Nisbets opts for Fleet Alliance to manage vehicles

Catering equipment supplier Nisbets has appointed Fleet Alliance to manage and support its car and van fleet.

The business operates company cars for area managers and account management staff, plus additional vans for service engineers and sales staff of its Jantex cleaning supplies division.

Previously, all vehicles were managed internally but, aware that they were not able to provide around the clock cover, Nisbets went out to the market.

Since appointing Fleet Alliance, a number of fleet efficiency measures have been introduced, including switching all vehicles from a mix of outright purchase and leasing to leasing throughout. As a result, all cars are now leased for three years while the vans are leased from two to five years, depending on usage.

All vehicles are also competitively tendered using a panel of preferred leasing suppliers to select the most competitive leasing rates, while Fleet Alliance mileage manages the fleet to ensure the client does not face excess mileage charges when vehicles are de-fleeted.

As well as reducing leasing rental costs, Fleet Alliance has also been able to increase choice for drivers across eight different pay grades, by introducing a wider array of vehicle manufacturers for them to choose from.

Nisbets drivers can now choose from a total of 12 different manufacturers provided they fall within their monthly car allowance budgets, instead of the previous three. These range from executive brands such as BMW, Audi, Jaguar and Mercedes, to more mainstream makes such as Ford, Vauxhall, Nissan, Volkswagen and Mazda.

Sophie Wells, financial accountant at Nisbets, said: “Our drivers have responded really well and they can now easily access their vehicle information, all emergency contacts and support services, either through the e-fleet portal or the e-fleet mobile app which they have on their smartphones.

“Our dedicated account manager, Madelaine Webster, has been very helpful and is now seen as our drivers’ champion who is able to answer any queries they might have and get the car they want, in their relevant pay grade,” she added.

Fleet Alliance managing drector Martin Brown added:”We always aim to provide high levels of customer service and support and to go the extra mile for our customers.

“With Nisbets, we have been able to introduce a series of fleet management measures which have helped improve the efficiency of the fleet, as well as increasing driver service, reducing internal administration and improving support levels.”