Consumers can be tough cookies to crack. It\u2019s easy for customers to bail on loyalty and test out your competitors. Did you know that most people would say that after just one bad experience they will switch to a competitor? And those that don\u2019t will usually only go through a couple bad experiences before they call it quits. \u00a0As a business owner or fleet manager, it\u2019s clear that customer service must stand as one of your top priorities. Otherwise, your bottom line and reputation will be at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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When people interact with your business they will likely do\nso in multiple ways. For example, contact with customers could include\nproviding an update on when a delivery or service is expected to arrive. With\nmultiple touchpoints for just one transaction, you have multiple opportunities\nto either make a good impression or ruin a relationship. This is important\nbecause most Americans walk away from an intended transaction because of poor\nservice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t Let Poor Customer Service Ruin you<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The potential for one bad experience to hurt your business\nknows no end. Most of us will discuss a bad customer service experience with\nfriends or family. A lot fewer will discuss a good one. With word-of-mouth\nmarketing, social media, review sites and shrinking patience from consumers,\ndelivering great customer service can give you a competitive advantage in\nsustaining or growing your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fleet managers need to understand that commercial motor\nvehicles and truck drivers are extensions of the business. When a truck breaks\ndown, one of several things could happen. Not only could you be late for a\nservice call, you could lose customers and wind up with major damage to your\nreputation. In some sectors, this can be a business killer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The question is how fleets can enhance their customer\nservice outcomes in an advanced technological age. Have you considered a fleet\nmanagement solution? Fleet management solutions can help eliminate time-wasting\ntasks gumming up the works in your fleet so you can focus on the bottom line\nand delivering better customer service outcomes. But how exactly can a fleet\nmanagement solution help improve customer service and strengthen your business?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Better Back Office Operations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you know that you can use fleet management systems and\nGPS tracking systems to create better customer service outcomes? No matter what\ntype\nof trucking companies<\/a> you operate, you are going to need to communicate\nwith your customers, truck drivers, vendors, and a whole lot of other people\nalong the chain of business. Having a centralized location for communication is\ncritical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even more, communication systems can be used for other\naspects of the business in useful ways. Visibility over how long a truck driver\nis in detention or hauling a load, and how that information aligns with\ntimecards or time billed, is crucial. Combine those capabilities with things\nlike GPS and you have a big picture view of fleet operations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Knowing where your trucks are using the actual GPS data allows\nyou to provide complete transparency for your customers. It also keeps you from\npulling your hair out as you try to keep tabs on your operation. Should a\ndispute arise, you have time-stamped locations that can help prevent problems\nor a hit to your reputation. The key is keeping your customers happy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Smart fleets combine assets like geofencing with GPS\ntechnologies. What\u2019s the benefit? Well, this combination allows fleet managers\nto set customizable boundaries for their truck drivers. Accounting will be\nhappy because this can help prevent inflated bills by curbing misuse of company\ntime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Better Workflows for Better Service Outcomes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As a business owner or fleet manager, you wear many hats.\nThe less time you spend tracking down drivers or trucks, the more you can focus\non supporting key operations within your company. Lord knows, many a fleet\nmanager will lament a lack of time to do a good job. But the time is there, you\njust must find it. You can do this with the help of technological assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As technology develops, a fleet\u2019s success can have a direct\nimpact on the accomplishments of every other department in the company.\nInnovative trucking companies know they can use technology to their benefit.\nLeaving options off the table is not an option in a competitive environment. A\nfleet management solution can better connect a trucking company together.\nBetter communication results, for field employees to administrative staff, HR,\nsafety, and accounting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you know that a misaligned workflow is one of the top reasons trucking companies miss efficiency targets? There is a lot going on, from servicing vehicles to routing assignments and hitting the road. How well does your fleet coordinate all these bits and pieces?<\/p>\n\n\n\n [wp_ad_camp_2] <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Take a fuel card as just one example. Fuel cards should be a\nno-brainer when it comes to saving money and better tracking where money is going,\nyet many fleets still do not us them. A fuel card program integrated with GPS\ntracking, for example, allows businesses to monitor where and when every\npurchase is made and by which driver. This provides a far greater level of\naccountability and truck drivers actually appreciate it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Integrate Preventative Maintenance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Preventive maintenance is crucial to limiting vehicle\nbreakdowns and keeping more vehicles on the road, so you can take care of your\ncustomers. We are talking about customer service, after all. Having an accurate\nread of vehicle health is key to helping keep vehicles in top condition. Broken\ndown trucks was never good for anyone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Utilize sensors, telematics, and fleet management systems to\nmonitor engine data and real-time metrics. Sync them up with shop tools that\ncan help you better schedule preventive maintenance rather than relying on\ntruck drivers to remember. Not only can this help reduce breakdowns, but it can\nalso reduce the time the vehicle is out of commission if it comes to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Integrated systems also alert you to issues you might not\notherwise catch and give your shop technicians a better idea of when to replace\nyour vehicles or specific parts. Take an engine monitoring system as one\nexample. It can provide systematic engine alerts and help reduce the amount of\ntime you spend doing vehicle paperwork. In the end, this will lower your costs\nby preventing major breakdowns or worse, accidents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The cost of downtime isn\u2019t just about the cost of repair\nparts and shop labor, it\u2019s also about how many jobs that vehicle could have\nhandled while it was in the shop. How many runs did that truck driver miss\nbecause they were a victim of unintended downtime?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you also need to rent a vehicle to keep up with demand\nwhile a vehicle is in repair, you\u2019re now digging into your bottom line. Having\na better handle on vehicle health can help ensure fewer service disruptions by\nkeeping jobs on schedule and customers satisfied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is Always About Safety<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Reputation risk is difficult to measure, but still, CEOs\nacross major companies agree that it\u2019s a critical area businesses must manage,\nespecially in today\u2019s world of online reviews and viral complaints. In a Deloitte\nsurvey<\/a> of more than 300 executives, 87% said that reputation risk is more\nimportant to manage than other risks to their business. From a drop in revenue\nto loss of brand value, a negative reputation can have serious consequences for\nyour bottom line, and it is the last thing an executive board wants to deal\nwith. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your truck drivers are the face of your company when they\nare out on the road or on a job. Safe and friendly driving may seem to go\nunnoticed, but fatal accidents and even minor collisions certainly do not.\nUnsafe driving can quickly tarnish your company\u2019s public image. Taking\nadvantage of telematics data, fleet management, and GPS systems can help\nimprove overall driving behavior. What\u2019s not to like about that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the end, novel new fleet technologies allow companies to\nbetter coach drivers on activities such as speeding or hard braking. The\noverall transparency telematics data can bring to your operations, such as more\naccurate billing, can also have a positive effect on a company\u2019s reputation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Major companies agree that technology solutions can provide excellent resources for reputation risk management. In the same Deloitte study mentioned a moment ago, a majority of executives surveyed cited investments in technology and data gathering as the two top areas of focus for reputation risk management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [wp_ad_camp_2] <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n These CEOs, and other business owners, strive for\nefficiency. A more efficient operation means more time to focus on satisfying\ncustomers and attracting new ones. When word-of-mouth marketing can make or\nbreak your company, doing everything you can to provide reliable service to\ncustomers should always be a priority. Are you utilizing technology to improve\nyour customer service outcomes?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"