Consumers are relishing the opportunities to request services directly to their homes simply by using the web or an app, with businesses in the areas of home care, repairs, and health proving particularly popular.

This popularity looks set to continue, with the global online on-demand home services market expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 49% between 2017-2021.

In order for businesses to bring their services directly to the doors of customers, a fully operational fleet of vehicles is essential. Without this, they may struggle to reach their clients, which could be detrimental to their chances of success. To better ensure the functionality of their fleets, home service businesses should look at investing in a fleet telematics system.

What is a fleet telematics system?

A fleet telematics system uses GPS to track vehicles and collect information about them. This data can then be viewed remotely from the vehicles’ dispatch centre. The system can collate a wide variety of information about a vehicle, from where it is and how much fuel it is using, to how fast it is going and its battery status. The data gathered can be useful for businesses by making fleet management much simpler.

How can fleet telematics help a home service business?

Fleet telematics can slash fuel costs

Rising fuel costs are hitting businesses hard, so keeping overheads down is more important than ever. As Movolytics point out on their page about telematics for service businesses, using this technology can cut a service business’ fuel costs by up to 30%. It does so through providing businesses with detailed information about the fuel use of a vehicle and shows them exactly how much this is costing them.

It can track inefficient driver behaviours like excessive idling, speeding and harsh braking that lead to more fuel being used unnecessarily, allowing businesses to monitor these behaviours so they can be eradicated.

Fleet telematics also provides alerts to drivers whenever they are engaging in these behaviours, allowing them to self-regulate their driving. Additionally, it can also tell drivers the most fuel-efficient way to get to their destinations, again enabling home service businesses to slash their fuel spend.

Fleet telematics improves customer satisfaction

Customers like businesses that are punctual and environmentally friendly — a fleet telematics system can ensure that a business is both. It can cut waiting times through simplifying a service business’ logistics management by giving them greater control of their fleet.

Without fleet telematics, businesses never truly know where their drivers are unless they telephone each one individually. This technology instead allows them to remotely track where all of their drivers are at any given moment and mobilise them more effectively.

For example, this would enable a business to instruct a driver closest to the location of a client to drive there instead of relying on a driver that is further away. Fleet telematics is also capable of creating optimal routes for drivers, allowing businesses to get to their customers more quickly.

As a fleet telematics system records the levels of CO2 emissions from vehicles, this enables businesses to reduce their carbon footprint. As well as improving their standing with clients, this will also help the environment and allow businesses to fulfil their corporate social responsibility

Fleet telematics software helps to keep vehicles well maintained

Keeping the vehicles in a fleet well maintained is imperative; not only can inefficient or broken-down vehicles inhibit the performance of a home service business, but constantly having to splash out on repair costs could eat into their funds.

With fleet telematics systems monitoring driver behaviours, vehicles will inherently suffer less wear and tear. Bad driving habits like sudden braking or acceleration can cause damage to the mechanics and tyres of the vehicles, meaning they will need to be regularly repaired. Vehicles will need maintenance much less frequently if these behaviours are eliminated.

Fleet telematic systems can actually monitor the condition of vehicles and can notify businesses if issues like faulty batteries arise.

This allows them to get the problem fixed as soon as possible and ensures drivers aren’t driving around in vehicles that could break down at any moment. The system can also manage a company’s maintenance schedule, sending notifications when key checks are due.

These are just a few of the ways a telematics system can benefit a home service business’ operations. With such businesses relying on being able to get to their customers’ doors, investing in this technology could make all of the difference to their fortunes.