How to pick the right cars on lease for your sales and service teams?
Sales and service teams often have to rely on public transport to commute or travel between the office and client sites. Stressful commute more often than not, results in your field staff showing up for meetings, fatigued and disheveled. In the current scenario, there’s also the risk of employees being exposed to significant health risks during their commute. A leased car solves a number of these issues, besides increasing field staff efficiency and productivity. But which cars on lease should you opt for, to enable your sales & service teams?
Car leasing for enterprises and businesses in India has evolved into an efficient solution for corporates looking at enabling their staff to offer safer commute options. Service providers like ALD Automotive, provide car leasing with a host of value-added services that make a complete mobility package. A key car leasing question, faced by most senior executives overseeing organizational administration, finance and human resources, involves matching their sales and service staff’s activities with the kind of mobility required. Here are some of the criteria that should be considered while deciding on a mid or long-term car lease for your enterprise.
Distance
Will your sales or service staff be commuting locally, within a few blocks of your business, further afield to areas within the city, or long-distance between cities or states?
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Short commute: Unless otherwise required, a small car or electric vehicle (EV) is ideal for short distances. Fuel efficiency (or top-up charging), parking access and traffic come into focus. If the number of short-hop commute is high, your business may require a fleet of small electric vehicles.
A car like Maruti Suzuki’s compact small-car offering - the Swift or the Hyundai Venue helps your staff navigate the city roads with ease, with its compact dimensions and decent fuel efficiency.
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Suburban and district commute: Here, comfort, fuel efficiency and light storage are some of the key considerations which will require attention. It will be vital to ensure your field staff arrive on-site without feeling the effects of travel fatigue, while being able to get there quickly. Fuel-efficient sedans or cross-over vehicles (depending on the road conditions) may be apt for medium-range commutes.
A sedan like the Honda City, or a compact crossover SUV like the Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Creta or Kia Seltos can ease your staff’s suburban and district commutes, keeping drive fatigue at bay.
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Long-distance travel: Here too, comfort and storage space are important factors, along with the durability of the vehicle. These vehicles need to run continuously for long periods, placing a degree of stress on the engine, frame, suspension and the occupants themselves. Large sedans, SUVs of various sizes such as the Toyota Fortuner or the XUV 500 and various MUVs serve long-distance travel requirements very well.
Usage
The people driving these vehicles and any equipment storage requirements come into play here. Which employees are going to require leased vehicles and what kind of roles do they perform? Do any of them require carrying high volumes of material or even specialist equipment?
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Designations: Depending on the roles your sales and service staff perform; you may need to consider the image they portray and the perception of your business as they drive into meetings. A senior executive may need to commute in an executive sedan, even on local short-distance commutes. If your business is located in a suburban location, a senior executive may need to commute in a brawny SUV or a quality executive sedan. Incidentally, a number of high-quality EV options such as Tata’s compact electric SUV – Nexon EV, are available to suit short and medium commute requirements.
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Space and storage: Vehicle space (both interior and storage) may become a decision pivot if your personnel need to visit sites with cargo, tools or specialist equipment. On-site functions may need to be considered as well. Commuting with cargo (sales samples or service consumables) will require larger vehicles like mid-range or large SUVs like the Toyota Innova Crysta which provide high-volume storage space, especially with the rear seats folded.
Infrastructure
Adequate parking space, at or near your business location, is a vital consideration. Leased vehicles will require to be parked safely when not in use and when staff are not on the field. Depending on the number of staff you presently have and your rate of growth, you will need to consider parking space. Also, for electric vehicles and hybrids, the availability of charging infrastructure becomes key to running the fleet efficiently.
Maintenance and services
After you’ve had an opportunity to shortlist potential vehicles, you’ll need to look at service, maintenance and repair. One of the benefits of business car leasing from ALD Automotive, is the set of comprehensive hassle-free, value-added services we bring you. These include leased car maintenance, insurance support, roadside assistance, relief cars and door to door services.
These are some key considerations that help you choose the right vehicles for your employees and field staff. With the right set of wheels, you can drive efficiency and productivity, while ensuring a safer commute for your team. Explore ALD Pro - car lease for field staff and delve into a new world of professional mobility.
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