Switching telematics providers is like going to the dentist. No one wants to do it, but wait too long and your problems could get worse. Besides, how can you tell when it’s really time to switch providers?
“When the cost of doing nothing becomes too great, you’ll know it’s time to switch,” says Clay Merches, president of LEC, LLC (Leading Edge Consulting).
As a consultant to transportation businesses, Merches advises fleets on provider relationships all the time. A former VP of Safety, he’s seen the warning signs and knows the perils of ignoring them. If you’re seeing red flags in your program like the ones below, start shopping for a new telematics provider.
Customer service is lacking
Being a fleet manager is tough enough without the hassle of poor customer service. Poor customer service isn’t just an inconvenience. It hinders productivity, fuels frustration, and makes you feel like a number. You can tell a lot about a provider’s culture by the way their sales team follows up. Or doesn’t.
Look for a provider that offers exceptional customer service and 24/7 support to help resolve issues quickly. Motive Chat, for example, gives customers a smart new tool for solving important issues in real time. “I don’t even have to pick up the phone,” says Motive customer Heather Walerius. “If a driver has a question about something, I just do a simple chat and continue doing what I need to do.”
The product is out of stock
“As your fleet grows and transitions away from equipment, your current provider may have an issue with product availability,” Merches says. “Perhaps the chip shortage has caused a lack of supply. Or suddenly you have more vehicles than your provider can accommodate. Fleets evolve, and when hardware is hard to come by, the provider is unable to evolve with them.”
Safety performance isn’t what it should be
If your safety solution isn’t delivering the results you expect, it may not be your imagination. Some solutions are better at recognizing and alerting to unsafe driving behaviors than others. A recent Motive-sponsored study by the Virginia Tech Technology Institute (VTTI) showed that the Motive AI Dashcam successfully alerted to unsafe driving behaviors 3-4x times more than Samsara and Lytx.
Across all times of day and camera placements, Motive performed well at successfully alerting drivers to safety issues in real time.
A slight delay in alerting can make the difference between life and death. With the stakes so high, fleets aren’t willing to take that chance. They want to protect their drivers with the fastest, most accurate AI around, and they’ll switch providers to do it.
There’s a lack of transparency
“If you’re constantly being surprised by invoices, your telematics provider probably isn’t being upfront with you,” Merches says. “Clients who are ready to switch are at a tipping point. They’ve been struggling for several months and the current provider is just flipping the bill, failing to provide options and resources the customer wants to drive forward to.”
Fleet card customers, for example, often face hidden fees. Some providers charge a monthly fee for each card, and another fee for using the card at certain fueling centers. Hidden fees can add up quickly, leaving customers reeling. With today’s inflationary pressures, fleets are looking to trim costs however they can. Switching to a fleet card with no hidden fees is an easy way to improve profit margins.
Equipment is outdated
Older tech solutions don’t always function like updated models. “Fleets with legacy systems get short-changed on video quality, for example,” Merches says. “You may decide to invest in a 4k or 8k camera system that offers HD video and a crystal-clear picture of what’s happening on the road.”
With a resolution of up to 1440p, Motive’s AI technology captures every incident in high-definition (HD). Enhanced visibility on the Motive AI Dashcam clearly shows when your drivers aren’t at fault, quickly exonerating them from wrongful blame. In the court of law, a high-definition picture can easily persuade juries, protecting fleets from multimillion-dollar payouts.
Why settle for a provider that’s not meeting your needs?
Don’t wait until the cost of doing nothing becomes too great. Contact the Motive sales team to inquire about switching providers today. Still undecided? Request a demo to see faster, more accurate AI in action.
