There are 2,000 customers with individually tailored reporting systems affected by the migration which started in December 2012, but De Kock expected “normal service” to be resumed for all of its customers in the next few days.

However, fleets have also accused the company of failing to adequately communicate the transfer of accounts to the new operating system and the introduction of fees.

Allstar insists that both letters and emails were sent to customers informing them around a month before work was due to start and then again a week before their account was due to be migrated.

However, when customers were unable to access fuel data, Allstar’s call centre started being bombarded with calls from irate customers.

The company drafted in 36 additional temporary staff to handle the increase, but accepts that it failed to provide customers with an adequate level of service.

De Kock said: “If we could have done things differently we would have done, but it’s not been down to a lack of planning. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and if we knew then what we do now it would have created a fewer problems than it did.

“We can only apologise that customers have had to experience these issues.”

On the question of communicating the introduction of fees, Allstar says that customers were informed around two weeks prior to them being introduced. A letter accompanied their invoice telling them of changes to their terms and conditions.

De Kock explained: “What we want to do is invest in the network of more than 8,000 outlets – not only to maintain its size but to improve it further.”

Allstar added that simply maintaining the current network size is costing the company money and it needs to cover its costs.

Value-added services

However, it says that the introduction of fees will also help it develop a range of ‘value-added services’ for its customers.

They will include a new mileage capture system which will see tracking hardware fitted to customers’ vehicles giving fleet managers exact journey details.

“Chip and pin will also be launched in the next quarter offering a huge advantage to both us and our customers in terms of security,” said De Kock.

A new supermarket-only fuel card will also be launched in the next few weeks.

De Kock added: “We have been in touch with customers again explaining where and why we’ve had issues and apologising for the problems they’ve faced. But with normal service being resumed we now want to continue to develop the business for the benefit of our customers.”


 

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