FLEETS should use their buying power to get better standards of vehicle repair rather than merely to drive down prices.

The message from Alan Hodgkinson, chief executive of body repair network ABS, applies to all sides of the fleet service industry.

Hodgkinson, addressing the issue of body repairs, said whether fleets bought services directly or through their insurance company, they only seemed interested in keeping down the price of the repair or premium.

He said: 'The price of repair or premium is a key point but concentrating on it to the exclusion of all else fails to take the total cost of the repair into account. 'That means looking at equally important issues such as how long the vehicle is off the road.

'It is here that we believe fleets are misdirecting their buying power. They can use their strength to demand that vehicles are repaired within a certain time frame or are at least given priority.'

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