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A year of achievements, and growth

Standing out from the crowd in a busy leasing marketplace is an almost impossible feat. But, for the past 12 months, Leasys has been achieving exactly that.

 The powerful top 10 multi-marque vehicle leasing company is celebrating the milestone of one year since its merger with sister company Free2move Lease with an order bank larger than ever before.

 Class-leading personal customer service and a commitment to launching a raft of innovative new products and services have combined to ensure that the company has become the supplier of choice for fleets since the merger in April 2023.

 The merged company is owned jointly by Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance and vehicle manufacturer Stellantis, whose brands in the UK include Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep, Maserati, Peugeot and Vauxhall.

 Leasys offers a multi-channel, multi-marque approach that extends beyond the vehicle makers’ UK products.

 The positive aspects of its close association with Stellantis are many and varied. Its links with the Stellantis retail network allow it to provide a wide range of vehicle makes and models to suit every driver and fleet choice requirement. These not only include an impressive array of electric and plug-in hybrids, but also a strong line-up of desirable vans.

Shaping the future of mobility

Leasys is committed to shaping the future of mobility by offering sustainable, innovative and tailored solutions designed around its customers for a best-in-class experience, providing expert advice, dedication and personal customer care.

 When it comes to helping fleets navigate their way through the maze of electrification, it is continuously expanding its portfolio of zero-emission mobility solutions in response to customer requirements.

 “Our flexible offerings and innovative services are designed to facilitate and incentivise electric mobility adoption,” the company says.

 Since the merger, an increasing number of fleets have turned to Leasys as their supplier of choice.

 Fleet numbers are closely being kept under wraps ready for an exciting reveal at this year’s FN50 (the Fleet News guide to the top 50 contract hire and leasing companies). But, it’s no secret that the Leasys ambition is to become a European leader for mobility services with a fleet target of one million vehicles by 2026.

Leasys is also on track to achieve the ambition of having 50% of its new contracts for an electric or electrified vehicle by 2026.  Around a third of Leasys’ European fleet of 870,000 vehicles are either battery electric vehicles (BEVs) or hybrids, new figures show.

 Leasys UK managing director Matthew Boswell says: “Our growth rate has been exceptional. It’s fair to say we have a larger order bank than ever. We're serving more customers than we've served before. We're in a very strong place.

 “We are seeing year-on-year, month-on-month growth. So, the upward trend we're experiencing has been fantastic, thanks to a great team effort.”

 Boswell is supported in the senior management team by director of customer care and quality Karen Musacchio-Adorisio, sales director David Robertson and marketing director Shane Coomber.

 Clearly, merging two businesses is a mammoth task, but the result is that the newly-formed business adapts and utilises the best processes and systems from each. Creating a team culture where the customer is at the centre was another major challenge Leasys has worked hard to meet.

 Boswell explains: “I often say, ‘it's not what you do, it's the way that you do it’. And that, for me, is important. One of the most challenging parts of merging two businesses is developing that one-team culture and the ethos of customer at the centre.

 “It's the ability to have the autonomy to make decisions. It's okay to make a mistake and the most important thing will always be the people and the driver.

 “That culture is well embedded into our business. We've got fleet of foot and we act quickly. We want to be the spotty teenager on the block that can do stuff and find solutions that other people can't.

 “We can do it quicker and we believe we can do it better. We're here to challenge and stimulate.”

Matthew Boswell, Leasys UK managing director

Matthew Boswell, Leasys UK managing director

Future fleet products

Leasys’ growth will partly come from the launch of new products and services that aim to widen its customer base and give it a stronger foothold in the market.

 Working with mega fleets and offering salary sacrifice are two key areas earmarked for growth.

 Robertson says: “The products and services we have now and the ones that we are building on will give us the platform to widen to the sectors we are involved with, for instance, salary sacrifice or dealing with mega fleets are areas to focus on in the future.

 “We’re constantly developing and moving in that direction and the bigger customer base we generate gives us the experience to go after those areas with all the tools we’ve got in place and are building on today.”

