Accident management - Nationwide

Management of accidents is crucial to reducing downtime and minimising costs, according to Nationwide managing director Steve Thompson.

The process can be complex with many elements to consider, such as first notification of loss, repair management and uninsured loss recovery, which is where an accident management company can pay its way.

“A good accident management company will ensure your repair is booked in and is progressed. There will be no delays, which reduces downtime,” said Thompson.

A vital component is the speedy capture of any third party details if involved. Without this, fleets leave themselves exposed to credit hire and credit repair claims. This will hit the bottom line of those which are self-insured or led to higher premiums for those indemnified by an insurance company.

Avis increased the speed of repair by 19%, equivalent to a day or two off the repair time, and increased car utilisation after signing up with Nationwide in a pilot programme a year ago. It confirmed the contract in May this year.

Ian Parry, Avis UK technical services and defleet, said: “We previously used several accident management companies and then we in-sourced three years ago which improved our claims recovery.

“However, we then looked at how we could improve again and found that we could get a better deal by consolidating the service to reduce time, improve ease and save money. Now we combine in-house and outsource.”

Parry said pitfalls to watch out included cost. “You have to be clear on the price you will pay – there can be a lack of transparency, for example, on salvage and use of engineers.”

He also advised fleets to seek a two-way working relationship, especially with the bodyshop that is carrying out repairs, as it affects availability and cost.

“Cars can be moved around repairer networks to suit the accident management company not your fleet,” Parry said.

He added: “Is it the right thing to do ? The answer is yes for a lot of fleets although it’s not for everybody. There is definitely room to save money from a service that is tailored to your operation.”

Grey fleet - Alphabet

Companies looking to get control of their grey fleet need to focus on measuring a number of key areas, according to Nigel Trotman, head of strategic consultancy at Alphabet. They include:

• Number of drivers
• Who they are
• Number of business miles travelled
• Reimbursement rate
• The vehicles they are driving
• The authorisation process

Tristan Campbell, fleet advisor at Chivas, has around 60 members of staff using their own car for business, either cash takers or casual users. His solution was to set up a mandatory company pool car fleet of 60 vehicles, ranging from saloons and estates to MPVs and vans.

If no pool car is available, then staff need to seek out a company car.

Campbell also introduced tighter restrictions on the use of private cars. Staff can now only reclaim fuel if they have their line manager’s approval and have provided their driving licence, MOT certificate, insurance certificate and up-to-date service record. They also have to sign a declaration that they will inform the fleet if any of their circumstances change.

Employees who comply are registered, enabling them to reclaim business mileage. Any claims made by staff not on the list are rejected by finance.

As a result of this policy, grey fleet usage has reduced which has cut costs. Chivas also has better control over its carbon footprint and has improved brand exposure as all pool cars carry its livery.