Customer service is one of the most important parts of any business.  With many companies offering similar services and goods, there are plenty of other options that customers can choose to move to.  As a result, businesses have to work very hard to keep their customers and build trust in their services.

 

Companies that rely on drivers to deliver products or services to customers are of no exceptions when come to providing good and timely customer service.  Customers expect timely arrival of drivers at their premises to deliver or pick up goods, or to provide services (e.g. servicing a broken down photocopy machine).   Waiting too long for the driver or serviceman to arrive would mean unproductive time wasted and opportunity cost of not being able to use broken down equipment for the customers.

 

Common reasons for drivers and servicemen not arriving on time are traffic jams, getting lost of direction, traveling too slowly, taking a longer route than necessary and frequent idling.

 

Achieving Good Customer Service through GPS Tracking

 

Many, if not all, of the reasons associated with late arrival at customers’ premises can be solved by having a good GPS tracking and dispatcher system in place to monitor their fleet of vehicles.  Below are some ways on how having a GPS tracking system helps drivers arrive on time at customers premises to maintain good customer service:

 

• Traffic Jams

 

A reliable GPS tracking system also comes with live traffic alert.  When dispatching a vehicle to a customer’s premises, the dispatcher can plan the most efficient route that circumvents all known traffic jams.  Drivers that are already on the roads can be diverted to avoid traffic jams.

 

• Getting Lost and Vehicle Breakdown

 

When vehicles are detected to have lost their way, the dispatcher can provide directions to guide the drivers to be back on track.   When a vehicle has broken down, a maintenance vehicle can be directed quickly to its location and a nearest available courier or service vehicle can be dispatched to service the customer instead.

 

• Travelling Too Slowly or Speeding

 

While speeding is not recommended, but there may be instances where drivers deliberately drive at a slow speed to kill time.  Upon detection of excessively slow speed by the GPS tracking system, the dispatcher is able to advise the driver to speed up.  On the other hand, if the driver is travelling at a speed that is above the speed limit, the dispatcher or GPS tracking device is able to advise the driver to slow down to avoid getting into an accident or being stopped by a traffic police; both of which would cause a delay in arriving at the customer’s premises.

 

•  Taking a Longer Route

 

While the shortest route may have been assigned to a driver, the driver may deviate from the assigned route due to making a wrong turn or having a preferred route that is different from the assigned route.  In this case, the dispatcher can track and advise the driver to revert to the assigned route.

 

• Idling Frequently

 

There are times where driver may make a lot of unauthorized stoppages to kill time, or to perform personal tasks.  Such idling situations could cause delays to drivers arriving at customers’ premises or it would show that the driver is not being productively used.  A reliable GPS tracking system is able to detect drivers idling.  Drivers who are often caught idling can be warned or counseled against such behavior.

 

Is your fleet business equipped with the right tools to ensure a smooth operation with the above customer service standards? GRID’s Fleet Safety Management Solution fits the bill with both GPS Tracking and also driver’s behaviour monitoring. You can now deliver products and services on time, protect your reputation and improve your overall customer service!