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How Great Customer Service Skills impac Fleet Managers: Part 1

July 19, 201930Articles, Company NewsTags: customer service, Fleet Cards, Fleet Management

“89% of companies now expect to compete mostly on the basis of customer experience” – GARTNER RESEARCH

Good customer service can have a big impac on your bottom line.

There are plenty of fleet management and fleet fuel card companies, but only a few that offer top-notch customer service.
You often hear it said that it’s cheaper to keep an existing customer than it is to find a new one. And it’s true: The U.S. Small Business Administration reports that 68% of customers leave because they are upset with the treatment they’ve received. Over the next six weeks, we are going to cover 18 of the top customer service skills in a 6 part blog series.

Part 1.1 AUTHENTIC CUSTOMER SERVICE – SKILLS

Skills required for operational and technical actions are called hard skills or skill sets. Typically, you learn hard skills in the classroom with training material or on the job experience. By contrast, soft skills are the traits that make you a good employee, such as etiquette, listening, communication and getting along with other people.

Soft skills have to do with the personal side of customer service and may affect a customer’s emotional side of the brain. Research shows the right side of the brain is home to emotions, intuition, creativity, art, and music, whereas the left side of the brain affects language, reasoning, analysis, logic, and math.

Customers can be affected by how you greet and listen to them, including the warmth and sincerity in your voice over the phone or in person. Soft skills can have positive, negative or indifferent reactions and at the end of the day, customers will definitely remember how you made them feel. The difference between a good customer service employee and a remarkable customer service employee is the ability to get raving reviews about the help and service the customer received from your company.

Part 1.2 EMPATHY

What exactly is empathy?

According to Study.com empathy is the ability to understand and connect with someone’s feelings. In customer service, empathy is the ability to affirm a customer’s feelings and indicate that you can understand their pain or frustration, even if you cannot fix it.

Our account manager here at impacfleet.com told me a story about the frustration a professional fleet driver had when their fleet fuel card was not working properly after several failed attempts to activate the fuel pump. I definitely feel the frustration of thinking about the situation.

As the fleet driver holds up the line at the gas station, he is thinking about how he still needs to make the final delivery for the day and how pressed for time he is. Again, after several more failed attempts he decides to call our customer service department and in doing so he immediately receives a friendly greeting.

As the driver explains the problem with the fleet credit card our customer service representative immediately shows empathy, sensitivity, and understanding and continues to listen, taking an active interest in his concerns while building rapport with the driver. Now that the fleet driver is feeling more at ease the process to gather the necessary data can begin and the problem can be quickly resolved, professionally and without incident.

“Your customer doesn’t care how much you know until you show him how much you care.” -Damon Richards

Part 1.3 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS

Here at impacfleet.com we really take the time to get to know our customers and learn all the details of their account and nine times out of ten we know who is calling as soon as we hear their voice on the other end of the line.

“Good, Old Fashioned Customer Service.”

Do you recall the “good old days” when the corner diner welcomed all their customers by name, doctors actually made house calls and everyone greeted you with a friendly hello? Blending old fashioned expectations with the modern customer is as simple as that. Friendly greetings, genuine interest in your customer’s well being and a true appreciation for their time and money spent with your company can go a long way.

Stay focused and present, listen to what your customers are talking about and most importantly take time to learn about their business and the services you provide. Any barista worth his stock knows his everyday customers’ preferences – from their special flavor to how much froth they prefer.

For those of you that really want to stick out from the crowd, always add a little emotional element to every interaction – a calm voice, friendly smile and of course fast, efficient and knowledgeable service.

“Old School Values Still Rule.”

Old school communication skills are good practice and good business and don’t worry about showing your appreciation. Have you ever heard anyone complain about feeling over-appreciated? And always address your customers by name, this makes them feel valued and acknowledged. If you have a hard time remembering names try using repetition. When your customer calls in or you’re introduced for the first time be sure to use their name and again during your meeting or conversation and again when you finish up your call. If you have forgotten someone’s name, instead of not using their name at all, ask him or her to remind you, and then repeat the repetition process again.

“Old School Meets Technology.”

Impac Fleet Customer Service If you cannot meet in person, use technology to improve the customer experience and create that personal touch. Meeting face-to-face using platforms like Skype, Facetime, ZOOM, and GoToMeeting is a great way to add that old school touch without the time and expense of travel.

You can also record live sessions with your colleagues or customers and create engaging and informative training content or review your conversation later instead of taking notes.

If you plan on using the recording for training, make sure you get permission from everyone involved in the recording. For regular face-to-face meetings simply let everyone in attendance know that you will be recording the meeting and always offer to make it available to anyone that would like a copy.

