WHAT’S the value of using an accident management company? Paul Hoyle, managing director of RTR Accident Management, explains how business car managers can benefit from reduced company car downtime.DOWNTIME of any company’s business cars immediately impacts profitability, causes staff disruption, additional administrative time, and potentially affects business-client relationships.
According to Brake, the road safety charity, at-work drivers are involved in accidents 40% more frequently than other drivers. A situation that sees a third of all company cars on the road involved in accidents each year.
While business car managers can minimise risk and improve processes – from enhanced driver training to vehicle tracking and maintenance schedules – the speed at which they are placed back in the position they were prior to the incident is often determined by the choices the fleet manager makes. Minimising downtime is critical.
To reduce downtime for company cars off-road due to accidents, business car managers can choose an accident management company rather than their insurer when they are the non fault party in a collision.
The specialist nature of accident management firms means they have well developed sector networks, covering everything from vehicle recovery, repair work, legal assistance and personal injury claims to vehicle replacement. The ‘one stop shop’ nature of the work allows the car manager to concentrate on their core business functions confident that the management of the situation is being professionally handled.
As with all relationships the value to each party is in direct proportion to the levels of trust and integrity delivered by each participant. It is therefore important that the accident management firm a fleet manager enters decides upon is one that upholds the primacy of the company client relationship. Those that operate on such a footing should ensure that each link in the accident management chain is one that delivers both value and swift results for the fleet manager.
A number of companies are now introducing a step change in both service chain transparency and equivalence of treatment for those concerned in the process. To do this with confidence involves building up a network of relationships with companies operating in the field, from recovery operators to law firms. Companies whose working practices satisfy the needs of the accident management firm and, by extension, their clients – the business car managers.
Undertaken in such a way ensures a positive feedback loop for all. The company’s business car is swiftly back into its everyday stride, reflecting well upon the accident management firm which engenders customer loyalty. An efficient accident management firm makes certain a company has minimal downtime on its business cars and the fleet manager has minimal administrative involvement in the process, reflecting positively upon them. Swiftly recovered and well repaired vehicles are a plus for all concerned. As is the use of hire vehicles at the market rate.
But most importantly it minimises the stresses and administration hassles of the business car manager balancing cost effectiveness and the provision of customer service during downtime on a company car.
Further information
RTR Accident Management UK specialises in providing time and money saving solutions to each of the industries involved in the effects of road traffic accidents: www.accidentmanagementuk.co.uk
