78% of customers have backed out of a purchase when they received poor service. And 34% of the customers switch brands for better service. Customer satisfaction is an indispensable tool for attracting, engaging, and keeping customers.
Many businesses make the mistake of focusing all their attention on serving customers and ignoring their internal workings. Having a smooth flow of operations can tremendously boost the eventual experience you give your patrons.
One such aspect is fleet management. Managing your business’ fleet efficiently will help you perform at the top of your game and serve your customers better. Let’s take a look at how.
Fleet management in a nutshell
Fleet management refers to the management of vehicles used for business operations. This includes cars, trucks, trailers, etc. Almost all businesses require the use of vehicles in some capacity.
Businesses that are constantly on the road such as trucking businesses or freight make use of vehicles much more than standard corporate companies. However, effective fleet management is a boon for all businesses.
It helps you keep your fleet up and running at all times like well-oiled machinery. This in turn helps increase productivity, reduce costs, and ensure compliance.
With efficient fleet management, you're able to serve your customers better and earn their trust.
Given below are some tried and tested ways to help you improve customer satisfaction through effective fleet management. Let's dive in.
Invest in a fleet management software
Having a fleet management software will help you with the comprehensive management of your fleet. Such software offer impressive scalability and provide solutions for all sizes of fleets.
Whether you're a small corporate business or a big trucking business, you can rely on a fleet management software to help automate your fleet operations with ease.
The goal of the software is to improve your overall fleet management by boosting individual aspects of it. For example, fleet management software Fleetio has a feature dedicated to fuel management.
It works to optimize the fuel usage of your fleet to increase efficiency and reduce cost while not compromising on the service you provide. It improves work timelines, reduces fuel theft, and promotes transparency which further results in enhanced customer satisfaction.
Similarly, the software is available to be used on mobile devices, making it easier for you to manage your asset life cycles on the go. Having cloud-based operations also helps keep it lightweight and simple.
You may indulge in in-house or outsourced maintenance management, depending on what works best for you. It also raises recall alerts and schedules vehicle inspections to help you with compliance every step of the way.
Benefits of a fleet management software
Here are some of the noteworthy benefits of investing in a fleet management software that directly enhance customer satisfaction:
Keep your customers updated
The goal of fleet management is to enhance customer service through effective management of the vehicles used by a business. An important aspect of that keeping your customers in the loop about their orders or issues they’ve raised.
Set up a system in your fleet management structure
It should focus on providing timely updates to customers regarding their orders. This will mean that they will be receiving notifications at every point once they place an order with you.
Use GPS systems and real-time data analysis
It’ll help you send out accurate information about the delivery of certain orders to customers. This is especially helpful in short-term delivery businesses such as food ordering and delivery platforms.
For example, if your fleet faces unexpected disturbances such as traffic delays or vehicle failure, you can instantly update the customers about the delay and work on solving the issue. It can be argued that the customers would be disappointed about the delay.
But more often than not, they’re going to appreciate being taken in the loop and told the truth instead of being made false promises. It helps you build trust and opens up avenues of communication with your customers.
Opt for SMS marketing
SMS marketing can be an incredibly powerful tool for your fleet management business. By leveraging SMS messages, your fleet management business can improve customer engagement and satisfaction.
Whether it's sending notifications about service updates, delivery status, or appointment reminders, SMS marketing ensures timely and targeted communication.
The instant and personalized nature of SMS messages enhances the overall customer experience, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty. Moreover, SMS marketing can be integrated with other communication channels, creating a cohesive customer engagement strategy.
Get insured
Another important aspect that lends a positive impact on your fleet management and eventual customer satisfaction through it is getting your fleet insured.
Now, insurance is a vital requirement of any business. And most companies do get their vehicles insured.
Having the safety net of an insurance cover helps you protect your business from uncertainties. It also gives you peace of mind as you know that if an issue arises, your business will not suffer because of it.
If you’ve not yet gotten your fleet insured, you should absolutely consider it. Insurance companies usually offer separate ‘commercial auto insurance’ that will cover all the vehicles used for your business operations such as cars, trucks, and vans.
It’s important to note that having a personal auto insurance will not cover your fleet. You need to get commercial insurance to make sure your auto assets are protected at all times. This directly ties into the customer experience you provide.
In the case of your fleet experiencing issues, you will be supported by your insurance to keep your operations running smoothly. This will ensure that your customers receive uninterrupted service from you, providing a positive experience throughout.
Enable your drivers
While it’s important to keep your fleet in top-notch condition for smooth sailing operations, it’s equally important to empower and enable your drivers and on-location staff to perform efficiently and deliver results.
This involves teaching the drivers and other technicians about the use of technology such as the GPS provided to them and sending messages to the in-house staff.
The quicker drivers can send information to their in-house team, the better the team will be able to communicate that information to the customers.
Many drivers are not tech-savvy enough to use the technologically advanced fleets on their own. This is why it’s important to train them periodically. Hosting periodic training camps will help update their skills and let them know of new advancements in the industry.
This may seem like an added expenditure but it will go a long way in establishing fruitful communication between the on-location staff and in-house staff. They will be able to communicate smoothly, relay information, and work more efficiently to fulfill customer demands.
Set up the framework
Fleet management is an assortment of many operations and departments coming together to establish a smooth flow of procedures that work to fulfill customer demands efficiently.
As you work to enhance every aspect of it, it will fall apart if you don’t have the framework to support it.
You need to have all the pieces in place in order to create and run your fleet operations with ease. It begins with having a physical space for your fleet that provides to keep your vehicles protected and maintained at all times.
You need to set up the physical hardware and the software solutions that will create the framework for seamless communication between on-location staff that works with the fleet first-hand and the in-house staff that communicates vital details to them.
Preplanning routes
There is ardent debate about the usefulness of preplanning the paths of the fleet for operation as things can always change at a moment’s notice. But preplanning paths is an action that helps you stay one step ahead of the curve that is prepared for contingencies.
Plan routes for operations in advance by taking into account the estimated traffic and weather conditions for that time period. You can also work with historical data to predict future patterns and work accordingly to avoid hassles and stay on track for every operation.
Boost every aspect of fleet management to ensure top-notch customer experience
Keeping your fleet in excellent condition at all times guarantees excellent service on your end for your customers.
To enhance your fleet management, invest in a fleet management software as it brings all your fleet operations on one platform for easy management. Keep your customers in the loop regarding operations to gain their trust.
Set up a flexible and efficient framework to empower all aspects of your fleet management and empower your drivers to make the most of the tech provided to them and serve your customers better.
How have you personally utilized fleet management strategies to enhance customer satisfaction? Share any innovative approaches or best practices that have yielded positive outcomes for your organization.