurate ETAs and quickly informed in the case of delays or changes to the job schedule.”
 

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