 Salary sacrifice helps fleets fulfil their emissions target obligations by getting employees into electric cars and Leasys plans to launch a new product to help achieve this soon.

 Allowing employees to get a fully insured and maintained car in exchange for a contractual reduction in their gross pay gives them access to new vehicles for less than if purchased as a private consumer. Organisations also save on the associated employer national insurance contributions (NICs) on the salary that is sacrificed.

 Another benefit of introducing a sal/sac arrangement is it enables greater access to ultra-low emission vehicles across a much wider population of employees than a company car scheme.

 This can help to deliver sustained reductions in roadside pollution and carbon emissions. Sal/sac also helps organisations reduce emissions from their grey fleet.

 Boswell adds: “One of our biggest medium-term product launches will be around salary sacrifice. We not only see it as a big growth area for our business, but it allows us to help support the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate.”

 The mandate sets out the percentage of new zero emission cars and vans manufacturers will be required to produce each year up to 100% by 2035.

 Sales director David Robertson says: “New products and services will give us the platforms to widen the sectors we’re involved in.”

 Expanding on what those products and services might look like, Coomber said: “We can now confidently say that we offer an end-to-end fleet management/SMR management package for all our corporate customers and with the additional, newly launched short-term rental solution, we ensure mobility is covered end to end.”

*UK only

*UK only

 Whenever a business needs an additional or different vehicle, for a day, two days or even a month, we can provide a wide range of business cars, estate cars, electric vehicles and vans. 

 Offering Leasys customers a short-term rental service at preferential rates outside of their main leasing agreement, and with everything booked and managed through a single portal, the all-encompassing rental service covers Collision Damage Waiver cover as standard as well as maintenance and free-of-charge vehicle returns at any time for simple and hassle-free motoring. 

 With a wide range of vehicles available, sometimes a business needs additional flexibility for new starters, to test drive and evaluate a different type of vehicle such as electric vehicles, and to plug the gap with seasonal or project-by-project additional requirements.  And on the personal side maybe it’s a camping trip or family holiday with additional luggage requirements or perhaps a house move that requires a van.  

 “All of our products and services offerings focus on what our customers need,” she added.

Flexibility is key

 A flexible approach to working with customers to ensure they have no mobility issues is vital in today’s landscape of vehicle supply shortages.

 Its commitment to understanding the needs of business customers means Leasys is flexible in its approach to contracts. The sales team will start conversations six months before the end of the contract and, if a new vehicle has a particularly long lead time, then discussion will centre around extension options so customers can have a key-for-key changeover.

 Inflation in new vehicle costs allied with high interest rates also have a knock-on effect on leasing rates so conversations are also happening around contract extensions for existing leases.

 Musacchio-Adorisio says: “If there's any delay in delivery of their new vehicles, we'll keep the fleet mobile until such time as the new vehicles are ready. We’ll also extend contracts if we feel that it's beneficial to our customers, for example if they’re not quite ready to make the transition to electric – it helps make the progression more seamless and comforting for the customer.”

Best-in-class customer service

Leasys is committed to putting the customer at the forefront of every decision it makes.

 Members of a dedicated team of customer agents are keen to understand the personal needs of every customer and to resolve any issues quickly.

 Musacchio-Adorisio says: “Our team is cross-skilled in all aspects of customer service, so its members have the confidence to help customers without the need for email ping pong or the need for customers to hang on the phone waiting to be transferred to the relevant person. Our customers are busy and that’s not the best customer service.

 “Our large fleets customers have a single point of contact. And those customers can reach that single point via a mobile phone, so they don’t need to go through any interact voice response (IVR), and they also have access to an email address that is solely for them, allowing them to inquire about any aspect of their contracts.”

 Leasys genuinely cares for its customers and is keen to build its leasing experience around their requirements. It operates a strict set of service level agreements (SLAs) for response times, whether it’s answering the phone or replying to emails, and it measures its performance at the end of each communication with a short customer survey.