“Conclusion”

This concludes part one of our six-part series on “How Great Customer Service Skills Impac Fleet Managers. If you enjoyed our article please share and subscribe to get email updates from this discussion as well as future articles. Please check out our blog page for real-time fleet tracking solutions and other industry-related articles.

Fleet Challenges Telematics Can Fix

June 20, 201900Articles, Company NewsTags: Fleet, fleet challenges, Fleet Fuel Cards, GPS Tracking, reporting, Telematics, Telematics Data

Fleets are used in diverse industries to fulfil various demands and purposes. This means that each fleet has unique safety and efficiency fleet challenges. However, many of these challenges can be addressed by telematics, yet few fleets have implemented this technology.

Here are four fleet challenges telematics can fix:

1. Safe Driving– Safe driving is high on the list of fleet challenges. With telematics, managers can not only continuously monitor driving behaviors through automatic alerts but collect data that can be used for future safe driving discussions. Telematics has been proven effective in improving driver safety on the road.

2. Fuel Economy – Driving behaviors, such as speeding and off-route driving, can lead to wasted fuel, creating various fleet challenges. Telematics help reduce or eliminate those behaviors, leading to better fuel economy and lower fuel costs.

3. Asset Management – Other than the vehicle itself, fleets tend to have expensive equipment on board. Telematics can help track the real-time location of assets. It can also be used to review which assets are underutilized. Accurate asset tracking and management is a critical way that telematics help fleets save money.

4. Vehicle Maintenance – Most fleets perform maintenance when something breaks. Telematics proactivity alerts fleets when there’s an emerging engine issue that needs to be addressed, eliminating possible fleet challenges. Fleets can then schedule repairs during off hours to keep vehicles on the road.

According to Automotive Fleet, smaller fleets reported an up to five-times return on investment, from crash reduction and better asset tracking. Larger fleets accrue more benefit from fuel economy improvements and better vehicle maintenance. However, all benefits from safer driving.

Impac offers innovative GPS systems that provide tracking and managing solutions of critical mobile resources, such as vehicles, movable assets and employees in the field. Reliable and easy-to-use, telematics data collected from these systems can increase business efficiencies and cut costs.

To learn more about our systems, contact Impac today.

How to Avoid Impaired Drivers on the Road

June 6, 201900Articles, Company NewsTags: distracted drivers, driving, Fleet, GPS System, impaired drivers, Telematics, Tracking

Impaired drivers are a continuous threat on highways around the country. Nearly 30 people a day in the United States lose their lives in drunk driving crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In the fleet industry, it is vital that drivers know how to identify and avoid impaired drivers on the road. Knowing the signs will help ensure the ultimate safety of both drivers and company assets of a fleet business.

Commons signs of an impaired driver include hugging the center line, hitting objects near the road, making wide turns, driving under the speed limit, tailgating, excessive breaking, swerving into other lanes, inappropriate signaling and stopping for no reason.

In addition to maintaining awareness of these signs that may identify an impaired driver, there are things fleet drivers can do to lower the risk of becoming the victim of a reckless drunk driver:

• Maintain a generous following distance

• Use extra caution at intersections

• Never attempt to stop an impaired driver

• Do not try to pass the vehicle

• Make sure seat belts are secured

• Pull over and call the police

To ensure fleet drivers remain safe throughout daily operations, technology, like telematics, is available for fleet managers to review and report on various driver behaviors. GPS tracking systems provide detailed reporting and remote managing of vehicles, movable assets and employees.

Impac offers a cost-effective GPS tracking solution aimed to increase business efficiencies and cut costs. Reliable, complete and easy-to-use, GPS systems from Impac provide insight to live mapping of drivers and the behaviors associated. GPS systems allow improved communication between drivers and managers, as alternate routes may need to be taken in order to avoid impaired drivers.

Drive safely every day. To learn more about Impac’s telematics solution, contact us today.

How Fleets Are Reducing Fuel Spend

May 31, 201900Articles, Company NewsTags: Fleet, Fleet Fuel Cards, fuel prices, fuel spend, reduce costs, technology, Telematics

With fuel prices on the rise, it is important for fleets to find ways to reduce fuel spend within their business. In the fleet industry, effective vehicle selection, driver behavior and modern technology are major components that can impact fuel spend.

Vehicle Selection

Considering the vehicle types that a fleet incorporates into its overall operations has major impacts on fuel spend. For example, a fleet utilizing smaller vehicles may spend less on fuel as a result of mpg differences. Therefore, fuel costs rely heavily upon identifying the vehicles that are best suited for an organization’s needs and those that provide better fuel economy.

