THERE’S little doubt that the past few years have been, well let’s face it, challenging, difficult, concerning (choose your description of choice).
Lack of product availability, rising interest rates, political instability have all played their part.
But when I caught up with a number of Fleet Alliance Appointed Representatives (ARs) at the company’s most recent conference at Alphabet’s HQ (pictured above), the mood was upbeat.
Part of the reason has been access to a range of products and the competitive tendering offered by access to 11 funders. The company’s salary sacrifice offering is proving particularly useful as interest in it continues to increase.
Currently it’s the fastest growing funding method according to the BVRLA, which is what Michael Hooper from Carmyke is quickly discovering. He told me:
Salary sacrifice is proving really popular at the moment. Over the last month I’ve had four of our larger fleets asking about implementing salary sacrifice, so having Fleet Alliance’s salary sacrifice proposition in your armoury, with the driver portal and software in place, is a really useful tool.
It also opens more channels to generate sales - such as cash takers moving from a monthly allowance and into salary sacrifice and non company car drivers who perhaps wouldn’t have a car. The early termination option is useful - it provides reassurance because the car can be terminated without financial penalties.
Michael has just implemented a salary sacrifice scheme at Triton Construction for the company’s 70 staff. Early Termination Insurance was a critical factor in getting the scheme over the line with the construction company, in a sector that traditionally has higher staff turnover.
Big company backing when you step out on your own
It’s also true that Fleet Alliance is proving something of a safe haven for those who want to set up by themselves, but are concerned about going it alone.
“Being a Fleet Alliance AR means you don’t have to set up as a complete brokerage – all the FCA permissions are done for you – as well as the marketing support,” explained Andy Riley over a coffee.
“What also helps is that I’m small enough to care for SME fleets but I can also evidence scale when talking to larger 50 to 150 fleets because of Fleet Alliance’s B2B focus. It provides me with a lot of really useful firepower in the business market which is helping me win business.”
Account structure provides partnership support
Another theme that came through strongly during the breaks between sessions was the excellent support structure on offer. If you’ve had the feeling with some other AR programmes that you’re rather left to get on with it, then the back-end support offered by Fleet Alliance may well come as something of a surprise.
Daniel Mauchan is one of Fleet Alliance’s more experienced ARs, but he still values the support.
I see it as a partnership. Part of the trust in that partnership is the account support I receive as well as the level of compliance. I had a BVRLA audit recently. It was totally painless because I was mirroring what Fleet Alliance does in terms of compliance. If I had been an independent that would have been much more difficult.
It’s the same with the level of sales support. Once I place an order I tend not to know anything about it until it’s delivered. And that’s the way I want it. I don’t want to be touching an order every day. It means I can operate as a sales person, rather than being an administrator, which really frees me up to do my job.
Finally I would say as an AR you’re managed by Laura Muir, a senior executive in the company, which is crucial because it shows the level of importance ARs have in the business.
It’s something that Richard Austin of Fleet Alliance partner Just Leasing values strongly. He describes the support as “essential” and helps cut down on headcount.
“We have our own customer service manager but without all the administration being taken care of by the account team at the company’s Glasgow headquarters we would have to employ another two people at least. And that would be too cost-prohibitive for a brokerage our size. I don’t think we would be here today if we didn’t have this partnership.”
The competitive purchasing edge
One other stand out feature explained to me over lunch was the advantage of Fleet Alliance buying power. In a market that has been devoid of deals and discounts, the access to often exclusive market opportunities has really helped.
Torquil Rowley, a director at partner broker Fleet Elite, said:
The competitive edge Fleet Alliance provides us in the market is vital. We rarely lose business on cost. The terms Fleet Alliance negotiates and provides via dealers, manufacturers and funders is key to us winning business. In addition, the supply of secured stock is a significant factor for us to conclude orders.
Finally, one often overlooked feature is the working environment. Everyone was very relaxed at the AR event, but also very professional. The culture of Fleet Alliance is something the ARs say they really value – Fleet Alliance has been voted A Great Place To Work on 10 occasions – and this filters through to the AR team. Or, as Daniel Mauchan told me: “As a Fleet Alliance AR I really feel part of the business.”
Explore the opportunity of joining Fleet Alliance as an AR
For more information visit the Fleet Alliance website and download the latest Appointed Representative brochure.
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Ralph Morton is the leading journalist in the leasing broker sector and editor of Broker News, the website which provides information and news for BVRLA-registered leasing brokers. He also writes extensively on the fleet and leasing market in both the UK and Europe.
