How to Improve Customer Satisfaction Using Connected Fleet?

For any company, customer satisfaction is one of the most crucial considerations. Regardless of any industry, if you can’t keep customers happy, your competitors will scoop them up, thus causing damage in terms of both revenue and credibility. It is necessary to ensure your customers feel valued. When it comes to logistics and fleet management, retention of customers is vital to achieving long-term success.

What impacts customer satisfaction for fleets?

There are numerous factors involved here, such as delivery delays, wrong orders, etc. Some of these can be affected due to external issues such as adverse weather, traffic, and bad road conditions. But there are internal aspects that you can control such as proof of delivery and transparency, price points, planning process and safety. Controlling these to the best of your abilities ensures you get repeat business time and again.

The following are some of the reasons, why customer satisfaction is affected:

  • Damaged goods
  • Delayed delivery
  • Uncooperative drivers
  • No truck availability
  • Accidents
  • Vehicle breakdowns

A single bad experience can completely spoil your relationship with the customer, so it is imperative to minimize these wherever possible. The objective is to keep customers happy and deliver quality service that ensures value for money. If there is a delay, no matter the reason, it leads to a dissatisfied customer and consequent loss of business. That is why regular feedback from clients is a must, so you can implement the right solutions. Installing a fleet management system, can provide you with necessary data to help identify where you can make improvements or respond quickly to situations when they occur.

Is it possible to measure customer satisfaction via feedback?

If customers consistently choose your service, spend more money on your business, and recommend you to their affiliates, it means you are doing something right.  If they are not satisfied, they will usually look elsewhere or indicate that you could be doing better.

But then again, when it comes to client satisfaction, it is much better to be proactive than reactive. If you are aware about the problems your clients are having, you are much better placed to rectify those before they escalate. This can be done through the use of surveys, digital services that enable feedback on the spot and questionnaires, in which you can ask for suggested improvements and take feedback on board. If the feedback is good, ask the customer if you can use it for the next batch of marketing materials to drive home how much your company values those working relationships. What to do if the feedback is negative? Don’t fret – on the contrary, use this as a base for change, by going out of the way to rectify problems with customers early on.

How to improve customer satisfaction levels?

A huge factor that influences customer satisfaction is communication levels. Customers should know that you are available, and can be contacted when needed for support. Their package also needs to be delivered safely, in a timely manner, and at a reasonable price. On the other hand, if they have made a service appointment, the technician should arrive on time.  To put it in a nutshell, it has to be a perfect balance of convenience and cost.

Using Anstel’s Connected Fleet solutions, your fleet can ensure customer satisfaction isn’t compromised in any way. As mentioned, being proactive is a must. For instance, if fleet managers realize a vehicle is stuck in traffic or has suffered a breakdown, they have to take proper action. It involves sending the customer a modified ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival), along with an apology regarding the delay. Thus, customers won’t be left in the dark, and they will be content with the service.

Customer service means the difference between a lifelong client and a negative review that turns away hundreds of prospective customers. It costs six to seven times more to attract a new customer than retain an existing customer, so when customers switch companies due to poor service it is a costly mistake indeed. Here are a few ways to improve customer service:

Accurate arrival time estimates

Service and delivery appointments can leave customers frustrated if they don’t go as planned. For example, customers may rearrange their schedules to be home for an appointment, making delays extremely frustrating. Similarly, calling drivers multiple times per day just to get location updates is tedious and time-consuming. Telematics data through Connected Fleet solutions automates the process by offering access to real-time driver locations. Fleet managers can quickly check and provide customers with precise ETAs. Some companies might even automatically send a notification to customers when a driver is, say 10 or 15 minutes away or if there is an unexpected delay.

Offering incentives to drivers

Offer rewards and incentives to drivers who stick to safe driving behavior by following road safety rules and refraining from aggressive/reckless driving. This practice helps encourage safer driving and timely deliveries or appointments. It is a great way to ensure everyone fulfills their targets while reducing risk of accidents, speeding tickets, and other adverse traffic conditions. Companies can collect data from Connected Fleet solutions, regarding speeding, harsh braking, sudden acceleration, or other driving events. They can also measure fuel efficiency per driver, and real-time GPS locations can corroborate whether deliveries were on time. Telematics provides data and analytics to understand driver behavior, predict troublesome patterns, and develop training modules to correct it.

No more mistakes in billing

Several businesses experience seasonal fluctuations in demand, which means contractors have to step in from time to time. When that happens, it is necessary to ensure contractors are paid properly, to maintain the same level of service to customers. But then again, it is a huge challenge to track their tasks when they work in the field. Telematics can help generate reports that measure the number of miles driven or hours worked on a particular day. Meanwhile, GPS tracking makes it easy to verify their arrival and departure times. Thus, you can ensure that customer service related tasks were completed on time. It also lets you take action if contractors or even full time employees show up late.

The benefits of Anstel’s Connected Fleet solutions extend well beyond customer service. In fact, implementing these solutions enables a rapid return on investment.  They are one of the most cost-effective ways to improve safety, boost efficiency, and help companies keep their costs under control.

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