 Customer service is always the first point on the agenda of senior management meetings.

 Customers can access relevant documents, such as contracts, invoices and other communications, via their online customer portal called My-Leasys. The company notes there is less apprehension around accessing cloud-based documents than perhaps existed a few years ago.

 The portal allows customers to log into their own dedicated area to access their documents and hear about the latest Leasys news and special offers. It allows customers to have vehicle information and mileage details at their fingertips as well as gives them the opportunity to view and download invoices and other information at a time convenient to them.

 Musacchio-Adorisio adds: “The customer is at the focus of everything we do, and every decision we make. It’s very exciting that we could merge two large companies and take best practice from each. Our ultimate ambition is to have an unrivalled customer service experience.”

 She adds that as well as looking at where the company performed well in its customer survey feedback forms, it is also keen to see where it did not perform so well.

 “We look at negative or passive feedback,” Musacchio-Adorisio says, “because we’re always looking to improve our processes. We will involve the whole team in that discussion, not just management.”

 Boswell adds: “You can have the best systems in the world, the best processes in the world and you can be market leader on paper. But these always get delivered at both ends by a person and it’s about making sure that person is looked after. That is at the core of our organisation and always will be.”

 Musacchio-Adorisio continues: “We’ve worked very hard to get the culture and team ethos right and it’s now reaping some amazing benefits in all areas of the business. We do have high standards and we will support every member of staff to meet those standards with training and personal development plans.”

 She adds: “We’ve been measuring Net Promoter Score (NPS) since the merger and the results are incredible, which is testament to a team where we cross-skill, ensuring we have team members that are able to answer any inquiry that comes in from any customer on the telephone.”

 On the wall of the Leasys office is a charter signed by every member of the senior management team, pledging the wellbeing of staff as a priority.

 In return, Boswell adds, Leasys employees are fully energised and committed to the business and meeting the needs of its customers. Regular ‘coffee and connect’ meetings allow the sales team to meet with senior management to give honest feedback and to make suggestions for improvement in a safe environment.

 As part of the company’s strong customer service ethos, Boswell, too, can be found conversing with customers, something he sees as a regular part of his job. “We don’t have a belief in hierarchy within Leasys,” he says. “We are all accessible to our customers.”

 Leasys’ sales function is separated into two distinct channels, direct and indirect, with no distinction made between car and van fleets. A sales support function lies behind both channels.

Indirect: Servicing its retail network and broker partners
Direct: A team of national account managers are responsible for any vehicles sold directly to customers, typically small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) and larger fleets.

The modern-day fleet manager

 The fleet manager’s role is constantly evolving and the list of responsibilities has grown considerably in recent years.

 It’s no longer just about car choice lists and maintenance issues as boardroom executives now look to the fleet department to control costs and create efficiencies.

 On top of that, the modern-day fleet manager is also heading up the transition to electric so needs to have a clear understanding of areas such as workplace charging, energy costs and driver wellbeing.

 The number of stakeholders involved in fleet management is now much wider than before, and can include representation from other areas of the business, such as finance and human resources (HR).

 Boswell says: “Fleets today have staff retention as part of their responsibilities; they have carbon footprint objectives; they cross over into the economic environment; and they support drivers. The fleet manager of today needs to be a rounded individual and have expertise in far more areas than they would have previously.

 “They have a plethora of responsibilities that require more support from us. Our customers could be new to the organisation and the industry or maybe they’ve been in the role for 20 years, but the market is changing at pace, and we’ve found they want regular updates and bulletins about industry news from us.”

 Fleet requirements vary from business to business and while some larger companies have a dedicated fleet manager, smaller organisations may not. Offering a range of support helps fleets looking to make cost and time savings into their fleet operation and management.

 Robertson says: “It’s about listening and understanding the customer’s individual requirements. Many SMEs have a fleet manager who has another role in another function, such as HR. We engage with those customers differently than we would with a large company, who will have a dedicated fleet manager.”

