Renault dealers were given an insight into the challenges faced when company vehicles are booked into their workshops at a recent event hosted by Fleet Assist.

Fleet Assist is a supply chain management specialist for the UK fleet and leasing industry, and more than 70% of the UK’s Renault dealers now signed up to its national SMR network of more than 7,000 service outlets.

Fleet Assist provides its contract hire and leasing company clients, which collectively operates 700,000 vehicles, with a nationwide network of audited service outlets delivering SMR to pre-agreed terms and conditions, pricing and service standards with quality management and performance monitoring.

Renault dealer attendees at the event included group aftersales managers and service managers from companies including Lookers, Motorline, Vertu and Renault Retail Group, as well as aftersales management from Renault UK.

Renault UK said a smooth relationship between all parties involved in SMR work is critical to their mutual customers, fleet managers and drivers.

Fleet Assist provides an SMR booking facility to 16 of the UK’s leading contract hire and leasing companies so it is vital franchised dealers have an insight into how it works and the challenges and issues faced.

Attendees were given a demonstration of Fleet Assist’s bespoke SMR booking system, discussed the flow of information between leasing companies and Renault dealers and sat in with its control centre bookings team as staff co-ordinated and arranged work to take place.

Attendees were also given advice and assistance on how to optimise the set-up of their Epyx 1link platform, to ensure SMR transactions carried out via the platform with leasing companies were produced and processed quickly and accurately: reducing the time required to gain authorisation to complete the work.

Alan Smith, manager of aftersales network performance and methods at Renault UK, said: “We want to ensure that Renault dealers offer the best possible service to our corporate customers in line with the Renault Business Quality Commitment, and an effective SMR bookings process is an important element in ensuring this happens.

“There are clear benefits for our dealers to fully understand the service provided by Fleet Assist and how the SMR booking system functions. We want to ensure that the service is utilised to the maximum in terms of securing bookings and offering a fast and efficient service to leasing companies, their end-user fleet customers and company car drivers.

“The event enabled attendees to broaden their knowledge about the booking facility and the management reporting provided by Fleet Assist during and following SMR work,” said Alan Smith.

Mike Smith, joint managing director of Fleet Assist, said: “The event stimulated a very productive discussion, and everyone who attended said they found it extremely useful in gaining a better understanding of Fleet Assist and the service we provide to both contract hire and leasing companies and service outlets.”