Driver Behavior

Driver behaviors can have a significant impact on a fleet’s fuel spend, including ineffective routing, excessive idling, aggressive driving and fraudulent activity. Due to these things, many fleet managers are reviewing and altering fleet policies. Improving driver safety through company-wide programs may also have a positive effect on reducing fuel costs.

Modern Technology

Telematics and fleet fuel cards have become the most effective tools to reduce fuel costs within a fleet. Fleet fuel cards provide a more detailed analysis of employee payments, while telematics provides helpful reports of driver behaviors. With a high level of technology available, a fuel management strategy should be put in place to reduce fuel spend.

In addition to these methods of reducing amounts spent on fuel, other techniques include implementing low-resistance tires, active grill shutters, smaller engines. and light weighting of frames and parts.

Impac offers both telematics/GPS solutions and fleet fuel card programs aimed to reduce a business’ fuel costs. To modernize your fleet, contact Impac today.

Impac’s Customer Service: Risk Management

May 23, 201900Articles, Company NewsTags: customer service, Fleet, Fleet Fueling, fuel card limits, Fuel Cards, mitigate risk, risk, risk management

Mitigating risk is a responsibility most employees in a management position will be tasked with handling. Running an automotive fleet company comes with its own risks. Preventative countermeasures protect a company. By enforcing risk management practices, a company can reduce or stop fraudulent behavior.

Risks Associated with the Automotive Fleet Industry

Unauthorized purchases remain the biggest threat to businesses within the automotive fleet industry. Without limits, employees are more likely to partake in fraudulent behavior, like making unnecessary purchases in the convenient store on snacks or other items. Employees might also use the fleet card to fill up their personal vehicles. These risks can be minimized through fuel card limits and restrictions.

Methods of Risk Management in the Automotive Fleet Industry

The first step to proper management within the industry is determining the limits needed for a company’s fuel cards. Impac offers account management services. This service allows Impac representatives to review current limits in place and provide personalized recommendations for a company. The first thing a representative will help decide is whether the card should be attached to a vehicle or employee. From there, restrictions like date or time limits, spending maximums and limits on types of purchases can be implemented to reduce risk.

A 24-hour review of all fleet cards also helps manage risk. Each day, Impac searches a company’s fleet cards and reports any fraudulent behavior to management. Impac also tracks every call, email and case as another form of risk management. With any claim, Impac’s personal support representatives can refer to previous conversations to quickly provide information and solutions.

Impac’s Customer Service: How to Run an Efficient Customer Service Department

May 3, 201900Articles, Company NewsTags: business to consumer, customer service, efficiency, Fleet, Fleet Fuel Card, Fueling, service department

Customer service is the simplest form of risk management. However, running an efficient customer service department becomes difficult without the right tools and vision. Done right, a customer service department benefits the company by keeping customers satisfied, collecting valuable data and encouraging repeat business.

Why an Efficient Customer Service Department Matters

According to data collected by BusinessWire, 54% of U.S. adults said quality customer service would encourage customers to spend more. In saturated markets, customers are looking for more than a quality product or service. Providing a memorable and positive experience helps exceed expectations and win over competition.

Determine the Purpose

First, a company should create structure by determining the role of the the department. Once the role is identified, management can implement structure. By knowing the purpose of a company’s service department, management can implement strategies that set the company up for success.

Get the Right Tools

Access to technology makes it easier for departments to respond to customers. There are a variety of ways for customers to seek help. Impac customers can reach support by filling out the contact form on the website or calling the support line. Other methods of communication for assistance include email, online chat systems and social media. Management should choose methods to best fit the structure of the company’s service department. Once the tools are implemented, management should designate employees to monitor those systems for increased efficiency and shorter response times.

Analyze and Adapt

Another way to increase efficiency is to analyze feedback. Impac helps its customers by offering account and risk management. Representatives monitor transactions on a company’s fuel cards and notifies management about unauthorized purchases. Impac’s customer service representatives are equipped to train and inform automotive fleet companies about fuel card implementation. As Impac representatives update fleets in real-time, companies can handle issues in a timely manner.

In the next article of our series, “Impac’s Customer Service: Tracking Relationships”, you can discover how Impac tracks and maintains relationships with customer service.

Mitigating Fleet Risk: How to Set Fuel Card Limits

April 25, 201900Articles, Company NewsTags: Fleet, Fleet Fuel Cards, Fleet Management, fuel card limits, limits, mitigate risk, Purchase controls

Setting fuel card limits can increase business productivity and help mitigate fleet risk. The automotive fleet industry benefits from implementing company regulations on driver purchases. Below are steps to choosing and setting up fuel card limits to best fit a company’s needs.

