It’s good to know who to count on in these trying times and what to expect. In our new sections “5 questions to” we talk to partners, providers and industry insiders about their perspective on the current situation to give you insights and information. First off is Marco Heistermann from our service partner Carglass®. Read in the interview how they work to offer you time and money saving repair, what changed and what did not.
Mr. Heistermann, you pursue a so-called repair-first strategy. In times of corona, do fleet operators particularly benefit from this strategy?
Our strategy "repair instead of replacement" is not only sustainable, but also saves time and money for our customers. This applies to small fleets, special vehicles as well as large enterprise fleets. Furthermore, working with specialists like us in the fleet business adds up, as we develop customised framework agreements for our customers that are tailored to their needs. These are not only about budgetary issues, but also special mobility solutions or special services such as a digital interface for data transmission. For the German emergency service Malteser Hilfsdienst, for example, we have developed a new IT interface that significantly improves the billing quality. This way, we ensure greater efficiency in fleet management and keep the administrative effort for our partners and customers as low as possible.
What conclusions can you draw from your cooperation with fleet operators for your business in the current year?
Every fleet is different and has different challenges. The same applies to the different needs of fleet operators: While some fleets, such as named rescue services and the police, attach great importance to availability and correspondingly short downtimes, other customers focus on urgent, cost-efficient processes. Our goal is to meet those individual requirements and needs – with the help of our digital know-how, our flexibility and a fast response time. Our claim is to offer our customers the most flexible digital solutions possible. For example, our partners can use dedicated Carglass® or co-branded online portals to book appointments in our branches independently and bindingly.
Carglass® has adapted its operating procedures to the current situation. This also means that fleet customers whose job it is to ensure the basic supply of people must now remain mobile. Are you also in charge of such fleet customers?
Carglass® looks after many fleets in the emergency services sector and supports various fleets in the area of care services. Especially in times of corona, time is playing an increasingly important role for fleet and commercial customers considered as systematically relevant. In Germany for example, we keep our 345 branches open throughout the country in order to be able to service fleet customers, such as rescue services like the Malteser Hilfsdienst and the police. We have also created a first-class distribution network. Ambulances and Co. are much-needed on the road, not in a service center.
How has the check-in/repair process changed in Corona times? Are additional hygiene stations (soap dispensers, hand sanitizer dispensers, etc.) installed in the service centers? (How) do you sterilise vehicles?
In our service centers, particularly in the customer area, we provide our customers and employees with sufficient hand sanitizers and mouth-nose protection masks. Before the vehicles are handed back to the customer, after the service has been completed, they are getting cleaned thoroughly. This procedure has already been an integral part of our services before the corona crisis. Now, we are taking a step further: as an additional hygiene measure, we will sanitize more than 40 touchpoints from car key to door handles and steering wheel - after customer check-in and before the vehicle is handed back to them.
How does Carglass® communicate the current situation to its customers?
In our branches, we have highly visible information and instruction signs installed to ensure that all hygiene measures are noticed and communicated. Our telephone hotline is also continuously available for our customers. In fact, we have noticed a great demand for our online booking service, where drivers can make binding bookings 24/7 at a service center close to them. As per usual, we keep customers with appointments informed of their matter through automated status alerts via e-mail or SMS.
Thank you for your time, your support and the insightful interview, Mr. Heistermann!
In our next “5 Questions to” two fleet and media experts share their view on the pandemic, the future on mobility and ways for the industry to #StartTheRestart with you. Stay tuned!