 Recognising that many SME fleets require a lot of support, Leasys will take over core fleet management tasks such as co-ordinating service schedules, managing inquiries about tyres, and handling administrative hassles such as parking or speeding fines, etc.

 Bundling SMR costs into a single monthly lease provides fleets with peace of mind, especially around the uncertainties of depreciation and fluctuations in the used car market. Vehicle uptime is also maximised. This allows fleet customers to stay focused on their primary role knowing the running of the core fleet management and administrative tasks are being taken care of.

 Company car drivers or personal leasing customers can email or call a dedicated line to book service or maintenance work. The operation department will direct them to the most appropriate dealership.

Driver wellbeing

 Fleet management today is about much more than procuring and keeping vehicles on the road – looking after the mental health and well-being of drivers is also becoming increasingly important.

 Gone are the days of a fleet manager simply handing over a set of car keys to a driver when their new car arrives – especially if it is battery-powered. EVs behave differently to an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle and may come with technology that any new driver will need to understand.

Robertson says Leasys’ partnership with Octopus is a prime example of an initiative that can ensure drivers are safe on the road. A driver new to EVs will be far more relaxed behind the wheel if they’re not having to worry about where to charge it and how to pay at the charge point.

 Boswell adds: “A lot of fleets want help on driver wellbeing. The obvious one that springs to mind is winter driver training at the start of October or one of our partners going on site to check the vehicles are winter roadworthy.

 “Wellbeing starts with vehicle choice. Some drivers have specific needs and we help with that. We will develop a fleet policy which leans heavily on driver interaction and driver safety.”

Guiding fleets through the transition to electric

Devising an electrification strategy is no easy task and there are several factors that fleet customers and Leasys must consider that meet their sustainability as well as operational and budgetary requirements.

 It’s no longer simply about a cost-effective, low rental, reliable vehicle that provides minimal downtime and which suits their needs. Focus is also on distance travelled, trips made per day, how often they might need to charge and the impact of vehicle charging downtime on customers.

 Boswell says: “From an EV perspective, there are certain challenges in the market and we shouldn’t shy away from them. The residual values of EVs have taken a hit throughout 2023 and they are a challenge.

 “We work with customers who want to lower their CO2 and improve their impact on the environment. So, it’s about future planning, looking at total cost of ownership and alternative fuels.

 “We have invested heavily in developing our sales team’s knowledge, so team members take a more consultative approach working towards short-, medium-, and long-term goals with customers.

 Boswell adds: “We work in partnership with fleets to not just look at what’s happening now, but what’s going to happen at the end of this year, into next year and into 2026. It’s getting more complicated and there’s more pressure on fleets managers to be experts in every area.”

 There is still a trend for drivers to use plug-in hybrids as a stepping stone to full electric, Boswell notes, and drivers’ anxiety around range and charging infrastructure remain key concerns.

 While manufacturers themselves are going some way to alleviate range anxiety with products that can now cover hundreds of miles on battery power, public charging has been made a lot simpler thanks to a partnership between Leasys and Octopus Energy’s Electroverse.

 This ends the need for drivers to have a confusing plethora of charge points apps with the offering of a ‘one card, one app’ concept, giving drivers access to thousands of charge points.

 Boswell says: “We want to make it easier for people to get into EVs. Charging infrastructure is a pain factor. In Octopus, we’ve found a company that mirrors our beliefs and our strong-rooted customer service expectations.

 “Having a broader and wider charging network is essential. It’s a cluttered, confusing and complex marketplace and to have the combined skills of Leasys and Octopus Energy to handhold the customer through the pain points makes it easier for them to get into a BEV. We’ve found a kindred spirit.”

 Robertson adds: “The whole industry is learning all the time. The market is constantly changing, and customer requirements are changing. We have to develop and diversify our understanding of what’s needed to make sure we can offer the best solutions to our customers.”

 Both agree that it’s full steam ahead in terms of fleet electrification despite the Government’s five-year postponement to 2035 of the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles.