Tire Supplier: Improving Customer Service

The challenge: improving customer service

With a fleet of only ten vehicles, Tire Supplier Distribution Inc. had to find a way to utilize each one of its vehicles to cover a lot of ground while pleasing all of their customers. The Ontario-based company looked into five different telematics systems before finding Geotab. Other telematics systems failed to provide real-time updates that the Tire Supplier needed to track its drivers.

Ryan Marenger, CSA for Tire Supplier Distribution, says what led the company to telematics in the first place was getting a better sense of where the trucks were at all times. “By doing this we could give our customers answers on how long it might take us to deliver that specific order, and if it took too long, then we would send another driver who was less backed up,” he says.

The solution

Doing the research

Tire Supplier Distribution did a fair share of its homework when it came to looking for the right telematics system. They investigated five different systems and chose one, which still did not provide the type of information the company was looking for. 

“Our last system was not very effective. It lacked in the amount of updates and the accuracy of pinpointing our trucks,” Marenger said.  

After eight months, the company found the right fit for its fleet with Geotab.

Putting drivers at ease

Despite finding a system that met all the needs, Marenger encountered a minor speed bump. A common issue with implementing a telematics system is reluctance on the driver’s side. “We have a few old-school drivers who felt we were trying to spy on them, but it was all about explaining what the system was actually tracking,” Marenger said.

Geotab uses wireless technologies to deliver driver identification and activity to management. In order for the vehicle to start, a valid driver ID key-fob must be waved over the installed reader. “Traceability was a feature that Geotab had that a lot of the other systems didn’t,” Marenger said.

The results

Putting drivers at ease

Unlike many fleets who are trying to monitor driver behavior, Tire Supplier Distribution uses the near-field communication driver ID to help keep track of which drivers are using a certain vehicle. “We have drivers change trucks daily and sometimes multiple times per day,” Marenger said. “These key fobs save us time in making phone calls to different drivers like we had to in the past when trying to give a customer a delivery time.”

It has been less than a year that the company has been using Geotab, but the success of the system can be seen beyond ROI. “There has been a dramatic improvement in the level of customer service. We’ve been able to give them accurate delivery times and that is keeping them happy,” Marenger said.

Although customer service and delivery monitoring were the main factors in deciding to implement the Geotab system, the company was also looking to monitor fuel mileage and have vehicle maintenance reminders. “We used to miss our oil changes and now with Geotab we have reminders to make sure all our vehicles are being well-maintained,” Marenger said. “My experience with Geotab’s system over the past year has been extremely positive. I would recommend this technology to any fleet, whether it’s two or 200 trucks. In addition to their technology, their customer service has also been a very positive experience.”

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From the fleet manager

“There has been a dramatic improvement in the level of customer service. We’ve been able to give them accurate delivery times and that is keeping them happy.” - Ryan Marenger, CSA