THE Fiat Group believes hundreds of thousands of smaller companies who run handfuls of company cars and/or vans provide a real sales opportunity for the brand.
This focus across the new Fiat Fleet Specialist network combines with Fiat’s corporate sales team’s work with larger fleets and contract hire companies to increasingly educate drivers and fleet managers alike about Fiat’s low CO2 range of cars.
“Our aim is to establish a group of dealers that will employ dedicated people to focus on developing relationships with fleets in their local area,” explained Adam Pumfrey, Fiat’s fleet and remarketing director.
Fiat has been talking to dealers for the past couple of months and is in the progress of appointing 10 dealer fleet specialists in 2008 and to eventually grow the network to around 15.
Each dealer will be set a local fleet sales target, employ a dedicated fleet sales resource and run dedicated corporate demonstrators within the dealership. Finance training will be provided to enable each fleet specialist to engage with companies about a wide range of finance options including contract hire and contract purchase.
Each Fleet Specialist will also offer a comprehensive aftersales service for fleets which includes a collection and delivery service in their local area for company car drivers who need their car serviced.
To help smaller fleets prepare for the recent Duty of Care legislation Fiat has also launched a One Day Driver Development Course. Developed in conjunction with the Driving Instructors Association, it focuses on getting drivers into a car with a trained instructor which may be the first time they have been monitored since they passed their test.
