Tim Johnson, Head of Sales at Volkswagen group Leasing, outlines the features that he believes businesses look for in selecting the right contract hire supplier to suit their needs.

I am often asked what characteristics businesses look for in choosing the ideal contract hire and leasing supplier for them, and I usually answer from my own experience of what Volkswagen Group Leasing customers tell us they are typically looking for.

We can boil this down to the following key factors-firstly "confidence"-business confidence that the supplier is financially strong and likely to remain in business and independent for the foreseeable future. Confidence, too, in the supplier's ability to deliver what they say they will is also important for customers.

Secondly "competitiveness" and this means being as competitive as possible in the marketplace and not just on price, but also being able to provide an offer that matches the needs and requirements of the customer. With Volkswagen Group Leasing, customers like the fact that we are a part of a larger, financially stable organisation but are small enough to provide a totally flexible service that is very competitive in the market.

We know we can remain competitive across the Volkswagen Group range of vehicles-and whilst our aim is to major on five vehicle brands, we do also supply other marques, upon request.

The third factor is "consistency" and by this we mean consistency in approach and not constantly chopping and changing our product offering. We like to agree with the customer what they want from the outset and maintain consistency in pricing, service and delivery for the life of the contract.

We are helped here by the fact our customer management staff have been with us for a number of years and staff retention rates are very high. That means that customers get to know the staff at Volkswagen Group Leasing and vice versa, and customers appreciate the fact that they don't see a frequent change in account manager.

In our company, the corporate sales manager remains the customer contact for all the time they are with us, ensuring continuity of the relationship, communication and service- which we know our customers appreciate.  

FleetNews- June 14th