On time in full: The balance between customer service and fleet goals

Balancing customer service and fleet goal

You want to deliver products on time and in good order and keep a tight grip on the maintenance and running of your fleet. But how do you go about achieving this? And is it even possible?

The answer is yes and in this blog we take a look at the steps you can take to strike a balance between customer service and your fleet management goals.

What does “on time in full” mean?

First things first, you need to take very measure to ensure that your customers are satisfied, even if that does require more time, effort and money.

Delivering orders as efficiently as possible means you have to adhere to the Deliver in Full, On Time (DIFOT) principle.

According to this mrprocurement tumblr post on procurement insights, “DIFOT refers to your complete purchase order (PO) being delivered by the supplier as a complete delivery on or before the date you specified…”

The author describes the complication where multiple request dates demand different times for every purchase order to be taken into consideration, which basically means you're juggling with multiple customers’ satisfaction.

For the purposes of our blog “on time in full’’ is the best way to meet customers’ needs as it fully describes what the customer wants: a consignment that is delivered on time without any damage to the product.

Addressing customer expectations

As previously mentioned, customers are more demanding than ever before and they expect everything they need to be cheaper, better and faster.

At the same time the cost of materials, equipment and fuel are on the rise making it difficult to see to all their needs and keeping a fully-serviced fleet on the road. One of the ways to ensure that

Fleet Managers don’t fall behind and streamline their operations is by outsourcing fleet management.

Outsourcing to Avis Fleet means you’ll have access to:

• Full maintenance: Our fleet maintenance control product gives Fleet Managers peace of mind in knowing that their vehicles are always running optimally. Should any problems arise we’ll take care of it and get the vehicle back on the road as soon as possible without affecting their business. We know how important it is to get vehicles serviced, diagnosed and repaired as soon as possible so that you can maintain optimal levels of productivity to service your clients.

• Procurement: our fleet management team is equipped with unique expertise and experience in the vehicle procurement field to help you acquire vehicles that suit your needs, to help you improve delivery and save costs. We understand the painstaking effort that goes into the procurement process, and with our expert assistance you can rest assured that you will have the best vehicles for your business. The main benefit of this solution is cost-saving – optimal vehicle procurement will ensure fuel efficiency and better wear and tear for your vehicles.

Knowing where the line is

Customer service is at the core of any business, but as with everything it’s important to know where to draw the line between what you can provide, and when a customer is pushing for the impossible.

While delivering on time in full is important, it should not take precedence over the safety and wellbeing of your staff, or lead to your equipment being unnecessarily compromised.

Fleet Managers have to use their discretion: it might be difficult to refuse a customer request but ultimately the success of your business depends on it.

Avis Fleet is a fleet management company with longstanding experience and expertise to help every fleet company optimise their business processes.

Find out more information about our maintenance control and other solutions here, or feel free to contact us directly with any questions that you might have regarding our services.