Determine How to Assign the Fuel Cards

A company can either assign the fleet card to an individual driver or to a vehicle. If employees drive different vehicles each day or a company has high turnover rates, it might be best to assign fuel cards to a vehicle. To do this effectively, the company should assign each employee a unique pin number usable on every company card. This identifies what driver fueled the vehicle registered to the card.

If an employee drives the same vehicle daily, it is best to assign the fuel card to the driver. Assigning the fuel card to a driver allows management to easily monitor spending habits of employees.

Setting Up Fuel Card Controls

Making sure a fuel card has limits set in place keeps drivers from making unnecessary purchases and expenditures. A company can enforce limits to restrict suspicious activity but still allow drivers to travel efficiently.

First, ensure the fuel card is only able to purchase fuel. This keeps employees from purchasing convenience store items with company money.

Other basic fueling controls include gallon or dollar limits per transaction, time of day or day of week, limits number of transactions per day and fuel type. Controls should reflect the needs of a company, giving management to impose stricter or relaxed limits based on employee spending habits.

It is important to note the controls are tied to the driver, regardless of if the card is attached to the driver or vehicle. Management is responsible for enrolling all drivers in the program with correct controls to mitigate risk.

Get Access to Purchase Information

How is the Fleet Industry Changing in the New Year?-Impac

Purchase alerts allow a company to stay updated with a driver’s spending. These alerts send notifications if a driver attempts to make an unauthorized purchase. For example, if a driver tries to purchase more gallons than assigned, Impac’s customer service team notifies management with text and email alerts.

Being able to monitor all purchases online is also crucial. This allows a company to check spending in real time, taking action to increase productivity and cut unnecessary costs.

The Bottom Line

Fuels cards are an easy and effective way to mitigate risks associated with money. At Impac, our comprehensive fuel card program offers customizable limits for fleet companies and notifies managers of unauthorized behavior. Impac’s customer service team helps determine ideal limits of individual companies and customizes restrictions based on need.

In the next article of our series, “How to Run an Efficient Customer Service Department”, you can discover how to implement strategies within the customer service department to increase efficiency.

Mitigating Fleet Risk: What Fuel Card Limits Are Available?

April 5, 201900Articles, Company NewsTags: Fleet, fleet risk, Fuel Card, fuel card limits, mitigate risk, Purchase controls

Fuel cards incorporate security features designed to protect fleet companies against unauthorized activity: purchase controls or limits.

Mitigating Fleet Risk: What Fuel Card Limits Are Available? - Impac

Once a fleet company has determined if the implementation of fuel card limits would be beneficial to their business, they are able to choose the limits that best suit their daily operations.

Setting limits that are satisfactory for the drivers and vehicles that make up a fleet can be a challenging task; if controls are too restrictive, drivers may face delays with lost time and company money as a result. However, if they are too relaxed, vulnerability to internal suspicious activity increases.

Most fuel card programs have various helpful limits available: gallons or dollars allowed per transaction or day, number of transactions per day, authorized fueling times and days, fueling location, fuel only or fuel and maintenance usage, and driver PIN numbers.

Some cards can restrict the fuel or product type that cards can purchase. Product type limits have the ability to prevent unauthorized behavior, as well as to prevent drivers from inadvertently filling the tank with the wrong type of fuel–reducing the risk of maintenance issues down the road.

While utilizing a fuel card can bring significant savings to a fleet company effortlessly, those companies who implemented the limit of restricting the number of gallons or dollars allowed per transaction per day saw an annual savings of at least 6 percent.

When fleet owners begin applying these limits to their cards, they must consider the nature of their business. If all drivers and vehicles have similar needs, one card limit template is acceptable to use for all cards. However, customization by driver or vehicle may be key to defeating unauthorized usage.

At Impac, our comprehensive fuel card program offers customizable limits for fleet companies, including time of day, day of week, purchase amount and fuel type.

In addition, our attentive customer service team notifies fleet managers of unauthorized behavior with real-time text and email alerts, as well as detailed account management.

Whether a business prefers more restrictive or relaxed limits, the purchase limits that are established on fuel cards should fit the unique needs of the fleet. Although there are a number of diverse limits on the market, fleet companies must know how to choose their ideal limits.

In the next article of our series, “How to Set Fuel Card Limits”, you can learn how to effectively choose and implement fuel cards limits that can increase business productivity and help mitigate fleet risk.