During the course of any given day on New Zealand roads, disaster can strike. As if clogged motorways and arterial routes were not enough, there is also the possibility of dings and crashes, tyre blowouts, vehicle breakdowns or simply getting lost. There’s the stress of drivers not being where they should be or arriving late, bad driving habits resulting in infringements or collisions, compounded by the fact that lost time and productivity means money down the drain for fleet operators. All in all, it’s a vehicular minefield. In recent years, the quality of customer service provided by businesses catering to the fleet market has risen exponentially. Gone are the days of when the phone took an age to be answered, having to make an appointment, and even then not being sure the work could or would get done in a timely fashion. Today, fleet service companies pride themselves on modern call centres which deal with requests quickly and efficiently, and on their mobility. They come to you rather than expect you to go to them, which saves the fleet operator time, money and considerable anxiety. Technology, too, has played a part in the increasing levels of customer service. Orders don’t get lost, parts don’t become mislaid, and customers are not billed for work that hasn’t been done. As computer systems become more sophisticated and integrated, customers reap the benefits. The range of specialist fleet services available nationally today is comprehensive. These companies can quickly and easily dig you – or your drivers – out of any particular hole in which you might happen to find yourselves. They understand that time is money, and specialise in solving your problems as quickly and efficiently as possible. So, whether you need a replacement tyre, a dent removed or a breakdown fixed, the suppliers in this guide will be able to help. Crown Lift Trucks The National Contact Centre set up by Crown Lift Trucks has resulted in streamlined standard procedures and a superior level of customer service. The Centre’s first priority is to provide a swift and appropriate response to all emergency service repair requests required to a customer’s forklift. Driven by specially developed software designed in-house, the Service Management System analyses service workload, client location and forklift type to send the first available and appropriately qualified service technician to a customer’s site, within two hours. This reduces forklift downtime, identifies problem forklifts and improves fleet efficiency while reducing fleet size. It also provides scheduled preventative maintenance calls and a uniform standard of service nationwide thereby reducing customers’ overall forklift costs. Crown has over 60 mobile forklift technicians in 11 locations throughout the country and supplies a complete range of battery, electric and engine-powered forklifts. For further information call Crown on 0800 803 002. Dent Devils Mobile paint-less dent removal (PDR) has become a fine art form by Auckland-based practitioner Dent Devils. PDR enables minor dents and creases to body panels to be removed without the need for filler or the vehicle to be repainted. The technology originated in the USA where violent hailstorms drove the development of this unique system. Equipped with solid levers ranging from 1.5 metres to much shorter levers that look almost like Number 8 wire, the Dent Devils team restores dented vehicles back to their original condition. Dent Devils specialise in refurbishing privately owned and leased vehicles that have suffered minor panel damage. Satisfied clients include Turners Smart Autocentre, Sallen Panelbeaters, Prism Auto Colours, Wakefield Panel and Neil Jones Car Painters. In particular, Neil Jones says that of the many mobile paint-less dent removal operators in the market place, the Dent Devils team is one of the best. “Paint and panel work can be very expensive and for many clients I can deliver great results using Dent Devils, for less than half the price clients might have otherwise expected,” says Neil. The major advantage of Dent Devils Limited is their mobility. They come to your home or office, allowing you to carry on with the day’s business with minimal disruption while your vehicle is fixed. For more information visit www.dentdevils.co.nz